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

Dave_The_Sheep

Lad has no luck.

Clegg

That's rotten for Addison. Man can never stay fit.

Pussyhands

How unlucky is that!

Would say it's knee ligaments.

launish116

he has no luck!

Treadwell has come on with a point to prove!

Wikidy

That was the definition of unlucky. A sweeping leg.

Must love hardship

Can lowry actually pass the ball?? Seems to take too much out of it and run down blind alleys

Wikidy

Nothing better to pass to. Always been drilled in don't pass on bad ball. Admittedly his quick feet could make it difficult for others.

Locke_Lamora

A switch must've flipped in Timoney's head this year, he's really putting it all together for us.

Treadwell looking handy in his cameo so far, great to see him back.

ElisaAtWar

Great to see the young teams of Ulster and Munster doing the business. Doak and Timoney stand out tonight

lawrencesummers

Some amount of ball watching going on by Ulster players especially the backs when they are in the lions 22.

Defence is well organized but im finding it very hard to be impressed here offensively. The backline lacks leadership and direction and doesn't seem to be working together or have any understanding at times what they are looking to do, or where they are trying to target.

They cant identify the mismatches they create with some good forwarding carrying.

Doak is doing well but he has killed the ball on the tryline at least twice.

accensi0n

Treadwell just mangled someone.

eclipsechaser

How is that not a yellow card? Deliberate knock-on inside the 22 with the line vulnerable.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118025974#Comment_118025974

Doak looking like a seriously good player. Excellent clearing kicks have drained the life out of the Lions' attack and punished every mistake they made.

awec

I am completely unconvinced about our new tactics of going wide as soon as possible. It means we do an awful lot of crabbing from side to side, it must be exhausting.

Better teams will just line up and put minimal resources into rucks and we’ll go nowhere.

Without McCloskey we are not the same team. I like Moore and I like Hume but the midfield needs a big unit in it.

Akrasia

Ulster and Munster are the two form teams so far this season, both spearheaded by a rake of younger prospects hungry for the chance to prove themselves.

Bodes very well for Ireland in 2022/2023 if Farrell has the balls to blood them and play these young players in meaningful games before the world cup

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118026061#Comment_118026061

Farrell has never lacked "balls" blooding young players. If they can do what's asked in camp, no reason why they can't start meaningful games ahead of established non performing players

Wikidy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118026058#Comment_118026058

Perhaps to put teams on a double bluff and truck it up the middle of knockout games.

Other tactics spread it wide for the, 50-22. There must be space out some times. Don't think anyone knows exactly when yet.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118026058#Comment_118026058

I think until we see Henderson, Vermulen, McCloskey and to an extent Stockdale in the team together it is hard to say the tactics are a success or not. Without those guys we seriously lack gain line players. O'Toole, Treadwell and McCann can do it to a point, but at the moment it feels like we have to manufacture mismatches to find gaps, whereas with McCloskey or Vermuelen we will be able to just run over the top of some teams.

Next week is significant for Ulster. 20 points from 4 games is all youh can ask for, but Connacht away will be a tough test. Hopefully some of the frontliners will be back, otherwise it could be a rude awakening.

But so far so good results wise.

Gutted for Addison

bilston

For all the talk of Doak (understandable, but we did see his rawness at times tonight), I think Ethan McIlroy should be getting more plaudits.

TRC10

Nick Timoney is making some serious waves this season so far.

With Connors still out I can see him making the November squad.

Paul Smeenus

Absolutely gutted for Addison. As if his own injury problems aren't enough, now he's being felled by freak accidents. Heartbreaking.

I will say that I hope McIlroy deputises. Still want to see Lowry getting that game time at ten. I know we're trying a whole new attacking pattern this season, with new ideas from Soper, and that might take a while for us collectively and individually to get our heads around, but Burns has been quiet. Hopefully it's just while he gets to grips with the system, but I still think Lowry has more potential.

I will also say I think our young front rows - Reid, EOS, TOT have come in in the scrum.

Paul Smeenus

And I thought Treadwell had clearly decided his return cameo was an opportunity to stake his claim. Really liked how he went.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.the42.ie/ulster-rugby-will-addison-injury-5577869-Oct2021/

Lower leg fracture for Addison the poor bastard.

As someone who went through a compound fracture of his Fibula and Tibia I can unfortunately relate to his pain.

But silver linings are fractures are generally less complex than a total rupture of ligaments (especially in the knee). Bones heal much better.

I was sick at the time of hearing how lucky I was it wasn't ligament damage. But in hindsight they were right. I recovered well and have no lasting effects and still playing rugby in my 30s.

Here's hoping for a speedy and lasting recovery!!

Locke_Lamora

Awful news for him personally, it really takes a toll on you physically and mentally having to keep coming back from injury and you know you won't come back the same player unless you're 100% committed.

In terms of the team, we've obviously been without him a lot but we're just so much better with him - the lines he runs and his playmaking from fullback will be missed against top teams. I suspect we'll see more of Stockdale back there but I'm hoping the coaches trust McIlory. McIlroy's hands are better than Stockdale's, and Stockdale seems more at home on the wing to me. If Lyttle can stay fit I wouldn't mind him, but he's a poor tackler.

bilston

Gutted for Addison, but maybe if its a clean break the time out may not be as long as it might have been, but realistically he'll do well to get back before the end of the season.

Time for McIlroy to shine IMO. I think he is a cool customer, let Stockdale play on the wing. A back three of McIlroy, Stockdale and Baloucoune isn't too shabby at all.

Dubinusa

Addison is so unlucky! Awful news!

Paul Smeenus

Ulster team to play Connacht Rugby, United Rugby Championship Round 5, Saturday 23 October at Aviva Stadium, 5.15pm kick-off, live on TG4 and Premier Sports:

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.

Pleased with that team. Lowry still having a tilt at ten, a step up in intensity for Doak, big Stu back. McIkriy at fifteen.

Three players in the starting fifteen that didn't come through Ulster Academy, and one is an Ulster Clubs player.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118057124#Comment_118057124

Who's that? Herring, Treadwell and Roberts?

Did Al O'Connor come through the Academy?

Paul Smeenus

Starting fifteen. Herring, Burns at other academies and I think Matty Rea came straight from clubs,while Marcus went in to the Academy.

Timoney, AOC, Shanahan, Jones, EOS, TOT all born outside Ulster but academy products.

launish116

Same back row how many weeks in a row? Unheard of at Ulster