Ulster v Clermont, Ravenhill, 10/12/16, 1PM Sky Sports 2

bilston

jacothelad wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Clermont's 2 points don't matter a jot. We were never winning the pool so Clermont can get as many as they like.

Our target is 18. 18 doesn't guarentee the knockouts but it gives us a chance. We need 9 points from our last 3 games. I still wish we had held on for the LBP in Bordeaux.

Marshall.....:eek: Cretin. That ranks alongside Kiss and his awful selection away in France last year. If Ulster had started with their second half team we'd have made the last 8. Cost us - well - the IRFU - a bundle.

It still makes me angry two months later, WTF was he thinking...?

I'm sure he is more disappointed than anyone else but it is one of the dumbest things I've seen on a rugby pitch.

CMOTDibbler

bilston wrote: »

It still makes me angry two months later, WTF was he thinking...?

I'm sure he is more disappointed than anyone else but it is one of the dumbest things I've seen on a rugby pitch.

Ah now! There have been some prize ones that Marshall's couldn't lace the sandals of. ROG's kick against Scotland, the Welsh player who dropped the ball when trying to dot down, Beauxis' own try...

That's just off the top of my head.

irishbucsfan

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Ah now! There have been some prize ones that Marshall's couldn't lace the sandals of. ROG's kick against Scotland, the Welsh player who dropped the ball when trying to dot down, Beauxis' own try...

That's just off the top of my head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1914XF8afo

Leguizamon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89rPDYwmUs8

Haylett-Petty

Lake1989

irishbucsfan wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1914XF8afo

Leguizamon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89rPDYwmUs8

Haylett-Petty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCIu4zbTuU

Prefer this one myself

irishbucsfan

Lake1989 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNCIu4zbTuU

Prefer this one myself

How could I forget!

CMOTDibbler

In case anyone here never saw Beauxis' magnifique volley:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z95H0hR-20A

Or Richard Smith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvznojXzX2c

irishbucsfan

Who could forget Howley and Poitrenaud?

Don't think there's ever been a more costly one!

CMOTDibbler

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Who could forget Howley and Poitrenaud?


Don't think there's ever been a more costly one!

I think that's where he started getting called Poitrefaut

bilston

The Farrell one wins hands down for numerous reasons!

connemara man

Great game today Ulster were the better team for me. I was in ravenhill for it great atmosphere!

The amounts of individual errors in defence kept Clermont in the game, from being there Ulster always seemed comfortable. Until Dave came on then of again, and all the missed tackles or half tackles that gave Clermont so much room

I said to the people around me that Ah You would get binned after the first scrum.

FACECUTTR

connemara man wrote: »

Great game today Ulster were the better team for me. I was in ravenhill for it great atmosphere!

The amounts of individual errors in defence kept Clermont in the game, from being there Ulster always seemed comfortable. Until Dave came on then of again, and all the missed tackles or half tackles that gave Clermont so much room

I said to the people around me that Ah You would get binned after the first scrum.

Some things never change with Rodders. He was a liability in the last 3rd of the season for Connacht. Got subbed off a few times after coming on as a sub for being a twats.

pickarooney

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

Ah now! There have been some prize ones that Marshall's couldn't lace the sandals of. ROG's kick against Scotland, the Welsh player who dropped the ball when trying to dot down, Beauxis' own try...

That's just off the top of my head.

François Hougaard tapping a penalty then kicking it straight out on the full against Wales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEPjY4rOLY0

TeoReid

All the tries here.
https://streamable.com/zykh

CMOTDibbler

pickarooney wrote: »

François Hougaard tapping a penalty then kicking it straight out on the full against Wales.

And yesterday Morgan Parra quick tapped a penalty, tripped over one of his own players and knocked on. Though being French, he did it with aplomb.

bilston

TeoReid wrote: »

All the tries here.
https://streamable.com/zykh

If people haven't seen yesterday's game and have a spare 10 minutes you should watch that video. They were all really good tries.

TeoReid

after all the complaining about refs over the last few weeks, Barnes reffed this game very well. seemed to enjoy it too.

launish116

TeoReid wrote: »

after all the complaining about refs over the last few weeks, Barnes reffed this game very well. seemed to enjoy it too.

agreed as much as Barnes pisses me off, he just let the game flow and both teams just wanted to attack instead of fanning about or collapsing scrums. 
Was expecting a lot more moaning to the ref, but think both teams where flabbergasted by the amount times the lead changed hands

NiallBoo

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

And yesterday Morgan Parra quick tapped a penalty, tripped over one of his own players and knocked on. Though being French, he did it with aplomb.

Not as stupid as his tap penalty in the final pool round last year...

mfceiling

TeoReid wrote: »

All the tries here.
https://streamable.com/zykh

Wow!!

Is there anythingto be said about LM and Big Stu in the midfield. 2 strong direct runners where Stu in particular will make yards every time.

MJohnston

I think the TBP try is my favourite one of the lot there, beautiful work by so many different players.

bilston

mfceiling wrote: »

TeoReid wrote: »

All the tries here.
https://streamable.com/zykh

Wow!!

Is there anythingto be said about LM and Big Stu in the midfield. 2 strong direct runners where Stu in particular will make yards every time.

Fofana got a lot of space in the midfield against though in the first quarter. Not sure what the defensive plan was or maybe it was just really good attacking by Clermont.

Marshall got plaudits, but we are a different team with McCloskey in the side.

bilston

MJohnston wrote: »

I think the TBP try is my favourite one of the lot there, beautiful work by so many different players.

All 5 tries were great and
Clermont's were good too. Don't know which one was my favourite. The pass from PJ and the line from LM for the 1st try was great...and look at McCloskey's power and offload to Reidy in the phase before the try.

Great watch.

aled

i have watched rodney yellow carded so many times in the past. what always got me about him is that defiant expression as he left the field. I have met Rodney many times and he is an absolute gent. He is nothing like what he suggests. But what he is, is too slow for the modern game

jacothelad

I really enjoyed Ulster's attack. However without the comfort blanket of Ravenhill I worry that they will get hoked by 40 + next week. Conceding 32 points at home is almost unheard of despite being a dodgy team. Defensive systems need players working together week in and out, not the usual feckin' Ulster merry go round. It's sometimes selection by Buggins' Turn.

jacothelad

Actually looking through the Ulster squad, there are 35 players at a stretch of pro 12 standard in it. Of course there are some really good players in that list but some who are pretty mundane to say the least. Not enough.

Wheeker

Was at Ravenhill on Sat- what a match. Fantastic to be there for a great atmosphere & some superb running rugby. A real ding-dong battle. I haven't watched it all back, but I don't think it was a case of loose defences- just great attacking & off-loading from both backlines. It all felt a bit surreal when we were 39-18 ahead with 22 mins to go. Clermont are too good a side (top of Top 14 after all) not to come-back, I felt we had hurt their pride. Their bench was obviously a lot better than ours as well. I was a bit p**sed-off when I realised they had got 2 points out of their final try, but probably won't matter much in the end. The last 5 mins were nervy as hell, thank god we held-out!

Lake1989 wrote: »

whats the deal with McCloskey's head?

Alopecia- he's grown a man-bun (hipsters eh :rolleyes:) to hide it a bit. God love him.....

mfceiling wrote: »

Wow!!

Is there anythingto be said about LM and Big Stu in the midfield. 2 strong direct runners where Stu in particular will make yards every time.

That was Big Stu's best match in some time, made a big difference having a proper ball-carrier. Luke Marshall was superb- 2 great tries & fantastic work-rate in defence, my MOTM. Lamerat & Fofana did give them some problems but then I think they would cause problems for any midfield. Jackson is continuing on his upward trajectory- a lovely balanced game from him. Reidy did well & Henry is starting to get back to his best. Bowe is sharpening up nicely. Piutau- so exciting to watch.

Having said all that, I think we will be doing well to get a LBP this Sun in the return game, but I can still hope.....

bilston

Wheeker wrote: »

Was at Ravenhill on Sat- what a match. Fantastic to be there for a great atmosphere & some superb running rugby. A real ding-dong battle. I haven't watched it all back, but I don't think it was a case of loose defences- just great attacking & off-loading from both backlines. It all felt a bit surreal when we were 39-18 ahead with 22 mins to go. Clermont are too good a side (top of Top 14 after all) not to come-back, I felt we had hurt their pride. Their bench was obviously a lot better than ours as well. I was a bit p**sed-off when I realised they had got 2 points out of their final try, but probably won't matter much in the end. The last 5 mins were nervy as hell, thank god we held-out!

Lake1989 wrote: »

whats the deal with McCloskey's head?

Alopecia- he's grown a man-bun (hipsters eh :rolleyes:) to hide it a bit. God love him.....

mfceiling wrote: »

Wow!!

Is there anythingto be said about LM and Big Stu in the midfield. 2 strong direct runners where Stu in particular will make yards every time.

That was Big Stu's best match in some time, made a big difference having a proper ball-carrier. Luke Marshall was superb- 2 great tries & fantastic work-rate in defence, my MOTM. Lamerat & Fofana did give them some problems but then I think they would cause problems for any midfield. Jackson is continuing on his upward trajectory- a lovely balanced game from him. Reidy did well & Henry is starting to get back to his best. Bowe is sharpening up nicely. Piutau- so exciting to watch.

Having said all that, I think we will be doing well to get a LBP this Sun in the return game, but I can still hope.....

Watching back you realise just how effective big Stu was. I prefer Olding in the midfield (when he is actually fit) but you can't deny the importance of McCloskey to Ulster.

Regarding Sunday, I wouldn't be that shocked to see us scoring 4 tries. We might concede 8 in the process though!. But if we get a Bonus point of some description it will go some way to offsetting Marshall's momentary lose of sanity against Bordeaux in October.