Match thread - Ulster v Leinster, RavenSpan, 15:00, Sky Sports 1

CMOTDibbler

||
Jared Payne|15|Rob Kearney
Andrew Trimble|14|Isa Nacewa
Luke Marshall|13|Garry Ringrose
Stuart McCloskey|12|Ben Te'o
Craig Gilroy|11|Dave Kearney
Paddy Jackson|10|Jonathan Sexton
Ruan Pienaar|9|Luke McGrath
Callum Black|1|Jack McGrath
Rory Best|2|Richardt Strauss
Ricky Lutton|3|Tadhg Furlong
Pete Browne|4|Devin Toner
Franco van der Merwe|5|Hayden Triggs
Iain Henderson|6|Rhys Ruddock
Chris Henry|7|Josh Van der Flier
Sean Reidy|8|Jamie Heaslip
|Replacements|
Rob Herring|16|Sean Cronin
Kyle McCall|17|Peter Dooley
Andrew Warwick|18|Mike Ross
Robbie Diack|19|Mick Kearney
Roger Wilson|20|Jordi Murphy
Paul Marshall|21|Eoin Reddan
Stuart Olding|22|Ian Madigan
Darren Cave|23|Luke Fitzgerald


Les is still trying to give the Kiss of life to an Ulster side that has stuttered and stammered their way through the laegue. Getting to the point where a place in the semi-final is a very real goal has to be considered an achievement given the disruption that the coaching situation, injuries and protracted spells playing for Ireland by key players has wrought.

Leinster, also having gone through the doldrums and with a still new coaching ticket and similar issues with missing players are still in poll position to keep the top slot when the dust has settled. A win here or even a draw would more than likely consolidate that position and at the very least a home semifinal.



So all to play for and the tough task of getting a win at RavenSpan awaits Leinster whilst Ulster need a win to ensure a place in the top four with a difficult fixture away to the Ospreys not guaranteed to do the job for them.

The bookies marginally favour Ulster in this one and who am I to gainsay the bookies?

Leinster by a score

captbarnacles

Big drift on leinster in the market - why though? - looks like strong Leinster team to me bar Luke would be better than DK imo

sydthebeat

Probably because a five pointer next week at home guarantees home semi final.

Saying that I've got on Leinster to win at 7/4

CMOTDibbler

Joe, Andy and Simon in attendance. Those nearby will be earwigging intensely.

BBDBB

Heard it first hand

Joe " I prefer Kearney"
Easterbunny "I prefer Payne "
Farrell " I prefer bovril at half time"

irishbucsfan

That's two utterly awful decisions in a row from Clancy at the breakdown...

Adbrowne

thats just thick

ktulu123

Yup first two looked like Ulster players not rolling. Stupid there from Luke

irishbucsfan

Bad penalty to concede from McGrath there

Bazzo

No need to give up that penalty in a very kickable position from McGrath

BBDBB

Some good basketball from Ulster

BBDBB

Some good basketball from Ulster

razorblunt

Kearney's in trouble.

Pienaar milking it, get the medics off the pitch FFS.

Theatrical.

Podge_irl

That was not very smartly done.

Bazzo

Kearney should see yellow for that, possible pen try too

Dreadful decision

RedemptionZ

Stupid by Rob. Not sure about that penalty try though.

razorblunt

Not sure about the penalty try at all there, definite yellow.

Podge_irl

Hmmmm...wouldn't have given a penalty try for that.

corny

Pen try is a nonsense decision. There is no way Pienaar is certain to be first to the ball.

hogandrew

Don't see how the penalty try can be given there. Furlong was awful there

sheep?

Yellow, yes. Penalty try my arse.

LeinsterDub

No way is it a penalty try. It's likely a try but no highly probably

Crimsonforce

Pienaar watching ronaldo during the week, must have picked up a few tips

Adbrowne

yellow yes, pen yes, pen try no.

yosser hughes

Disastrous and stupid from Kearney, but Pienaar's behaviour is disgusting. Should not have been a penalty try. Yellow card only

pickarooney

Pienaar was never getting that. Yellow card no question though

rsh118

Daft from Kearney. Would be worth the 10 minutes if not for the penalty try. Daft. Could have been red too if Clancy had felt that way inclined.

CMOTDibbler

corny wrote: »

Pen try is a nonsense decision. There is no way Pienaar is certain to be first to the ball.

Does he even have a chance of beating it to the dead ball line?

crisco10

Defo yellow but a farce of a penalty try.

A-Train

I don't know why Ulster fans give out about Clancy he is giving them everything today! Farce of a penalty try call, well covered, pienaar made a meal of that as well,

Podge_irl

LeinsterDub wrote: »

No way is it a penalty try. It's likely a try but no highly probably

I'm not even sure I'd go as far as likely to be honest. Remove Kearney and it's still a footrace with McGrath and a possibly a bouncing ball.

Bloody dim though.

Swan Curry

Christ, can we stop accusing players of 'milking penalties' every time the medics come on to the pitch?

Quint2010

Yellow card but not a penaltry. Clancy is an awful ref

blackcard

Yellow card all day, never a penalty try

Hagz

Clancy is now a great ref in Awec's book.

former total

A-Train wrote: »

I don't know why Ulster fans give out about Clancy he is giving them everything today! Farce of a penalty try call, well covered, pienaar made a meal of that as well,

Because they give out about every ref. All of them.

RedemptionZ

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Does he even have a chance of beating it to the dead ball line?

Extremely slim. And that's assuming he doesn't knock it on or take the ball out of play

rsh118

I get the penalty try decision to be honest. Forces full-backs to try and make tackles rather than take the 10 and prevent the try. Strong signal to cynicism.

Crimsonforce

Whens the booing kicking in? Havent heard much so far

rsh118

former total wrote: »

A-Train wrote: »

I don't know why Ulster fans give out about Clancy he is giving them everything today! Farce of a penalty try call, well covered, pienaar made a meal of that as well,

Because they give out about every ref. All of them.

Nah, we love Nigel. As longed he gives us all the decisions. Though obviously we aren't quite as enlightened as Leinster fans when it comes to see the ref's point of view in all circumstances

A-Train

former total wrote: »

Because they give out about every ref. All of them.

Haha fair enough, I thought Clancy got more then most but I think you're correct!

sydthebeat

RK continues his pretty meh season. no need to do what he did and fully deserving of the pen and as a FB he should know that a decision like that always runs the risk of a pen try.

Podge_irl

rsh118 wrote: »

I get the penalty try decision to be honest. Forces full-backs to try and make tackles rather than take the 10 and prevent the try. Strong signal to cynicism.

The laws around the penalty are fairly clear though. A try would have to have probably been scored apart from the infringement and there is no way you can say that about this.

Also "taking the 10" and giving away a penalty in front of the posts to avoid a try is a questionable strategy at best anyway.

RedemptionZ

rsh118 wrote: »

I get the penalty try decision to be honest. Forces full-backs to try and make tackles rather than take the 10 and prevent the try. Strong signal to cynicism.

That only acts as a deterrent when it's consistently enforced, which it isn't. Normally that's a yellow and a penalty

rsh118

Podge_irl wrote: »

rsh118 wrote: »

I get the penalty try decision to be honest. Forces full-backs to try and make tackles rather than take the 10 and prevent the try. Strong signal to cynicism.

The laws around the penalty are fairly clear though. A try would have to have probably been scored apart from the infringement and there is no way you can say that about this.

Also "taking the 10" and giving away a penalty in front of the posts to avoid a try is a questionable strategy at best anyway.

It's questionable, but lots of FBs consider 3 to be less than 7. Anyway, St. Ruan would almost certainly have scored because he is St. Ruan so it's academic at this stage!

corny

Podge_irl wrote: »

The laws around the penalty are fairly clear though. A try would have to have probably been scored apart from the infringement and there is no way you can say that about this.

Also "taking the 10" and giving away a penalty in front of the posts to avoid a try is a questionable strategy at best anyway.

Genuine question because i'm not 100% but does the law not require the ref to be certain (not probable) a try would be scored?

irishbucsfan

George "Don't worry if the player has the ball I'll let you tackle him because I'm sound" Clancy

CMOTDibbler

Podge_irl wrote: »

The laws around the penalty are fairly clear though. A try would have to have probably been scored apart from the infringement and there is no way you can say that about this.

Also "taking the 10" and giving away a penalty in front of the posts to avoid a try is a questionable strategy at best anyway.

Yep, I doubt that was his intention. He got caught in no man's land and decided on a tight turn to chase Pienaar and left the shoulder in to make sure. It didn't look innocent Rob. You need to try harder

blackcard

rsh118 wrote: »

I get the penalty try decision to be honest. Forces full-backs to try and make tackles rather than take the 10 and prevent the try. Strong signal to cynicism.

But it is not up to the referee to decide to give a penalty try for cynical play. It has to be for preventing a definite try