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

ersatz

I'd love to see stats for the effectiveness of pick and gos on the line, to me it seems like very long odds of avoiding a turnover, knockon or being held up. Mad that Ulster come away from that passage with nothing.

Clegg

Ah lads that's utterly shocking.

Conceding a try to 14 men after you've battled for the entire half to get ahead.

Clegg

Jaysus. That's a great win for Ulster when playing poorly.

Hope Glasgow are sick.

ersatz

Get in. Great stuff.

Akrasia

Fair play to Ulster. Great attitude to keep the pressure up and snatch the win

Clegg

Shanahan in trouble here?

Akrasia

Uh oh

Podge_irl

Try stands, but it probably shouldn't.

OldRio

Ulster were muck for most of that. I've no idea of what their forward play is. Glasgow will be gutted, but IMHO they are one dimensional. Some good showings from the Ulster subs

Clegg

Impressed with how Ulster managed to work their way into the game. They were well off of it physicality wise for a good hour.

Locke_Lamora

Only watched some of it (very little of it sober) so I’ll have to watch it back, but from what I seen we didn’t look great but played with a bit of bite. A win against the defending champions will be more than most manage so I have a smile on my face.

bilston

Breaking it down Ulster, with a very young and callow side just beat the URC champions so I'm delighted with the result.

Glasgow were the better team and we got out of jail, but last year we wouldn't have won that.

The negatives

The scrum

Indecisiveness in the red zone, particularly in the first half (not naming names but fairly obvious what I'm talking about)

No obvious gamebreaker

Positives

Beat the champions

The bench

Decent defence

Fighting spirit that wasn't there last season

I don't expect much this season, but watching Ulster should be a much more enjoyable experience than it has been for a while and tonight was a great start.

Wee word for James McCormick...looks a well rounded prospect at hooker...oh and Izzy is going to be an international sooner rather than later.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641098#Comment_122641098

The bench was massive, and it coincided with a couple of sin binnings. But yes I agree that physically we are still some way short of the bigger sides. Herring and particularly McCloskey will help in this regard when they return.

Locke_Lamora

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641408#Comment_122641408

Herring really has become a stalwart for us. Never let Ireland down as well, he’ll be missed big time when he winds down

ljsulster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122641402#Comment_122641402

Spot on with the majority of that imo.
Have spoken to two well regarded coaches who have both said when Mccormick gets in the team he’ll stay in the team, just hasn’t had an injury free run at all since he’s left school and was out the whole of 2023

awec

Marty Moore retiring.

We are in trouble at prop.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122646697#Comment_122646697

We were in trouble last season, we're in crisis currently. No way Ulster can say they weren't expecting this.

Blackheath

They surely can’t move TOT to loosehead now.

Paul Smeenus

Apparently Duffy said at the Fans' Forum thing that TOT would nit be moving across, certainly for Ulster anyway

bilston

Surely Scott Wilson can't go on this Emerging Ireland junket now?

Otherwise this leaves us with O'Toole and Barrett.

theVersatile

I just hope Moore is doing okay. The article says it's on medical grounds "to prioritise his mental wellbeing". He must be going through some tough times

awec

Hooker, Tadgh McElroy, has joined the province on a short term injury cover basis and travels with the squad. 

The former Ireland U20s hooker spent last season with Connacht and has also played for Saracens, Bedford Blues, Bristol Bears, London Irish and Leinster.

Backs: John Cooney, Nathan Doak, Dave Shanahan, Aidan Morgan, James Humphreys, Jacob Stockdale, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham, Werner Kok, Stuart McCloskey, Stewart Moore, Ben Carson, Ethan McIlroy

Forwards:

Andy Warwick, Eric O’Sullivan, Callum Reid, John Andrew, James McCormick, Tadgh McElroy, Tom O’Toole, Corrie Barrett, Iain Henderson (C), Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Charlie Irvine, James McNabney, Matty Rea, Sean Reffell, David McCann, Nick Timoney.

Travelling to SA with just 2 THs in the squad, this Ireland tour can honestly just get in the bin.

Paul Smeenus

Presumably the logic is that Wilson is already in SA if needed, but bloody hell.

ElisaAtWar

Good to see Ulster still Kingspan affiliated

Shehal

Genuinely, is there another team in the world that gives up as quickly and easily as Ulster? Just sitting back and waiting for Lions to put them away with little resistance, only gotten lucky the Lions are so wasteful that its taken this long for them to score a 2nd try.

bilston

Rancid first half from Ulster. Lucky to still be in it. Hanging on by their finger nails.

Cooney's missed conversion from pretty much in front of the posts sums it up

Shehal

Great job Ulster, aimlessly kick the ball away with little chase, make no decent attempt to tackle and Lions are in for the BP try.

Clegg

Ulster making the same mistakes as Leinster last season Vs the Lions. Any sort of loose kicking is immediately punished by the Lions. They're excellent running support lines and always have a few players ready in support to receive an offload.

Clegg

Ulster did well to get the try bonus. Playing the Lions away is very difficult. They pressure you defensively and when you start to tire they smash you on the counter attack.

Overall performance wasn't great. Forwards didn't get enough gain line wins to ever exert much pressure on the Lions. But take your bonus points as consolation and move on.

launish116

Ulster'a defence was atrocious, Stockade in particular had some very weak attempts.

But my god, how many times are we gonna continue to kick the ball away.