Saints v Munster 18th January 2025 - Teams Up

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:23:04:52:38 by Saint Ted.

Strongest squad we could put out with our injuries
Coooome onnn you saaaaints!

A strong Munster side, we’re 6:2 again with power and pace off the bench in Angus and Henry. Thankful our backs are both incredibly cohesive and flexible allowing cover from just the two Toms.
As an aside, I’m concerned with sucession planning, the U18 side is distinctly lacking in Toms!!!

Always concerning when the team announcement is delayed well beyond noon. Is this indicative of last minute selection issues? 😬

Quote:

FatAlan
Always concerning when the team announcement is delayed well beyond noon. Is this indicative of last minute selection issues? 😬

I believe the announcement time is 13:00 for the European matches. Nothing sinister!

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Matthew

Quote:

FatAlan
Always concerning when the team announcement is delayed well beyond noon. Is this indicative of last minute selection issues? 😬

I believe the announcement time is 13:00 for the European matches. Nothing sinister!

This is correct, all the European team announcements are 13:00 in the UK, prem and prem cup 12:00

No EMM in squad and also not in the ‘Not Available for Selection’ list.

..and there’s me imagining Dowson quickly scribbling down the starting lineup on the back of a fag packet with 30 seconds to go! 😂

That is a formidable back row.

Tom James back from exile. Similar to EMM, we haven't seen him for sometime and he's not been listed as unavailable. I hope he goes well.

Tom Millar-Mills would be a shoo-in!

Didn’t join the dots on this one but will Chris Boyd be back at the gardens
In opposition

Quote:

Sir Hector
Tom Millar-Mills would be a shoo-in!

Shoe-in!

Deeside,
Yes I think he is staying with Sam Vesty?

So I’m taking it Chris Boyd is no longer acting as a consultant for Saints if he is also a consultant for Munster?

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Chris Hoddle
Deeside,
Yes I think he is staying with Sam Vesty?

Wonder if he’s looking in his little black book for a scrum coach

Going to be cracking atmosphere today. Munster fans are the best that have ever been to our ground. They think they are missing 7 first choice players and 5 bench players. How many do we think we are missing ?
Furbank
Sleightholme
Iyogun
Temo/munga? One of these would normally be ahead of lockett.
Odenndaal? Last year ahead of hutch, tough call this year with how hutch is playing.
Hendy? What is our best back 3?
Graham would normally make 23 but you can't drop pollock now.
Robbie smith would make 23
Both teams have a hell of an injury list . If we can beat munster and quins next week our season will be very much alive on both fronts. Then the prem cup will come at a good time to get our injured boys back . Odenndaal is very close according to dowson .

Quote:

Chris Hoddle
Deeside,
Yes I think he is staying with Sam Vesty?

Hope he's not poaching

Meant t-i-c of course (mostly)

Given how our scrum faired under Boyds guidance, I'm not sure how much we want his input.*

Quote:

Deesaint
Didn’t join the dots on this one but will Chris Boyd be back at the gardens
In opposition

Hoping he is coaching Munster's defense.....

Lacking intensity and missing Odendaal today. Trying to force it after multi phase where crash ball isn't working.

Zebo pretty unbearable on commentary as well.

What a result.

What a performance.

Are we not entertained?!

Great win, great 2nd half and we have our new talisman in Pollock. He'll make up for losing Lawes, Waller and Ludlam by himself at this rate. Cracking win and fair play to munster too. They look much better than last year.

We can breathe now?
I'm covering at my A&E which has been very slow until now. I appreciate the gent who just came in with a Grade 4 AC Separation and have to have his accident and come in right after the match ended.

This was not Fin's best match, but even if a hair off his best, he is just so smart and effective with the ball. Hope we keep him healthy and in our town and county for a long time to come!

Off to do my job.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:18:17:27:41 by Saint Gordo.

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Longers
What a result.
What a performance.

Are we not entertained?!

Oh yes we are!!!!!
Superb.

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Saint Gordo
We can breathe now?
I'm covering at my A&E which has been very slow until now. I appreciate the gent who just came in with a Grade 4 AC Separation and have to have his accident and come in right after the match ended.

This was not Fin's best match, but even if a hair off his best, he is just so smart and effective with the ball. Hope we keep him healthy and in our town and county for a long time to come!

Off to do my job.....

I think I needed you at 70 minutes
Phew
If we can bottle that we’re on for a heck of a ride

What a game
What a win

Another cracking game of rugby. Very good win against a spirited Munster side.

If anyone thinks Henry Pollock is overrated, think again. Came on in a seething cauldron of a game and made two epic contributions. For such a young man, he is very special.

Two lovely Munster guys next to us. We hugged emotionally afterwards. What a game. Loudest the Gardens has been since “that” semifinal.

Quote:

Connorman
If anyone thinks Henry Pollock is overrated, think again. Came on in a seething cauldron of a game and made two epic contributions. For such a young man, he is very special.

Not at all worried about Young Master Pollock except that he is still young and growing. As a doc I would want to see his load managed for a while. He has an incredible upside. And, as an example, the NFL mandates that a player must be out of high school for at least three years before eligible to play. In essence, usually 21 years old at the minimum. This was directly due, in the beginning, due to higher injury rates and severity.

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Saint Gordo

Quote:

Connorman
If anyone thinks Henry Pollock is overrated, think again. Came on in a seething cauldron of a game and made two epic contributions. For such a young man, he is very special.

Not at all worried about Young Master Pollock except that he is still young and growing. As a doc I would want to see his load managed for a while. He has an incredible upside. And, as an example, the NFL mandates that a player must be out of high school for at least three years before eligible to play. In essence, usually 21 years old at the minimum. This was directly due, in the beginning, due to higher injury rates and severity.

I said the same a while ago but got the usual "If he's good enough he's old enough" reply. I feel both Pollock and Hendy need managing.

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ramseysaint

Quote:

Saint Gordo

Quote:

Connorman
If anyone thinks Henry Pollock is overrated, think again. Came on in a seething cauldron of a game and made two epic contributions. For such a young man, he is very special.

Not at all worried about Young Master Pollock except that he is still young and growing. As a doc I would want to see his load managed for a while. He has an incredible upside. And, as an example, the NFL mandates that a player must be out of high school for at least three years before eligible to play. In essence, usually 21 years old at the minimum. This was directly due, in the beginning, due to higher injury rates and severity.

I said the same a while ago but got the usual "If he's good enough he's old enough" reply. I feel both Pollock and Hendy need managing..

And you are 100% right. That was the attitude coming out of the late, not not lamented, amateur era. Hendy has already had a few niggles and we want Young Master Pollock to have a long career. Some careful load management now will give them (and us as supporters) years of great Rugby.
But, to be fair, Pollock always ends up in the right place making the right play. That's not simply physicality, that's skill and brains. What a heck of a player.

Highlights -

[youtu.be]

Some game that. Love everything about munster as a club. Great team, cracking fans, great rivalry and always seems to end in a cracking game. Shame we won't host them in the last 16. I know we play them alot and would be nice for a team we not had in a while but you gotta love a saints vs munster at all times .

By the way, fairly late on the TMO was looking at contact between Tom Pearson and a Munster ball carrier for potential had-on-head.. After the numerous replays from different angles, the decision was clearly shoulder to shoulder. To me, it was fairly and properly called (of course, the Irish commentator was saying it could have gone either way, but I thought that was just provincial and biased).

Now these are my opinions. Did anyone see that differently?

I saw it as chest to shoulder on the big screen. Other than that, with each replay, the heads seem to get further and further away.

Any other call than play on would have been ridiculous.

I thought, apart from Munster being offside, he was pretty good. Was he from Georgia? His English was immaculate, clear and decision explained. He can come back again!

Called that one at the time - just a big hit, move on. Can see why it was reviewed though - a few inches in a different direction and there would have been a card. But, equally, if I'd driven a few inches away from where I did on the way home I'd have been in a head-on accident with a car in another lane. Pearson didn't and I didn't, so no problem.

Quote:

Connorman
If anyone thinks Henry Pollock is overrated, think again. Came on in a seething cauldron of a game and made two epic contributions. For such a young man, he is very special.

+1 a great game to watch live at the gardens and also enjoyed watching the recording late last night. Pollocks 2 “epic” contributions in last 5 minutes were outstanding and ensured that we won that match. It is all that Bayfield wanted to talk about after the match .

Two cracking matches we have now had back to back at the Gardens. Been spoilt but hope it continues and always look forward to Munster home or away

Stokey,

Amashukeli was the referee, yes he’s from Georgia.

IMHO in the Top 5 of referees worldwide.

The thing about Pollock is that for every few standout moments like tackles, turnovers and tries his 'normal' involvements are constant too - he's not just hanging around looking for those big moments for the highlight reels.

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tigersimon
Stokey,
Amashukeli was the referee, yes he’s from Georgia.

IMHO in the Top 5 of referees worldwide.

Agree that he is a top ref. Clear communication, decisive, pretty consistent, but, he adopted the current style of ignoring offside defence in mid field. All refs are on the ball when the try line is under pressure, but in the middle of the park defenders are constantly offside shutting down the attacking sides space. To my mind this needs addressing.

I agree. Was very frustrating Saturday and just because it’s the same for both sides doesn’t make it right. Inhibits attacking play.