Ulster Team Talk Thread IV... Go On My Henderson...

Hands Like Flippers

UR are starting to screen underage players again this month. Considering these kids have had no action since Easter this is good news.

Clegg

Henderson, Burns and Rob Lyttle have been ruled out of this weekends match.https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1335951882595016704?s=09

bilston

500 fans allowed on Friday.

bilston

Clegg wrote: »

Henderson, Burns and Rob Lyttle have been ruled out of this weekends match.https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1335951882595016704?s=09

Disaster

launish116

Clegg wrote: »

Henderson, Burns and Rob Lyttle have been ruled out of this weekends match.https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1335951882595016704?s=09

That’s a big blow! That Toulouse pack be licking their lips.

Paul Smeenus

Missing out first choice 4, 10, 13, 14 and 15. Big ask this weekend.

launish116

We might be lucky Toulouse might focus on the Top 14.....they did send a strong side away at the weekend!

thomond2006

Yikes, that injury news is brutal.

launish116

Dwayne Peel heading to Cardiff, end of the season!

https://www.ulsterrugby.com/2020/12/peel-to-join-cardiff-blues-at-end-of-the-season/

Paul Smeenus

Before McFarland came along, there had been a few questions asked about how good Peel really was. Once the forwards started to improve, we saw what he was bringing.

Good coach, great fella, wish him all the best and hopefully he finishes having won some silverware...?

Would love to get an absolutely top-flight attack coach in now.

Paul Smeenus

Anyway, my Patented Bonus-Point Winning Team Selection for Saturday:

1) EOS
2) Herring
3) Moore
4) Carter
5) AOC
6) Rea
7) Reidy
8) Coetzee
9) Cooney
10) Madigan
11) Stockdale
12) McCloskey
13) Hume
14) Gilroy
15) Lowry

16) McGrath
17) Andrew
18) O'Toole
19) DOC
20) Rea Jr
21) Timoney
22) Mathewson
23) Faddes

That's a 6/2 spilt, which I think we went with before?

Tough on Andrew. To be honest, if he started, with Herring springing as super-sub, I'd have no issue. We need maturity and leadership in the last twenty minutes of the game - before we had Mathewson and Madigan, a lack of quality from the bench is what did for us in games like the Leinster European QF.

O'Toole may not be fit, in which case Milasinovich is on the bench.

I have Faddes on the bench because of his versatility and, to be honest, his discipline concerns me. He's currently on better form than Gilroy, but Gilroy isn't a yellow card magnet.

Murphy I've lost faith in. Would be perfectly happy to see Jones in there for Timoney or ReaJea. Or even McCann.

Paul Smeenus

Hume is in instead of Moore because he has more experience defending that 13 channel.

launish116

Pretty much agree bar minor few changes

1) EOS McGrath ain’t overly fit rather he start and burn out
2) Herring Andrew starts with Herring on early second half
3) Moore
4) Carter
5) AOC
6) Rea
7) Reidy
8) Coetzee
9) Cooney
10) Madigan
11) Stockdale
12) McCloskey
13) Hume
14) Gilroy
15) Lowry

16) McGrath EOS add impact and mobility
17) Andrew Herring add impact
18) O'Toole Milasinovichs ballast,save O’Toole for next game
19) DOC
20) Rea Jr Murphy ain’t playing best, but big game experience
21) Timoney Jones, think he offers more
22) Mathewson
23) Faddes

Tend to agree, 6/2 split is a must though risky. Huge Toulouse pack and lack of senior 2nd row cover. Lowry covers 10 and fades covers centre/wing. Think forwards need to be told to leave everything out there first half then bring on bench early.

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Dwayne Peel heading to Cardiff, end of the season!

https://www.ulsterrugby.com/2020/12/peel-to-join-cardiff-blues-at-end-of-the-season/

Good luck to him...makes sense for him to go back to Wales. Be interesting to see how we replace him.

bilston

I'd start Faddes over Gilroy and I'd probably go for a traditional 5/3 sit on the bench with Moore in there, or if we do 6/2, I'd still have Moore there with no 10 on the bench as Lowry can cover that and Faddes can cover 15.

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

Pretty much agree bar minor few changes

1) EOS McGrath ain’t overly fit rather he start and burn out
2) Herring Andrew starts with Herring on early second half
3) Moore
4) Carter
5) AOC
6) Rea
7) Reidy
8) Coetzee
9) Cooney
10) Madigan
11) Stockdale
12) McCloskey
13) Hume
14) Gilroy
15) Lowry

16) McGrath EOS add impact and mobility
17) Andrew Herring add impact
18) O'Toole Milasinovichs ballast,save O’Toole for next game
19) DOC
20) Rea Jr Murphy ain’t playing best, but big game experience
21) Timoney Jones, think he offers more
22) Mathewson
23) Faddes

Tend to agree, 6/2 split is a must though risky. Huge Toulouse pack and lack of senior 2nd row cover. Lowry covers 10 and fades covers centre/wing. Think forwards need to be told to leave everything out there first half then bring on bench early.

I get your logic everywhere - the only thing I'd quibble with is Murphy. He's just not performing.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

I get your logic everywhere - the only thing I'd quibble with is Murphy. He's just not performing.

Murphy has literally fallen of a cliff, last week was dire! Just think he offers a little more, if even some smarts, albeit not a lot more presently.

Think I’m more excited to hear about the A team now.

ionadnapokot

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Before McFarland came along, there had been a few questions asked about how good Peel really was. Once the forwards started to improve, we saw what he was bringing.

Good coach, great fella, wish him all the best and hopefully he finishes having won some silverware...?

Would love to get an absolutely top-flight attack coach in now.

With so many young backs coming through at Ulster it will be particularly crucial for their development.

I wonder would Jason O'Halloran (ex Glasgow) be a good choice?
He's coaching in Japan now

launish116

Telegraph thinks some rejigging with Payne or Soper potentially. Or even a return of Doak, he wasn’t a great head coach, but can’t fault his attack play.

Hopefully Dan has the final say and gets who he wants.

A lot of fans pushing Pienarr to return, would love him to come and help with academy not straight into seniors.

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

Telegraph thinks some rejigging with Payne or Soper potentially. Or even a return of Doak, he wasn’t a great head coach, but can’t fault his attack play.

Hopefully Dan has the final say and gets who he wants.

A lot of fans pushing Pienarr to return, would love him to come and help with academy not straight into seniors.

Pienaar is a mighty Ulsterman and I love him, but I don't want an untested coach learning his trade at Ulster, given we are in a strong place with our playing squad at the moment. I want top-flight coaches getting us over the line for silverware.

I will never get this facile assumption that a great player will make a great coach. It has proven to demonstrably false with POC, no matter the hero-worship that surrounds him, and I have zero reason to imagine Pienaar will be some genius-level coach. It has worked out for us with Payne, and I'd say we shouldn't ride our luck any more.

Ability ≠ knowledge ≠ ability to teach

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Pienaar is a mighty Ulsterman and I love him, but I don't want an untested coach learning his trade at Ulster, given we are in a strong place with our playing squad at the moment. I want top-flight coaches getting us over the line for silverware.

I will never get this facile assumption that a great player will make a great coach. It has proven to demonstrably false with POC, no matter the hero-worship that surrounds him, and I have zero reason to imagine Pienaar will be some genius-level coach. It has worked out for us with Payne, and I'd say we shouldn't ride our luck any more.

Ability ≠ knowledge ≠ ability to teach

Definitely think the academy be a start for him, saying that looking at how many coaches we have had who played 9, bit of a disgrace no real scrum half talent has come through before now.

Hopefully Dan has someone lined up. Seemed a bit odd to announce Peels departure just before Euro match.

Paul Smeenus

Imagine we'll be looking for a new major sponsor soon, the way things are going, and back to playing at Ravenhill.

mfceiling

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Imagine we'll be looking for a new major sponsor soon, the way things are going, and back to playing at Ravenhill.

We never stopped playing at Ravenhill Paul!!

Paul Smeenus

mfceiling wrote: »

We never stopped playing at Ravenhill Paul!!

TRUFAX.

But I wonder if they'll have the change back the signs to the stadium soon...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grenfell-tower-fire-inquiry-insulation-firm-kingspan-b1768224.html

Utah_Saint

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

TRUFAX.

But I wonder if they'll have the change back the signs to the stadium soon...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grenfell-tower-fire-inquiry-insulation-firm-kingspan-b1768224.html

Seen that recently. Not a good look.

however we are tied into a 10 year contract with them....until 2024.

Paul Smeenus

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Seen that recently. Not a good look.

however we are tied into a 10 year contract with them....until 2024.

I'm sure they'd have clauses that allow them to get out if there's a storm of bad PR.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

I'm sure they'd have clauses that allow them to get out if there's a storm of bad PR.

Possibly, but money talks, who would jump in and take over? Can’t imagine to many firms in this current climate rushing to sponsor teams.

Utah_Saint

launish116 wrote: »

Possibly, but money talks, who would jump in and take over? Can’t imagine to many firms in this current climate rushing to sponsor teams.

Had to go googling but found that the 10year deal is worth £5mil

so £500k per year (depending how it is paid)

Couldn't find any figures for comparison i.e. Musgrave Park, Welford Road or Sale Sharks.

Burkie1203

launish116 wrote: »

Possibly, but money talks, who would jump in and take over? Can’t imagine to many firms in this current climate rushing to sponsor teams.

Rory McIlroy Park

launish116

Burkie1203 wrote: »

Rory McIlroy Park

Could write it off as charity.