Connacht -v- Ulster - Saturday 21/9/2013 KO 6:45

Robbo

Teams:

CONNACHT: G Duffy; F Carr, R Henshaw, E Griffin, M Healy; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, J Harris-Wright, N White; M Swift (capt), C Clarke; J Heenan, W Faloon, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Henry, R Ah You, R Loughney, A Muldowney, G Naoupu, P O’Donohoe, C Ronaldson, D Poolman.

ULSTER: J Payne; D McIlwaine, D Cave, L Marshall, M Allen; P Jackson, I Porter; T Court, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick; J Muller (capt), I Henderson; R Wilson, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: N Annett, K McCall, R Lutton, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, J McKinney, C Gilroy.

It's the first interpro of the season at the Sportsground and Ulster come into it looking for their first win of the season. They've named an incredibly strong team but are missing Pienaar who's on SA duty whilst pondering being poached by a team with a sugar daddy and a roster of highly paid South Africans.

Connacht have had a mixed start to the season but Craig Clarke makes his first competitve start. Jake Heenan has also impressed enough from the bench to warrant his first start and Fionn Carr replaces Tiernan O'Halloran. Otherwise it's a largely unchanged team from last weekend with a small doubt over George Nauopu on the bench.

TV: RTE/BBC NI
Radio: Galway Bay FM

jamiedav2011

Heenan at 6 is a bit of a strange one is it? Thought he was more of a 7. Connacht's backrow looks a little off balance to me.

That Ulster 4-8 looks immense though.

wp_rathead

Harsh on Browne to miss out, thougth he was one of the few too play well last week in the Cardiff debacle
Can't to see Clarke though in action..

Rodney still on bench though

blackhound

Thats a very strong team Ulster have out shows how desperate they are to get a win. Lovely evening here in Galway so our ball retention play should work out a lot better than it did last weekend.

damianmcr

You think?

Missing Best, Afoa, Pienaar, Trimble, Bowe, Tuohy etc with Gilroy on the bench.

Its just our normal team really. Tuohy is getting rested so Hendo is in.

awec

Yea we can definitely field much stronger teams than that.

This really is a must win game from an Ulster point of view. Nobody wants to lose 3 games in a row - never mind the first three of the season. I am quietly confident we'll have enough to see off Connacht.

evil_seed

I really want people to pay attention to Court in the scrum. He'll be scrumming towards the sidelines. Just wait and see. Last season I couldn't believe he was getting away with it all game

blackhound

Maybe I'm wrong but to me thats about as strong a team as Ulster could put out what with injurys, Lions players, championship and I think is Touhy just being rested?

Certainly it's not the team I'd expect to see in an H cup game but not far off it. Who else who's currently available would Ulster fans expect to be there to improve it?

I hate to say it but I can't see us getting much out of this, our recent form against Ulster hasn't being great, we're a little unbalanced in the backrow and a relatively weak bench leaves us as the underdogs in this game even at home.

[Jackass]

Head says BP win for Ulster, but hope says home advantage and sluggish start to season for Ulster might cap off a weekend of upsets. (nothing against Ulster, but given they are title contendors, would rather they didn't win!)

Swiwi.

Robbo wrote: »

Teams:

CONNACHT: G Duffy; F Carr, R Henshaw, E Griffin, M Healy; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, J Harris-Wright, N White; M Swift (capt), C Clarke; J Heenan, W Faloon, J Muldoon. Replacements: S Henry, R Ah You, R Loughney, A Muldowney, G Naoupu, P O’Donohoe, C Ronaldson, D Poolman.

ULSTER: J Payne; D McIlwaine, D Cave, L Marshall, M Allen; P Jackson, I Porter; T Court, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick; J Muller (capt), I Henderson; R Wilson, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: N Annett, K McCall, R Lutton, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, J McKinney, C Gilroy.

It's the first interpro of the season at the Sportsground and Ulster come into it looking for their first win of the season. They've named an incredibly strong team but are missing Pienaar who's on SA duty whilst pondering being poached by a team with a sugar daddy and a roster of highly paid South Africans.

Connacht have had a mixed start to the season but Craig Clarke makes his first competitve start. Jake Heenan has also impressed enough from the bench to warrant his first start and Fionn Carr replaces Tiernan O'Halloran. Otherwise it's a largely unchanged team from last weekend with a small doubt over George Nauopu on the bench.

TV: RTE/BBC NI
Radio: Galway Bay FM

Cheers for the write-up. I'm going to try and watch this: in terms of Connacht, I've been reading positive remarks about Henshaw & Marmion as possible Irish prospects, and of course the Kiwi lads Clarke, Heenan, Ah You I think too. And I'd like to take a first look at Ulster for the season, good to see Gilroy back to fitness.

dtpc191991

Hendo's in the row hey. I have been waiting for this.

phog

Think this will be an Ulster backlash and that they'll have a comfortable win but hope Connacht really give them a run for their money and a Connacht win, of course.

its_phil

Swiwi. wrote: »

Cheers for the write-up. I'm going to try and watch this: in terms of Connacht, I've been reading positive remarks about Henshaw & Marmion as possible Irish prospects, and of course the Kiwi lads Clarke, Heenan, Ah You I think too. And I'd like to take a first look at Ulster for the season, good to see Gilroy back to fitness.

I certainly don't think you heard positive remarks about Ah You

Kayless

Looking forward to seeing how Hendo goes in the second row and how Henshaw goes at 13, I'm sure Schmidt will be watching this one so it's also a chance for Marmion to put his hands up for Irish selectional.

Swiwi.

its_phil wrote: »

I certainly don't think you heard positive remarks about Ah You

Lack of punctuation on my part. Positive remarks about henshaw & marmion. Full stop. Will also watch because of the kiwi lads...

CatFromHue

The 6.45 ko will catch out a few casual viewers on tv

wp_rathead

Swiwi. wrote: »

the Kiwi lads Clarke, Heenan, Ah You

it is like spot the odd one out:pac:

Swiwi.

wprathead wrote: »

it is like spot the odd one out:pac:

In the depths of my memory, Rodney Ah You was vaguely a Crusaders wider squad member, I don't know maybe 4 or 5 years back. I think he played for Tasman or the like in ITM. Less pedigree than the other 2, that's for sure.

thomond2006

Sheahan :mad:

Stephen Archer to get MOTM then.

Fireball07

As far as I could see, the ref has already missed a high tackle, a forward pass and a knock-on.

Hagz

That forward pass was farcical.

Swan Curry

Is the RTE stream not working for anyone else?

Swiwi.

Swan Curry wrote: »

Is the RTE stream not working for anyone else?

Not for me either :mad:

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Jackson looks short on confidence, two touches and two bad errors

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Didn't realise Marshall is only on the bench. He'll have a hard time convincing the Lions selectors from there!

Funk It

Wow, from the hit from Swifty, the great hands and then the break from Healy, that was a great passage of play from Connacht.

Fireball07

Who played the pass through the legs there? Was class. Great from Swift too.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Heenan enjoys the porter judging by the belly on him!

Taco Corp

Fireball07 wrote: »

Who played the pass through the legs there? Was class. Great from Swift too.

pretty sure it was Muldoon

dregin

Hagz wrote: »

That forward pass was farcical.

It was dropped forward on the ground just minutes before that.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Deserved try, woeful fringe defence from Ulster

Fireball07

Excellent try.

irishbucsfan

One of Dan Parks trademark jinky spinny runs...

Funk It

Good man Parks, backed himself well

dregin

Brilliant team effort.

Fionn's hand off of a hooker... very nice.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Props to to Carr for putting the sit down on a hooker

Tox56

Have Irish teams decided to forgo the formality of tackling this season?

irishbucsfan

Tox56 wrote: »

Have Irish teams decided to forgo the formality of tackling this season?

It's the ex-Super XV coaching I tells ya!

Do any of the teams employ defense coaches currently?

dregin

No effort from Jackson to get out of the way and Ulster get the penalty?!

conormccarthy92

Ulster dominating the breakdown already

Funk It

Just hoping that Henry is up to it, was certainly putting himself about against Wasps in the preseason game, carried a lot of ball.

Would like to think that Harris Wright will come back on (not sure if its blood related), he has proved himself to be a solid player.

Fireball07

Easy easy try

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Good try

Funk It

Carr should really have stuck to the winger there, have to trust your inside man

irishbucsfan

Hmm interesting decision by Connacht to concede that try, we'll have to see how that pays off for them

Tox56

Funk It wrote: »

Carr should really have stuck to the winger there, have to trust your inside man

You have to think after all this time will he ever learn, he's been around for a long time now

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Hmm interesting decision by Connacht to concede that try, we'll have to see how that pays off for them

It's a bold move cotton...

awec

Great turnover.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

awec wrote: »

Great turnover.

and completely wasted by some awful hands then. Frustrating

irishbucsfan

Eoin Griffin enjoyed that!

Funk It

Great hit from Griffin there.

Connacht are trying to push the game too much though, tip my hat for them trying to play an expansive game, but some of these passes never look like coming off