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

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123196782#Comment_123196782

Not to mention our back row are all hybrids floating between positions, we have loads of 6.5s & & 7.5s

Hey boy

highlights of ire A v Eng A are on YouTube

Paul Smeenus

Out with injury update:

Henderson / Izzy / Cooney / Warwick / O’Sullivan / Stewart / McIlroy / Moxham / Michael McDonald / Reffell / Marcus Rea / Baloucoune. Lowry and Flannery are being monitored.

We’ve some IQ prop from Saracens on short-term loan.

We're going to lose to the Scarlets, who have been steadily improving.

Utah_Saint

yep - and I don't think it will be a close call. It will be more of the same, no clear strategy, game plan or structure.

Paul Smeenus

Ulster Rugby team v Scarlets Rugby, Round 12, BKT United Rugby Championship, Saturday 1 March, 5.15pm, Kingspan Stadium (Live on BBC Sport NI, Premier Sports, RTE):

(The players’ origin clubs are included alongside their names.)

1. Callum Reid (Instonians RFC) (22)

2. Rob Herring (SACS) (246)

3. Scott Wilson (Dromore RFC) (27)

4. Alan O’Connor (Capt.) (Skerries RFC) (205)

5. Matthew Dalton (Belfast Royal Academy) (10)

6. Matty Rea (Ballymena RFC) (107)

7. Nick Timoney (Blackrock College RFC) (159)

8. James McNabney (Cambridge House Grammar School) (12)

 

9. Conor McKee (CIYMS RFC)

10. Jack Murphy (Clontarf RFC) (5)

11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan RFC) (126)

12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC) (197)

13. James Hume (Malone RFC) (96)

14. Michael Lowry (Dromore RFC) (117)

15. Stewart Moore (Ballymoney RFC) (76)

 

16. John Andrew (Ballymena RFC) (131)

17. Sam Crean (Hedway RFC)

18. Tom O’Toole (Ashbourne RUFC) (116)

19. Kieran Treadwell (Chipstead RFC) (172)

20. David McCann (Cooke RFC) (60)

21. Nathan Doak (Lisburn RFC) (81)

22. Jake Flannery (Kilfeacle & District RFC) (18)

23. Jude Postlethwaite (Lisburn RFC) (25)

So. Emergency on-loan loosehead straight onto the bench. Again, no Sheridan, which I find genuinely bewildering (I do wonder if he's under-powered in the scrums, because he's one of our best, most aggressive players in the loose.) I have no idea what Matty Rea keeps getting selected ahead of him.

Very interesting that McKee is starting.

This is a must-win game - Murphy came out during the week and said that if we lose this, there's no realistic hope of us qualifying for Europe next year, never mind getting into the URC knock-outs. So does he really think this is our best team? I know we've a number of our pack out injured, but I thought, in addition to Sheridan, McCormick had passed Andrew.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123218341#Comment_123218341

Also curious around Sheridan

Are we starting to fall into the old Dan trap of continuous chopping and changing.

Paul Smeenus

Hard to say. Murphy started him in the U20s, where, despite being smaller than his contemporaries even then, he really asserted himself. I do wonder if it's just panic about the scrum, which obviously hurt us so much against Benetton, and Crean is a completely unknown quantity. Personally, I'd play Sheridan at blindside, but I think the decision has probably been made that he's a (small) second row.

A win would be a huge lift. And that backline - that's a great lineup.

I wonder if Murphy has quietly fundamentally written off this season and is experimenting until he has Sexton and Faloon in place. I liked the look of McKee in the friendly, but giving him his first start in a must-win game?

awec

I don't mind McKee starting. Doak frustrates me.

Sheridan's absence does confuse me though.

sydthebeat

bookies maintaining a 7 point spread here in favour of ulster.

i think it could be closer than that

Paul Smeenus

We're very lucky they don't have any of their now-international back three starting. And I really don't rate Ioan Lloyd.

Here's hoping. I still think they're in a better place than us.

In 8th place in the table rather than 14th, for a start.

Utah_Saint

Is Sheridan really that much smaller than the rest? All.Rugby have him listed as an inch shorter but 2Kgs heavier than Joe McCarthy

ionadnapóca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123218404#Comment_123218404

I don't think Murphy has much choice after the Zebre and Benetton games.

There has to be accountability.

I think its easy enough to identify MOST* of the problems at Ulster just by watching the tries they concede

*(Attitude)

v Benetton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkuD5KIEBG4

11mins 7-7 Ulster

TRY Benetton.

Gallagher kicks ahead from a ruck inside the Benetton 10m on the RHS. He Kicks it ahead twice more to finish on the Ulster left wing….

Just look at the lack of effort (LACK OF) from CERTAIN Ulster players.

Morgan makes a little effort at least (he’s no pace).

Its Herring, Matty Rea and Doak who are really bursting a gut to get back.

38mins 17-19 Ulster

TRY Benetton.

Its Doak who recognises they have no one on the left wing. Ulster winger eventually wakes up and makes a struggle of an attempt to cover across.

Mendy touches down with more than 20m of space.

43mins 17-19 Ulster

Lowry down injured with medic.

YC McCann.

Ulster exposed on the left wing again. McCann comes in the side of the ruck.

57mins 17-19 Ulster

Benetton 3 pts

Timony YC. Head on head.

63mins Benetton 20-19

YC Moore. Deliberate KO

Abysmal defence on the Ulster Left wing. Yet again.

Try Benetton from LO maul.

Didn’t even have to go 1 phase. Pathetic effort.

69min Benetton 27-19

Ulster try Disallowed

O’Toole should have been YC.

79mins Benetton 34-19

TRY Benetton.

“We know were not as good as we need to be.." - Timoney after the Zebre game

bigmac86

Have seen Sheridan listed at 121kg recently and McCarthy at 124kg which seems about right on the eye test. At 6ft 5 he's on the short side for a lock though but agree with others that we should be seeing more of him with treadwell leaving end of season.

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123218341#Comment_123218341

"…initially playing at prop during his school days at Sullivan Upper before moving to the second row."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/64406275

I can't imagine he's a weak scrum pusher if he played at prop as a schoolboy.

Paul Smeenus

He's pretty short. Just Googled his height and Wikipedia said he's 6'5". He's really not.

And if it's not about his size, I'm pretty bewildered.

Paul Smeenus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123218617#Comment_123218617

I think you're a bit confused.

There's a few comments in that list about how Doak realises what they need to do in defence. Yet he's not starting.

Timoney and Moore both got Yellow Cards off the back of nothing. Just silliness. Lowry absolutely should have had one. Yet all three are starting. Is that accountability? Or some special kind of accountability that's "reward idiocy"?

You'll have to pardon me if I think your analysis is a bit haphazard.

awec

O'Connor is himself short for a lock (Ulster site suggests O'Connor is 1.96m which is 6'4"), and Sheridan is noticeably shorter than him here.

He is definitely not 6'5".

ionadnapóca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123218873#Comment_123218873

That's quite all right.

Who is the Ulster 9 in the video then?

bigmac86

Fwiw 6ft 5 is 195.5cm and Harrys head tilt/AOC being close to camera can change perspective, I think theyre about the same size. I'm splitting hairs but regardless they're both on the short side for modern locks and we're underpowered in the engine room whichever of our current locks play

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123219065#Comment_123219065

Fair enough.

Sheridan does bring an aggressiveness that many of our young forwards lack, he has that no nonsense attitude.

He is the opposite of Treadwell really, who has the size but is just too soft.

bigmac86

Interested to see how Dalton goes again, if he kicks on it'll be healthy competition for Sheridan.

Ferris on commentary the other week said he'd heard Henderson may be done for the season so need the others to stand up.

launish116

Sheridan looked bigger again in the Reds friendly

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

Sheridan is probably 6'4 and a bit.

Big enough to be a TH lock in the URC anyway for me.

Bizarre selection.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123219105#Comment_123219105

Regarding Henderson, four weeks ago I said;

he'll probably be holding tackle bags for Ireland, get injured doing so and not be match fit for the rest of the season

It's like a terrible daytime soap opera where you know exactly what's going to happen but assume "nah, that's too obvious" but then it does feckin' happen. You're not sure how to react for a second but very quickly stop caring.

Utah_Saint

We haven't reached the bottom yet...

niallm77

I don't think thats foul play

awec

McNabney is a seriously promising player.

CMOTDibbler

Good win

Digifriendly

Serious lack of comments in this thread both during the game and after the win vs Scarlets.

What should we give Ulster a 7 out of 10?

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123223259#Comment_123223259

After 12 minutes that was looking like a VERY bad night, but to be fair theads turned it around. And while it went down to the wire I actually think we were on course for a more comfortable before their somewhat fortunate try from Dalton's flick.

McNabney really led from the front. I think he was announced as MOTM and that was deserved. Stockdale went well too.

Right now I'm just glad we won