Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Hagz

Do Ulster think the secret of Leinster's success is down to our ladyboy status?!
I think that torch can now be passed.
https://twitter.com/Chris_C_11/status/362233580556021760/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Chris_C_11/status/362239349158453248/photo/1

Hagz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfjw0iwtG1M

bilston

Some chat on UAFC that Fez is ahead of schedule and is running again. Could be back for November. Not sure how accurate the info is but we will take it for now!

Podge_irl

bilston wrote: »

Some chat on UAFC that Fez is ahead of schedule and is running again. Could be back for November. Not sure how accurate the info is but we will take it for now!

As harsh as it is, I'll believe it when I see it.

bilston

Podge_irl wrote: »

As harsh as it is, I'll believe it when I see it.

I know what you mean, it's hard not to be sceptical but time will tell.

Hagz

He was still wearing the moonboot on Wednesday.

bilston

There has been a fair bit of chat about Ulster losing all their NIQs at the end of the season and while it would be a lie to say I'm not concerned about it it would be interesting to look at the Ulster side minus their NIQs.

15 Jared Payne (not IQ yet but not leaving either)
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Darren Cave
12 Luke Marshall
11 Andrew Trimble
10 Paddy Jackson
9 Paul Marshall
1 Tom Court
2 Rory Best
3 Declan Fitzpatrick
4 Iain Henderson
5 Dan Tuohy
6 Stephen Ferris
7 Chris Henry
8 Roger Wilson

That remains a pretty strong XV, obviously there are question marks over one or two, namely Ferris and Fitzpatrick's fitness, however age wise that team could go on for a while with Paddy McAlistair waiting in the wings to take over from Court and Craig Gilroy ready to replace Tommy Bowe or to facilitate his move to elsewhere in the side, not that I think Bowe is ready for the knackers yard yet! I don't think it's all bad at all, plus as I keep saying NIQs can and will be replaced by other NIQs so the team will probably look even stronger than what you read above. Even then Pienaar might stay on, maybe even Williams as well, nothing is confirmed just yet.

awec

#3 is going to be a concern.

I am pie

As much as we all love to see wee P adding some pace to a game as a sub, he is not consistent enough as a 9. We'll need to strengthen there too.

awec

Friday 6th September - 19:15 - Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster – Rodney Parade
Friday 13th September - 19:05 - Ulster v Glasgow Warriors - Ravenhill Stadium
Saturday 21st September – 18:45 – Connacht v Ulster – Sportsground
Friday 27th September – 19:05 – Ulster v Benetton Treviso – Ravenhill Stadium
Friday 4th October – 19:05 – Ospreys v Ulster – Liberty Stadium
Friday 25th October – 19:05 – Ulster v Cardiff Blues – Ravenhill Stadium
Saturday 2nd November – 18:30 – Scarlets v Ulster – Parc Y Scarlets
Friday 22nd November – 19:05 – Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby – Ravenhill Stadium
Saturday 30th November – 15:00 – Zebre v Ulster – Stadio Monigo
Friday 20th December – 19:05 – Ulster v Zebre – Ravenhill Stadium
Saturday 28th December – 18:45 – Leinster v Ulster – RDS
Friday 3rd January – 19:05 – Ulster v Munster – Ravenhill Stadium


Specific dates confirmed.

bilston

awec wrote: »

#3 is going to be a concern.

Well THP is a position where I think we might be told that we can't sign a NIQ because we've had two in a row now in Botha and Afoa and we probably only got away with that because of the enforced retirement of Simon Best.

If Declan Fitzpatrick stays fit then he can be a very decent scrummaging THP but keeping him fit is the problem. If not we're looking at Macklin (who I'm not sure about), Lutton (who did well when called upon last season having been plucked out of the AIL), this new fella Bronson Ross who I know nothing about or perhaps McAlistair will switch sides and be a huge success (he's got the build for it). Other than that we may have to hope Chris Taylor comes through, he had a good JWC after a poor U20 6Ns so maybe there is hope with him, but he's a long way off playing for Ulster I'd have thought.

bilston

I am pie wrote: »

As much as we all love to see wee P adding some pace to a game as a sub, he is not consistent enough as a 9. We'll need to strengthen there too.

Yup scrum half and THP are the two positions to worry about, but the side in general would remain strong. I wonder how much we'll see of Heaney this season, they may be more hope for him to take over from Pienaar than Marshall?

awec

The Kukri store is pretty annoying to get in contact with. Emailed last week about jerseys - no response. Still showing as sold out on the website, trying to figure out if we are getting a new design or just a re-release of the current kit with a sponsor change.

Surely they will be releasing more jerseys for sale?!

bilston

awec wrote: »

Friday 6th September - 19:15 - Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster – Rodney Parade


Specific dates confirmed.

One month today then!

Can't wait, it's been too long.

tac4271

awec wrote: »

The Kukri store is pretty annoying to get in contact with. Emailed last week about jerseys - no response. Still showing as sold out on the website, trying to figure out if we are getting a new design or just a re-release of the current kit with a sponsor change.

Surely they will be releasing more jerseys for sale?!

Style 'n' Sport have the 2013/14 Ulster range in, but "the design is the same as the 2012/13 season with the rear Sponsor being the only change to the jersey".

http://www.stylensport.co.uk/default.aspx?scid=6&wcid=9&wscid=19&p=0

awec

YES!!

RuPi

The warm up jersey is class

mogwai81

http://ulsterherald.com/2013/08/11/farrell-eager-to-impress-ulster-rugby-boss/

Great to see Chris Farrell back, a monster of a centre with no little skill. Any confirmation that Paddy McAllister has switched to Tight Head yet or what his physical condition is?

Utah_Saint

mogwai81 wrote: »

http://ulsterherald.com/2013/08/11/farrell-eager-to-impress-ulster-rugby-boss/

Great to see Chris Farrell back, a monster of a centre with no little skill. Any confirmation that Paddy McAllister has switched to Tight Head yet or what his physical condition is?

I think the PMAC to TH is just a rumour. Never seen anything offical regarding it. Although he's a big unit, good to have him back!

bilston

mogwai81 wrote: »

http://ulsterherald.com/2013/08/11/farrell-eager-to-impress-ulster-rugby-boss/

Great to see Chris Farrell back, a monster of a centre with no little skill. Any confirmation that Paddy McAllister has switched to Tight Head yet or what his physical condition is?

Farrell is the player I'm looking forward to seeing most this season for Ulster. I'm not sure how many games he will get but he may well start the season against the Dragons with Olding and Cave probably not available.

mogwai81

bilston wrote: »

Farrell is the player I'm looking forward to seeing most this season for Ulster. I'm not sure how many games he will get but he may well start the season against the Dragons with Olding and Cave probably not available.

I would love to see him get game time at 12 instead of 13. Of the three young centre's at Ulster would prefer to see
Olding tried at outside centre.

Utah_Saint

anyone going to the Glasgow game?

Is only half the East and West Terrace opened? Or has have those areas already sold out?

bilston

Thanks "Gatty" :mad:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23693258

Bowe likely to be out for three months now.

.ak

Just saw that... Til November?! How did he manage to play through that?

andrewdcs

.ak wrote: »

Just saw that... Til November?! How did he manage to play through that?

Seems it was broken, but that the break damaged ligaments which must take longer to heal than bone.

Ouch.

Buer

That's him in serious doubt for the autumn series. Testicles.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

ffs, so much for the Lions medical staff

RuPi

The Lions staff were always going to patch him up to get him through the tests, really isn't a shock that he needs this.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

RuPi wrote: »

The Lions staff were always going to patch him up to get him through the tests, really isn't a shock that he needs this.

3 months and ligament damage?! I would have thought the players welfare would have come first

Huge loss for Ireland if he misses the AI's. And after that scourge of a Lions tests

bilston

12 weeks takes us to the Samoa match so you'd think at best he could be available for New Zealand if he manages to get an Ulster game under his belt during the AIs. However 12 weeks is a long time out, in fact it's longer than that given he won't have played since the beginning of July so if it is 12 weeks I'd say there is very little chance of him taking any part in the November series.

He should be back for the Treviso double header in Europe though and from an Ulster point of view he'd have missed September through recovery from the Lions and November due to Ireland duties anyway so it's October were Ulster miss out, albeit we have two huge games against Leicester and Montpellier then.