Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

bilston · 23-10-2012 3:14pm

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I'd say Anscomb (and all provincial head coaches) might be ringing up Kidney to find out who will be involved in the AIs because if a player isn't going to be involved in the AIs they will get plenty of rest in November since most provinces only have two matches in that month

The only thing is that Ulster have the re-arranged game with Zebre to play as well.

My view is that if the likes of Bowe, Ferris, Best and Trimble are all available this week then we may use them because we won't see them again until December.

I assume the actual team for Friday will already have been picked by Anscombe and that tomorrow's Ireland squad announcement will have no bearing on it. I also imagine that the players (and therefore the provincial coaches) will already know if they've been selected or not or maybe I'm wrong on that score?

bilston · 25-10-2012 12:15pm

Ulster XV & replacements to face Dragons, RaboDirect PRO12, Friday 26th October, Rodney Parade (7.05pm):

15 Tommy Bowe
14 Andrew Trimble
13 Darren Cave
12 Paddy Wallace
11 Craig Gilroy
10 Ruan Pienaar
9 Paul Marshall
1 Tom Court
2 Rory Best
3 Declan Fitzpatrick
4 Lewis Stevenson
5 Dan Tuohy
6 Iain Henderson
7 Chris Henry (c)
8 Nick Williams

Bench
16 Nigel Brady, 17 Callum Black, 18 John Afoa, 19 Mike McComish, 20 Roger Wilson, 21 Paddy Jackson, 22 Luke Marshall, 23 Jared Payne

CatFromHue · 25-10-2012 12:16pm

So you were right about Bowe playing 15 then.

.ak · 25-10-2012 12:17pm

Interesting call. He has all the attributes of a decent FB...

Sinbad_NI · 25-10-2012 12:18pm

Strong team. Interesting to see RP at 10. Better backup than NOC for me.

iamjenko · 25-10-2012 12:20pm

bilston wrote: »

Ulster XV & replacements to face Dragons, RaboDirect PRO12, Friday 26th October, Rodney Parade (7.05pm):

15 Tommy Bowe
14 Andrew Trimble
13 Darren Cave
12 Paddy Wallace
11 Craig Gilroy
10 Ruan Pienaar
9 Paul Marshall
1 Tom Court
2 Rory Best
3 Declan Fitzpatrick
4 Lewis Stevenson
5 Dan Tuohy
6 Iain Henderson
7 Chris Henry (c)
8 Nick Williams

Bench
16 Nigel Brady, 17 Callum Black, 18 John Afoa, 19 Mike McComish, 20 Roger Wilson, 21 Paddy Jackson, 22 Luke Marshall, 23 Jared Payne

I like the look of Ulster teams this season! A bench that can make a difference too!

Tox56 · 25-10-2012 12:20pm

Bowe, Fitzpatrick and Henry in Irish auditions this week. If Henry has another great game he surely can't be ignored, he's been in such good form.

bilston · 25-10-2012 12:27pm

CatFromHue wrote: »

So you were right about Bowe playing 15 then.

I was asking on the Munster thread whether POM playing at 7 is a Deccie call, and likewise the same for Tommy at FB because given Payne missed 90% of last season I don't think he needs a rest.

I think as .Ak says Bowe has all the attributes to play FB so whether it's a call from Dublin or not it will be good for Anscombe to survey his options, and it also gets Gilroy into the side.

Adam D'Arcy has gone AWOL and Peter Nelson for all his talents is very green and not a suitable replacement (at least not at 15 IMO) should we lose Payne for a big HEC match.

The other notable points from that selection are obviously the half backs with PJ getting a well earned rest but again like Payne I'm not sure he needs it but Marshall deserves a game at 9 and MA needs to have a look at RP at 10. Clearly he'll be fine there given he's played for SA at out half but it will be interesting to see him play there under the new Ulster regieme. I was also led to believe that Fez would play so obviously his back spasm hasn't cleared up yet, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him miss the SA game which would at least save kidney the indignity of picking POM at 7 I suppose...

Also Deccie Fitz comes in at TH for Afoa, I expect if he comes through unscathed he'll be added to the Ireland roster for November and it's great to see Roger named in an Ulster matchday squad and I reckon he'll get a decent run in the second half once the Dragons are tired from trying to stop Fat Nick!

It's a good side and even better when you've the likes of Afoa, Wilson, Jackson and Payne on the bench!

25-10-2012 12:36pm

Kidney's picking teams.

Perhaps the English & French were right about the Rabo.
And the Welsh clubs right to refuse the central contract offer...

bilston · 25-10-2012 12:40pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Kidney's picking teams.

Well maybe but you could equally make an argument that Anscombe wants to see these changes too and likewise Penney wants to give Butler a run at 8 therefore he moves POM to 7. But I suppose you'd have to say that Kidney won't be unhappy with these selections!

Tox56 · 25-10-2012 12:40pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Kidney's picking teams.

Perhaps the English & French were right about the Rabo.
And the Welsh clubs right to refuse the central contract offer...

I don't think forcing Bowe to go to FB or Deccie Fitz to start (if DK has indeed ordered those selections) has anything to do with the competitiveness of the league, look at the side Ulster have put out.

25-10-2012 12:50pm

Tox56 wrote: »

I don't think forcing Bowe to go to FB or Deccie Fitz to start (if DK has indeed ordered those selections) has anything to do with the competitiveness of the league, look at the side Ulster have put out.

If national coach can use the sides competitive games as training exercises then it pretty much validates some annoyances of how the respective teams treat their leagues.

Bowe @ 15 here, POM @ 7 for Munster. Coincidences perhaps...

Re: resting Payne, Gilroy has represented Ulster at FB, and Adam D'Arcy isn't a bad option either. Bowe would probably be 4th in line to take the position, as he's probably one of the players that you simply don't interfere with, just put him where he's naturally fantastic. @ 14.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 25-10-2012 12:58pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Re: resting Payne, Gilroy has represented Ulster at FB, and Adam D'Arcy isn't a bad option either. Bowe would probably be 4th in line to take the position, as he's probably one of the players that you simply don't interfere with, just put him where he's naturally fantastic. @ 14.

I'm pretty sure D'arcy isn't fit at the moment. Anscombe might want to figure out who is the better back up between Gilory and Bowe. Gilroy might play at 15 sometime soon for comparison purposes.

irishbucsfan · 25-10-2012 1:10pm

Really hope Henry and Fitzpatrick make themselves impossible to ignore (or even Loughney... Anyone but Archer!). Not so sure about Bowe at 15.

In fairness, and I am firmly on the record of being sympathetic to the Franglais, I don't think the proposed changes would stop this sort of thing happening against a side like the Dragons. Maybe if it was a team closer to Ulsters level.

bilston · 25-10-2012 1:12pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Really hope Henry and Fitzpatrick make themselves impossible to ignore (or even Loughney... Anyone but Archer!). Not so sure about Bowe at 15.

In fairness, and I am firmly on the record of being sympathetic to the Franglais, I don't think the proposed changes would stop this sort of thing happening against a side like the Dragons. Maybe if it was a team closer to Ulsters level.

Ironically the three players Ulster are "resting" are Afoa, Payne and Jackson, none of whom are in the Ireland squad, indeed only Jackson is eligible.

Fooker · 25-10-2012 2:37pm

Bowe plays very well at full back. He will catch anything that comes his way. Ospreys played him there in the HEC against munster a few years ago and he was outstanding, Ospreys were not however.

Tox56 · 25-10-2012 2:47pm

Deleted User wrote: »

If national coach can use the sides competitive games as training exercises then it pretty much validates some annoyances of how the respective teams treat their leagues.

Bowe @ 15 here, POM @ 7 for Munster. Coincidences perhaps...

Re: resting Payne, Gilroy has represented Ulster at FB, and Adam D'Arcy isn't a bad option either. Bowe would probably be 4th in line to take the position, as he's probably one of the players that you simply don't interfere with, just put him where he's naturally fantastic. @ 14.

The Bowe one you may have a point, but POM has played 7 numerous times and many would argue it's his best position, asking for him to be played there isn't disrespecting the league in any way.

It could well be the case that DK has asked for players to be played in a certain position for H Cup games, but I wouldn't see that as a "training exercise".

It also probably helps that Munster and Ulster are playing the two worst teams in the league.

25-10-2012 3:04pm

Tox56 wrote: »

The Bowe one you may have a point, but POM has played 7 numerous times and many would argue it's his best position, asking for him to be played there isn't disrespecting the league in any way.

It could well be the case that DK has asked for players to be played in a certain position for H Cup games, but I wouldn't see that as a "training exercise".

It also probably helps that Munster and Ulster are playing the two worst teams in the league.

he hasn't really.

Tox56 · 25-10-2012 3:15pm

Deleted User wrote: »

he hasn't really.

How many times would you say POM has played 7 for club/country?

25-10-2012 3:36pm

Tox56 wrote: »

How many times would you say POM has played 7 for club/country?

no more than 10.

which considering he's been playing for Munster and representative Irish teams for 3/4 years at this stage....

Tox56 · 25-10-2012 3:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

no more than 10.

which considering he's been playing for Munster and representative Irish teams for 3/4 years at this stage....

I'd say there's been several times he's been moved around during a game and ended up playing at 7, but he's only started 25 games for Munster and 3 games for Ireland, but if he has started around 10 that's not bad considering he can play 3 positions.

I think it's his best position, and with Stander coming and Coughlan returning I wouldn't be surprised to see him back there for Munster.

irishbucsfan · 25-10-2012 3:53pm

POM at 7 is a great waste of an opportunity. Playing him there means missing out on a breakdown-focused guy like Henry (or Dougall) and takes away from the strength of the entire unit.

However it's important that we have him playing there this weekend, he will be involved with Ireland and even if he's on the bench he'll need to be able to cover 7 as Ferris and Heaslip don't really. He shouldn't start at 7 against South Africa though or we'll have trouble.

leonard7 · 26-10-2012 2:02am

did i accidently click on the Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours thread with all this talk of POM???

GerM · 26-10-2012 7:12pm

Sloppy start and the Dragons punish Ulster with a good penalty. Passes not sticking yet for Ulster. Bowe gets lucky after trying a ridiculous tap back into play. Must want to make sure DK doesn't see him as an option at 15!

Juwwi · 26-10-2012 7:14pm

The bloody commentator is ahead of the play on bbc.

GerM · 26-10-2012 7:18pm

Ridiculous that the Dragons player didn't get a warning for diving in over the ruck on top of Henry after the whistle.

Ulster looking very porous. 9-12 channels looking weak and the Welsh are hammering down those areas.

irishbucsfan · 26-10-2012 7:18pm

Atrocious refereeing so far in fairness. Hopefully he's just trying to lay down an early marker.

GerM · 26-10-2012 7:20pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Atrocious refereeing so far in fairness. Hopefully he's just trying to lay down an early marker.

From Fitzgibbon? Naaaaah. To be honest, I wasn't sure which game I'd watch but his presence has made up my mind. I'll be turning over in 30 minutes unless the game is a belter.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 26-10-2012 7:25pm

Did anyone else notice the commentator mixing up Pienaar and Williams a few minutes ago??

Grimebox · 26-10-2012 7:25pm

That was a knock-on from Pienar

Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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