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

Paul Smeenus

Good point on T'Other Forum - you can only have two non-EU /Kolpak players in a squad. Carter and Faddes means no Mathewson. If we'd less injuries in the back three, I've no doubt Alby would be in the 23 ahead if Faddes.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Good point on T'Other Forum - you can only have two non-EU /Kolpak players in a squad. Carter and Faddes means no Mathewson. If we'd less injuries in the back three, I've no doubt Alby would be in the 23 ahead if Faddes.

Fair point...Leinster had that issue with Fardy, JGP and Lowe...until two of them miraculously became Irish

irishbucsfan

bilston wrote: »

Fair point...Leinster had that issue with Fardy, JGP and Lowe...until two of them miraculously became Irish

Those two are New Zealand by birth, Leinster by the grace of god

49-3

launish116

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Those two are New Zealand by birth, Leinster by the grace of god

49-3

More chance of Sexton lasting a full match.

If Ulster concede, they mustn't give up the bonus point.

Richie_Rich89

Strangely, Ulster haven't contested the lineout much (or at all) in recent fixtures against Leinster. Trying to get into Leinster's lineout could be a good route into the game for them considering how shaky it's been.

Thought McCann might start this one at 6. And why's Moore not even on the bench?

launish116

Richie_Rich89 wrote: »

Thought McCann might start this one at 6. And why's Moore not even on the bench?

Not suprised McCann has been rested after his first full 80mins last week. More surprised Rea Snr isn’t being used, he’s the closest thing we have after Coetzee capable of offering some physicality.

Moore has also played a lot of rugby, though think Hume and McCloskey have a better partnership both in attack & defensively.

bayern

more rich spoilt dubliners in ulster squad than men born and raised in ulster.

irishbucsfan

bayern wrote: »

more rich spoilt dubliners in ulster squad than men born and raised in ulster.

Huge if true

bilston

5 Ulster
5 Leinster
5 Other

A bit of everything...the perfect mix

arsebiscuits1

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Good point on T'Other Forum - you can only have two non-EU /Kolpak players in a squad. Carter and Faddes means no Mathewson. If we'd less injuries in the back three, I've no doubt Alby would be in the 23 ahead if Faddes.

It's such a stupid arbitrary rule.

There was no issue playing Isa or Tomane when we had them because they were able to get a Fijian and Samoan passports respectively despite being born and raised in Kolpak countries.

Paul Smeenus

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Huge if true

Leinsterfans rattled. I remember a time when they were confident and the world was at their feet, that kind of cheap jibe would have been beneath them.

Now, as yesterday's men, they're lashng out in a manner most unbecoming of true rugby supporters.

SAD

irishbucsfan

I do wish you guys well, and I hope the Ulster lads put in a great performance.

Maybe if they do, they to will be able to chase their dreams and make the dream move that undisputed Ulster legends Ed O’Donoghue and Isaac Boss were able to achieve. Would be a fantastic signal to young Ulster players that the sky really is the limit

Paul Smeenus

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I do wish you guys well, and I hope the Ulster lads put in a great performance.

Maybe if they do, they to will be able to chase their dreams and make the dream move that undisputed Ulster legends Ed O’Donoghue and Isaac Boss were able to achieve. Would be a fantastic signal to young Ulster players that the sky really is the limit

I wouldn't be overly keen on that. I mean, Boss was walking proof that you could be a great player, but your international aspirations would only really kick off when you moved to the province where most of the sponsors were - kind of a proto-Henshaw

Utah_Saint

Does anyone know what channel is showing the match?

bilston

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Does anyone know what channel is showing the match?

Premier Sports...always Premier Sports for the Pro 14

Edit - My bad, unless you're in the Republic in which case it is Eir Sports.

Digifriendly

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Does anyone know what channel is showing the match?

Live on Premier Sports 1 and Eir Sports 1. Delayed coverage on TG4.

bilston

One big positive last night was another big performance by Jordi after his efforts against Connacht. Its great to see.

Also Ethan McIlroy looks very composed in tight situations. I like him a lot. I'd quite like to see him get a shot at FB.

Looks like Europe could be canned which means no Ulster matches for a few weeks. Pity...but maybe no bad thing in the current situation. It will give the players a bit now a break and give Dan and the coaching ticket a bit of time to assess the season so far.

Locke_Lamora

Bit of a deflating performance - put up a fight and brought the intensity in the first half but never really looked like crossing the line and Leinster looked comfortable enough despite not playing well at all. Second half they had a choke hold on possession and territory, and we started giving away penalties which you can't do against Leinster, they don't give the ball up easily and they play well in the opposition 22.

We were missing some key players who might've made a bit of a difference but some of them have been missing most of the year anyway. We started running out of ideas and in the end I think the difference in quality between the sides was obvious to see.

Bit of a frustrating feel to it and I wonder where we go from here. Season pretty much over now so it'll be interesting to see how we approach it. I think we'll go mostly strongest team available as long as there's a slim chance of a Leinster slip up, but I really hope to see some younger lads being dotted throughout the lineup each week. Seen somewhere else someone mentioned the idea of letting Coetzee go early and begin planning without him. Not sure this is the best idea - apart from yesterday, he elevates the team and allows everyone else to play better, if 'planning without him' means not signing someone else and playing with the current squad then we're in a lot of trouble anyway. Giving a few games to McCann now isn't changing anything.

McIlory a big positive, apart from one missed tackle on Heenan he played a brilliantly in defence both positionally and in keeping Larmour in check. Needs to learn when he can compete in the air and when to hold off though, threw himself in the air wildly a couple of times and didn't come close to competing. Very composed in attack too. If Addison and Baloucoune come back in good form then I hope he's the back three sub on the teamsheet each week, he's already better than Faddes (no defence) and Gilroy (lost his speed).

Buer

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Bit of a frustrating feel to it and I wonder where we go from here. Season pretty much over now so it'll be interesting to see how we approach it.

I don't get this interpretation. Leinster are 5 points behind with 2 games in hand, one of which will be away to Munster. I'd put Leinster at 50/50 at best to win that and I'd personally expect Munster to win on form.

Leinster also have to go to Belfast yet. There's a solid possibility that Ulster will still be in a position to be top following that fixture.

Locke_Lamora

Buer wrote: »

I don't get this interpretation. Leinster are 5 points behind with 2 games in hand, one of which will be away to Munster. I'd put Leinster at 50/50 at best to win that and I'd personally expect Munster to win on form.

Leinster also have to go to Belfast yet. There's a solid possibility that Ulster will still be in a position to be top following that fixture.

You might be right, I feel we'll go close to full strength anyway. Every game remaining is a must win given the all the bonus points they're racking up. We'll have to pull off something a little special to win the return fixture, they looked too comfortable yesterday despite despite us being up for it and them being half asleep. Don't think they'll show us the courtesy of giving us another half like that first one.

bilston

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Bit of a deflating performance - put up a fight and brought the intensity in the first half but never really looked like crossing the line and Leinster looked comfortable enough despite not playing well at all. Second half they had a choke hold on possession and territory, and we started giving away penalties which you can't do against Leinster, they don't give the ball up easily and they play well in the opposition 22.

We were missing some key players who might've made a bit of a difference but some of them have been missing most of the year anyway. We started running out of ideas and in the end I think the difference in quality between the sides was obvious to see.

Bit of a frustrating feel to it and I wonder where we go from here. Season pretty much over now so it'll be interesting to see how we approach it. I think we'll go mostly strongest team available as long as there's a slim chance of a Leinster slip up, but I really hope to see some younger lads being dotted throughout the lineup each week. Seen somewhere else someone mentioned the idea of letting Coetzee go early and begin planning without him. Not sure this is the best idea - apart from yesterday, he elevates the team and allows everyone else to play better, if 'planning without him' means not signing someone else and playing with the current squad then we're in a lot of trouble anyway. Giving a few games to McCann now isn't changing anything.

McIlory a big positive, apart from one missed tackle on Heenan he played a brilliantly in defence both positionally and in keeping Larmour in check. Needs to learn when he can compete in the air and when to hold off though, threw himself in the air wildly a couple of times and didn't come close to competing. Very composed in attack too. If Addison and Baloucoune come back in good form then I hope he's the back three sub on the teamsheet each week, he's already better than Faddes (no defence) and Gilroy (lost his speed).

Chin up! We still have to play Leinster at home, so the conference is still wide open, and we can still qualify for the Challenge Cup via the Champions Cup (if it happens), and we might have the Rainbow Cup to play for. The season is definitely not over LL!

Locke_Lamora

bilston wrote: »

We still have to play Leinster at home, so the conference is still wide open, and we can still qualify for the Challenge Cup via the Championd Cup, and we might have the Rainbow Cup to play for. The season is definitely not over LL!

I'm more pessimistic than most it seems. Will the Rainbow Cup go ahead considering the situation in SA? Still time to get it under control hopefully with the vaccine and local matches are going ahead there right now anyway. Would love for it to go ahead myself, we were starved of rugby for too long and I'm enjoying every minute played that's not against Leinster.

bilston

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

I'm more pessimistic than most it seems. Will the Rainbow Cup go ahead considering the situation in SA? Still time to get it under control hopefully with the vaccine and local matches are going ahead there right now anyway. Would love for it to go ahead myself, we were starved of rugby for too long and I'm enjoying every minute played that's not against Leinster.

Have my doubts about the Rainbow Cup myself. The South African variant seems more risky as far as the vaccine is concerned so it.might be a case of them coming here, staying in quarantine for 2 weeks and then playing their matches in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.

This season is a mess anyway, I'm just enjoying the rugby for what it is without there being too much jeopardy on whether we win a trophy or not.

Buer

I'd be surprised if the Rainbow Cup went ahead. SA are not even planning to commence vaccinations until the summer. With a new strain being traced back to there, I don't see players being happy to visit SA.

If the Lions tour is looking unlikely to take place in July, you'd have to imagine the RC is even less likely given it commences in April.

bilston

Buer wrote: »

I'd be surprised if the Rainbow Cup went ahead. SA are not even planning to commence vaccinations until the summer. With a new strain being traced back to there, I don't see players being happy to visit SA.

If the Lions tour is looking unlikely to take place in July, you'd have to imagine the RC is even less likely given it commences in April.

The other thing is that rugby players (or any sports people) in their 20s and 30s will not be very high up the priority list for vaccines.

Utah_Saint

bilston wrote: »

One big positive last night was another big performance by Jordi after his efforts against Connacht. Its great to see.

Also Ethan McIlroy looks very composed in tight situations. I like him a lot. I'd quite like to see him get a shot at FB.

Looks like Europe could be canned which means no Ulster matches for a few weeks. Pity...but maybe no bad thing in the current situation. It will give the players a bit now a break and give Dan and the coaching ticket a bit of time to assess the season so far.

McIlroy has really impressed me. Always fighting to make yards. Great future ahead.

molloyjh

Buer wrote: »

I don't get this interpretation. Leinster are 5 points behind with 2 games in hand, one of which will be away to Munster. I'd put Leinster at 50/50 at best to win that and I'd personally expect Munster to win on form.

Leinster also have to go to Belfast yet. There's a solid possibility that Ulster will still be in a position to be top following that fixture.

Do Ulster not have to go away to Munster too?

bilston

molloyjh wrote: »

Do Ulster not have to go away to Munster too?

Don't think so...do you not just play the other teams in your conference in the last part of the season?

molloyjh

bilston wrote: »

Don't think so...do you not just play the other teams in your conference in the last part of the season?

I've no idea this season. I assumed all inter-pros would be played, but not sure.

Jump_In_Jack

molloyjh wrote: »

Do Ulster not have to go away to Munster too?

No, abbreviated format was recently announced this season to enable the Rainbow Cup afterwards.

Total of 16 rounds of league matches,
5 home and 5 away in-conference matches
6 cross-conference matches (slight twist for the Scot and Italy derbies)

Top team of each conference meet in a final

https://www.pro14.rugby/latest/pro14/guinness-pro14-rainbow-cup-questions-answers

Johnny Sexton doesn’t even seem to know this either, he said in his post match interview they had a lot of matches left and still had to play Munster twice, but of course only playing Munster once now.

It could become more interesting though if the Rainbow Cup were to be called off, they could change the format for the Pro12 again maybe.