Munster v Scarlets thread

A perfect example of skill and finesse turning a massacre into something you couldn't imagine, but the Scarlets can, no other side can turn that half around like we do.....its in our DNA....its why we put up with the rough, because we can be Gillette smooth and sublime.

Yes we lost ...lots on here wrote us off the first half.....but I've posted before when something tangible is brewing at the Scarlets it's that feeling you can't explain ...but you see it, acknowledge it and bloody grab it ...because we have our love and zest for rugby back ....and when we want to play rugby....no one can contain us and that's the Scarlet way, I had texts from supporters saying how brilliant we were....we lost....but we were brilliant....

For me Munster won...but we won the psychology battle.....we blasted Munster on their land with a sell out crowd...in Ireland and the rest who face us going forward....if we get the ball.....start panicking. 

I bloody love the Scarlets. 

Bollocks. Whenever we play on artificial pitches we always moan about injuries, but hey ho it's me let's deny it. 

The ref seemed to be determined to let the game flow at all costs - having an entertaining game seemed to matter a lot more to him than getting his decisions right. He certainly succeeded in that aim, but at times I do feel that accuracy is pretty important as well! I don't know if his assistants were of the same mind and didn't intervene, or if he simply never gave them the time before the game had moved on.

Best example - the try scored by their 9 - did the ball go forward before that? Maybe, maybe not - what is certain is that the ref didn't allow the TMO to check all the angles before the conversion was taken. (Of course, the Irish TV guys were playing their usual game of 'not finding' a good angle in their replays as the conversion was taken, but perhaps there was one which could have been unearthed had the TMO been given time to look.

The 9, indeed, seemed to lead a charmed life with the ref - he knocked on at one ruck (or was it two?), but not given. He gave a short, slightly forward pass for one try - not checked. He deliberately knocked the ball on one handed - scrum, no pen. In addition, there were several coat-hanger tackles by others, only one of which was given - late - after intervention by the assistant. (Not YCs, but definitely high and pens.) Another knock-on near the Scarlets line was ignored even though the players told the ref - he 'didn't see it' - true, as he was badly positioned on the wrong side of the ruck -  but communication from the assistant would have brought it back for a scrum. Can't recall if they scored just after.

So - in the first half, Munster dominated possession because on the occasions when the ref should have penalised them, he could not be bothered - practically from the KO, their player rolled forward a couple of times - not given. And so it went on. I lost count of the number of times he allowed their players to hold on to the ball on the ground until the jackal was cleared out - OK, maybe sometimes they didn't 'have it', but some of those jackals were absolutely fine. (In the second half, he allowed them a jackal when their player was so much not supporting his weight, he fell over!)

I will give him this much - he also ignored some similar infringements from the Scarlets in the second half when they got on top - so there was a degree of consistency in the way he went about his work. The problem was that by then they were so far behind, catching up was always going to be a hard ask. Munster had gained such momentum in the first half because of his continuous intent to let things go that it was an almost impossible mountain to climb - yet the Scarlets nearly did it, and all credit to them

It was a superb fight-back, and an exciting and entertaining game - unlike the Os last night, whose style was turgid and where the ref was finicky. But - maybe - with that ref we'd have won a lower scoring game. Who knows?

It would be very interesting to know what his debrief/report from the assessor was like, as well as that of both teams.

I’d like more accuracy and making players play within rather than bending the laws. At URC level, that latter wish is most unlikely. Only when players have utmost trust and respect for the ref is it possible.

Space is at such a premium, there is a basic step that would help create more and make a ref’s life slightly easier. Blow the folk in front of a kicker and enforce the offside line.

While I’d rather see an open match if I’m not supporting either side, I’d prefer an accurate one for our matches, as we tend to have rebound our entertaining style

Fair comment. Crazy why clubs do it. I'd love to see their injury stats for home games. 

As for those artificial pitches, the one time we came off worse than our opponents was up in Glasgow a week before our semi final (or was it quarter) against Leinster. Every Scarlet came off that pitch with terrible burns whereas none of the Glasgow players had so much as a mark. I offer no explanation.

How you mark it depends (a bit) on whether you want to win more than you want to be entertained.

Of course, if you support the Ospreys, you are unlikely to have the choice!