Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

bilston

MolBee wrote: »

Ulster XV replacements to face Edinburgh, RaboDirect PRO12, Murrayfield, Friday 22nd March 2013 (kick off 19.30):

(15-9): J. Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, M Allen, P Jackson, P Marshall; (1-8): T Court, R Herring, J Afoa, J Muller, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, M McComish, R Diack; Replacements (16-23) N Annett, C Black, R Lutton, N Williams, A Birch, M Heaney, R Andrew, P Nelson.

Great to see Payne back in the Ulster team, that is a sight for sore eyes. Likewise Muller and good to see Williams and Nelson on the bench.

Surprised but pleased that Jackson is allowed to play, I thought the internationals were usually rested after the 6Ns.

postitnote

Excuse my ignorance, but with Jackson having started 3 6 nations games and a pro 12 game in the last 4 weekends in a row, how is it that he's able to start?

Not that i'm complaining, he's young and fit enough and i'm glad he's playing.

bilston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Looks like a great team. Not sure how Mike McComish remains in it...

I think we can only conclude that Anscombe just doesn't fancy Birch. It's a big call because there isn't really any indication yet one way or the other as to whether Henry will be back for Sarries.

irishbucsfan

I'm guessing by Pienaar's absence that Ulster might have requested an exception be made for Jackson?

bilston

postitnote wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance, but with Jackson having started 3 6 nations games and a pro 12 game in the last 4 weekends in a row, how is it that he's able to start?

Not that i'm complaining, he's young and fit enough and i'm glad he's playing.

Well according to Tom McGurk he is merely a schoolboy so he's got the energy...

MolBee

postitnote wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance, but with Jackson having started 3 6 nations games and a pro 12 game in the last 4 weekends in a row, how is it that he's able to start?

Not that i'm complaining, he's young and fit enough and i'm glad he's playing.

I've heard there are no IRFU restrictions on how much players can play after the 6 nations period, but I'm not sure. Would be ideal to give him a rest before the Leinster match but no options at 10 really. Olding having to cover for Marshall at 12, Pienaar is recovering from an ankle injury and O'Connor, well....

postitnote

Would not having a central contract also be a factor in this. Would Ulster need IRFU 'approval' as such?

awec

Here's hoping for a nice win to give us a good boost going into the Leinster game next week.

jm08

postitnote wrote: »

Would not having a central contract also be a factor in this. Would Ulster need IRFU 'approval' as such?

I don't think its particularly rigid. More like the season is divided into blocks and geared to the players. So for instance, Stephen Ferris might only be allowed play 6 games in a block before Christmas whereas Jamie Heaslip might be allowed play 8 and it is up to the provinces to select the games they want them to play in.

It would be in the interest of the provinces to rest certain players anyway, though I don't think this 6Ns was as difficult as the last year when Ireland had to deal with the consequences of the match being called off in Paris.

.ak

awec wrote: »

Here's hoping for a nice win to give us a good boost going into the Leinster game next week.

Yeah, to give you that false sense of security... :cool:

ScissorPaperRock

When will Payne be Irish-qualified?

bilston

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

When will Payne be Irish-qualified?

Not until Autumn 2014

irishbucsfan

bilston wrote: »

Not until Autumn 2014

When you think about it though, we only have one competitive tournament between now and his qualification though:)

.ak

irishbucsfan wrote: »

When you think about it though, we only have one competitive tournament between now and his qualification though:)

More to the point, that's a 6N before the RWC.

awec

.ak wrote: »

Yeah, to give you that false sense of security... :cool:

Never! :cool:

Pienaar, Cave, Gilroy, Trimble, and Payne will leave your players so dizzy they'll be tackling themselves.

Nick Williams will ensure that they remember what they went through for a few days after the game. :pac:

.ak

awec wrote: »

Never! :cool:

Pienaar, Cave, Gilroy, Trimble, and Payne will leave your players so dizzy they'll be tackling themselves.

Nick Williams will ensure that they remember what they went through for a few days after the game. :pac:

Providing all of the above don't get injured over this weekend.

CIARAN_BOYLE

There is talk on 606 of John Afoa wants to leave due to a homesick missus.

That said he doesn't want to leave Ulster in the lurch so will honour his contract unless arrange a replacement. Ben Franks who wants to nail down a side of the scrum or his brother Owen who is a starting AB (supposedly with a one year sabatical clause in his contract) seem to be the front runners.

opinionatedfan

I'd be fairly surprised if the Franks brothers left NZ before the next WC.

CIARAN_BOYLE

opinionatedfan wrote: »

I'd be fairly surprised if the Franks brothers left NZ before the next WC.

Ben Franks moved to Hurricanes this year because he wanted to establish himself on one side of the scrum. With 23 man squads in international rugby he has lost a bit of value. They've been starting him at LH and moving him to TH when making substitutions. He could do with a year in the NH where there is 23 man squads rather than 22 man squads like super rugby and the NPC cup.

I do agree with you that I don't really see Owen Franks leaving NZ.

yimrsg

Bismarck and Jannie Du Plesis were meant to be looking at offers from Europe as both their contracts are up for re-negotiation, Jannie would be a good signing though he doesn't strike me as an 80 minute prop.

awec

I see the furore raised by Crusaders Football Club could have knock on implications for the redevelopment of Ravenhill.

They are claiming the funds provided for the Windsor upgrade breach EU legislation (and they're pretty miffed the blues are going to end up earning a packet). The problem is that the funding for all 3 stadiums is linked.

Incredibly small chance of anything actually coming of this mind.

Utah_Saint

When is the stadium due to be complete?

also..

Whats the weather like in Edinburgh? Will the game go ahead? Weather is terrible here in Belfast

postitnote

I've been Murrayfield on the 2nd Jan for a EDI v GLA game before. There was a lot of snow and ice that winter and the match went ahead alright. In terms of getting to the stadium, major paths and roads were clear in even worse conditions than now, so i'd imagine it will be fine. As for the pitch, I would almost be certain they have those fancy light rigs to thaw out any snow or ice. Otherwise, a few shovels, clear the pitch lines and man up.

Digifriendly

Have contacted BBC NI over confusion re red button match at 7.00pm (Freeview EPG says Ospeys vs Ulster!) and they've confirmed that it is Ospreys vs Dragons and not Edinburgh vs Ulster. So it looks like we're relying on internet for coverage.

Glass Prison 1214

Ulster have added a prop called Andrew Warwick to their European squad, I have never heard of him, is he in the academy or something?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Glass Prison 1214 wrote: »

Ulster have added a prop called Andrew Warwick to their European squad, I have never heard of him, is he in the academy or something?

Youngish (same u20 group as Gilroy I think) Ballymena TH prop, pulled in from the AIL and has been on a training contract since Fitzpatrick got injured in February. Hasn't featured but has been in a few extended squads.

Given injuries to Macklin and Fitzpatrick he is probably after Afoa, Lutton, and Court in the pecking order at THP.

awec

Can the online match stream on BBC be watched from outside of the UK?

the_doctor199

awec wrote: »

Can the online match stream on BBC be watched from outside of the UK?

No, UK only.

CIARAN_BOYLE

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Youngish (same u20 group as Gilroy I think) Ballymena TH prop, pulled in from the AIL and has been on a training contract since Fitzpatrick got injured in February. Hasn't featured but has been in a few extended squads.

Just after checking, he is actually a LH prop, my mistake. The rest seems accurate

awec

the_doctor199 wrote: »

No, UK only.

FFS!! :mad: :mad::mad: