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

Paul Smeenus

We knew it was coming, but Ludik is officially retiring.

https://twitter.com/UlsterRugby/status/1397870305901694978

Great, reliable player and invaluable squad member.

Our squad is going to be a lot more about young local talent next season. Even then, it won't be the same size.

Paul Smeenus

mfceiling wrote: »

Ludik retiring.

Couldn't ask for a more consummate professional. 100% every game. Didn't matter if it was a must win European game or a Friday night away to the Dragons.

The Ulster McFadden.

Without the headbutts.

ionadnapokot

Smashing FB. He was an excellent signing by Humphreys.
Somethin inspirational in the way Ludik played.

ongarite

COVID outbreak in Ulster squad with 4 players positive.
Very unusual for this to happen now with cases at record low levels in UK/NI rather than January/February.

Game cancelled and points awarded to Scarlets

launish116

Game cancelled! 4 Ulster players have tested positive for COVID-19 sadly.

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

Game cancelled! 4 Ulster players have tested positive for COVID-19 sadly.

Shame. Would like to have seen the young bucks out.

Former Former Former

ongarite wrote: »

COVID outbreak in Ulster squad with 4 players positive.
Very unusual for this to happen now with cases at record low levels in UK/NI rather than January/February.

Game cancelled and points awarded to Scarlets

Lads probably a lot less cautious than they were in Jan/Feb also though.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Shame. Would like to have seen the young bucks out.

Yeah very disappointing. So few cases as well so it's just really unlucky that it has affected the Ulster squad.

Thats probably a wasted opportunity for some young lads.

Hey boy

Former Former Former wrote: »

Lads probably a lot less cautious than they were in Jan/Feb also though.

Bit unfair there.

Hey boy

ongarite wrote: »

COVID outbreak in Ulster squad with 4 players positive.
Very unusual for this to happen now with cases at record low levels in UK/NI rather than January/February.

Game cancelled and points awarded to Scarlets

All 4 asymptomatic. Outbreak is perhaps a tad dramatic.

arsebiscuits1

Hey boy wrote: »

All 4 asymptomatic. Outbreak is perhaps a tad dramatic.

Nope. It's the literal definition...

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/outbreaks.html

During (and because of) a case investigation and contact tracing, two or more contacts are identified as having active COVID-19, regardless of their assigned priority.
OR

Two or more patients with COVID-19 are discovered to be linked, and the linkage is established outside of a case investigation and contact tracing (e.g., two patients who received a diagnosis of COVID-19 are found to work in the same office, and only one or neither of the them was listed as a contact to the other).

Hey boy

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Nope. It's the literal definition...

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/outbreaks.html

Good for you. Its not a term I shall be using in daily parlance for 4 guys who wouldn't even have known they had it were they not forced to consistently test.

arsebiscuits1

Hey boy wrote: »

Good for you. Its not a term I shall be using in daily parlance for 4 guys who wouldn't even have known they had it were they not forced to consistently test.

Top marks for you so.

But it's not dramatic when someone uses the definition of something to describe it

Paul Smeenus

Actually, forget it - really don't care.

Hey boy

RuPi wrote: »

AFAIK this is what is happening across all four provinces, due to the lack of rugby to assess players on, that means current players in the sub academy (National Talent Squad and Provincial Talent Squad) will remain there. Probably saves some money but won’t change much else.

Ulster have been lucky that all those players have been able to continue to train since November due to being classed as ‘elite’. Ulster 19’s due to play Ballymena Academy next Friday.

How did this match go?

RuPi

Hey boy wrote: »

How did this match go?

Ballymena won 26-24 going by Twitter.

launish116

Edinburgh now having issues with COVID-19, hopefully it still goes a head.

Digifriendly

launish116 wrote: »

Edinburgh now having issues with COVID-19, hopefully it still goes a head.

If it doesn't at least Ulster will be awarded first 4 points of the competition. Match anyway was a bit of an irrelevance.

Paul Smeenus

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/57321048.amp#aoh=16225719606525&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s

"The players who will be absent through injury are John Cooney (neck), Luke Marshall (knee), Jack McGrath (hip), Eric O'Sullivan (shoulder), Jacob Stockdale (shoulder), Ethan McIlroy (hip) and Cormac Izuchukwu (knee)."

Addison still banned, I presume.

And thirteen self-isolating, of whom nine should be back.

Game time for Callum Reid, anyway.

Paul Smeenus

Doak to start for U20s. Disappointing - thought he might play for Ulster this week. If indeed the game goes ahead.

launish116

Team selection is going to be very interesting indeed

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Team selection is going to be very interesting indeed

Hmmmmm...its not the most inspiring Ulster team I've seen

Gilroy and Faddes on the wings

Paul Smeenus

Ulster team to play Edinburgh Rugby, Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Round 5, Saturday 5 June at BT Murayfield (kick-off 5.15pm, live on Premier Sports):

(15-9) Rob Lyttle, Matt Faddes, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Ian Madigan, David Shanahan;

(1-8) Kyle McCall, Adam McBurney, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matty Rea, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Greg Jones, Alby Mathewson, Billy Burns, Michael Lowry


Well meh-de-meh-meh.

To be fair, we don't know what the Covid-related chaos behind the scenes is. Glad to see Marcus Rea, I suppose. And don't get injured, Iain.

awec

Pointless selection.

launish116

Good to see both Rea’s!

Final hurrah for Faddes & McCall. Can’t begrudge them one last time!

Paul Smeenus

Meanwhile, for the U20s, James (son of David) Humpreys and Nathan (son of Neil) Doak are starting. Would rather watch that. Have seen someone online raving about Reuben Crothers as well.

Paul Smeenus

Also, can only pray this is true. Dan is big into the psychology of sport, so hopefully they're taking something useful away from these reviews.

https://www.the42.ie/greg-jones-ulster-feature-5457654-Jun2021/

awec

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Also, can only pray this is true. Dan is big into the psychology of sport, so hopefully they're taking something useful away from these reviews.

https://www.the42.ie/greg-jones-ulster-feature-5457654-Jun2021/

Same stuff we hear every year Paul Smeenus.

We're always building for this magical "next season" that never materialises.

bilston

awec wrote: »

Same stuff we hear every year Paul Smeenus.

We're always building for this magical "next season" that never materialises.

This

Its tiresome

Paul Smeenus

Yeah, I know what you mean.