swift4prez wrote:

Munster today announced that they will be establishing their main squad training centre at the University of Limerick.
The new state-of-the-art, dedicated facility, located on the UL campus will be purpose-built and is anticipated to be fully operational by 2015

games still to be played in musgrave

Still, One small step for Munsterkind... :whistle:
(sure it's only the supporters hard earned they're wasting with the dual location thing)..

Munster today announced that they will be establishing their main squad training centre at the University of Limerick.
The new state-of-the-art, dedicated facility, located on the UL campus will be purpose-built and is anticipated to be fully operational by 2015

games still to be played in musgrave

connachtexile wrote: Apparently there was some trouble at the Clermont game. Alcohol,terrible stewards and over-zealous security all led to some ructions. It seems the stewarding was the biggest problem with most of the stewarding staff not having a clue nor giving a shit about the potential flashpoints created. For example their was one steward tearing the heads off tickets which were meant to be scanned and when people went to a different area there was no barcode so they couldn't be allocated seats. Then security got called in to remove or push people into more/other areas and when you mix that with drink or indignant people being told to move it lead to some nasty confrontations. To be frank I don't think that is good enough of a top European team like Clermont to have such an amateurish set-up. Especially for such a high profile event like a HEC semi-final. The ERC should have serious words to say about it. I don't want to ruin what was a great event but nor do I ever want to read about a riot happening at a rugby game.

It wasn't Clermont's own ground, it was played at Montpellier FC's (Stade de la Masson) ground (350 odd KM away )for capacity and availability reasons, hence possible security issues...

Apparently there was some trouble at the Clermont game. Alcohol,terrible stewards and over-zealous security all led to some ructions. It seems the stewarding was the biggest problem with most of the stewarding staff not having a clue nor giving a shit about the potential flashpoints created. For example their was one steward tearing the heads off tickets which were meant to be scanned and when people went to a different area there was no barcode so they couldn't be allocated seats. Then security got called in to remove or push people into more/other areas and when you mix that with drink or indignant people being told to move it lead to some nasty confrontations. To be frank I don't think that is good enough of a top European team like Clermont to have such an amateurish set-up. Especially for such a high profile event like a HEC semi-final. The ERC should have serious words to say about it. I don't want to ruin what was a great event but nor do I ever want to read about a riot happening at a rugby game.

rossie wrote: While the nationals are reporting that rog is retiring from the game rumours around limerick are that he is to decline a new contract and head to japan for 2yrs.

I'd be massively surprised if that happened, he doesn't have the pace for the game played in Japan (not even close). It works for ageing forwards because the less physical nature of the game (almost closer to sevens in tempo and style, rather than kick and chase) helps to extend their careers. He's had a good career and should have made enough money out of a career spent entirely in Ireland (if he's not squandered it on property specualtion and the gee-gees)....

While the nationals are reporting that rog is retiring from the game rumours around limerick are that he is to decline a new contract and head to japan for 2yrs.

Great game. As a neutral I enjoyed it a lot and Munster could be proud of themselves for giving there all.

Good effort from Munster, looked on a couple of occasions like they were going to nick it. Clermont would only have themselves to blame if they lost it but credit goes to Munster for hanging in there and with a bit more composure probably would have nicked it.

I wouldn't be overly confident of a Clermont victory in the final on today's display. For Munster, they have done well in the knockout stages and can learn from this experience and make a push next year.

I apologies to all Munster fans now.
I have a sneaky feeling that you're going to win this match

considering there injures etc this is a strong enough munster team. if they lock penny out of the dressing room this game too, this could be a good game.

Munster:
F Jones;
K Earls,
C Laulala,
J Downey,
S Zebo;
R O’Gara,
C Murray;

D Kilcoyne,
M Sherry,
BJ Botha;
D Ryan,
P O’Connell capt;
P O’Mahony,
T O’Donnell,
J Coughlan.

Replacements: D Varley, W du Preez, J Ryan, B Holland, P Butler, C Sheridan, I Keatley, D Hurley.

We have this on another thread in the Connacht section but nope. No name has leaked out yet.

Any news on Connacht signings for the Academy.

Munster released their injury list today. To summarize their pretty f"cked.

News on the injury front is that doubts remain over Peter O'Mahony (hip), Donncha O'Callaghan (knee), Keith Earls (hamstring), James Downey (hand) and Doug Howlett (shoulder) while Mike Sherry didn't train because of tonsilitis. Stephen Archer is definitely out with a wrist injury.

Kilcoyne is also meant to be an uncertainty for the game but might pull through. Clermont have Rougerie and Brock James out as well but can bring in the likes of Regan King to replace Rougerie so their not that much weakened.

Munster have confirmed so far John Madigan, Darren O'Shea, Niall Horan and Rory Scannell for the academy next year.

Fogarty didn't serve a minute, he and Jennings got off on a technicality on appeal.

True then Fogaarty retired soon after through injury, Jennings got a massive ban for alleged eye gouging on Nick Kennedy and Stan Wright got an injury that took him out for nearly a whole season. Karma is a bitch!

P.S. The technicality that they got got off on was that they said that they were not informed in writing (up to that stage all citing were done by telephone to the branch) so they argued (and won) that the players themselves were not informed of the specific charges and through some legal wizardry got off. There was a lot of ill feeling towards Leinster after that move and they didn't make any friends at the citing commission. All citings from then on were also posted to the branches.

salmson wrote:

Borders no.2 wrote: John Fogarty's one week ban for numerous haymakers on Adrian Flavin a few years back is one memorable example of the joke of a disciplinary situation that's in place.

Fogarty didn't serve a minute, he and Jennings got off on a technicality on appeal.

Stan Wright was the other lucky boy on that occasion, apart from the cheap digs, his lack of binding was the cause of a lot of what went down that night at scrum time. But because he had been carded during the game he got away with not being punished correctly...