Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

03-05-2013 4:45pm

and Williams !

awec · 05-05-2013 11:14pm

Great to see the trio pick up awards:

BJiJ_MKCYAANwUL.jpg:large

jacothelad · 06-05-2013 1:28am

They should have given Luke a Kevlar scrum cap.....:D

bilston · 06-05-2013 8:09am

jacothelad wrote: »

They should have given Luke a Kevlar scrum cap.....:D

Apparently he banged his head against his trophy and got concussion again. I'm going to send him my daughters pink bike helmet so he can look after his noggin...he'll look fetching...

irishbucsfan · 07-05-2013 1:56pm

Jared Payne signs new 3 year deal with Ulster:

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11453.php

Great news. Could well be Ireland full back or 13 by the end of it!

awec · 07-05-2013 2:02pm

BRILLIANT news.

postitnote · 07-05-2013 2:03pm

And I see he's been picked for the baa baas. Here's hoping he doesn't impress too much and the kiwis want him back!!

totallegend · 07-05-2013 2:08pm

What an odd choice of photo of Jared Payne though...

Great news to nail him down. If he keeps up this level of form, he'll be making his Ireland debut in November 2014 and will be a strong contender for the world cup.

Bogota · 07-05-2013 2:30pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Jared Payne signs new 3 year deal with Ulster:

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11453.php

Great news. Could well be Ireland full back or 13 by the end of it!

Great news for Ireland and Ulster but worrying news for Earls who is going to find it increasingly difficult to get into the Irish starting 15 in the future at this rate.

trouttrout · 07-05-2013 2:35pm

Bogota wrote: »

Great news for Ireland and Ulster but worrying news for Earls who is going to find it increasingly difficult to get into the Irish starting 15 in the future at this rate.

Trust you to take something like this and find a way to critique a Munster player

Delighted Payne is staying on. But I don't really want to see him in green, we have enough talented young backs that are actually Irish

Bogota · 07-05-2013 2:39pm

trouttrout wrote: »

Trust you to take something like this and find a way to critique a Munster player

Trust you to find something to get offended over. I was pointing out that Payne is going to be the natural successor to O'Driscoll now at 13, leaving Earls in a bit of a predicament.

.ak · 07-05-2013 2:41pm

No bickering, please.

bilston · 07-05-2013 2:52pm

Great news.

So he'll be playing against the Lions on June 1st. I wonder what odds you could get on him playing FOR the Lions in 2017 against NZ?

Anyway that's all for the future, this is great news for Ulster.

Looking at our back three options they are all signed on for long term deals. Not sure about Peter Nelson but I imagine he'll be a player that Ulster will want to get on contract pretty quickly as he is another with a big future IMO.

Payne - June 2016
Gilroy - June 2016
Trimble - June 2015
Bowe - June 2015
Allen - June 2015
Nelson - ???

Hagz · 07-05-2013 3:05pm

I can't see Payne ever wearing 13 for Ireland. Not unless he somehow manages to end up there for Ulster (which I'd love to see), but it's unlikely given that they need him more at full-back than they do at centre. I wouldn't rule it out, but I would think it unlikely.

He'll be a valuable asset at full-back though. Kearney could do with some strong competition.

irishbucsfan · 07-05-2013 3:06pm

Luke Marshall is going to take the summer off

lurtz · 07-05-2013 3:14pm

Birch confirmed to be going to rotherham

awec · 07-05-2013 3:24pm

IMO once Payne is eligible he'll slot in at 15 for Ireland.

Tox56 · 07-05-2013 3:25pm

If Kearney rediscovers his 2012/2009 form when Payne becomes eligible it will be fascinating, we will surely be BODless and will likely have a massive hole at 13, yet Payne is unlikely to be playing there regularly for Ulster. Ireland need him more at 13, Ulster need him more at 15...

bilston · 07-05-2013 4:08pm

awec wrote: »

IMO once Payne is eligible he'll slot in at 15 for Ireland.

Payne v Kearney could be a bit like Best v Strauss. Ideally if it's a 50/50 call I'd prefer the born and bred Irishman to be in the team but I suppose you can't really operate like that. If a player is available then you use him like any other player.

Payne hasn't played that much at 13 for Ulster, I can only think of two or three games to be honest. He may end up there in the last 10 mins sometimes after all the subs have been made (he might have ended up at 13 on Friday against Cardiff actually but it can be hard to tell that late in the game). If he is a replacement for BOD then he'll need to start playing there more often. But then who plays 15 for Ulster? D'Arcy is off the France so either Nelson comes into the side or else Gilroy or perhaps Bowe play there. I guess it would be Gilroy who did pretty well there away to Castres in the HEC. Believe it or not his kicking game was top drawer that day which kind of flies in the face of his kicking against Wales in the 6Ns!

It's funny when we look at possible replacements for BOD we look at Earls (who is better on the wing), we look at McFadden (not sure if he is a better wing or centre but he seems to play wing as much as centre), we look at Payne (who plays 90% of his rugby at 15) but we (by that I really mean the Irish media and coaching staff) hardly ever bloody look at Darren Cave who is an out and out 13 and a damn good one at that!

bilston · 07-05-2013 4:10pm

Tox56 wrote: »

we will surely be BODless

It sounds like it will be worse than losing a limb!

Utah_Saint · 07-05-2013 4:17pm

bilston wrote: »

It sounds like it will be worse than losing a limb!

Still think Olding should be tried at 13.

12 Marshall - 13 Olding for Ulster and Ireland would be fantastic!

irishbucsfan · 07-05-2013 4:19pm

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Still think Olding should be tried at 13.

12 Marshall - 13 Olding for Ulster and Ireland would be fantastic!

I think I'd prefer it the other way around, I really liked the look of Marshall there (I'm sure I've said this before!)

trouttrout · 07-05-2013 4:22pm

cough........DARREN CAVE.................cough

overshoot · 07-05-2013 4:26pm

*cough* chris farrell *cough*

i still have high hopes there too

bilston · 07-05-2013 4:29pm

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Still think Olding should be tried at 13.

12 Marshall - 13 Olding for Ulster and Ireland would be fantastic!

Well there seem to be a lot of people wanting to have a look at Olding at 10 but like you I guess I'd be looking to try him one out at 13. He seems to have the game for 13. I wouldn't want to hype him too much obviously but he definitely seems to have some BOD like tendencies to his game.

For example something I've noticed is that when other players score tries he is very often the first one there to congratulate them which maybe suggests he runs great support lines and might help to explain the 4 tries in 6 games stat he had going into the Cardiff game last week! He already appears to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time and I would think that those of us who have watched BOD over the last 14 years will tell you that isn't a coincidence.

bilston · 07-05-2013 4:33pm

overshoot wrote: »

*cough* chris farrell *cough*

i still have high hopes there too

Cannot compute...too many options...cannot compute...

Utah_Saint · 07-05-2013 4:36pm

trouttrout wrote: »

cough........DARREN CAVE.................cough

I know:(...and i do feel bad for Cave as he is a good, solid, consistant Pro12 Centre,

but maybe (for me anyway) thats his problem. He does all the basic's well and sometimes you barely notice him play. With Olding and Marshall they add more flair, something which BOD had bags of. I'm always looking for a 13 to do something out of the ordinary, something special. I just think Olding and Marshall can offer that more than Cave at this present time...

Utah_Saint · 07-05-2013 4:39pm

bilston wrote: »

Well there seem to be a lot of people wanting to have a look at Olding at 10 but like you I guess I'd be looking to try him one out at 13. He seems to have the game for 13. I wouldn't want to hype him too much obviously but he definitely seems to have some BOD like tendencies to his game.

For example something I've noticed is that when other players score tries he is very often the first one there to congratulate them which maybe suggests he runs great support lines and might help to explain the 4 tries in 6 games stat he had going into the Cardiff game last week! He already appears to have a knack of being in the right place at the right time and I would think that those of us who have watched BOD over the last 14 years will tell you that isn't a coincidence.

Well spotted...!

I def see a lot of BOD like qualities to his game but as you say - lets not overhype him.

.ak · 07-05-2013 4:51pm

So basically the consensus is the future 13 of Ireland lies in Ulster. Personally I'd happy with that, as we've seen how a provincial pairing at midfield can work so well together if brought in together for the national team. 12. Marshall / 13. AN Other Ulsterman.

Podge_irl · 07-05-2013 5:24pm

Marshall could well lose out to Olding methinks.

thomond2006 · 07-05-2013 5:33pm

lurtz wrote: »

Birch confirmed to be going to rotherham

Anytime I saw him I was impressed, but he's better off leaving. He's got some class and in-form players ahead of him.

bilston · 07-05-2013 5:42pm

.ak wrote: »

So basically the consensus is the future 13 of Ireland lies in Ulster. Personally I'd happy with that, as we've seen how a provincial pairing at midfield can work so well together if brought in together for the national team. 12. Marshall / 13. AN Other Ulsterman.

Maybe but Im sure Griffen, Henshaw and Macken etc might have something to say about that.

.ak · 07-05-2013 10:55pm

Podge_irl wrote: »

Marshall could well lose out to Olding methinks.

Unless you move Olding to 13....

overshoot · 07-05-2013 11:05pm

not sure which thread to go to looking around the place, but i think il stay here; with payne's new contract (wohoo!) it looks like hes throwing his lot in with ireland for definite... but theres another year before he is IQ anyway so i can see ulster trying to find the best combo out of cave, farrell, olding & marshall for most of the year and i think schmidt would be happy enough to let that happen, although towards the end of the year if the 13 slot isnt being nailed on by one of those 4 a call may come.

a year is an awfully long time in rugby though! bear in mind olding would probably have been rated at best as the 4th choice 12 before the season started

.ak · 07-05-2013 11:08pm

TBH he's not good enough for the ABs (which isn't a sleight on him at all really), so makes sense to throw his hat into this ring. On 'first showing', he seems good enough for international rugby, but time will tell.

thomond2006 · 07-05-2013 11:08pm

overshoot wrote: »

not sure which thread to go to looking around the place, but i think il stay here; with payne's new contract (wohoo!) it looks like hes throwing his lot in with ireland for definite... but theres another year before he is IQ anyway so i can see ulster trying to find the best combo out of cave, farrell, olding & marshall for most of the year and i think schmidt would be happy enough to let that happen, although towards the end of the year if the 13 slot isnt being nailed on by one of those 4 a call may come.

a year is an awfully long time in rugby though! bear in mind olding would probably have been rated at best as the 4th choice 12 before the season started

I'm sure Payne will get a few runs at 13 but his main position will be 15 for the forseeable future.

bilston · 08-05-2013 2:55pm

So the big call for Friday must be the second row and No.6 positions.

Diack is playing out of his skin and I think would be very hard to drop and Henderson isn't yet comfortable in the engine room so Tuohy might come in there. I think we could see Henderson on the bench but that's just my opinion.

Hopefully Afoa is fit and while I think Tom Court will start at LH Callum Black is really beginning to close the gap and provide some serious competition.

I assume Jackson will return at 10 and Pienaar will go back to 9.

Maybe something like...

Court-Best-Afoa-Muller-Tuohy-Diack-Henry-Williams
Pienaar-Jackson-Bowe-Olding-Cave-Trimble-Payne

Herring-Black-Fitzptarick-Stevenson-Henderson-Marshall-Allen-Nelson

Sinbad_NI · 08-05-2013 3:47pm

bilston wrote: »

So the big call for Friday must be the second row and No.6 positions.

Diack is playing out of his skin and I think would be very hard to drop and Henderson isn't yet comfortable in the engine room so Tuohy might come in there. I think we could see Henderson on the bench but that's just my opinion.

Hopefully Afoa is fit and while I think Tom Court will start at LH Callum Black is really beginning to close the gap and provide some serious competition.

I assume Jackson will return at 10 and Pienaar will go back to 9.

Maybe something like...

Court-Best-Afoa-Muller-Tuohy-Diack-Henry-Williams
Pienaar-Jackson-Bowe-Olding-Cave-Trimble-Payne

Herring-Black-Fitzptarick-Stevenson-Henderson-Marshall-Allen-Nelson

Wouldn't see it being too far off that.

awec · 09-05-2013 12:10pm

Ulster XV and replacements to face Cardiff Blues, RaboDirect PRO12 play-off, Ravenhill, Friday 10th May 2013 (kick off 19.45);

(15-9) J Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, T Bowe, P Jackson, R Pienaar;
(1-8) T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (C), D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams;
Replacements (16-23): R Herring, C Black, R Lutton, I Henderson, M McComish, P Marshall, M Allen, P Nelson.

No Afoa

Otherwise, strong team! Should be enough to see us through.

Buer · 09-05-2013 12:14pm

Go Cardiff!

shuffol · 09-05-2013 12:17pm

Whats the story with Gilroy?

bilston · 09-05-2013 12:18pm

Buer wrote: »

Go Cardiff!

Yeah I agree, go on Cardiff! You can do it...

Apart from that I'm hopeful Ulster will be too strong for the Scarlets this weekend;)

Edit - just realised it was awec's mistake and not yours so I apologise...

09-05-2013 12:19pm

no Gilroy either?

bilston · 09-05-2013 12:20pm

shuffol wrote: »

Whats the story with Gilroy?

Hurt his groin while banging Miss NI

thomond2006 · 09-05-2013 12:21pm

Is Afoa injured?! Gilroy?

Good to see Jackson back at 10.

09-05-2013 12:21pm

Surely that report demands a photograph of said lady bilston?

thomond2006 · 09-05-2013 12:23pm

Buer · 09-05-2013 12:29pm

bilston wrote: »

Yeah I agree, go on Cardiff! You can do it...

Apart from that I'm hopeful Ulster will be too strong for the Scarlets this weekend;)

Edit - just realised it was awec's mistake and not yours so I apologise...

I was too subtle. Damn it.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 09-05-2013 1:12pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Afoa injured?!

Sat out training during the week so presumably. I'm not sure what is wrong with him though.

jacothelad · 09-05-2013 1:16pm

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Sat out training during the week so presumably. I'm not sure what is wrong with him though.

hamstring injury

Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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