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

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123087807#Comment_123087807

I don't think any of these things are going to sell tickets to the general public though.

Watching a Les Kiss team will probably put people off going!

Scythica

Probably not, but more fool them

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123087807#Comment_123087807

Yeah I know a lot of those players as I do watch quite a bit of SR and most Wallaby matches. Aussie players do tend to move around a fair bit so I wasnt sure who was at the Reds.

The fact is none of the players you named are superstars or household names in global rugby sense.

Paul Smeenus

Ulster Rugby team v Zebre Parma, Round 10, BKT United Rugby Championship, Sunday 26 January, 5.30pm, Kingspan Stadium:

15. Stewart Moore (74)

14. Michael Lowry (115)

13. Ben Carson (9)

12. Jude Postlethwaite (22)

11. Zac Ward (3)

10. Jack Murphy (4)

 9. John Cooney (149)

 1. Eric O’Sullivan (127)

2. Tom Stewart (48)

3. Scott Wilson (25)

4. Harry Sheridan (38)

5. Kieran Treadwell (170)

6. Lorcan McLoughlin (1)

7. Nick Timoney (Capt.) (157)

8. David McCann (58)

 Replacements:

16. John Andrew (129)

17. Callum Reid (21)

18. Corrie Barrett (8)

19. Alan O’Connor (203)

20. Matty Rea (105)

21. Nathan Doak (79)

22. Jake Flannery (16)

23. Rob Lyttle (65)

Good to see McLoughlin starting - Sheridan as well. Interesting that there's no Morgan in the 23. Admittedly Zebre are a team to test your second and third choice players against. Suppose coming on at FB last week meant Murphy still hasn't seen first-hand what Flannery can do at ten.

niallm77

THis is not going to plan.

Larbre34

Another abject and embarrassing outing for Ulster as of 50 mins in.

Ulster 0-15 Zebre

ionadnapóca

If they don’t win this now 14-15 4 mins on clock there will be hell to pay.

Well there should be

Zebre ffs

Podge_irl

Jesus, that is a poor result from Ulster. I had them going up to 7th with a TBP win.

launish116

Embarrassing stuff in deed!

Quitelife

Could have been the worst result ever for an Irish province ever in the URC - losing at home to zebre - deserve to be in the challenge cup next year after that

StevenToast

An utter disgrace.

Former Former Former

I’d love to know when Zebre last had an away win in the league

2 from 2 against Irish teams this season

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102309#Comment_123102309

I think I heard 36 games ago somewhere. 3 wins already this season now, up from 1 last season already.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102309#Comment_123102309

I hope that's sarcasm. 36 matches….

Our scrum really is shambolic, what I would do for a 2nd row, not even a skilful 2nd row. Just a large heavy meat eating 2nd Row.

Thought McLoughlin was grand considering and rated him at u20.

niallm77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102334#Comment_123102334

2019 apparently

pickarooney

Are Zebre sure to continue next season?

Utah_Saint

Not really sure where we go from here?

Do you just scrap the season and play the kids until they become average? With an eye on being better for next season.

There's nothing left to play for now in this season.

The combo of shocking performances and out of touch ticket prices will see attendances plummet. That obviously affects the finances.

bingobango12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102938#Comment_123102938

Thought the attendance looked very poor on TV but put it down to a Sunday night and how bad the weather was. Didn’t know ticket prices are high aswell.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102938#Comment_123102938

This might sound odd but just playing kids alongside kids isn't a good development environment imo.

We need better senior players to develop the kids around.

I haven't given up on Murphy but i'm not sure his style of play suits us, or suits what we should be trying to do with our talent.

niallm77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123102646#Comment_123102646

Apparently some local businessman has stepped in and put a load of money up to persuade the Italian federation to leave them in Parma a

Utah_Saint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123103243#Comment_123103243

I think he should be given more time. Mostly due to the fact there is no one else.

In terms of style of play, I can't figure it out. I couldn't put my finger on what style he's trying to impose?

Scythica

Augustus next year will add some menace and aggression we sorely need in games like this. Allbeit our younger homegrowns are growing well I think.

If we could, we should break the bank for someone like Thomas DuToit from Bath. Else just a physically massive second row where we are definitely running light. Henderson isn't the man he was, Treadwell may be off, AOC while a great servant isnt getting any younger. Leaves us Izzy and Sheridan, both arguably better at 6. Both prop and lock would be priority positional signings.

Connacht have actually be topping some of the attacking stats this year, so if Sexton comes in and works out. Perhaps we have something to look forward too there as well if true.

Defence one way or another needs to be sorted, no idea whether its a system or personnel issue.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123103434#Comment_123103434

His U20s were always hyped as playing attractive rugby but often it was actually one out off nine rugby a lot of the time.

I think we just don't have the type of dominance in the pack to do that against most teams.

We have a lot of good backs. I'd like to see more unstructured play.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123103462#Comment_123103462

We need more ballast in the 2nd row, Joshn McNally would be perfect, turning 35 though a 1 year deal would tide us over. He was very good against us when playing edinburgh. In the interim our academy rows should be made to bulk up.

Ultimately Agustus is another signing we could of used elsewhere sadly.

awec

What this squad is lacking is a leader who can guide the younger lads through games and who will give you a reliable 8/10 performance every game.

We should have been in the market for a marquee NIQ second row. Not a top dollar player, but someone good who has been there and bought the t-shirt. The likes of Moloney would have been perfect for us but I doubt he would have been interested.

Our experienced forwards, the likes of O'Connor and Treadwell, are just a bit shite.

Deramore

That was a throughly miserable match to attend, between the weather and what was on the pitch. Front five generally is a problem. In the 2nd row Treadwell has continued to go backwards, O’Connor and Hendy unfortunately look done, and Sheridan is too small. Not a good sign when guys like Matthew Dalton and Corrie Barrett are being signed when previously considered not good enough. Cooney looked annoyed to be taken off and took ages to walk around to the subs bench, vibes in general are bad.

Utah_Saint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123104272#Comment_123104272

Lood De jager and Richie Gray both out in Japan. Could you tempt either of them to come out of semi-retirement?

Agree that Moloney would have been perfect

Scythica

Either of them would have an impact for us.

He wouldn't be interested, but someone like Lawes would be fantastic too in terms of bringing some zeal/leadership & grit

awec

I wouldn't go near De Jager, someone who could be called into springbok camps is no good to us. I have also seen enough springboks phone it in for their clubs to be wary of touching them with a barge pole.

Richie Gray is 35. He is in Japan for a pension. I don't think he's what we need either.

ljsulster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123104612#Comment_123104612

Cooneys ego is through the roof and his performance last night and previously this season do not merit his opinion of himself at all