Rested and ready for Bath
Cook Catch
By Cherry Picker
October 21 2013
Resting 12 stars for a daunting trip to thunderous Thomond Park was a very brave move by Nigel Davies. We'll find out how successful when we see how we do at ghe Rec this Friday and whether we can get a bonus point win against Munster in January ...
We will never know whether the first choice first XV would have beaten a slightly lethargic home side. They have been taken to task by the Irish media for the way they earned their 26-10 victory - but that's no surprise.
Nigel Davies is adamant he had not been interested in winning and is quoted as saying: "The only way to build depth is to play players in games like this.
"We created some good opportunities out there and I felt we did enough to get something from the game," said Davies.
"I am bitterly disappointed that we didn't, but at the same time I am very encouraged. I felt a lot of our inaccuracies were of our own doing."
It was indeed an heroic effort in front of 20,000 passionate Irishmen and only a late Murphy try stopped us getting something out of the game. Nobody would have argued if we had.
Munster: F Jones (D Hurley, 77), K Earls, C Laulala, J Downey (C Sheridan, 77), J Murphy, I Keatley, C Murray, D Kilcoyne (J Cronin, 68), D Varley (M Sherry, 71), BJ Botha (S Archer, 75), D O’Callaghan (J Coughlan, 66), P O’Connell, D Ryan (CJ Stander, 70), S Dougall, P O’Mahony (capt).
Tries: Botha (34), J Murphy (68) Cons: Keatley 2 (34, 68) Pens: Keatley 4 (4, 9, 13, 66)
Gloucs: M Thomas (R Cook, 7), C Sharples, M Tindall, R Mills, J May, J Bentley (F Burns, 50), D Robson (T Knoyle, 60), D Murphy (Y Thomas, 5), D Dawidiuk, R Harden, L Lokotui (J Hudson, 50), W James (capt) , M Cox (G Evans, 40), A Qera, B Morgan.
Tries: Sharples (16) Cons: Bentley (16) Pens: Bentley (39)
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Do we really need to rest players when we've only got to go to the Rec for the next game?
We need to start smelling the coffee and put in some consistent performancves.
Fortunately I'm not the coach but if I was I'd be going for a settled side to try to get into a winning groove and filter in the up an coming lads where and when necessary.
What would you rather have - a bruising sapping win in Limerick or a five point win at the Rec to move us up the league?
The Heineken Cup is a long slog with plenty of opportunity for us to use home games to get through.
I think last weekends was courageous and correct and of great long term benefit
Quote:"only got to go to Bath" - maybe you will be a little more respectful when you loose.ned3
Could only watch on Sky but Im convinced we would have won if we had fielded most of our normal first choice. Thats not to decry the efforts of the lads who came in as they did us proud.
Do we really need to rest players when we've only got to go to the Rec for the next game?
.
Reckon it will be a very close game and we are showing Bath the ultimate respect by getting pretty much our first choice XV out- as I am sure you are doing.
Bring it on - as they say.