Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

thomond2006

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

.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

Podge_irl wrote: »

Marshall could well lose out to Olding methinks.

Unless you move Olding to 13....

overshoot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Cardiff!

shuffol

Whats the story with Gilroy?

bilston

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...

no Gilroy either?

bilston

shuffol wrote: »

Whats the story with Gilroy?

Hurt his groin while banging Miss NI

thomond2006

Is Afoa injured?! Gilroy?

Good to see Jackson back at 10.

Surely that report demands a photograph of said lady bilston?

thomond2006

Buer

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

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Afoa injured?!

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

jacothelad

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

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

hamstring injury

awec

It wasn't my mistake, I copied that directly from the Ulster website!

totallegend

Don't see it posted elsewhere, but Rhys Priestland is back

15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Andy Fenby, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Aled Davies, 1 Phil John, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Samson Lee, 4 George Earle, 5 Johan Synman, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Josh Turnbull, 8 Rob McCusker (capt).

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Jacobie Adriannse, Jake Ball, Sione Timani, Gareth Davies, Owen Williams, Gareth Owen

bilston

totallegend wrote: »

Don't see it posted elsewhere, but Rhys Priestland is back

15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Andy Fenby, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Aled Davies, 1 Phil John, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Samson Lee, 4 George Earle, 5 Johan Synman, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Josh Turnbull, 8 Rob McCusker (capt).

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Jacobie Adriannse, Jake Ball, Sione Timani, Gareth Davies, Owen Williams, Gareth Owen

They have a very dangerous backline so hopefully the Ulster pack will be on their game even without Afoa. I take it this is pretty much the Scarlets side that plaed Treviso last week? How on earth were they beaten so heavily at home?

thomond2006

It's a risk by Easterby to throw in Priestland.

jamiedav2011

Not a bad Scarlets side on paper, but Ulster should have too much.

Is this Priestland's first game back?

jamiedav2011

I'll just leave this here too.

I'd be 'hurting my groin' if I were Craig too.

thomond2006

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

I'll just leave this here too.

I'd be 'hurting my groin' if I were Craig too.

totallegend

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

Not a bad Scarlets side on paper, but Ulster should have too much.

Is this Priestland's first game back?

His first start, came off the bench last week I think.

Bogota

Much improved photo of Miss NI.

the_doctor199

As expected, D'Arcy and Birch will be leaving at the end of the season