AS WE HEAD into the final furlong of the GAA football league campaign, we check out the horses still in the race and the last couple of fences they have to clear.
*****
Division One
Tyrone v Monaghan
Saturday, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 7.30pm
Monaghan (bottom of the table on two points) opened the league by tearing into Dublin and beating them in Croke Park on the opening night, Stephen O’Hanlon playing magnificently. Tyrone (third from bottom on four points) started well too with a home win over Roscommon.
Since then, both have bumbled along this league. The only other win between them came with Tyrone’s game at home to Mayo, a side that have made clear their intentions to avoid a league final and were using that game as a mini training camp.
With Dublin waiting in the last round for Tyrone at Croke Park, it’s looking grave. A Monaghan win here would leave both on four points but with the head-to-head rule favouring Monaghan.
For that reason, the time for holding back is over.
*****
Division Two
Armagh v Cavan
Saturday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 5pm
The home side are two points ahead at this point, joint top with Donegal on nine points and Armagh might see a league final as ideal preparation before they travel to Fermanagh for the Ulster quarter final a fortnight later.
Cavan, who are third on seven points, can point to a decent record against Armagh with only one loss in the last five Ulster championship meetings. For league games however, it tends to favour the home side with Armagh inflicting a heavy defeat in the opening round of 2020.
This is the last day Cavan will be going all-out for the win, with the preliminary round in Ulster against Monaghan a week after the league final.
*****
Louth v Fermanagh
Saturday, DEFY Pairc Mhuire, Ardee, 2pm
Taking their playing resources into account, both counties can be proud of their record so far in Division 2.
Louth, second from bottom with two points, produced a win over Cork in the second round and have been remarkably competitive in their losses to Armagh and Cavan, losing by single points, and a two-point loss to Meath.
Like Fermanagh – third from bottom with three points – they struggled with Donegal. Fermanagh’s points have come with a draw away to Meath and a home win over Kildare. They conceded a goal to lose the lead in injury time against Cork but struggled against Donegal and Armagh.
The losers of this will likely join Kildare in Division 3 next year.
*****
Division Three
Westmeath v Down
Sunday, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 3pm.
So much to admire about both these sides this year, with both sitting with flawless records of five wins at the top of the table.
The addition of Ciaran Meenagh to the Down coaching ticket has built upon the first year work and they now boast the most prolific attack across all four Divisions in terms of scores for.
Westmeath’s recent seasons have been about progression in winning the Tailteann Cup and last year they drew with Tyonr and lost by a single point to Armagh in the group stages of the All-Ireland. Dessie Dolan has moved seamlessly from selector to manager and looks assured in all he has done so far.
Clare hold out hope of a Westmeath win before travelling to Down for the final league game.
Wicklow v Limerick
Saturday, Echelon Park, Aughrim, 3pm
Wicklow came up last year in Oisín McConville’s first season in charge, while Limerick came down after a rare spell in Division 2.
Now, both have found the living more than difficult in the third tier, their only hopes of survival left with this game and the final round. Both teams have been beaten in all five games to date, with Limerick’s -36 points difference ten points healthier than Wicklow’s.
Wicklow look doomed with a trip away to Antrim in the last round. But Jimmy Lee’s men might feel a little more optimistic. Beat Wicklow and Offaly in their final game, and they stay up.
*****
Division Four
Laois v Leitrim
Saturday, Laois Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 4.45pm
It’s been a heck of a year for Justin McNulty, SDLP Member of the Stormont Legislative Assembly. Surprisingly re-appointed as Laois manager after a decade away, his workload was ramped up by the return of functioning government in Belfast. They sit top with five wins from five.
With Waterford waiting in the last game, they will make it back to Division 3, but it could be confirmed this weekend when they face Leitrim.
In Andy Moran’s second season, they are tied on six points with Wexford, Longford and Carlow, all having won three games and lost two, but Leitrim are second due to scoring difference and having beaten Wexford in the head-to-head.
The run-ins are all similarly unpredictable and impossible to predict who will join Laois for the league final.
The forwards for Munster made yards all night and Leinster were awful. As an Irish rugby fan I am worried about Leinster under o Connor.
Big players back in new yr but serious issues to be sorted.
Munster were actually exciting in the backs they were seriously hungry tonight.
Munster abu
Munster lads doing a strip show again. Botha is some man for one man :)
I’m not Gopperth’s biggest fan, but that performance tonight shows that even with Madigan at 10 Leinster are toothless, unimaginative and clueless going forward. One player shouldn’t bear the brunt of what is clearly poor mismanagement of a capable group of players.
Madigan plays poorly at 10 in every big game he ever features in, I’m not sure if his status as a world beater around Dublin is based off him demolishing Zebre and Edinburgh or if its total fantasy. Gopperth is the much better 10 and should have started tonight but I won’t complain.
What’s that smell Rochelle? Bullshit!
Well done Munster. Deserved the win, beat Leinster out the gate and can count themselves very unlucky not to have gotten a bonus point win.
This the rock bottom for Leinster. At this point, there can be no arguments that Matt O’Connor has to be shown the door at the end of the season. Along with his scrum coach buddy and Leo Cullen, as big a fan favourite as he is, has taken over a very high profile job and is a rookie, which has cut him a lot of slack, but we’re coming into the second half of the season now and the rate of improvement is unnoticable from a pretty low starting point. Cullen should start feeling the pressure for his own job security now too. Maybe he need to learn his trade elsewhere before he should be put in the deep end like this.
No matter the province, these interpro’s often bring teams to another level in terms of intensity and level of execution, when local pride is on the line. The lack of any of that shows to me that confidence is at an all time low in Leinster and they are not playing for the coach or buying into what he is doing. In fact, it’s a complete role reversal from how Munster looked under Penney, they just weren’t on the same page as the coach.
We might have been missing a load of players, but that was hardly a Munster team that would strike fear into many sides in Europe, and we were more or less humiliated.
#MOCOUT
Munster were missing more than a few too. The strength in depth we’ve heard about for so long doesn’t seem to exist.
Great win, Munster!!
10 mins to go up at Ravenhill, you guys are only 3 down. A win against Ulster for yee lads would really set up the massive clash next week in Galway. GO ON!
Well done Munster, the superior side tonight by a mile. Well deserved win
pathetic from Leinster
Losing to munster C team. Embarrassing
It absolutely is mate. Foley is playing s blinder which is surprising (no offence). Humble pie time for us. Munster fans are still shite bant on here mind!
Leinster were dross. O’ Connor is killing the once very healthy patient.
Munsters back three and back row were superb tonight. Really thought Leinster would do a lot better with the team they had out. Pat Howard is one powerful ball carrier, always took two or three to bring him down. Delighted for Dave o Callaghan with his try on his night back. Really worked hard when he came on.
Munster’s need for a Win was greatest tonight after the 3 previous defeats, and I think that really showed in the attitude and much improved focus from that selection, but we left a lot of Red-Zone opportunities slip through tout the game.
A Solid, very encouraging performances from a lot of players but Duncan Williams, for me, possibly had his best game in Red, his link-play was critical for our go-forward play. Have to back this performance up with continued progression against Connacht next week, which will be a hard game.
Easy.
after a season and a half as coach it looks like moc has finally drained away the essence of Leinster rugby, it’s been painfully watching d slow regression, finally reaching it’s end game tonight, 2 words for d Leinster board, Ewan Mckenzie
In fairness, the “essence” of Leinster for most of the “noughties” was described by its long – time representative and player, Neil Francis, as “ladyboy”.
Is that the “essence” to which you refer or do you refer to the outstanding 5 – years of Cheika and Schmidt?
Munster were really good tonight and deservedly beat Leinster off the park tonight. Keatley kicked excellently into the wind in the first half and really dictated the game when he needed to. Furthermore, Munster’s ability to protect their own ball and intelligent running angles by the forwards made this an excellent performance. The set-piece was much more solid tonight also and Munster’s jumpers disrupted Leinster’s line-out consistently.
Leinster on the other hand were poor. Madigan seemed to be trying to doing everything himself. He was standing far too flat and forcing himself to truck the ball up every-time because of his positioning. This pulled the forwards up as well and killed any momentum Leinster were trying to create because Madigan wasn’t available for the second ball. If Madigan wants to be a 10 he needs to dramatically improve his positioning and game management. It was noticeable how Leinster became much better when Gopperth came on.
For Irish rugby it’s great to see so many Munster players playing good rugby but Leinster need to get rid of O’Connor and set higher standards for themselves. They have too many good players to play like they did tonight.
Thank you mate! We’re awful atm but we’re far below potential and Munster fair play to them are punching way above their weight with crisp attitude and team work
Leinster have a good front row and a solid set piece but not a lot else going for them. That back 3 of Fanning, D.Kearney, Kirchner must have been the weakest fielded from any province this season.
Great performance from the Munster team. On paper before the match leinster looked the stronger team but never got going.
This is a problem with Munster. Failing to score try bonus points at home against the weaker mid table teams is going to hurt us at the end of the season.
Where was the skip pass to the unmarked winger..
Brilliant win Munster, I hope all you unbelievers complaining about the price of ur tickets and the team that was put out go home and have a think about why you support this team, they showed us tonight….
Matt O’Connor is a bluffer.
Comfortable win for the reserves, will hopefully see them putting pressure on the first team for the bigger tests ahead.
It’s a long time since Munster did the double on Leinster in such a decisive manner so well done to both players and coaches. Now let’s play like that every week. Just one concern and it relates to , believe it or not, the Munster Jersey. Sooner or later if jerseys are ripped off the player so easily it will cost us a game!
Why was the Stander try disallowed? I was directly in line with the line out and did not see any interference.
Billy Holland (how is he a pro rugby player?) grabbed the Leinster jumper’s arm in the air in the lineout that led to the ‘try’.
Holland is an honest, dedicated Munster 2nd row and great back – up to all other Munster 2nd rows. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone on Leinster’s books!
I wouldn’t either, I’d just give him away. He can be honest all day long, but he wouldn’t lace the boots of anyone else there, POC, DOC1 & 2, Foley. In reality he’s a distant 5th and lashing him in back row smacks of trying to find a place for Gerry’s son.
Forgot D Ryan. 6th choice at best.
Decent win for the wider munster squad, especially the much maligned archer, holland, williams and hurley. Plus, continued good form of jones and increasing potential of Conway and Omahoney. Munster did what they do best – pick and go, aggressive breakdown work and kick chases with the addition of some subtlety via their long flat passing and lines of running outside.
It has to be said, Leinster were very poor although they did defend well to stop a munster BP. They were physically outmuscled and in a game v munster that’s a worry for them. Leinster looked to be stronger on paper but it counted for little. MOC is getting stick and rightly so , but Cullen must also share the blame. Their pack were dominated. The players also deserve some stick eg. Kane Douglas must be on big cash, but he was useless. Mixed bag for the Irish contingent too – which is not good.
While the call to replace M’OC gathers pace, it ignores the basic facts.
Leinster were second best in virtually all the key areas. Back row, half – back and even mid – field, in both attack and defence. They at best had parity in the remaining areas. On an individual basis and based on tonight’s performance, Luke Fitzgerald and possibly Furlong are probably the only two who Muster might favour over their own choices.
Munster are unkind to Madigan. They continue to illustrate his lack of game – management capabilities. Particularly when Leinster aren’t playing by numbers.
The sad part is few of those on display tonight would make a Racing or Toulon wish – list. Especially Leinster players.
The thing is a lot of these players in fact most of them bar the young ones who have come through in the last season and a half were striving under smichdt, Leinsters second team under him would challenge in Europe but now our first team is getting destroyed by a weak munster team, the reason? Can hardly be a coincidence that one of if not the best team in Europe a season and a half ago has gone from there to being a team struggling to get top 6 in the rabo. Players are to blame as well but they are being coached awfully, doesn’t help that We went from Gibbs one of the best foward coaches in the world to Cullen who has little to no experienc, think it’s time for a complete backroom re-shuffle.
Check the facts. Leinster failed to get into the Heineken quarters in Schmidt’s last season. He let Nacewa go. He signed Goppehrt , Bent, McCarthy. Best try – scoring figures that season but one of the worst tries conceded.
This is as much about players as coaches. The reality is if Ireland doesn’t win the WC next season or get to semis at least, could be a long time until another chance.
8 of the 23 in Leinsters last heineken cup final appearance in 2012 have since left the team. (BOD, Nacewa, Thorn, Cullen, Sexton, van der Merwe, White, Cooney)
4 of the remaining 15 were ageing 31/32 year olds back then but are now ancient 33/34 (D’arcy, Jennings, Reddan, Ross) (another if you include Boss)
2 more of the 11 remaining were lads in their peak who have now crossed the wrong side of 30 (Heaslip, McLaughlin)
2 more of the final 9 have been injured almost permanently for the past two seasons with serious question marks over the longevity of their career. (SOB, Strauss) (could add Fitzgerald to that as well)
That leaves R.Kearney, McFadden, Healy, Cronin, Toner, D.Kearney, Madigan as the only Schmidt players left at a good age and in good physical condition.
Time to wake up and stop this head in the sand business of pretending you have a squad of world beaters but for the nefarious MOC and Gopperth ruining everything.
Most of that’s is very fair albeit turning 30 doesn’t look like it will matter for heaslip, never injured and just look at O’connell who’s 35 but yet still one of it not the best second row in the world, I can easily see heaslip playing to that age and staying as good as he’s been. Also I and most leinster fans know we don’t have a team of world beaters anymore but we do have the players that should be a lot higher up in the table then they currently are and they should also be walking what is arguably the weakest group in champions cup, if you think the way leinster are playing is down completely to the players it just naive, O’connor is destroying a team which should be capable of challenging for trophies but by the looks of it now there’s not a chance we will by the end of the season.
No, I agree with the thrust of what you say. It is a combination of factors including (mostly) the players, Cheika and the timing of Schmidt. Munster had it with players, Kidney1 and 2.
What most fans don’t understand is the importance of combinations. I have supported Munster amateur and professional for decades. I’ve learnt and appreciate that combination.
You’re on the right track.
@ Hodge Leinster were stopped by Clermont in Schmidt’s last season much like Munster this year most likely. O’Connor signed Gopperth. Bent was a rushed signing during an injury crisis. Nacewa left of his own accord for personal reasons with a year left on his contract. Matt O’Connor is primarily to blame for dismantling the effective Leinster structures and not putting in a place a plan to get the most from his players that most of us think can play smarter.
@ Brian Hodge Munster had nine players in their starting XV who haven’t been capped internationally, while Leinster’s only non-internationals were Furlong, Conan and Fanning. How can Munster be so superior then, especially when Leinster were the ones seeking revenge from the Aviva drubbing? As you say combinations are important but Leinster weren’t especially lacking in this department compared to Munster. The biggest difference is that one coach has his team playing to its strengths and all the players singing from the same hymn sheet. MOC needs to be shown the door at the end of the season, and imo we need to get in either Tom Coventry or Jono Gibbes as Head Coach, with Girvan Dempsey as backs coach and Leo possibly moving to defence
Or maybe Munster should be granted better representation on the International team? A hell of a lot of the young Leinster lads would be unhyped and unheard of if they were from the other provinces
Don’t think anyone saw that coming
The “expert” panel that TG4 have didn’t see it coming either.
….well done lads , felt they would win this before hand so delighted you did , consistency in finishing is what’s needed now …
Jonno Gibbs = Cullen
Joe Smidth. = O Connor
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