Leinster vs Ulster

Laslo

Here I was, all ready to go to the Leinster vs Ulster match on St. Stephen's Day only to find out that there's no goddamn Dart service. I'll be coming from Malahide so I'll have to get two buses, a bus and a taxi or just take the car and forfeit the pints before and after. No Dart on St. Stephen's Day is wholly inadequate.

Timothy Bryce

Pretty sh1t and I hear from Leinster this morning saying there's fcuk all parking in Simmonscourt. It's going to be a pain in the rear to get there.

Just saw the team selection - looks like Cheika is waiting to see if he'll gamble playing JS at 10 and Phil at 12...no better opposition to be chancing a different formation

Snickers Man

I don't think there's ever Darts on Stephen's Day.

daveirl

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NotWormBoy

Is D'arcy on the wing for this game, or what?

[edit, sorry, ignore me, found out]

Stev_o

What a terrible match feel bad for the fans that went out to watch it

toomevara

Stev_o wrote: »

What a terrible match feel bad for the fans that went out to watch it

God that was a genuine Christmas Turkey....a brutal game, virtually unwatchable. Ulster an absolute rabble,score line v. flattering to Leinster. Shocking stuff. If thats the genuine state of Irish rugby at the end of '07, we're in big trouble....

Worrytahs

Stev_o wrote: »

What a terrible match feel bad for the fans that went out to watch it

Dont feel bad. I went and am glad I did. Its what supporting a team or sport through thick and thin is all about

phog

Very poor game and on the Tv it sounded a very poor atmosphere. This really was a match Leinster should have got the BP from Ulster were so poor it was embarrassing for Irish Rugby and losing 2 players to the Sin bin and then losing Best through injury should really have opened the flood gates for Leinster.

spank_inferno

I was there, It wasnt great watching, the utter ineptitude of ulster probably muted the atmosphere.
Handling errors were high, a few injuries also so the game was patchy.

I've said it before about watching leinster, I'm tired of sitting amongst thousands of people seeming too posh to cheer.
I've seen people roaring on leinster being given looks of contempt from those around them.

The most exciting part of the game was an Ulster fan jumping on Leo the lion at half time down at the south stand

Crash

atmosphere in the North Stand was pretty decent actually - lots of family with young kids, and was nice to have the drunks mixed in the family (guess which section I belonged to).

Better atmosphere than i've seen in the last 5 leinster matches anyhow.

Timothy Bryce

I thought the atmosphere was ok but I've seen better at Leinster games.

Leinster should have really gotten a BP as Ulster were shocking! Remind me why Paddy Wallace is Ireland's second choice OH again? Humphries showed them how it's done during his 10 minute cameo at the end!

EdgarAllenPoo

Sexton played well as did Heaslip and le Roux. Leinster's scrum really suffered when le Roux went off (Healy isn't as good as some people say).

As for Ulster I'd say looking at the state of them the the Irish team would have more connacht than Ulster players in it if it was picked tomorrow(by someone other than EOS).

I really think Ireland have the potential to bounce back in the 6 nations based on the form of some of the players. O'Kelly,D'Arcy,Jackman,Heaslip,Sexton and Gleeson have all been playing well.

Ulster will be lucky to have more than three players in the Irish squad.

daveirl

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toomevara

daveirl wrote: »

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I think France and England will have a field day, but tbh honest I dont see Wales, Scotland or Italy doing much...reckon we'll be scrapping on the floor with them for crumbs....

Worrytahs

toomevara wrote: »

I think France and England will have a field day, but tbh honest I dont see Wales, Scotland or Italy doing much...reckon we'll be scrapping on the floor with them for crumbs....

Well, look at it this way:

France - Always the team to watch
England - RWC finalists
Both playing at home

Italy - Apart from last 6N, I cant think of one 'easy' game vs the Italians. In fact, we were blessed with some dodgy decisions going our way the two previous 6N (and in the pre-RWC warm-up come to think of it)

Scotland - Definitely a much improved team who rather than banking on spoiling tactics, base their game on a very organised defensive platform and have an admirable depth in their backrow.

Wales - Waz Gatland returns to Ireland. A grudge game if ever there was one. This will be a massive game.

So, I cant see many scraps there. The 6N will be closely contested. Lets just hope its actually watchable and not a kick-a-thon riddled with penalties.

Stev_o

Worrytahs wrote: »

Well, look at it this way:

France - Always the team to watch
England - RWC finalists
Both playing at home

Italy - Apart from last 6N, I cant think of one 'easy' game vs the Italians. In fact, we were blessed with some dodgy decisions going our way the two previous 6N (and in the pre-RWC warm-up come to think of it)

Scotland - Definitely a much improved team who rather than banking on spoiling tactics, base their game on a very organised defensive platform and have an admirable depth in their backrow.

Wales - Waz Gatland returns to Ireland. A grudge game if ever there was one. This will be a massive game.

So, I cant see many scraps there. The 6N will be closely contested. Lets just hope its actually watchable and not a kick-a-thon riddled with penalties.

Pretty much said it all chances are that its going to be a two horse race and by the end of the 6N either we will hear "Cipriani is the god of NH flyhalves" or "French rugby has gone back to its best of 1999 style"

Scotland have a very impressive team and Wales well if Gatty has any sense he'll make it a all Cardiff Blues team.

Italy also are going to be rugged team to beat there Heineken cup teams have actually done very well this year

Chances are it will be us doing all the kicking for the posts if we want any chance to win matches

EdgarAllenPoo

Stev_o wrote: »

by the end of the 6N either we will hear "Cipriani is the god of NH flyhalves"

Not a hope in hell, even if wilkinson was in a wheelchair (knowing his luck that could be possible) Cipriani still isn't the second choice flyhalf, at least not from what I've seen of him. He makes too many silly decisions and will come under severe pressure from decent opposition which I don't see him being able to cope with.

Something to consider, with Ulster playing so poorly but yet llanelli playing nearly as poorly (in Europe at least) who's more likely to get picked Neil Best or Simon Easterby?

toomevara

Worrytahs wrote: »

Well, look at it this way:

France - Always the team to watch
England - RWC finalists
Both playing at home

Italy - Apart from last 6N, I cant think of one 'easy' game vs the Italians. In fact, we were blessed with some dodgy decisions going our way the two previous 6N (and in the pre-RWC warm-up come to think of it)

Scotland - Definitely a much improved team who rather than banking on spoiling tactics, base their game on a very organised defensive platform and have an admirable depth in their backrow.

Wales - Waz Gatland returns to Ireland. A grudge game if ever there was one. This will be a massive game.

So, I cant see many scraps there. The 6N will be closely contested. Lets just hope its actually watchable and not a kick-a-thon riddled with penalties.

I agree with most of what you say there, I reckon it'll be a dogfight for position between ourselves Scotland. Wales and Italy. Games between these four could conceivably go anyway, suppose my point was that France/England a good bit ahead of the celtic nations at the moment, (yes I know England play puke rugby, but defensively awesome, impossible to break down and France are light years ahead of the rest on their day).

As for Scotland and Italy (Ireland will surely never play as poorly against them as we did pre WC) hopelessly one dimensional...lots of heart, but little guile..

Wales are in disarray; LLanelli,Ospreys very poor in both Magners and Heineken and the English clubs have destroyed them in the EDF,the Dragons are a tier below those two. While I expect Gatland to make a huge impact, I think he'll need time...

So if Ireland can get a bit of cohesion and dog back in their game there's absolutely no reason why we can't enjoy a relatively productive 6N this year.

Podge_irl

GDM wrote: »

Something to consider, with Ulster playing so poorly but yet llanelli playing nearly as poorly (in Europe at least) who's more likely to get picked Neil Best or Simon Easterby?

Leamy hopefully....

Crash

Heaslip slip leamy into 6 - he's more of a flanker than an 8 anyhow.

Podge_irl

çrash_000 wrote: »

Heaslip slip leamy into 6 - he's more of a flanker than an 8 anyhow.

Aye, that was my point. Best has been useless at 6 for the last while and I'm a fan of Easterby but time to move on. Quinlan would have been a possibility before injury I suppose (when is he back?). That only really leaves Leamy to 6, though Heaslip is a better 8 than he is anyway imo.

Mweelrea

can'y see Ulster winning this.
Not with their current form anyhow

John_C

Mweelrea wrote: »

can'y see Ulster winning this.
Not with their current form anyhow

Your're probably right, I predict a 29-0 win for Leinster.