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

bilston

awec wrote: »

Also can I just say... McFarland IN!

He has my seal of approval, and I'm sure he's delighted for it.

Yeah, but are you not worried that his contract is up at the end of next season? I know that leaves plenty of time for a renewal but he is making a huge difference.

All the coaches are effective. Payne, Peel and Grant are all doing a good job.

bilston

Dubinusa wrote: »

Ulster on the up! Why is that? It's brilliant to watch them improve.
Great coaching. This team are top shelf. Instilling belief and a hard edge.
Smart signings! Jack and Jordi, they bring a different level of expectation and experience.
Burns playing very well. Coetzee healthy and some young lads playing great rugby.
They aren't the finished product yet, but they are really coming along.

We have a few players who are yet to sign contracts for next season. The sooner they are tied down the better. Jordi Murphy being an obvious example.

Mind you, Sean Reidy and Matty Rea are playing really well at the minute and Timoney is as solid as they come. I've been impressed by Greg Jones in the bits and pieces we've seen of him, and Allison didn't look out of place against Leinster, so we are on the right track.

As impressive as Rea has been I'd still love a really destructive No.6. I think we were spoilt by Ferris.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

We have a few players who are yet to sign contracts for next season. The sooner they are tied down the better. Jordi Murphy being an obvious example.

Mind you, Sean Reidy and Matty Rea are playing really well at the minute and Timoney is as solid as they come. I've been impressed by Greg Jones in the bits and pieces we've seen of him, and Allison didn't look out of place against Leinster, so we are on the right track.

As impressive as Rea has been I'd still love a really destructive No.6. I think we were spoilt by Ferris.

Part of me thinks Rea’s starting to hit the physical milestones he needed to progress at 6. Injuries probably hampered S&C’in last season. He looks to of filled out a bit.

Keep saying Alan O’Connor really is an unsung hero atm. Brother now looks to of jumped up the pecking order for 2nd row and looks handy enough. Also like Rea a full season of S&Cin could do wonders.

RobbieRuns

I think of how destructive players like Ferris were and ..... I know that I might be alone in this, but I prefer a Matty Rea. His body has a better chance of surviving the destructive nature of rugby. Rea is more skillful and relies less on brute force. I think that he can be better than Ferris and have a longer career.

Paul Smeenus

RobbieRuns wrote: »

I think of how destructive players like Ferris were and ..... I know that I might be alone in this, but I prefer a Matty Rea. His body has a better chance of surviving the destructive nature of rugby. Rea is more skillful and relies less on brute force. I think that he can be better than Ferris and have a longer career.

I think you are alone in that, Robbie, but fair dos, that's your take. I actually wrote a response to Bilston's post in the Pro14 thread that I thought would actually be more pertinent here-

bilston wrote: »

The atmosphere at both games in Belfast was great. To be honest I'd say the casual fans who went along for a jolly will probably be back. It helps that Ulster are playing well obviously.

Agree 100% with this. Best atmospheres in a while, I thought. Anyone for whom either was a first game will have a misleading sense of how intense it is on the pitch and how raucous the crowd are, to be honest.

Brought an English mate from work to the Munster game - he's not a rugby fan, but loves sport generally, and he had a whale of a time. He was asking about the team, and what struck me was what a great narrative we have at the moment. He knew about Jackson and Olding, but in explaining where we are at the moment, we didn't dwell on them. The talk was of Cooney asking to move North, of seemingly being on a hiding to nothing, and instead becoming a genuine Ulster hero. Of Billy Burns being quietly great and underappreciated. Of being excited about young bucks Lowry, Hume, Lyttle, EOS and Rea Jnr getting back from injury. Lots of talk at the bar afterwards of Dan McFarland and "fight for every inch". People who have already bought tickets for the Cheetahs game in February and jokes about how weird we'll feel if Ruan puts on a good show against us, and how no-one would begrudge him anything.

It's been a long while since its been so exciting to be an Ulster fan.

Buer

RobbieRuns wrote: »

I think of how destructive players like Ferris were and ..... I know that I might be alone in this, but I prefer a Matty Rea. His body has a better chance of surviving the destructive nature of rugby. Rea is more skillful and relies less on brute force. I think that he can be better than Ferris and have a longer career.

He's 27 this year so I don't think he's ever going to be world class but he should be able to have a very decent career based on this season. Chris Henry should be the level he should be working towards. A very solid career with decent international honours for a period of his career.

Dubinusa

Ulsters transformation has been amazing. On top of gems like Stockdale and E.O.S they've unearthed other quality players Rea, T.OT and Balacoune.
The pack is thriving and is improving week in, week out.
The depth may be the issue atm. But, with the progress made so quickly, others players will find Belfast appealing.
Add in that the academy is looking productive and is turning out quality lads.

tayto lover

Just a quick question.
Has there ever been a player from Monaghan, Cavan or Donegal who has represented Ulster apart from Tommy Bowe? Thanks.

awec

tayto lover wrote: »

Just a quick question.
Has there ever been a player from Monaghan, Cavan or Donegal who has represented Ulster apart from Tommy Bowe? Thanks.

In the professional era I can't think of any others. Definitely none from Donegal, Joe Dunleavy in the Ulster academy is the first Donegal born player who might end up being capped by Ulster senior team.

Amateur era I couldn't tell you.

The Lost Sheep

awec wrote: »

In the professional era I can't think of any others. Definitely none from Donegal, Joe Dunleavy in the Ulster academy is the first Donegal born player who might end up being capped by Ulster senior team.

Amateur era I couldn't tell you.

still major issues with tying in these counties with the wastern side of province. Refs held their dinner in donegal for first time last year and there were plenty who tried stop that.....
More teams fielding underage in these areas is happening year on year. Will see more at 18s, 19s and 20s first will be much longer at pro level..

bilston

tayto lover wrote: »

Just a quick question.
Has there ever been a player from Monaghan, Cavan or Donegal who has represented Ulster apart from Tommy Bowe? Thanks.

As awec says there is Joe Dunleavy who is in the Academy. I can't think of any others. Although I think the first AB captain was from Donegal.

To be fair there probably haven't been too many players from Fermanagh or Derry either.

The Lost Sheep

bilston wrote: »

As awec says there is Joe Dunleavy who is in the Academy. I can't think of any others. Although I think the first AB captain was from Donegal.

To be fair there probably haven't been too many players from Fermanagh or Derry either.

dave Gallagher was from ramelton. Letterkenny rfc ground named after him. Derry has a few clubs who're senior and then much more schools playing so think there would been fair few playing over years

Squidgy Black

bilston wrote: »

As awec says there is Joe Dunleavy who is in the Academy. I can't think of any others. Although I think the first AB captain was from Donegal.

To be fair there probably haven't been too many players from Fermanagh or Derry either.

Seamus Mallon was from Derry, went to St Columbs College too.

Balacoune is from Enniskillen as well.

Sinbad_NI

Addison's Ulster connections are Fermanagh as well aren't they. His mother I think.

awec

Addison and Balacoune are both affiliated with Enniskillen rfc

bilston

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

dave Gallagher was from ramelton. Letterkenny rfc ground named after him. Derry has a few clubs who're senior and then much more schools playing so think there would been fair few playing over years

Don't think they've any senior clubs outside of City of Derry.

Although Coleraine is in Derry so Andrew Trimble may be from that county as he went to Coleraine Inst (or Coleraine Grammar as it is now).

bilston

Lads I know Balacoune is from Fermanagh.

I did say not many players have come from Fermanagh or Derry/Londonderry. Although in hindsight more have come from Derry.

As for Addison, yeah sure he used to spend his summers in his mum's family home in Kesh etc etc. But he's from Cumbria!!

The Lost Sheep

bilston wrote: »

Don't think they've any senior clubs outside of City of Derry.

Although Coleraine is in Derry so Andrew Trimble may be from that county as he went to Coleraine Inst (or Coleraine Grammar as it is now).

Rainey are in magherafelt.
Will take longer for Ulster to develop in these counties than
Other provinces in areas where rugby isnt as popular
A rule about moving schools and stop moving to Campbell, methods combined with more resources to help regional youths sides would be big help

Paul Smeenus

Buer wrote: »

He's 27 this year so I don't think he's ever going to be world class but he should be able to have a very decent career based on this season. Chris Henry should be the level he should be working towards. A very solid career with decent international honours for a period of his career.

This is exactly what I was thinking. We fall over ourselves in excitement about young tyros, but Henry just kept improving, never rated outside Ulster, until he had a Six Nations winner's medal. No reason Rea can't do the same. He is still visibly getting better.

bilston

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Rainey are in magherafelt.
Will take longer for Ulster to develop in these counties than
Other provinces in areas where rugby isnt as popular
A rule about moving schools and stop moving to Campbell, methods combined with more resources to help regional youths sides would be big help

Always thought Magherafelt was in Tyrone. Delighted to be educated by a Munsterman on the geography of Ulster!

Dubinusa

Former academy player and Ireland u20, Conall Boomer was from Donegal!

mfceiling

bilston wrote: »

Always thought Magherafelt was in Tyrone.

*puts bilston on ignore list*

awec

I thought Magherafelt was in Antrim to be honest. Turns out it's west of the Bann, which explains why I didn't really know where it was.

bilston

awec wrote: »

I thought Magherafelt was in Antrim to be honest. Turns out it's west of the Bann, which explains why I didn't really know where it was.

To be fair after my education by TLS I asked my wife to see what she thought and she replied Armagh!

mfceiling

You're living too long in the south lads. Bilston you need a new wife.

Utah_Saint

awec wrote: »

I thought Magherafelt was in Antrim to be honest. Turns out it's west of the Bann, which explains why I didn't really know where it was.

I was certain its was Derry until you lot started putting doubts in my mind:)

Had to go google it......Its 6miles from the Antrim - Derry Border...

Digifriendly

Rory Scholes scored for Brive in Top 14 this past weekend. Didn't know he had made the move to France.

launish116

Cooney, Murphy & Coetzee all passed fit for Clermont!

RobbieRuns

launish116 wrote: »

Cooney, Murphy & Coetzee all passed fit for Clermont!

Jeez....thought they played for Ulster?

Paul Smeenus

Ulster team to play ASM Clermont Auvergne, Heineken Champions Cup Round 5, Saturday 11 January at Stade Marcel-Michelin (1pm UK/Irish time, live on BT Sport 2 & BeIN Sports):

(15-9) Will Addison, Robert Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney.

(1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Sean Reidy, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Matt Faddes.

Let's rock.