@TL55: ….Osborne would have been better

@TL55: he was shortlisted for super rugby MVP in the past. Bordeaux and Lyon were also sniffing around him. He can’t be bad. I wonder is he IQ? It would make more sense if he was. Super rugby starts back tomorrow week so, we’ll get up close and personal with him then. Look, Archer is an unsung hero. He’s still needed. Munsters TH props blossom later in their twenties, which gives Know, Salanoa & Co another year or so with Archer, JR etc to help them cut their teeth.

@Steve McCarthy: Whatever about Marx and Aki, is Furlong even a rumour?

@TL55: Ryan, Knox or Salanoa are a good way off international level. Not what is required to compete for trophies especially when the rest of the front row shows no promise either.

@Steve McCarthy: new centre isn’t Irish Qualified

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: as if.

@Tombmunster: Are you suggesting Archer is?

@#JUSTICE4NOEL: It is now.

@Kingshu: why does it matter? There’s been plenty of munster produced centres in that time but they just weren’t at the level required. Ulster have had a lot of niq’s aswell and a lot of them in continuous years in pretty much the sane positions in the forwards. You sign who you need to try and compete, you’ll get permission if it’s not in a position of national importance at the time

@Kingshu: Not true. Rob Henderson and Mike Mullins we’re centre pairing in early 2000s. Both Irish internationals.

@mcdb06: did Munster not have NIE centre Jason Jones-Hughes from 2003–2004 Gary Connolly 2005–2006 Lifeimi Mafi 2006–2012 etc etc

@Kingshu: you seem to struggle to understand how the system works, especially in the nucifora era. It’s all about the Irish team, if the international side is well served in an area then its a lot easier to get permission to sign an niq. Munster have wanted to sign a prop for the last few yrs but because kilcoyne/loughman are on the Irish radar plus salanoa/knox coming through at th then they weren’t allowed. Ulster were able to sign kitshoff cos neither Warwick nor osullivan are of interest to Andy farrell at the moment. Forget about the rules you think are in place, it’s all about a successful Irish side

@Tim Magner: What is it I didn’t understand? I didnt say it was good or bad, I just said it will take it to 23 years of having a NIE centre. Is that in dispute? The rest you have made assumptions. Munster need a NIE centre to stay at the top level, so its good for Munster and Irish rugby in the long run. I haven’t seen Munster being refused a prop, be intrested if you could post a link to it.

@Kingshu: it’s obviously a bee in your bonnet cos you’ve brought it up before, many times. Ulster need an NIE no8 to stay at the top level. It’s professional rugby, teams will sign who they need to try and get better. In the Irish system,as it is,some signings are easier to get permission for than others. Munster could easily start scannell and goggin for every big game, 2 home produced centres, but neither are genuine international class though both are good players. I’d prefer munster to be more ambitious and if this new signing is a good player then brilliant, bring him on

@Tim Magner: Ulster won’t have a NIE No8 next season. Centre for Ireland hasn’t always been a position of strength over the last 20 years, though. I remember fans not being over the moon to see Paddy Wallace at Centre, or that Darren Cave made WC squad. But like I mentioned its good for Munster that they are allowed an NIE center to keep them at the top and not have to play non international level players, a luxury that hasn’t always been affored to other teams by the IRFU.

@Kingshu: you’ll have to give me some examples there

@Kingshu: munster have 2 NIE’s next year, have any of the other provinces got less than that?

@Kingshu: ulster will have an 8 next year they have signed Exeter chiefs 8!

@Risteard Harpúr: Close, have signed Exeter Chiefs blindside flanker. Of his 181 starts 91% were at blindside and only 9% at No8.
@Tim Magner: Yeah think both Ulster and Munster started with 2 NIE this year have 4 and 3 now. NIE will always be needed by the province and the higher quality the better. As I’ve said no issue with the signing, Munster added a signing in a position they have a long term issue, just that the IRFU haven’t always been equally as generous, but thats an IRFU issue not Munster.

@Tim Magner: For examples, well you are correct being forced to play Scannell and Goggin would harm the provinces chances and isn’t going to turn them into international standard players, but Ireland haven’t always had the depth at centre they do now, and its exactly what they did with Ulster a few times. The IRFU hadno plan or input to move Cooney with refusing Pienaar, that was luck the IRFU were going to leave Ulster with Marshall and Shanahan, Hart had already signed with Munster so there was no IRFU plan in place, Ulster were left in the lurch and got lucky, someting the IRFU never did to Munster in 20 years. Also were declined injury replacement for Coetzee (as confirmed at season ticket holders meeting) yet Munster have been allowed injury cover, for their injury cover players?

@Kingshu: Can add after being forced to pay off PJ, have be declined a NIQ OH (Elton Jantjies) been forced to play (I think underrated) but not international class Burns. Been declined a SA 2nd row to qualify on residency (when it was 3 years) even though Munster got a lot of them at the time. Think you may mention Munster were declined Stephen Moore durning that time but that wasn’t the case, Munster wanted the IRFU to pay part of his wages (like they did Zebo, which I have never heard them doing for another province), the IRFU didnt think it was value to pay part, so declined to top up his wages, meaning Munster couldn’t afford him, not that he was declined. You mentioned being declined front rows, if you have links I’d be intrested.

@Shane Obrien: which young Munster centres will be disheartened by? It ain’t Goggin or Scannell (pushing 30). Not Liam Coombes, who’s spent most of his time on the wing. Not Shane Daly, who’s also spent most of his time on the win. As for the academy, there is literally one centre, Fionn Gibbons, still in year one of the academy and hasn’t even played an A game.

@Shane Obrien: There will always be room at each province for NIE players, we dont produce the player number like SA or NZ to have 4 teams with the experience and depth required to compete at the very top end of Europe. Even Leinster with prob the best acamady in the world still have gaps in the squad that need filled by players like Jenkins.

@Shane Obrien: what do you mean the last few centre haven’t moved the needle?? Fekitoa took a bit to settle on the pitch, is performing now but hasn’t settled off the pitch so he’s moving on. Frisch has surprised most ppl with his good he is and looks like potential international. Before then was DDA who was always one of our top players (as you’d expect).

@Ciaran Kennedy: none of them signings led to Munster winning anything or even being competitive. That’s moving the needle.

@whoowhat?: Nope, he is NIQ.

@Joe Vlogs: I was expecting some outrage at Munster getting [another] NIQ centre

@mike ryan: to be honest, there is an element of admiration and surprise. It’s 23 years in a row of Munster having a NIE centre. Ulster had to get rid of Pienaar and Connacht had to get rid of McGinnty for the reason of them being NIE, with Connacht not even allowed to sign a player for free during an injury crisis because he was NIQ, with the IRFU forcing us to play a scrumhalf at 10 instead. I simply don’t understand how Munster are allowed a NIE centre almost every year of their professional existence. But hey, seems like they can, and if they are allowed to bypass the rules, why shouldn’t they I guess. Rules are for schmucks it seems.

@Joe Vlogs: I believe connacht had to leave mcginnty go as they’d already signed boshoff. As for pienaar, he had multiple contracts with ulster. As far as I know there’s never been an niq in the Irish game kept on as long bar nacewa for leinster over 2 spells

@Joe Vlogs: I agree – we’re going to have a problem keeping the young talent we have in the provinces , especially at Leinster and yet we do this?? We’ve gone from trying to keep to 3 provinces with Connacht having to fight for their place at the table and the way things are developing we might need a 5th team to keep all the emerging talent in Ireland

@BMJF: why did leinster sign ngatai?

@Tim Magner: Because, if you need a centre to compete at the top level immediately, a guy with a track record excelling in NZ Super Rugby is a better bet than hoping that someone emerges through the Academy system. (Although, ironically, Osborne may be filling the gap in that particular case). (I don’t think the Irish system is great at producing centres in the same way it churns out myriad back rows. A particular Munster problem, but even Leinster seem to have gone from BOD/GD to Ringrose/Henshaw with not much else. Ulster doing better of course.)

@Kevin Ryan: yep and munster have signed a centre who’s excelled at super rugby level. The above poster suggested that there was a plethora of centres in leinster, so many that a 5th province should be made up. I was just wondering if so why was ngatai signed, seems like a waste of money for leinster?

@Tim Magner: I think a difference could be made between the Ngatai and Munster situation in the sense that both Ringrose and Henshaw, Leinster’s starting centres, are likely to be unavailable to Leinster for substantial periods owing to them either playing for Ireland or being managed for Ireland. Ulster and Connacht are also expected to lose centres for prolonged periods of time, but Munster won’t. As such, they don’t need NIQ cover at centre, since their players can be played whenever they want. In the Pienaar situation, it was argued that he was blocking the development of Irish qualified scrumhalves, but the same could be said for Munster – having a NIQ centre for two decades might be one of the reasons Munster hasn’t developed international standard centres of their own.

@Tim Magner: or Leinster has 4 centers in the Ireland cap during international windows with another 10/12 injured from international cap. But we did start ben brownlee at 12 against Cardiff and he looks quality! Turner is looking good and energetic. We did have O’Brien have to retire with injury who was a big carrying no 12.

2 lazy to respond to an above poster no centers in Leinster apart from bod/darcy and ringrose and henshaw. McFadden and o’mally were a great partnership before injury. Tom daly at Connacht, O’Brien who retired, o’loughlin who would of been a starter and many clubs. Brendan Macken played for wasps for 5 years after leaving Leinster and Ian madigan was a useful center in his day won a star playing 12!

@Joe Vlogs: I dont know when Munster wanted to sign Stephen Moore they wanted the IRFU to pay part of his wages, the IRFU refused so the deal fell though. Munster could well be asking IRFU to cover part of a NIQs wages again.

@Joe Vlogs: the last centre Munster actually developed who had potential was Barry Murphy and he was plagued by injuries. Munster do not have any homegrown depth at centre. Lots of wingers and fullbacks, lots of backrowers, a few locks and scrumhalves, but not really any centres of note. They gave enough of a go to Sammy Arnold, Dan Goggin, and Rory Scannell, and other lesser known players in years gone by, but unfortunately none of them can truly compete at the top end or push for international selection. There’s no obvious solution other than signing a few who are of sufficient quality. In fairness, Frisch has been great and is Irish qualified.

@Joe Vlogs: how on earth could anyone be surprised? Fekitoa is going, Healy is going meaning Crowley will be less able to cover centre, Farrell is rumoured to be out next season also. They certainly needed at least one more centre and arguably two. There is no young academy centre ready to graduate.