Connacht v Ulster - The Big One

bilston

League leaders versus the league champions. This is the biggie folks

Ulster are unbeaten but were fairly unconvincing on Saturday in the win over an admittedly more than decent Ospreys side.

Connacht finally got back to winning ways with a BP win over Edinburgh on Friday.

Possible Ulster team, best case scenario admittedly regarding one or two injuries

15 Jared Payne
14 Tommy Bowe
13 Darren Cave
12 Luke Marshall
11 Charles Piutau
10 Paddy Jackson
9 Ruan Pienaar
1 Callum Black
2 Rory Best
3 Rodney Ah You
4 Alan O'Connor
5 Franco Van Der Merwe
6 Iain Henderson
7 Sean Reidy
8 Roger Wilson

Herring, McCall, Kane, Tuohy, Diack, Marshall, Ludik, Trimble

Harsh on Ludik...

What can we expect from Connacht?

connemara man

15. O Halloran
14.Adeolokun
13.Aki
12.Robb
11.Healy
10.Carty
9.Marmion

1.Buckley
2.McCartney
3.Bealham
4.Browne/Cannon
5.Dillane/Roux
6.McKeown
7.Heenan
8.Muldoon


Second row will be odd. But definitely something like the above. I'm not sure how badly Healy is injured but I'd say a returning Poolman will play if he's unavailable. Everyone else kinda picks themselves

BrokenMan

connemara man wrote: »

15. O Halloran
14.Adeolokun
13.Aki
12.Robb
11.Healy
10.Carty
9.Marmion

1.Buckley
2.McCartney
3.Bealham
4.Browne/Cannon
5.Dillane/Roux
6.McKeown
7.Heenan
8.Muldoon


Second row will be odd. But definitely something like the above. I'm not sure how badly Healy is injured but I'd say a returning Poolman will play if he's unavailable. Everyone else kinda picks themselves

Healy has a broken hand apparently and Buckley was on crutches after the last game so cant see him available either.

wp_rathead

Pretty much Connemara Man's team but:
Poolman 11
Bealham 1
Carey 3

I'd keep secondrow partnership of Roux and Dillane

Question marks over McKeon and Marmion injuries aswell unfort

connemara man

I kinda hope Buckley is ok. Ah fair enough re Healy, Poolman on the wing so

KBurke85

Buckley, McCartney and Healy all ruled out. Knee, hamstring and fractured hand respectively

Neil3030

When is this Boshoff lad supposed to be starting?

wp_rathead

Tom is out- fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

Neil3030 wrote: »

When is this Boshoff lad supposed to be starting?

After the Currie Cup, Lions are in the Semi finals

Sinbad_NI

bilston wrote:

Harsh on Ludik...

Ludik more than any deserves a place in the 15, maybe in place of Bowe, not sure TB is ready to start yet.

bilston

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

bilston wrote:

Harsh on Ludik...

Ludik more than any deserves a place in the 15, maybe in place of Bowe, not sure TB is ready to start yet.

Louis definitely deserves a spot in the team but if Tommy is to start (amd I think they willwant him to start) someone has to drop out and it won't be Payne or Piutau...unless you want Jared to play 13 of course!

It probably depends on whether Luke is available. Personally I'd put Ludik to 13 if Marshall can't play.

MJohnston

Any updates on Marshall yet anyway? Haven't seen an injury update from Ulster in ages.

Sinbad_NI

bilston wrote:

...unless you want Jared to play 13 of course!

Don't associate me with such madness please LOL.
JP at FB and CP on wing looks like the best shout.

bilston wrote:

It probably depends on whether Luke is available. Personally I'd put Ludik to 13 if Marshall can't play.

Yeah that seems like a decent shout.
Ludik has responded well to the competition for places so far this season.

RichieRich89

Has Ludik ever played 12? It seems to me that Cave is more valuable to the team at 13

Sinbad_NI

Can he play 9 is the question? :-)

flogthebog

Ludik was motm for me last weekend. Gilroy and Bowe looked understandably rusty. Piutau didn't get any useful ball. Payne and cave played well at centre. Huge pressure from ospreys and both held firm. Interesting conundrum for ulster.

bilston

flogthebog wrote: »

Ludik was motm for me last weekend. Gilroy and Bowe looked understandably rusty. Piutau didn't get any useful ball. Payne and cave played well at centre. Huge pressure from ospreys and both held firm. Interesting conundrum for ulster.

Did Bowe look rusty? I thought he looked pretty sharp for the 20 mins he played.

Gilroy definitely looked rusty though. I thought he had a pretty poor game to be honest. The entire Ulster midfield, Jackson included, did anything but hold firm against the Ospreys in the first 20 minutes! I don't like Cave and Payne as a partnership. Individually you couldn't fault either except for the first quarter defensively, but to me you aren't getting the best out of them as a 12/13 combo. DC is much better at 13 than 12.

flogthebog

bilston wrote: »

Did Bowe look rusty? I thought he looked pretty sharp for the 20 mins he played.

Gilroy definitely looked rusty though. I thought he had a pretty poor game to be honest. The entire Ulster midfield, Jackson included, did anything but hold firm against the Ospreys in the first 20 minutes! I don't like Cave and Payne as a partnership. Individually you couldn't fault either except for the first quarter defensively, but to me you aren't getting the best out of them as a 12/13 combo. DC is much better at 13 than 12.

While Gilroy made a mess of a shocking pass from piutau, Bowe couldn't even pass a ball that could be considered a decent pass. Tommy has work to do before he could be considered for ulster first team.

Sinbad_NI

flogthebog wrote:

While Gilroy made a mess of a shocking pass from piutau, Bowe couldn't even pass a ball that could be considered a decent pass. Tommy has work to do before he could be considered for ulster first team.

Agree. Age old argument of form vs experience.
I'd go for form every day of the week.

Paul Smeenus

Agree on Cave/Payne not working as a combination - I think the issue is that they bring the same strengths (in varying degrees) - experience, an excellent read of the game, smarts. That's invaluable but it works much better when offset by something different the strength and offloading of McCloskey, the feet and agility of Olding, the distribution and kicking of Marshall.


I don t know that Ludik would bring any very different, but he s been in excellent form and would allow Payne to drop back to fullback, Gilroy wasn't great against the Ospreys, but he was very good and looked seriously hungry, earlier in the season.

Robbo

Ever wonder what the lads from Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" video are up to these days?

Seems BBC NI recruited them to do some promo work for this match...

MJohnston

Robbo wrote: »

Ever wonder what the lads from Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" video are up to these days?

Seems BBC NI recruited them to do some promo work for this match...

Jaysus, like there isn't lots of actual footage they could use? BBC NI/UTV love to waste their budgets on cheap looking versions of what real TV stations can do.

bilston

No Trimble, Marshall or Olding this week but all three expected to be fit for Bordeaux.

This thread is remarkably polite and amicable in comparison to the cesspit that is the Munster Leinster thread. Some people are just determined to drag that thread into the gutter, glad nothing like that is going on over here.

...

I see Rodney Ah-You is doing a lot better this year?

wp_rathead

Haha Afraid I'm not biting Venjur, I for one am fecking delighted for Rodney, seeing him play as well as he did vs Glasgow was brilliant 1 looking forward to giving him a big welcome Friday night

awec

This is a classy thread. :cool:

Two classy teams with fans who conduct themselves with dignity.

awec

awec wrote: »

This is a classy thread. :cool:

Two classy teams with fans who conduct themselves with dignity.

The Connacht team thread are saying that only Pitau would make a full strength Connacht back 3.

disclaimer: they may or may not be saying that

Robbo

awec wrote: »

This is a classy thread. :cool:

Two classy teams with fans who conduct themselves with dignity.

Top hats and monocles out lads.

awec

Robbo wrote: »

Top hats and monocles out lads.

Adeolokun is tremendous. I hope it's a jolly good game, may the best team win.

Robbo

Robbo wrote: »

Top hats and monocles out lads.

Paul Smeenus

Bravo, chaps. Well done all round, played in the true spirit of the game.

That's what I'll be screeching at my TV come Friday evening. Taking care not to spill my cheeky glass of Colombard.

mfceiling

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Venjur how the feck did you get that photo of me?

Diabhal Beag

Ulster adopted Niall O'Connor off us and a kind gesture like that isn't forgotten.

flogthebog

bilston wrote: »

No Trimble, Marshall or Olding this week but all three expected to be fit for Bordeaux.

that would suggest much the same selection for friday's game as was put together for ospreys. from a connacht selection I suspect the only change will be kelleher for healy in the backline.

I do wonder how delahunt hasn't been given the opportunities I would have thought he would have been given. He is a serious ball of strength, his lineouts have been fine and he is willing to dig a ball out as well as anybody. He is not as good as Tom, but then few are. Would like to see Romaine make the bench. He is a talent yet to be given the opportunity.

Overall if Carty plays as well as he did last week and Jackson plays as poorly as he did, it could be a tight game.

flogthebog

anybody any thoughts on an aviva double bill for the provinces for all the interpro games?

awec

flogthebog wrote: »

anybody any thoughts on an aviva double bill for the provinces for all the interpro games?

So Ulster and Connacht miss out on a home game every year? I think not.

bilston

flogthebog wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

No Trimble, Marshall or Olding this week but all three expected to be fit for Bordeaux.

that would suggest much the same selection for friday's game as was put together for ospreys. from a connacht selection I suspect the only change will be kelleher for healy in the backline.

I do wonder how delahunt hasn't been given the opportunities I would have thought he would have been given. He is a serious ball of strength, his lineouts have been fine and he is willing to dig a ball out as well as anybody. He is not as good as Tom, but then few are. Would like to see Romaine make the bench. He is a talent yet to be given the opportunity.

Overall if Carty plays as well as he did last week and Jackson plays as poorly as he did, it could be a tight game.

If fit Henderson will come in for Ulster and I would reckon there is a good chance Bowe will start as well. We'll probably rotate at LH as well.

Alas I expect we'll see Cave and Payne again in the midfield but I'd stick LL to 13, Payne to 15 with Piutau and Bowe on the wings.

bilston

flogthebog wrote: »

anybody any thoughts on an aviva double bill for the provinces for all the interpro games?

Someone would have to give up a home match?

How would the monies be divided?

Would there be enough seats to satisfy demand? Say 40k for Leinster and Munster and 20k for Ulster and Connacht, that's 10k too many.

flogthebog

as an example, connacht in murrayfield didn't seem to be at a disadvantage for the pro12 final. the aviva is our big stage. everybody steps up on such a stage. so you get 7,000 into the sportsground this weekend, nothing like what you can get into the kingspan, and then the kingspan is nothing to the aviva. And while there may be four provinces in ireland we all follow each other with much interest. So what a fantastic day out for everybody, with no advantage to anybody. And if all the interpros were played there, then there is literally no advantage to anybody while simple being a spectacle. Everybody loses home advantage. But you get to see the best of everything in Irish rugby on a day out. And the fans get a chance to mingle and slag each other. Now thats an extra bonus :-)

bilston

flogthebog wrote: »

as an example, connacht in murrayfield didn't seem to be at a disadvantage for the pro12 final. the aviva is our big stage. everybody steps up on such a stage. so you get 7,000 into the sportsground this weekend, nothing like what you can get into the kingspan, and then the kingspan is nothing to the aviva. And while there may be four provinces in ireland we all follow each other with much interest. So what a fantastic day out for everybody, with no advantage to anybody. And if all the interpros were played there, then there is literally no advantage to anybody while simple being a spectacle. Everybody loses home advantage. But you get to see the best of everything in Irish rugby on a day out. And the fans get a chance to mingle and slag each other. Now thats an extra bonus :-)

Not everybody loses home advantage. In fact unless you play the reverse fixtures there as well only one team will lose him advantage (strictly speaking Leinster do too but they play at the Aviva enough for it to be a home game) and that's either Connacht or Ulster.

It would make for a great occasion though.

flogthebog

bilston wrote: »

Not everybody loses home advantage. In fact unless you play the reverse fixtures there as well only one team will lose him advantage (strictly speaking Leinster do too but they play at the Aviva enough for it to be a home game) and that's either Connacht or Ulster.

It would make for a great occasion though.

all reverse fixtures would be played in the aviva also. i don't see any team at a disadvantage. its a stage for everybody to show how good they are. It also gives our up and coming players an opportunity to play in front of mental fans in a cauldron. What an experience for them. Also it reflects the pressures of international rugby. So everybody benefits.

connemara man

flogthebog wrote: »

all reverse fixtures would be played in the aviva also. i don't see any team at a disadvantage. its a stage for everybody to show how good they are. It also gives our up and coming players an opportunity to play in front of mental fans in a cauldron. What an experience for them. Also it reflects the pressures of international rugby. So everybody benefits.

So we'd never see Connacht vs any of the other provinces in the sportsground, Munster vs any of the provinces in thomond, Ulster vs the other provinces in ravenspan and Leinster wouldn't play Connacht or Ulster in the RDS.

I'd hate that

flogthebog

connemara man wrote: »

So we'd never see Connacht vs any of the other provinces in the sportsground, Munster vs any of the provinces in thomond, Ulster vs the other provinces in ravenspan and Leinster wouldn't play Connacht or Ulster in the RDS.

I'd hate that

we can't fit enough people into the sportsground for the interpros. munster have too big a stadium for anything. the kingspan is about right. the rds doesn't fit for the interpros.

hence the suggestion that we use our national stadium and fill it rather than stadiums that are not fit for purpose for these events

edit: stadia rather than stadiums

KBurke85

Connacht team named https://twitter.com/connachtrugby?lang=en

Paul Smeenus

There's been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth about Connacht's injuries - Ulster's current injury list makes for grim reading -

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Franco van der Merwe[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] suffered a ligament strain on his right ankle in the win over Ospreys at the weekend. He is expected to return to play in 2-3 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Charles Piutau[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] sustained a delayed onset concussion after the Ospreys game and is not fit for selection this week.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Tommy Bowe[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] came through the game against Ospreys well and is available for selection again this week.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Conor Joyce[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] is recovering from a concussion and won't be available for selection this weekend.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Stuart McCloskey[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] fractured a bone in his left foot in the game versus Glasgow and it is estimated that he will return to play in 6-8 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Stuart Olding[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] has made a good recovery from a recent injury in the right adductor region and he is expected to play next weekend.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Anton Peikrishvili[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] suffered a left calf strain in training and it is estimated he will return to action in 2-3 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Sam Windsor[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] suffered a rib injury in a club game two weeks ago. He is likely to return to play within the next fortnight.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Luke Marshall[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] made a rapid clinical recovery from his recent concussion, but given his history of previous concussions, the decision has been made to follow a more cautious return to play protocol. It is expected that he will return to play within the next 2-3 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Andrew Trimble[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] is expected to be fit for selection next week following a recent toe injury.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Jonny Simpson[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] suffered a high ankle sprain (right) in the pre-season game against Exeter and he will return to play this weekend.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Chris Henry[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] is rehabbing well post shoulder surgery and it is expected that he will return to play in 3-4 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Ricky Lutton[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] is still recovering from a right adductor groin injury and should return to play in 1-2 weeks.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Wiehahn Herbst[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] is rehabbing well following groin surgery to repair an avulsed adductor tendon. His estimated return to play date is 4-5 weeks from now.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Johnny Murphy[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] has recovered from a groin injury and he will return to play club rugby this weekend.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Dan Tuohy[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] will make a welcome return to rugby this week for the Ulster A team, following his recovery from an ankle injury.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Peter Nelson[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] continues to progress his rehab following a left mid foot injury and surgery (suffered December 2015 versus Edinburgh). No return to play date has been set.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Marcell Coetzee[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] continues to rehab following knee surgery. He will arrive in the Province this week and he is expected to return to play in January 2017.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Iain Henderson[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] has a right elbow infection and is on antibiotics. He will be available for Friday's game versus Connacht.[/font]

[font=OpenSans, sans-serif]Alan O'Connor[/font][font=OpenSans, sans-serif] has an illness and will miss the trip to Connacht on Friday.[/font]

BeardySi

Injury update from ulster, Piutau is out.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/15293.php#.V_YlT4dwYm9


Edit: well feck!

MarinersBlues

No Marmion but Ronaldson back.

I'm confused as to whether I'm ecstatic or distraught.

wp_rathead

That's a poor enough Connacht bench
Blade vs Pienaar gonna be a massacre I fear

vienne86

KBurke85 wrote: »

Connacht team named https://twitter.com/connachtrugby?lang=en

Is Roux injured?

wp_rathead

MarinersBlues wrote: »

No Marmion but Ronaldson back.

I'm confused as to whether I'm ecstatic or distraught.

Ronaldson back is great but thought Robb deserved keep his spot
Marmion loss can't be overstated, hopefully Blade proves me wrong

Also Ili on bench over Poolman?

Bazzo

Marmion AND Cooney out leaving a 20 year old Kerins on the bench and the struggling Blade starting.

Ronaldson in at 12 will ease some of the pressure of Carty and with our big playmaking 12 in place hopefully Bundee is able to get back to lighting up midfield.

testtech05

vienne86 wrote: »

Is Roux injured?

Same question for Peter Robb, he lookes a bit groggy at the end of the game the last day and was being checked by DOC as the rest of the team left the pitch. Hopefully not another concussion but must be something to see craig thrown straight back in from the start....

Must say delighted to have Craig back though hopefully can stay fit!