r/irishrugby

I'm still a bit stunned after the Connacht victory yesterday, just and incredible performance and win. And looking back at the run of URC wins our scrum has looked so solid with Bohan and Illo getting at least parity against some top class opposition. To my eye at least but I'm no front row expert!

Interested in thoughts on where you'd rank them (individually) against the other Irish props? Looking back now I wish Bohan had been thrown in to start the 6N! McCarthy has been very unlucky with the timing of his injury, Boyle too. Then Porter's niggles continue and his scrum play remains a question mark... O'Toole had a great cameo at the back end of the 6N and Milne is probably disappointed to not get more minutes but..

At TH Furlong will be in cotton wool outside of big games, Bealham is fine but getting on. Clarkson is rediscovering a bit of form... Jaeger is never fit, Wilson also on the cusp but could improve as a scrummager...

Perhaps I'm overegging them but I'll be damned if now isn't the time to dream about Connacht selections!

Same format as usual, metres carried and tackles counted in 5s and defenders beaten in 2s. Stats via Superbru Fantasy and RugbyPass for dominant tackles.

Ulster

1. Bryn Ward (Back Row) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 50m, broke the line twice and got past 2 defenders each time and showed a good burst of pace and strength to fend of the tackles to score. A good cameo from him continuing his impressive form.

2. David McCann (Back Row) - He put in 15 tackles, stole a line-out, carried 35m, broke the line, got the better of 2 defenders and gave a nice assist for Zac Ward's 1st try. Another good game from him.

3. Nathan Doak (Scrum-Half) - He put in 5 tackles, got a turnover, carried 15m, had decent ruck speed which one time resulted in an assist for Bryn Ward. A decent game from him.

4. Jude Postlethwaite (Midfielder) - He carried 40m, got 2 turnovers, broke the line and got past 2 defenders. A decent game from him.

5. Zac Ward (Wing) - He put in 5 tackles, got a turnover, carried 90m, broke the line 3 times got the better of 4 defenders and showed good pace and footwork to score both of his tries. An important from his previous games, but still leaving a little to be desired.

6. Jacob Stockdale (Outside Back) - He carried 100m, got a turnover, broke the line twice, got past 8 defenders and got a nice assist for Zac Ward's 2nd try. A solid game from him on the offensive side.

Leinster

1. Thomas Clarkson (Tighthead Prop) - He carried 35m, got 2 turnovers and bet a defender each time and was dominant in the scrum. I wouldn't usually include players of his calibre in the posts but his performance warranted one especially for a prop.

2. Brian Deeny (2nd Row) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 10m and got the better of a defender each time. A solid game from him.

3. Alex Soroka (Back Row) - He stole a line-out, got a turnover and carried 5m. A solid game defensively from him.

4. Scott Penny (Back Row) - He put in 15 tackles (1 being dominant), got 2 turnovers and carried 15m. A solid game from him.

5. James Culhane (Back Row) - He put in 5 tackles (1 being dominant), got a turnover, carried 55m, broke the line, got the better of 4 defenders and showed good power to score his try in what was his most impressive game in a Leinster jersey so far.

6. Sam Prendergast (Fly-Half) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 45m, broke the line twice and got past 2 defenders each time, linked-up with his backs well, showed good confidence in himself to take on the opportunity to his try and had a good kicking game that he got MOTM. A good game from him.

7. Jimmy O'Brien (Utility Back) - He carried 30m, got a turnover, broke the line twice and got past a defender each time and showed good pace and footwork to keep himself in play to score his try. A good game from him.

Connacht

1. Billy Bohan (Loosehead Prop) - He contested well in both teams scrums in getting parity for Connacht and helping win one from from a Stormers put in early on. Another good game from him.

2. Sam Illo (Tighthead Prop) - He along with Bohan were immense in scrums, put in 5 tackles and got a turnover. Another good game from him.

3. Darragh Murray (2nd Row) - He stole a line-out and put in 10 tackles (1 being dominant). A solid defensive game from him.

4. Paul Boyle (Back Row) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 10m and scored a crucial try. A good cameo from him.

5. Cian Prendergast (Back Row) - He stole a line-out, put in 10 tackles (2 being dominant) and got a turnover. A good defensive game from him showing a good captains performance.

6. Shamus Hurley-Langton (Back Row) - He put in 10 tackles, carried 20m, got the better of 2 defenders and showed great positioning and strength to his try. Another great game from him continuing his superb form since his return from injury.

7. Ben Murphy (Scrum-Half) - He carried 30m, broke the line and got a crucial try as well as having good ruck speed and deservingly got MOTM. A good game from him and also good to see him bounce back from his poor cameo against Montpellier.

8. Séan Naughton (Utility Back) - He put in 5 tackles, got a turnover, carried 50m, linked-up with his backs well and got a brilliant intercept from his counterpart SFM who he outshone to break the line and score. Another good game from him continuing his impressive form.

9. Hugh Gavin (Midfielder) - He put in 5 tackles (1 being dominant), carried 20m and got the better of 2 defenders. A decent game from him.

10. John Devine (Midfielder) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 50m, broke the line 3 times, got past 2 defenders to score his try as well as linking up nicely with Harry West. A great game from and got his 1st try for Connacht after he had one disallowed against Scarlets.

11. Shayne Bolton (Wing) - He carried 40m with strength and aggression, broke the line, got past 2 defenders and got an assist. A good game from him and nice to see last week's performance didn't affect him.

12. Harry West (Utility Back) - He carried 30m, got 2 turnovers, broke the line, got past 2 defenders and a nice assist to Hurley-Langton. Another good game from him and is proving one of Connacht's finds of the season in having capabilities of playing in 4 different positions.

Munster

1. Michael Milne (Loosehead Prop) - He was good in scrums in getting parity and helping win one from a Treviso put in and got a turnover. A decent cameo from him.

2. Jeremy Loughman (Loosehead Prop) - He was good in scrums in getting parity and winning one from a Treviso put in, put in 10 tackles and got a turnover. A good game from him.

3. Diarmuid Barron (Hooker) - He put in 10 tackles and got an assist. A solid game from him.

4. Edwin Edogbo (2nd Row) - He carried 10m and got a turnover. A solid cameo from him.

5. Alex Kendellan (Back Row) - He carried 5m, broke the line and showed nice hands to catch Crowley's cross-field kick to score. A decent cameo from him.

6. Brian Gleeson (Back Row) - He carried 15m, got 2 turnovers; one where immediately after he carried with good aggression to score a try whilst getting the better of 2 defenders. A good cameo from him.

7. Gavin Coombes (Back Row) - He put in 15 tackles, carried 40m, got the better of 2 defenders where he showed some strength and aggression to score. A good game from him.

8. Craig Casey (Scrum-Half) - He put in 5 tackles, carried 15m, got a nice 50:22 and had good ruck speed which resulted in 2 assists. A good game from him despite the yellow card which can only be described as brave.

9. Calvin Nash (Wing) - He carried 35m, broke the line, got past 2 defenders and showed good pace and footwork to keep himself in play to score his try. A good game from him.

Hasn't had a lot to work with lately but some of his linebreaks tonight have been absolutely class. Whats his status in terms of residency because he could be needed post world cup when we lose 2 or 3 of our long established 12s.

Before and during the 6 Nations there were calls for Zac Ward and Jacob Stockdale to be included in the Ireland squad.

Having watched them this year and tonight, I just don't see what they bring. Am I blind or are they overblown?

Stockdale is a powerful player, decent under the high ball and can get an offload away. Accepted. But that's the bare minimum for an international quality backthree player. Lowe, Hansen, TOB and Bobby can do all that and more. He reminds me of a slightly worse version of Mike Haley minus the footwork.. And Haley wasn't good enough to make Ireland.

Ward is powerful. That's about it. If we're being nice we'd say he's quick too, but I don't think he's overly quick for a wing. His basic ball skills are poor, looking uncomfortable passing the ball.

So, what am I missing?

On a related note.. I'd fast track Jude and Bryn Ward into the Ireland. Bryn Ward may not be the finished article, but his ball carrying and ability to bust tackles is like nothing else in this country. He reminds me of Jasper Wiese. He needs to be nurtured.

Jude Postelwaithe is an absolute unit and what I hoped High Gavin would become. Given we've got an aging centre stock in the national team he should be given game time soon. His biggest issue is he's more of 12 and it just so happens that Ireland's only in-from centre is Big Stu who's often carrying the team on his back

Munster’s season is on a hinge too, and they don’t want the prospect of Challenge Cup rugby to be clouding their horizons either. They have to chase Champions Cup but confidence comes back quicker in an environment that knows how to win.

My Munster friend made a good point this week: people too easily forget what an extraordinary success that URC final win in South Africa was in 2023 under Graham Rowntree and the stunning sequence of away results that took them there.

The sense then was that the trophy had delayed rather than arrested the province’s slide into mediocrity but when you examine the success from the perspective of now, it’s a level Munster would bite someone’s hand off for.

Things have deteriorated and the notion that Munster ‘aren’t far away’ comes off as a little fanciful now. Frankly, I don’t remember Munster as low. They have to be careful because Welsh rugby is the de facto cautionary tale of what can happen when a totemic institution goes bad or goes the wrong road.

There are decisions made at that club that any former player worth his bacon would look at and scrutinise harshly. Just because Munster are a big brand does not mean that the brand can’t fail. Business and the pages of history has shown us that the unsinkable is anything but. When do they stop taking on water, and who’s going to stop it?

Right now it’s on the playing group to finish their URC season with a flourish and secure Champions Cup Rugby next season, starting in Italy on Saturday. The other three games are all in Ireland, making victory this weekend non-negotiable. That stands alone as the priority.

But inside the building, you are hoping that they are making a plan beyond the end of this campaign. I saw enough of their Challenge Cup exit at Sandy Park and for some of the Exeter tries, the defence was a holy disgrace. That’s a playing/coaching issue.

Munster still has cachet for a potential player, but the brand is as weak as I can remember it in terms of a recruitment tool. The world is small and players talk – if you are offered Toulon or Munster, the considerations will be potential for success, the package and the lifestyle. Where are you going?

However, a reminder: there is this fallacy that the French Top 14 is swimming in money and largesse but well I know from agents, player enquiries and the like that the Munster lads are hardly slumming it in the bargain basement either. They are unbelievably well paid. Maybe that’s a potential issue in itself.

I had a conversation with a player in Ireland about possible terms and conditions coming over here to France and I broke out laughing at his figures. Are ya dreamin, kid? Just look at the salary cap investigations in France, and you get a sense of the reality here.

It’s a grind now all the way to the play-offs. Bordeaux may be heavily rotated coming to our place on Saturday. Before the Champions Cup quarter-final, I thought Toulouse’s forwards would beat up Bordeaux, but the opposite happened. It was an unbelievable performance. But we finally have a few lads back from injury even though we won’t have Uini Atonio again, Will Skelton remains out with an Achilles and Levani Botia has a bad calf injury. Without them you have to play a different way, and people will see our team in a different light without a big scrum and maul energy.

The extra percentages are to be found in culture and standards. They count for so much. In Munster as in La Rochelle. Local voices and good professionals are a potent mix and when you have them in the same individual, you must cherish them. That’s the north star. Local lads driving the project. Driving the culture.

Give me that and I’ll drive anywhere to sign him.

>! IRE 57 - 20 ITA !<

U21 women doing a great job against Italy, 36-8 up at half time

https://x.com/Munsterrugby/status/2044411809969397861?s=20

Edit: for those who don’t use twitter https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2026/04/15/roger-randle-appointed-munster-rugby-attack-coach/