Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Fireball07

I still don't know why Ulster signed NOC. Honestly think someone like Declan Cusack would be better.

bilston

Ulster XV & replacements to face Edinburgh, RaboDirect PRO12, Friday 2nd November, Ravenhill (7.05pm):

15 Ricky Andrew
14 Chris Cochrane
13 Jared Payne
12 Paddy Wallace
11 Craig Gilroy
10 Ruan Pienaar
9 Paul Marshall
1 Callum Black
2 Nigel Brady (c)
3 John Afoa
4 Lewis Stevenson
5 Neil McComb
6 Stephen Ferris
7 Mike McComish
8 Roger Wilson

Bench
Niall Annett
Richard Lutton
Adam Macklin
Robbie Diack
Nick Williams
Niall O'Connor
Stuart Olding
Peter Nelson

This will be a real test of depth for us. The back three is a bit light in experience and while McComish has done okay this season we'll need another big game from him tomorrow. Other than that the starting XV looks pretty good given the number of players missing. Diack and Williams aren't bad players to spring from the bench and Nelson and Olding are two exciting young talents who should have no fears.

Fireball07

Who's Ricky Andrew?

Pretty decent pack all things considered.

bilston

Fireball07 wrote: »

Who's Ricky Andrew?

Pretty decent pack all things considered.

He's in the Academy, I think he spent last season in France playing for Castres's Academy team. He did play for Ballymena before he went to France but may be at another club now. Apparently he has impressed at training so therefore is getting his reward.

irishbucsfan

Olding over NOC! Good man Anscombe! I really like him thus far thanks to calls like that.

Cochrane has looked pretty good in the past. Ricky Andrew is supposedly talented. Should be an exciting game.

EDIT: Annett on the bench over Herring is another interesting call. I guess Anscombe wants to sort out his pecking order now to deal with Rory's injury. Annett has a lot of potential going on his performances for the 20s.

Fireball07

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Olding over NOC! Good man Anscombe! I really like him thus far thanks to calls like that.

Cochrane has looked pretty good in the past. Ricky Andrew is supposedly talented. Should be an exciting game.

NOC is there too?

.ak

Does this mean Luke is doing more than holding tackle bags for the national side?

Also excited to see Payne at 13. Though I think it'll be a day for the forwards.

thomond2006

Who is covering scrum-half?

Fireball07

thomond2006 wrote: »

Who is covering scrum-half?

I'd guess Pienaar is.

Hagz

.ak wrote: »

Also excited to see Payne at 13.

Second that! He looked like the silkiest 13 in super rugby when I watched him play there for the Blues.

irishbucsfan

Fireball07 wrote: »

NOC is there too?

Aww I didn't see that! Still hopefully they'll use Olding somewhere.

CatFromHue

That's a strong 8,9,10,12 axis Ulster have.

Then add in Ferris, Stephenson, Afoa, and Brady and it more than compensates for the in experience in the back 3.

thomond2006

Fireball07 wrote: »

I'd guess Pienaar is.

oops when I first looked I thought he was playing 9

awec

Here's hoping we keep the win record going

awec

Dodgy line out followed by dodgy scrum

Match thread here.

Come join!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056797221

irishbucsfan

Any ideas what the team will be like this weekend?A lot of players missing through international duty and through injury... I suppose it'll depend on the international team whether guys like Tuohy and Luke Marshall are available. I actually think Toner might have been called into the international squad to allow Tuohy to play due to the injuries Ulster have (Stevenson, Muller).

So removing Court, Fitzpatrick, Henry, Wilson, Marshall, Jackson, Marshall, Cave, Gilroy and Bowe to Ireland...

I guess something like

Black, Herring, Afoa, McComb, Tuohy, Diack, McComish, Williams,
Heaney, NOC, Trimble, Wallace, Payne, Allen, D'Arcy

Which isn't bad at all really considering the timing of it and the injuries. Still going to be very tough. Especially if Tuohy plays for Ireland.

Swan Curry

The only real weak links in that team would be NOC and D'arcy as far as I'm concerned.Will Zebre be missing many players?

the_doctor199

I'd be interested in seeing Heaney kick instead of NOC, I was at the harlequins v Ballymena game at the weekend and his kicking was very good.

thomond2006

Ferris, Henry, Henderson and Wilson all unavailable and Ulster can still field a backrow that could hold its own against any Pro12 side. Scary depth.

Digifriendly

thomond2006 wrote: »

Ferris, Henry, Henderson and Wilson all unavailable and Ulster can still field a backrow that could hold its own against any Pro12 side. Scary depth.

Is Wilson injured?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Digifriendly wrote: »

Is Wilson injured?

nah he was called up yesterday

bilston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Any ideas what the team will be like this weekend?A lot of players missing through international duty and through injury... I suppose it'll depend on the international team whether guys like Tuohy and Luke Marshall are available. I actually think Toner might have been called into the international squad to allow Tuohy to play due to the injuries Ulster have (Stevenson, Muller).

So removing Court, Fitzpatrick, Henry, Wilson, Marshall, Jackson, Marshall, Cave, Gilroy and Bowe to Ireland...

I guess something like

Black, Herring, Afoa, McComb, Tuohy, Diack, McComish, Williams,
Heaney, NOC, Trimble, Wallace, Payne, Allen, D'Arcy

Which isn't bad at all really considering the timing of it and the injuries. Still going to be very tough. Especially if Tuohy plays for Ireland.

Ulster are playing Zebre on Sunday and Treviso on Friday so as far as I know they're treating it as a mini tour and just staying out in Italy for a week, that being the case I don't think Trimble will be involved. In fact I suspect anyone with a chance of featuring for Ireland over the next week could be excluded so that would include Tuohy.

We're probably looking at the above team with Cochrane likely to be selected in Trimble's place. I'm still not sure of D'Arcy's status but if he's still injured then I think Peter Nelson might get the nod over Ricky Andrew at FB. Robbie Diack may move to second row in place of Tuohy with maybe someone like Conor Joyce (last season's Ireland U19 captain) coming in at B/S. I also think Brady will start over Herring as we need a captain.

As for the bench...well you'd be looking at Ricky Lutton, Herring, Macklin, Alan O'Connor or James Simpson, Ali Birch, Blane McIlroy, Stuart Olding and Ricky Andrew I guess.

It's still pretty good and it's possible one or two may be released by Ireland. I'd worry about the half backs though.

Digifriendly

Wouldn't worry about Heaney - he's been playing well for both club and province so far this season and to be fair to NOC he's been starring for Malone in AIL. Also remember that both Italian teams should be affected by callups to the national side.

cp

Not strictly "Team Talk", but has anyone sen this video walk through of the redeveloped Ravenhill yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIw2UQpNanM&feature=youtu.be

Looking forward to making the trip up when its completed. If I were an Ulster fan i'd be very excited..

irishbucsfan

cp wrote: »

Not strictly "Team Talk", but has anyone sen this video walk through of the redeveloped Ravenhill yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIw2UQpNanM&feature=youtu.be

Looking forward to making the trip up when its completed. If I were an Ulster fan i'd be very excited..

Theyre breaking ground on the 26th November. Great for Irish rugby

Winters

Great news, delighted for Ulster.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1114/breaking13.html

It will also become the Ulster rugby senior squad’s new training base, with a state-of-the-art gym, meeting rooms and facilities.

Surprised to read that, will they be using the main pitch for training? Newforge was long term or so I thought.

jacothelad

Winters wrote: »

Great news, delighted for Ulster.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1114/breaking13.html



Surprised to read that, will they be using the main pitch for training? Newforge was long term or so I thought.

I'm sure they will continue to use it for all the main outdoor work.

overshoot

yea looking forward to it... its the 2 ends built then the old stand demolished and built isnt it? so attendance wise there is minimal difference during the duration of the built.
like the basic layout though, cant beat the old terracing running right up to the edge of the pitch for atmosphere and the seats then are at a nice height also. (i know im really getting into aesthetics now (which wont even be seen when the crowd is in) but the red/white/black seats looks good too, always the little details that adds the quality)

Sinbad_NI

Be good to get the ends closed up to reduce the winter gales.

Looking forward to seeing it all done.