Ulster vs Munster, Sat 2nd Jan 3pm, Sky Sports

thomond2006

Ulster team & replacements to face Munster, Guinness PRO12, Kingspan Stadium, Saturday 2nd January 2016 (kick off 3.00pm):
(15-9): L Ludik, A Trimble, L Marshall, S McCloskey, R Scholes, P Jackson, R Pienaar;
(1-8): K McCall, R Best (captain), W Herbst, L Stevenson, F van der Merwe, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams;

Replacements (16-23): R Herring, C Black, R Lutton, A O'Connor, R Wilson, P Marshall, I Humphreys, S Arnold.

Munster:
Andrew Conway; Ronan O'Mahony, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino; Ian Keatley, Tomás O'Leary; Dave Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry, BJ Botha; Dave Foley, Mark Chisholm; Jack O'Donoghue, Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander Capt.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Mario Sagario, Billy Holland, Robin Copeland, Duncan Williams, Tyler Bleyendaal, Denis Hurley.

Fourth place meets sixth as Munster travel to Belfast hoping to put an end to a losing streak which now stands at five games. Andrew Trimble makes his 200th appearance for Ulster as they look to continue a fine recent of form with four consecutive victories including back-to-back wins against Toulouse.

Given the showings of the last month, there should only be one winner here. Since Les Kiss has taken over as head coach Ulster have looked like a different team. Munster will do well to get a losing bonus point.

kub

Agreed Thomond, there is only 1 winner here, if Munster win then we will have another miracle match

Pink Fairy

Doom and gloom, bah humbug , and a happy new year to you too thomond!
Think it'll be closer than that, really, really hope Keats has a good game

bilston

I've seen supposedly weaker Munster teams win at Ravenhill before so we will be taking nothing for granted.

former total

Munster focusing on Europe by the looks of it.

Ulster by 10-15 I'd say.

bilston

Gertrude might have a say in things

Blackclaret

Only good thing that came out of Thomond last weekend, from a Munster point of view , they are well able to play s**** without Keatley so pressure of I would say, if Blyendal not fit what's he doing on bench, nine is becoming a very depressing number.

jacothelad

Sometimes, in adversity, teams discover the way to the final pass or the best selection or simply the killer instinct that is missing, such as in Munster's sudden failure to capitalise on vast swathes of possession and territory. They will reverse this trend sometime and sooner rather than later during the season. The back row looks good and we all know that the b.r. is the fulcrum on which games are won and lost.

kuang1

jacothelad wrote: »

They will reverse this trend sometime and sooner rather than later during the season.

Says who?

Seriously?

Ebbs and flows sure...but history ain't any guide to the future...on a current trajectory...we (munster) are on a sub-top-6 finish in the pro-12.

phog

For Munster season not to be over in January we need to win our next four games on the trot.

Each marathon is completed one step at the time. A win for Munster tomorrow will be a giant step for us, it's achievable but we need to cut out the errors.

G'wan Munster

dubal

Munster have pulled off some amazing results over the years. But this time the gap is bigger than ever...Munster by a score so :-)

Dubal

Pink Fairy

phog wrote: »

For Munster season not to be over in January we need to win our next four games on the trot.

Each marathon is completed one step at the time. A win for Munster tomorrow will be a giant step for us, it's achievable but we need to cut out the errors.

G'wan Munster

A leap too far.....We're not playing tomorrow

postitnote

So much for Ulster fielding a weakened side in one of the the Christmas games. Really looking forward to this one, I'm allowed out to the pub to watch it!

Utah_Saint

Any Munster fans making the journey north?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Any chance this is on BBC NI too? Or exclusively Sky?

Stheno

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Any chance this is on BBC NI too? Or exclusively Sky?

Just checked my sky menu and it's not listed for BBC NI

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Stheno wrote: »

Just checked my sky menu and it's not listed for BBC NI

Boo!

Thanks for checking.

flouncer

ok, i'll just put it this way. Munster, go win the feckin game or I will be very very very annoyed. Ok, I've said what I needed to say. I expect the appropriate response or else I will be most unhappy. MOST UNHAPPY. And I get very unpredictable when unhappy :-) so I suggest you take this post in every seriousness.

phog

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Any chance this is on BBC NI too? Or exclusively Sky?

Exclusive to Sky but TG4 will probably have a high package later tonight.

Clareman

Extended highlights are on TG4 at 10.20 tonight.

bilston

Wet miserable today. I don't about Munster but it definitely won't help Ulster.

flouncer

bilston wrote: »

Wet miserable today. I don't about Munster but it definitely won't help Ulster.

Now feic off. Didn't ye beat the lads from the west in similar conditions. Mad rumour going around that your manager has ye based in Connemara so ye ye get to work in the worst of conditions. Could it be true that ulster are taking advantage of Connacht :-)

jacothelad

flouncer wrote: »

Now feic off. Didn't ye beat the lads from the west in similar conditions. Mad rumour going around that your manager has ye based in Connemara so ye ye get to work in the worst of conditions. Could it be true that ulster are taking advantage of Connacht :-)

Who do you think we are? Clancy? "Can you give me a reason not to award a try? I mean it's Leinster. I have to give them something".....:D

roundymac

Stheno wrote: »

Just checked my sky menu and it's not listed for BBC NI

Being advertised for BBC radio not TV unfortunetly.

awec

Ref is Gary Conway? Don't think I've heard of him before

molloyjh

awec wrote: »

Ref is Gary Conway? Don't think I've heard of him before

He's Laceys nephew. :pac:

Bridge93

As a Leinster man it would be helpful to have Ulster pegged back a bit as they're looking decent of late. Let's go Munster.

phog

awec wrote: »

Ref is Gary Conway? Don't think I've heard of him before

He's an alright ref, has reffed Munster a few times (twice at least) we lost those games and could well lose another one with him as ref.

Cookiemunster

Conway and Foley out for Munster. Amorosino moves to fullback with VDH on the wing and Billy Holland starts with Shane Buckley added to the bench.
http://www.munsterrugby.ie/mobile/news/21801.php

Pink Fairy

Is this getting to be a "thing" with Munster? Naming players and they having to drop out an hour before game time...

vienne86

Weather doesn't look too awful there.

vienne86

Lots of posession for Munster in the first three minutes, but not getting much reward.

LuckyGent88

vienne86 wrote: »

Lots of posession for Munster in the first three minutes, but not getting much reward.

That's been the case for all our games. Seeing plenty of the ball but going nowhere. Just too slow

irishbucsfan

Nick Williams gets in early with his needless penalty.

vienne86

Keatley kicks 3 - would love to see him have a good game.

vienne86

That was lovely moving the ball along the backs by Ulster.

irishbucsfan

That pass, so beautiful.

Stheno

Jeepers, no nonsense with this ref.

vienne86

Stheno wrote: »

Jeepers, no nonsense with this ref.

Pretty impressed with him so far.

aimee1

did sherry just give a sly knee to the head or shoulder there?

Bridge93

Disastrous kick from ROM

vienne86

aimee1 wrote: »

did sherry just give a sly knee to the head or shoulder there?

Yes, harmless enough though.

LuckyGent88

Awful kick from the turnover and now we are all Nader pressure when it should have been down the other end

Stheno

aimee1 wrote: »

did sherry just give a sly knee to the head or shoulder there?

Yeah more the back, TMO brought it to refs attention, nothing in it though

vienne86

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Awful kick from the turnover and now we are all Nader pressure when it should have been down the other end

Dreadful kick, but Ulster have been careless not to make hay there.

corny

Lots of really stupid kicking.

Stheno

Did Stander get a boot in the face there? (accidentally)

errlloyd

Wow, trimble excellent.

vienne86

More carelessness from Ulster. They need to sharpen up.

LuckyGent88

Lovely break by scannel. Should have pinned his ears back and went to the corner

Bridge93

Scannell stepped to early. More signs that he's a proper talent though