Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

jacothelad

bilston wrote: »

This is not a day for running rugby in Belfast, I fear Olding could be in for a long night.

The sun is out here on the Costa del Whitehead and the forecast for later is a return of the rain this afternoon but by 7.00 tonight the rain is to have abated. It's amazing the number of times we have a great Thursday weather wise followed by the end of the world stuff on Friday. I was out yesterday in a T shirt and shorts walking the dog along the cliff path. This morning I had the full survival stuff on and the dog in his Barbour coat.

awec

jacothelad wrote: »

The sun is out here on the Costa del Whitehead and the forecast for later is a return of the rain this afternoon but by 7.00 tonight the rain is to have abated. It's amazing the number of times we have a great Thursday weather wise followed by the end of the world stuff on Friday. I was out yesterday in a T shirt and shorts walking the dog along the cliff path. This morning I had the full survival stuff on and the dog in his Barbour coat.

T-shirt and shorts in October?

Get out of it. :pac:

jacothelad

awec wrote: »

T-shirt and shorts in October?

Get out of it. :pac:

19C and blazing sunshine. I could see as far North as Ailsa Craig and The Mull of Kintyre and as far South as the Isle of Man and bits of the Solway Coast. Even today, the sun is quite warm. It's about 17 or 18 C and the wind has dropped completely. Soon be time for a liquid lunch in the Whitecliff Inn.

Buer

I always end up buying lottery tickets after reading jaco's posts in the vain hope of securing early retirement.

jacothelad

Buer wrote: »

I always end up buying lottery tickets after reading jaco's posts in the vain hope of securing early retirement.

Money and freedom from everyday toil aren't all they are cracked up to be. :D:D:D:D You can get bored with all the luxury and holidays, the leisurely lunches, all the gadgets etc.

Buer

Money and freedom don't bring happiness...but I'd like the opportunity to carry out extensive research to confirm the theory.

jacothelad

Buer wrote: »

Money and freedom don't bring happiness...but I'd like the opportunity to carry out extensive research to confirm the theory.

I'm very happy of course. Money etc may not bring it but it helps a sh1tload.;) Actually, the bass player in my band is also pretty well heeled and retired apart from the music stuff but he's as mean as the day is long. We went to play a gig in Cavan recently and his estate car had 2 20l drums in the back - so he could buy cheaper diesel. While he's a really nice guy he's usually so concerned about money, investments etc that he is miserable with worry most of the time. Go figure.

awec

jacothelad wrote: »

19C and blazing sunshine. I could see as far North as Ailsa Craig and The Mull of Kintyre and as far South as the Isle of Man and bits of the Solway Coast. Even today, the sun is quite warm. It's about 17 or 18 C and the wind has dropped completely. Soon be time for a liquid lunch in the Whitecliff Inn.

I think I'm missing a layer of fat to be wearing shorts and t-shirt in this weather.

Costa del Whitehead, just up the road from Costa del Carrick and Costa del Larne. How does it rank in comparison to these other two bustling metropolises?

overshoot

jacothelad wrote: »

I'm very happy of course. Money etc may not bring it but it helps a sh1tload.;) Actually, the bass player in my band is also pretty well heeled and retired apart from the music stuff but he's as mean as the day is long. We went to play a gig in Cavan recently and his estate car had 2 20l drums in the back - so he could buy cheaper diesel. While he's a really nice guy he's usually so concerned about money, investments etc that he is miserable with worry most of the time. Go figure.

Having worked in a fancy hotel for a few years iv always found the 'well off' people tight as hell, looking for free drinks etc. When they reach 'minted' they open their wallet more and generally enjoy themselves!

anyway looking forward to this, got to watch bugger all rugby so far this season so

Sinbad_NI

jacothelad wrote: »

19C and blazing sunshine. I could see as far North as Ailsa Craig and The Mull of Kintyre and as far South as the Isle of Man and bits of the Solway Coast. Even today, the sun is quite warm. It's about 17 or 18 C and the wind has dropped completely. Soon be time for a liquid lunch in the Whitecliff Inn.

Indeedy... was on a Sperrin mountainside TLF (Tanning Like F*ck).

jacothelad

awec wrote: »

I think I'm missing a layer of fat to be wearing shorts and t-shirt in this weather.

Costa del Whitehead, just up the road from Costa del Carrick and Costa del Larne. How does it rank in comparison to these other two bustling metropolises?

How does it compare? Civilised and genteel by comparison. It is a proper community which helps and supports each other. It is largely made up of large detached Victorian 3 storey villas and was really the first 'dormitory' town for well off toffs in these islands. There are very few scumbags to start with. Just enough to remind you that we live in Norn Irn. Two pubs, a yacht club. a golf club, 3 Chinese carry outs, three cafes, a Spar, bakery, butcher, two small 'corner' shops, a couple of art galleries, 2 hairdressers, 3 churches, one chapel and that's about it....apart from two old folks homes. There is also a Rangers supporters club that may well be unique in having a substantial number of Catholic members and which provides receptions for people who get married in the Chapel or after Christenings, funerals etc. You wouldn't get that in Larne or Carrick.....or anywhere else possibly. It does have other issues I suppose but none of us are perfect.....well almost none of you;).

Edit: I'm not missing the extra layer. Going for a post lunch and 4 pints doze.

bilston

Feck, reading Jaco and Sinbad, I must have been living in a climate bubble this morning!

Anyway it's a much better day now and my excellent BBC weather app tells me that there will be a light shower around 3pm but after that it will be dry for the rest of the day and a balmy 14C for match time.

bilston

Here is a sight for sore eyes

http://telly.com/VBP96

I am pie

Larne is an awful place only brightened by the ferry port which gives the temporary illusion to it's residents that escape is possible!

Carrick is ok, used to be nicer and whitehead is positively riviera-esque.

Should anyone be considering a visit to the far north...avoid Larne like the plague. I have friends who received a few broken bones in a chippy in Larne without even having to open their mouths for the pleasure. Lads from Belfast, not even from distant lands which would have provoked sectarian or xenophobic furies.

bilston

I am pie wrote: »

Larne is an awful place only brightened by the ferry port which gives the temporary illusion to it's residents that escape is possible!

Carrick is ok, used to be nicer and whitehead is positively riviera-esque.

Should anyone be considering a visit to the far north...avoid Larne like the plague. I have friends who received a few broken bones in a chippy in Larne without even having to open their mouths for the pleasure. Lads from Belfast, not even from distant lands which would have provoked sectarian or xenophobic furies.

Larne isn't the nicest place in the world, that's for sure. Carrick I think has become a victim of the urban sprawl, I think I read a year or two ago that it was the fastest growing town in NI.

Not the easiest places to play rugby either on a s**** day. Although I think Larne usually put on a decent cowboy supper afterwards so it's not all bad.

awec

bilston wrote: »

Larne isn't the nicest place in the world, that's for sure. Carrick I think has become a victim of the urban sprawl, I think I read a year or two ago that it was the fastest growing town in NI.

Not the easiest places to play rugby either on a s**** day. Although I think Larne usually put on a decent cowboy supper afterwards so it's not all bad.

Cue a lot of "a cowboy what?".

bilston

awec wrote: »

Cue a lot of "a cowboy what?".

Haha, I wondered actually when I typed that whether a Cowboy Supper was a Norn Iron thing.

Sausage, Beans and Chips for anyone who is in any doubt...

jacothelad

Afoa to start. Teapot has melted again.

ssaye2

jacothelad wrote: »

Afoa to start. Teapot has melted again.

Afoa starts, Luton to bench. Fitz out injured

awec

GAH, and I just wrote the match thread. :mad:

Deccie Fitz's nose looked mangled!

jacothelad

jacothelad wrote: »

Afoa to start. Teapot has melted again.

Ah lads, this is getting ridiculous.

Hagz

awec wrote: »

GAH, and I just wrote the match thread. :mad:

Deccie Fitz's nose looked mangled!

Pics?

jacothelad

Nasal bone was exposed v. Montpellier.

mfceiling

Bit of help...

Saw a twitter post last night along the lines of "Ulster look sick, even with a knob like jackson pulling the strings"

Couldn't ignore it so i replied with "Make sure and let Schmidt know asap will you?"

He shot back with "I'll write him a letter"

I haven't replied yet...any ideas on what to nail him with (can't ignore a knob like this):D

.ak

mfceiling wrote: »

Bit of help...

Saw a twitter post last night along the lines of "Ulster look sick, even with a knob like jackson pulling the strings"

Couldn't ignore it so i replied with "Make sure and let Schmidt know asap will you?"

He shot back with "I'll write him a letter"

I haven't replied yet...any ideas on what to nail him with (can't ignore a knob like this):D

Stop using twitter?

mfceiling

.ak wrote: »

Stop using twitter?

I stopped facebook Ak....

Twitter is actually ok - just a bigger selection of knob heads on it though!!

Great for keeping up on live scores or breaking news.

postitnote

When PJ misses a kick does anyone else think "Oh god, what are the boardsies going to say about that one?"

Have to say that was an exciting back line last night and it's good to see a few more tries being scored now too.

jacothelad

postitnote wrote: »

When PJ misses a kick does anyone else think "Oh god, what are the boardsies going to say about that one?"

Have to say that was an exciting back line last night and it's good to see a few more tries being scored now too.

While Paddy is so erratic with his goal kicking he cannot be considered a complete 10 in the current rugby climate. I don't believe that the 10 should necessarily be the kicker but if you put your hand up to do it then you better practice like feck to get it right 90% of the time. Sadly, if you play 10 in Ireland these days you have to be the goal kicker it seems. Ollie Campbell (as a 12), Michael Kiernan, Tom Kiernan, Simon Mason and a few others were pretty good to fabulous kickers. Eric Elwood wasn't a stellar goal kicker for Ireland but that history has been revised otherwise. Any non 10 these days needn't bother his fundamental orifice. The likes of Conor Murray, Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding and no doubt others were / are capable but won't get a look in.

Jackson can kick goals - but as things stand I wouldn't put any money on him nailing one, even dead in front. Still, at 21 he has plenty of time to practice. Unfortunately his kicking is made into a rod to beat him with. If he's having a good day with the boot then other things are invented by the likes of Hook, Lenihan, W"ard to denigrate his abilities. he's in a lose - lose situation, mainly because of ROG love and the fact that he had the temerity to allow himself to replace the great one. The one about him standing deep is so far from the truth yet these guys blather it out as if it was Gospel. The truth is that he plays right on the advantage line when it is right to do so and not when it isn't.

Fireball07

I don't know if he has been for the past couple of years, but Murray has been practicing his kicking pre-match recently and is now not only Munster's 2nd choice on the field kicker, but also being viewed as a possibly backup out-half.


And seeing as how he's a pretty-much guaranteed starter for Ireland, would be a huge asset. I wonder if Jackson was playing alongside Murray, and was playing well, but had missed a couple of kicks, would Schmidt ask Murray to take responsibility?


I don't know how good Murray is, I definitely think that whoever is the best should be taking them, don't necessarily agree with those that say the 10 should take on the responsibility as it's good for their confidence.

postitnote

Is Neil doak the Ulster kicking coach? Would it be prudent to bring in a better kicking coach?

As has been mentioned before, the kicking aspect surely is practice, practice, practice. This might be David Humphries' next big signing. Someone to make Jackson the complete 10.