Ulster vs Ospreys Friday at 7.05pm BBC2NI

Digifriendly

Ospreys team:
Gareth Owen;
Nikki Walker;
Andrew Bishop,
Sonny Parker;
Richard Fussell;
Dan Biggar,
Jamie Nutbrown;
Ryan Bevington,
Mefin Davies,
Craig Mitchell,
Ian Gough,
Ian Evans,
Jerry Collins (capt),
Marty Hollah,
Jonathan Thomas

Replacements: Huw Bennett, Paul James, Cai Griffiths, James Goode, Ben Lewis, Rhys Webb, Lee Bryne, Shane Williams

Ulster squad (team to be announced): Forwards: Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Adam Macklin, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andy Kyriacou, Tim Barker, Johann Muller, Ryan Caldwell, Willie Faloon, TJ Anderson, Robbie Diack, Stephen Ferris, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Backs: Adam D'Arcy, David McIlwaine, Nevin Spence, Mark McCrea, Tommy Seymour, Jonny Shiels, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Paddy Wallace, Ian Humphreys, Niall O'Connor, Paul Marshall, Ian Porter.

Ospreys far from full strength - no Ryan Jones/Duncan Jones/Alun Wyn Jones in the pack though their back row is still high class. In backs - no Mike Phillips/James Hook but back line still has a classy look (look out for Richard Fussell a real flyer on the wing) - both Lee Byrne/Shane Williams on the bench. See this as a possible chance for Ulster (despite injuries - no Andrew Trimble/Simon Danielli/Chris Henry/Dan Tuohy and with Ruan Pienaar/BJ Botha still to arrive from S. Africa) to start with a win but could go either way. Battle up front e.g. Ferris vs Collins will be fascinating.

CatFromHue

Im wary of the opsreys this season. They got their act together last season and had a very strong finish to the season. They beat Munster home and away, should have beaten leinster in the league game in the rds and then did beat leinster in the magners final.
If they can carry their form over to the new season they will be very hard to beat.

Even the team up for the ulster game with biggar, parker, bishop and walker make the bones of a strong back divison coupled with the back and second row which is also pretty strong.

Ulster will have their work cut out thats for sure

Ciaran-Irl

Digifriendly wrote: »

Ospreys team:
Gareth Owen;
Nikki Walker;
Andrew Bishop,
Sonny Parker;
Richard Fussell;
Dan Biggar,
Jamie Nutbrown;
Ryan Bevington,
Mefin Davies,
Craig Mitchell,
Ian Gough,
Ian Evans,
Jerry Collins (capt),
Marty Hollah,
Jonathan Thomas

Replacements: Huw Bennett, Paul James, Cai Griffiths, James Goode, Ben Lewis, Rhys Webb, Lee Bryne, Shane Williams

Ulster squad (team to be announced): Forwards: Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Adam Macklin, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andy Kyriacou, Tim Barker, Johann Muller, Ryan Caldwell, Willie Faloon, TJ Anderson, Robbie Diack, Stephen Ferris, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Backs: Adam D'Arcy, David McIlwaine, Nevin Spence, Mark McCrea, Tommy Seymour, Jonny Shiels, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Paddy Wallace, Ian Humphreys, Niall O'Connor, Paul Marshall, Ian Porter.

Ospreys far from full strength - no Ryan Jones/Duncan Jones/Alun Wyn Jones in the pack though their back row is still high class. In backs - no Mike Phillips/James Hook but back line still has a classy look (look out for Richard Fussell a real flyer on the wing) - both Lee Byrne/Shane Williams on the bench. See this as a possible chance for Ulster (despite injuries - no Andrew Trimble/Simon Danielli/Chris Henry/Dan Tuohy and with Ruan Pienaar/BJ Botha still to arrive from S. Africa) to start with a win but could go either way. Battle up front e.g. Ferris vs Collins will be fascinating.

Didn't they leave out Bowe for the corresponding fixtures last year too? I'm sure he would love to line up agarhis old team.

Teej

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

Didn't they leave out Bowe for the corresponding fixtures last year too? I'm sure he would love to line up agarhis old team.

Think he scored a bonus point winning try & was pretty subdued about it.

It's a shame Ospreys are going to be deducted points this season - can still see them making the playoffs though

Digifriendly

Teej wrote: »

Think he scored a bonus point winning try & was pretty subdued about it.

It's a shame Ospreys are going to be deducted points this season - can still see them making the playoffs though

Not sure it's a shame as they were rightly punished for failing to fulfill a fixture. In fact some argued they should have been deducted the points at the end of last season and this would have meant an away semi-final to Glasgow rather than a home one. Deduction of 4 points will be only a small handicap in what is a longer campaign. Remember last season they lost at home to Ulster and Leinster (wasn't it on sucessive weekends?) and were booed off the pitch after the second defeat yet ended up winning the league.

thehighground

Digifriendly wrote: »

Not sure it's a shame as they were rightly punished for failing to fulfill a fixture. In fact some argued they should have been deducted the points at the end of last season and this would have meant an away semi-final to Glasgow rather than a home one. Deduction of 4 points will be only a small handicap in what is a longer campaign. Remember last season they lost at home to Ulster and Leinster (wasn't it on sucessive weekends?) and were booed off the pitch after the second defeat yet ended up winning the league.

I agree with you that they got off lightly last season for not fulfiling a fixture. IMO, the jury is still out on the Ospreys. Bear in mind that Wales won a Grand Slam one year and were 2nd last the following year. Welsh teams have a habit of going from playing sublimely to being ridiculous - and all in the one game, never mind over two seasons.

Ciaran-Irl

Teej wrote: »

Think he scored a bonus point winning try & was pretty subdued about it.

It's a shame Ospreys are going to be deducted points this season - can still see them making the playoffs though

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0403/1224243933303.html

Is what I'm thinking of. Maybe that was in Wales? Don't remember fully.

danthefan

Ospreys definitely will have something about them this season imo, they could well challenge in Europe I reckon. They won in Thomond and the RDS at the end of last season, which is impressive.

dreamer_ire

Ulster team named.

ULSTER: (15-9) A D'Arcy; T Seymour, D Cave, I Whitten, D McIlwaine; N O'Connor, P Marshall; (1-8) B Young, R Best (Capt), D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, T Barker, S Ferris, W Faloon, P Wannenburg
Replacements (16-23): N Brady, T Court, P McAllister, R Caldwell, R Diack, I Porter, P Wallace, J Shiels

Can't see this as anything other than a clear win for the Os

PhatPiggins

dreamer_ire wrote: »

Ulster team named.

ULSTER: (15-9) A D'Arcy; T Seymour, D Cave, I Whitten, D McIlwaine; N O'Connor, P Marshall; (1-8) B Young, R Best (Capt), D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, T Barker, S Ferris, W Faloon, P Wannenburg
Replacements (16-23): N Brady, T Court, P McAllister, R Caldwell, R Diack, I Porter, P Wallace, J Shiels

Can't see this as anything other than a clear win for the Os

Jeez that looks a terrible team on paper having said that last seasons team looked a lot stronger on paper and were piss poor in the ML. Fresh start, we might be pleasantly surprised.

sock puppet

Whitten and Cave up against Parker and Bishop. Looks like both teams will have to rely on their halfbacks to provide some creativity... oh wait.

thomond2006

Where the **** is Humphreys? Sure he can lose ya a game but he's the only player that can win a game for Ulster. NOC is a decent tackler and a good goalkicker, sadly his ability ends after that. Never looked up to it.

Ulster are ravaged by back three injuries and Nagusa has gone to Montpellier on top of that.

Ulster to be within a shout with 20 to go before Williams and Byrne come on and rip them to bits. Ospreys by 10-15.

Judgement Day

After yesterday's Top 14 disaster (for me) I'm going for a conservative punt here on Ospreys to win by more than 8 @ 11/4.

thomond2006

http://www.magnersleague.com/news/6169.php

Ulster sign USA international Paul Emerick on a three month contract and trialist Adam D'Arcy has been given a one year deal.

PhatPiggins

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.magnersleague.com/news/6169.php

Ulster sign USA international Paul Emerick on a three month contract and trialist Adam D'Arcy has been given a one year deal.

Emerick is a good signing, good defence, fairly quick and has that never say die attitude that Ulster were lacking last season.

Is D'Arcy a leaguie? Perhaps the Toom could enlighten us on his talents.

thomond2006

D'Arcy was a Waratahs squad player I think.

Old article on him: http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/d-arcy-a-shot-at-medal/

toomevara

Got, got, got to see something from Ulster this year. Hoping they'll start well tonight...No excuse for another season of mediocrity...

dreamer_ire

Ferris with the first try of the game!

Ulster 10 Ospreys 3

dreamer_ire

Fussell with the Os first try. Sloppy Ulster line out.

Ulster 13 Os 13

Os down to 14 men, Nicky Walker in the bin.

dreamer_ire

Half time Ulster 18 Ospreys 16

Cave with Ulster's second try and Biggar replied with a pen. Ospreys back to full strength.

Ferris just picked up a knock to the back and is moving very gingerly

thomond2006

Not watching this, only have 1-4 where I am.

God I hope Ferris is ok.

dreamer_ire

thomond2006 wrote: »

Not watching this, only have 1-4 where I am.

Also on Scrum V if you have it thomond.

dreamer_ire

Biggar with a try after woeful Ulster defending.... brutal stuff.

Ulster 21 Ospreys 23

Ferris back on for the second half and is moving ok so far

dreamer_ire

Ulster reclaim the lead 24-23. Ferris put in a big hit on Jerry Collins so safe to say he's ok!

Best off though, didn't see it well but looked like an accident boot to the head. Was shaking his head as he left and wiping at his eyes

dreamer_ire

Ulster 27 Ospreys 26

Ospreys Williams and Byrne on
Ulster Ferris off

dreamer_ire

Ulster win! Huge win given 1/3 of the team have never played a ML match before. 1 point win and NOC left 8 points on the pitch and missed 2 dgs.

toomevara

Bit of a knock-on-athon, but exciting enough game. Jerry collins seems to have turned the clock back 5 years, good back row performance from Ulster...O'Connor solid and Marshall looks handy enough. Fairly decent start for the Ulster men.

thomond2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/welsh/8968500.stm

Scrum V post match analysis including player interviews.

Redsock

A disappointing performance from us: Lots of errors, no real threat in the backs, their backrow schooled ours. But we won a game that 12 months ago we would've lost. That said, I fear another also ran year from ulster.

toomevara

Redsock wrote: »

A disappointing performance from us: Lots of errors, no real threat in the backs, their backrow schooled ours. But we won a game that 12 months ago we would've lost. That said, I fear another also ran year from ulster.

Dunno, classic season opener, error strewn, all fingers and thumbs and the play book a bit dusty, but i reckon, being a glass half-full merchant when it comes to Ulster this year (no, I'll never learn), that I saw enough in that 80 to suggest that Ulster may be a difficult team to neat at Ravenhill this year. really need to get fortress ravenhill back on the road and build from there. I thought Ferris, Diack, Faloon, Wannenberg all looked good, and more than held their own against the Ospreys unit, once they got the rampaging Collins under control, and you'd have to say with a backrow like that Ulster must be well placed to take advantage of the much vaunted new emphasis on attacking go-forward rugby. If O'Connor and Marshall can click well who knows....

Redsock

Toom' there is no doubt that our strength is in the backrow and they did ok with ball in hand but at the collisions holah, Collins and Thomas beat us up. Whatismore even if we had secured good, quick ball with o'connor at 10 he can't use it. We spent a fortune on beefing up a decent pack when the fundamental problem with the team is 10. Piennaar, according to reports, has been told he will play 9, which is a shame because Marshall and, especially porter look good. Without a 10 we will continue to struggle. The long and the short of is this year will be doubly disappointing because of the money spent and the expectations it has raised.

dromdrom

thomond2006 wrote: »

D'Arcy was a Waratahs squad player I think.

Old article on him: http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/d-arcy-a-shot-at-medal/

They were talking about Darcy on ruggamtrix this week, only good things.