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Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 29 Coleridge


    Maybe I am being over critical, but given the leeway we have given him, and the assumption that the issue was that he wanted to go back to NZ, it's really disappointing that he is staying in Europe.

    Fair enough if you want to go back for family reasons or to try and play yourself into the world cup squad, but this isn't the case.

    Great player but I am really disappointed to hear about this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭FrannoFan


    bilston wrote: »
    Well somewhere in and around London might not be a bad guess as he has probably had to sell this to his missus and London is a pretty popular place.

    I doubt Wasps could afford him, so that leaves Quins, Saracens and London Irish.

    Of course Im jusy speculating and could well be Northampton but I think the Saints rumour has emerged because the photo of him in the UR report is of him playing them! Are UR's press team that clever?

    He isn't South Africa so that rules Saraceans out!!!

    If Northampton get him, and with Corbiseirro there already, they would have some front row!


  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭$ausage$


    I'm more than pissed about this! That's our two starting hC props gone to the Aviva leagues. What is going on.

    Having said that there has to be massive signings coming now the local talent pool is not good enough for the elite level.

    I agree that it's poor form though his misses hated the weather. Not much different over there!

    Please someone give me a ray of hope before I ...... Dare I say it watch soccer!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,308 Mod ✭✭✭✭.ak


    Does the Franks bro's rumour have any weight to it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,724 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    .ak wrote: »
    Does the Franks bro's rumour have any weight to it?

    Lots of rumours doing the rounds, one things for sure after a fairly quiet year last year on the recruitment front Humph will have beem busy recently and will.continue to be busy. I don't think Afoa leaving will come as a surprise so I'm sure he will have been prepared.

    Ulster could be after a handful of players (either NIQ or Project) based on the last rumour I heard!

    Odd timing on the Afoa announcement though, usually we get good news in the build up to a HEC weekend!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭$ausage$


    A bit off the current topic but what current break though (as in had a run for a few years) players do you think we should maybe give a shot or cull.

    Bit harsh maybe but there is such a massive panel now I wonder if half of them are needed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭$ausage$


    So what I mean is

    Doyle
    Mccommish
    Annett
    Mccombe
    Lutton

    Should we maybe bring in a new bath of youth and see if we get any stand outs like Henderson Marshall etc of the new batch?

    I have no problems with them although dunno how Doyle got gotm for ravens.


  • Administrators Posts: 53,127 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Rumour is it's Gloucester.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,724 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    awec wrote: »
    Rumour is it's Gloucester.

    Really? I wouldn't have seen that coming.

    If Gloucester can sign Afoa it makes me wonder how big this BT deal is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,724 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    $ausage$ wrote: »
    So what I mean is

    Doyle
    Mccommish
    Annett
    Mccombe
    Lutton

    Should we maybe bring in a new bath of youth and see if we get any stand outs like Henderson Marshall etc of the new batch?

    I have no problems with them although dunno how Doyle got gotm for ravens.

    Certainly wouldn't get rid of Lutton.

    The batch of youngsters that have cone through recently has been a bit of a freak. I doubt there is that level of talent in the Academy at the minute. Henderson, Jackson, Olding, Marshall and Gilroy could be the guts of a golden generation for us, we can't expect the Academy to churn out that level of talent every year or even every five years.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,415 ✭✭✭Swiwi.


    .ak wrote: »
    Does the Franks bro's rumour have any weight to it?

    He signed a 3 year deal with the Canes in 2012, so I think not...although despite his best efforts (and they were decent this season) he remains 3rd choice LH behind Woodcock & Crockett.


  • Registered Users Posts: 527 ✭✭✭mogwai81


    http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/cave-claims-face-doesnt-fit-as-he-airs-frustrations-over-ireland-snub-2

    This might work against Cave, but i can understand his frustration. He just seems to always be injured or out of form when the opportunity to replace BOD arises.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭FrannoFan


    Afoa gone to Gloucster, strange move. Purely financial based you would think. He won't be winning anything with them any time soon.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭jamiedav2011


    Foolish, foolish stuff from Cave, I can imagine Roger Wilson won't thank him either.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,708 ✭✭✭ScissorPaperRock


    mogwai81 wrote: »
    http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/cave-claims-face-doesnt-fit-as-he-airs-frustrations-over-ireland-snub-2

    This might work against Cave, but i can understand his frustration. He just seems to always be injured or out of form when the opportunity to replace BOD arises.

    This is the full link

    http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/cave-claims-face-doesnt-fit-as-he-airs-frustrations-over-ireland-snub-29811053.html


  • Administrators Posts: 53,127 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    FrannoFan wrote: »
    Afoa gone to Gloucster, strange move. Purely financial based you would think. He won't be winning anything with them any time soon.

    More the fact that he can get a long contract there - longer than we would be able to offer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,815 ✭✭✭✭emmet02


    Brutally honest. Fair play to him.

    Don't really see the issue there "I feel I'm playing well enough to be included, and I'm not being included. Joe knows rugby, so maybe that makes the non-selection worse. All I can do is keep doing what I'm doing and make the decision harder for him".

    Nothing wrong with showing hunger, would be worse if he said "I understand it all, I'm happy enough to hold bags".


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,308 Mod ✭✭✭✭.ak


    Very honest.

    I think everyone was a bit surprised by him not being involved, and it seems so was he. But I think the comments on Roger Wilson vs Heaslip is a bit disingenuous.

    The comment about BOD guiding Henshaw is interesting. Joe obviously views Henshaw as a 13, and that's it. I suppose Cave was a bit miffed about it but at the end of the day he could take it as a complement - he felt Cave didn't need any tutoring, and maybe ready to slide into the side straight away.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,708 ✭✭✭ScissorPaperRock


    .ak wrote: »
    Very honest.


    The comment about BOD guiding Henshaw is interesting. Joe obviously views Henshaw as a 13, and that's it. I suppose Cave was a bit miffed about it but at the end of the day he could take it as a complement - he felt Cave didn't need any tutoring, and maybe ready to slide into the side straight away.


    Henshaw's father, who's also his agent, said after the AIs that Robbie said he learnt more from working with BOD at training than he did throughout all his years so far in rugby. Obviously it's probably a bit of an exaggeration, but it must be hugely beneficial.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/a-successor-to-greatness-to-come-from-robbie-henshaw-jared-payne-and-luke-fitzgerald-1.1608322


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭jamiedav2011


    Honesty is great and all, and it makes it much more interesting, but I don't think this will be helpful for him, more a vent than anything.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,815 ✭✭✭✭emmet02


    Honesty is great and all, and it makes it much more interesting, but I don't think this will be helpful for him, more a vent than anything.

    Me neither, do I think it will be unhelpful though? Nope.

    D'Arcy interview on IRFU site before NZ game and he gives out about not being included in match day squad against Aus (reservedly so admittedly).

    Cave won't have said anything there that's news to Schmidt. Schmidt likewise won't really have an issue with the interview, it's a frustrating position to be in for Cave, Schmidt will surely recognize that!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,000 ✭✭✭Hype710


    Cave's right IMO, apart from the Roger Wilson part which I can't agree with. I don't think Henshaw had any right to be in the squad ahead of Cave, who, given BOD's injury troubles, is probably the best IQ 13 in the country at the moment.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭jamiedav2011


    emmet02 wrote: »
    Me neither, do I think it will be unhelpful though? Nope.

    D'Arcy interview on IRFU site before NZ game and he gives out about not being included in match day squad against Aus (reservedly so admittedly).

    Cave won't have said anything there that's news to Schmidt. Schmidt likewise won't really have an issue with the interview, it's a frustrating position to be in for Cave, Schmidt will surely recognize that!

    I've no issues with him being aggrieved about not being in the squad. That's probably a positive from Schmidt's POV.

    Coming out and saying 'I still wonder sometimes does the face not fit. If you don't know what I mean by that I suppose you should ask Roger Wilson how he has one cap for Ireland and Jamie Heaslip has 60 and two Lions tours behind him.'

    That's ill judged for me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,308 Mod ✭✭✭✭.ak


    Hype710 wrote: »
    Cave's right IMO, apart from the Roger Wilson part which I can't agree with. I don't think Henshaw had any right to be in the squad ahead of Cave, who, given BOD's injury troubles, is probably the best IQ 13 in the country at the moment.

    It makes sense. It mirror exactly the type of thing Schmidt said he wanted to do - build on the squad depth.

    He did that successfully by the amount of people he played, and who he played them with. Jackson with D'Arcy, Marshall with Sexton, Toner with POC, McGrath with Best/Ross etc., etc.

    This is another side story - he might've felt that Cave was already was ready for test level, but Henshaw would benefit from being around BOD and thus build the squad depth.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭former legend


    I think Cave has been very hard done by over the last few years, his face very definitely did not fit with Kidney, but it's very early to be passing judgement on how Schmidt views him.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭ssaye2


    I think Cave has been very hard done by over the last few years, his face very definitely did not fit with Kidney, but it's very early to be passing judgement on how Schmidt views him.

    Could be Cave/Marshall starting next season with Darcy and Henshaw off the bench, who knows. If he keeps up his form he will probably get a crack. We are short OC's in anyway. Feel sorry for him but the wilson comment was a bit ott. Don't speak on others behalf.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,724 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    Who knows if it was a wise thing for him to say or not. Tuohy has been quite vocal in the past about his annoyance in not getting selected and he hasn't really been involved yet despite his form suggesting he should be, particularly this season.

    Any Ulster fan will tell you that Cave is the most natural 13 on this island outside BOD and some will tell you he is actually better now than the 34 year old version of BOD, that's maybe not an accepted view outside of Ireland although I do get the sense he is rated, maybe just not rated enough.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,815 ✭✭✭✭emmet02


    bilston wrote: »
    Who knows if it was a wise thing for him to say or not. Tuohy has been quite vocal in the past about his annoyance in not getting selected and he hasn't really been involved yet despite his form suggesting he should be, particularly this season.

    Any Ulster fan will tell you that Cave is the most natural 13 on this island outside BOD and some will tell you he is actually better now than the 34 year old version of BOD, that's maybe not an accepted view outside of Ireland although I do get the sense he is rated, maybe just not rated enough.

    and some others!


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,636 ✭✭✭✭Tox56


    I was (well am) a fan of Cave and thought he was hard done by in that NZ tour and very unlucky in the 2012 6 Nations with injury, but I didn't have particularly have a problem with him being left out in the AIs. BOD needed the game time v Samoa, should have started v Aus/NZ and Henshaw covered more off the bench + needs the experience more.

    He's clearly got massive faith in his own ability, I particularly liked the line: "he (schmidt) really knows his rugby, which means that my non-selection is a bit harder". His form clearly dipped for me last season but if he continues the form he's shown so far this season he'll get his caps when BOD retires without question


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  • Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    People forget that Cave struggled hugely against injury in his early career and has had periods of poor form. I'd have liked to see him involved in this years AIs based on form, but the last time I really think he merited any more attention than he got was probably the 2012 summer tour.


This discussion has been closed.
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