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Exeter Chiefs

15 Stuart Hogg
14 Olly Woodburn
13 Henry Slade
12 Ian Whitten
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds
9 Sam Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Harry Williams
4 Jonny Gray
5 Sam Skinner
6 Dave Ewers
7 Jacques Vermeulen
8 Sam Simmonds

Replacements
16 Jack Innard
17 Ben Moon
18 Patrick Schickerling
19 Jannes Kirsten
20 Richard Capstick
21 Jack Maunder
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Josh Hodge

Munster:

15. Mike Haley;
14. Keith Earls,
13. Chris Farrell,
12. Damian de Allende,
11. Simon Zebo;
10. Ben Healy,
9. Conor Murray;
1. Jeremy Loughman,
2. Niall Scannell,
3. Stephen Archer;
4. Jean Kleyn,
5. Fineen Wycherley;
6. Jack O’Donoghue (C),
7. John Hodnett,
8. Alex Kendellen.

Replacements:

16. Diarmuid Barron,
17 Josh Wycherley,
18 John Ryan,
19 Jason Jenkins,
20 Thomas Ahern,
21 Craig Casey,
22 Rory Scannell,
23 Jack O’Sullivan.

Match Officials

Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Ref 1: Luc Ramos (France)
Assistant Ref 2: Flavien Hourquet (France)
TMO: Denis Grenouillet (France

Weather Forecast as at 1200 Friday

Sunny intervals with a gentle breeze from the west south west
Temperature will feel like 6 degrees
Low chance of rain

Television Coverage from 1715

Channel 410 BT Sport 2 SD
Channel 432 BT Sport 2 HD

Am guessing Tom Hendrickson must be injured? If so is a shame. Good looking team and Munster have quite a few missing i think. Be interested to see how we go. Fingers crossed!!

In such a big game can anyone explain why SM continues to get the nod over JM? Surely it’s not bench impact? That’s a label that I doubt JM wants around his neck.

Quote:

Rowancroft73
In such a big game can anyone explain why SM continues to get the nod over JM? Surely it’s not bench impact? That’s a label that I doubt JM wants around his neck.

I was thinking the same Rowancroft! Can't see the reason at all, in my eyes the team play far better with Jack playing. Apart from that it's the strongest side we could put out. Munster are missing a few so I'm going for a home win Chiefs 24 Munster 13

Big names missing from Munster, 8 changes from the side that lost to Leinster last week:
Gavin Coombes, Tadhg Beirne, David Kilcoyne, Andrew Conway,
Peter O’Mahony and Joey Carbery all not playing



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2022:04:08:13:33:38 by Scottish Chief.

Quote:

Rowancroft73
In such a big game can anyone explain why SM continues to get the nod over JM? Surely it’s not bench impact? That’s a label that I doubt JM wants around his neck.

Personally Ive always rated Sam over Jack. Perhaps a bigger question is why Stu Townsend isn't playing, unless of course hes injured again.

I’m told that the coaches would prefer JM finishing a game than SM, if things aren’t going well they can bring him on at any time !! Personally, I’d rather start with JM and play our best rugby from the off, rather than playing catch up !! It’s partly seeing if SM can step up to this level. Pretty negative approach if you ask me, JM has already proved, like against Sarries, that he can play a whole game if needed !!! Also, Hendo is not injured but dropped !!!!!

Chiefs 28 - Munster 22

Hi Broken Arrow, If as you say Hendo is dropped and not injured for Whitts that suggests things are a bit worse than I thought. If Whitts is perceived as a coaches favourite by squad members no wonder some players have left. Whitts was slow and looked battered against Bath. His stats would certainly have shown that even if the coaches eyes missed it. I do not think that his defensive abilities now justify his selection.

I agree Cornwallchief, he gets out of position too often which leaves large holes in the defensive line. Hendo and Slade would offer a lot more, both in attack and defence. But, Whitt’s is the coaches favourite, and to be honest, I don’t know what the coaches are thinking anymore, starting SM over JM is just plain odd.

Tomorrow requires us to keep the score board ticking over, so that we go into next week in front and no slip ups.
Past form in the cup meetings has been close, inc the draw!!

Home win: Chiefs 19 - 13 Munster

Quote:

Broken arrow
I’m told that the coaches would prefer JM finishing a game than SM, if things aren’t going well they can bring him on at any time !! Personally, I’d rather start with JM and play our best rugby from the off, rather than playing catch up !! It’s partly seeing if SM can step up to this level. Pretty negative approach if you ask me, JM has already proved, like against Sarries, that he can play a whole game if needed !!! Also, Hendo is not injured but dropped !!!!!

BA you appear to get an awful lot of this insider information!
Is there a mole within the camp?

Chiefs 26 - 18 Munster

Hi Blackwater Tribe,
BA was right about Flats a long time before it was generally known. I suspect he does hear information a lot before the likes of me - I am sure he is not alone in that. Rumours are sometimes that but sometimes they are leaks. I generally think that the more leaky a group is that it represents disquiet in the group. This season I do think that for whatever reason, understandable or not, there appears to be some divisions/cracks in the camp as judged by performances, end of training run off, players leaving without playing. I do not think it a surprise - just human nature in hard times - and the times have been hard in the last two seasons.

We have picked a strong pack - full strength apart from the absence of Johnny Hill and LCD through injury. We will also miss Nowelsy on the wing but Munster are light of a some key players. We are at home - Chiefs 28 Munster 20. To win the double header I think we need a fourteen point lead going to Thomond Park to be confident of progression.

Interesting to read that Chiefs have conceded the most turnovers in this competition and Munster have forced the most, need to sort that stat out tomorrow !!!!

I’m looking forward to this one

Chiefs 24 Munster 19

Well not exactly confident with this one, we happy few (if you go by other posts on attendance) will have to do double time to raising the boys up. If we can get our set piece right, and sorry but both Jacks are throwing terribly at the moment, we will win.
Ewers and Verms are the important guys, if they go well we will, after all it’s an Irish team.
Chiefs 27- Slàinte 19

I'm going with home win, but tense and close! Chiefs 18, Munster 13.... reckon we have it in us to spring a surprise away at TP though! C'mon Chiefs!!!

I think we have a big opportunity tomorrow.
Some massive names missing for Munster and although I expect their replacements to do a good job with the spiritual leader that is O' Mahony missing that is huge for us imo.
Fingers crossed that we can take the opportunity 🤞🤞🤞

I should not be able to get Champions Cup tickets at this short notice. Long story short I really wasn't sure I'd be able to go for a whole variety of reasons...but...

Chiefs 30 Munster 20. We got the home leg at least.

Chiefs 27 Munster 21

Should win at home so Exeter 24 - 19 Munster

Must win at home Chiefs 34 Munster 19.

Umm. Not sure I have the same confidence for this one ... Chiefs 13: Munster 20
I'm pretty sure that this is the first time this year I've forecast a Chiefs loss, but I think the league is still more important.

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

Well i think the team will excel today and i am going for chiefs 31 Munster 17 although it will be different next week with their stars back, I think its clever coaching here by Munster.

I'm glad you've broken ranks DN, and predicted defeat. Hopefully our non-unanimity (?) will improve our luck.
Also means I can go for the win, I'm still smarting from the draw in 2018 which imv should have been a win but for the ref (Garces?) refusing to give a penalty in the last few minutes despite more than one good reason! (One-eyed? Me??)

Chiefs 17 - 10 Munster

Very mixed emotions about this one but both opting for a home win.
Mrs PC 24 - 21
PC 33 - 21

The ‘weakened’ Munster team is virtually the same team that a scored over 50 points away at Benneton two weeks ago. Not shabby. The biggest variable in this is ourselves with an unsettled and inconsistent team. I’m going for a home win because if we can’t raise our game for this in the way we did at home against Sarries ….. Chiefs 25 Munster 18

Chiefs to win 26-18

Zebo and the bench hooker now out due to illness.

I'm hoping that we have the strength and will to win against a weakened Munster side. Chiefs 26 Munster 17

Breaking News
Simon Zebo and replacement hooker Diarmuid Barron are ruled out due to acute gastroenteritis.
Shane Daly comes in to start on the left wing in place of Zebo, while academy hooker Scott Buckley is promoted onto the bench instead of Barron.

Quote:

DumnoniiNomad
Umm. Not sure I have the same confidence for this one ... Chiefs 13: Munster 20
I'm pretty sure that this is the first time this year I've forecast a Chiefs loss, but I think the league is still more important.

Never happier to be wrong! Excellent display, but I do fear it's not enough... Ready to be wrong again! 😁

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

A great win but I just can’t help feeling we should have won by more !!

Sorry I don't buy the excellent display business.
It was a win,a good win but there was a lot we did wrong and performance wise it would be a 6/10 imo.
We were playing a Munster team missing an awful lot of their first choice team and although their replacements were not slouches we could and should have almost put the tie beyond their reach.
As it is it might be enough but our line out and attack were pretty awful and it is no coincidence that the 2 go hand in hand.
I hope the tie isn't decided by the non knock on try that was given to Munster as that could be significant. A huge decision and one my Munster supporting friend admitted they got away with.
The celebrations from Munster and our players frustrations at the end of the match told the story that they were happier at the final scoreline than us.
I agree with both.
We can still do it over there but we need to improve line out and attack.
A missed opportunity today

There was for me a bit the good and bad in todays performance.
The good: we won and Hoggy’s magnificent drop goal. Our determination in defence with 13 on the park.
The bad; Schickerling getting his yellow straight after Woodburn
Still got issues in our line out and l feel we let 6pts get away when we went into the corner twice instead of ticking over the score board over. Next week will be a very different Munster.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:04:10:15:25:34 by Scottish Chief.

Hi Zyderhead. Not disagreeing with you, however excellence is relative, and as I predicted a 7 point loss I'm pleased with our effort and commitment. I'm generally a 'glass half full' person.

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

Just got back from SP. A great atmosphere - thanks to the Munster invasion - best of the season. I think our fans got through to the players with their heroic defence when we were down to 13; brilliant as was the first try from a quick tap by Sam Maunder. Over-riding feeling was we let the momentum slip fairly early in the second half after we failed to take any points from a long period of pressure. One lineout loss was a failure to lift at all. Interesting all their throws were caught at number two without huge complex movements up and down the line. Forwards generally immense and scrum really good with Harry Williams. Sladey, kicks apart had a very average game coming out of the line several times missing tackles and also turned over. Whitts - I am biased but offers nothing in attack. Latching penalty, held up over the line a couple of times, not keeping scoreboard ticking with easy penalties in second half. We won but but I fear lost the double header by leaving another ten points at least on the pitch. Really enjoyable, exciting but so frustrating.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:04:09:23:25:06 by cornwallchief.

As mentioned we really need to get that scoreboard moving, if the pens are there kick them.
Second week Hogg saved the match, the choice to drop goal gave us breathing room for next week.

Best defensive performance for hell knows how long! Not sure where it come from given our recent form but it's very welcome! Yes Munster were missing a bunch of guys and yes I predicted a bigger winning margin but we've clearly managed to find something to bring to Limerick.

Well done!

Great first half apart from two missed conversions but went to sleep for 10 minutes in the second half and coughed up 2 yellow cards and let them back into the game. Great drop goal from Hogg but I reckon we left at least 2 tries out there, two seasons ago we would have made our red zone dominance pay. Missing LCD in this area and Sam Simmonds is not getting enough ball in these areas.

Everybody who entered a prediction this weekend got two points including DumnoniiNomad who despite predicting a loss correctly predicted Chiefs' score.
52 Points: Mike the Shirt; Bold Eagle
50 Points: Clalan
48 Points: Cornwall Chief
47 Points: Osmium
44 Points: Mrs PC
42 Points: Ex 58
39 Points: Plympton Chief; Curry Chief
38 Points: Chief Firewater
37: Ouch That Hurts; ExTeddChief; The Stoke Canon; DumnoniiNomad
35 Points: Keithbar54
34 Points: Fisher; Big Chief Little Chief
30 Points: Thomas Hawk
22 Points: Last of the Beercans
20 Points: Exeterfan
18 Points: Ljs399
17 Points: Scottish Chief
13 Points: Lapo
12 Points: Alain le Chief
10 Points: Father Alice