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

launish116

What a depressing watch!

ElisaAtWar

Why would Alby kick the ball away with one minute left

Locke_Lamora

Not the greatest rugby tbh, but it was entertaining enough.

Locke_Lamora

ElisaAtWar wrote: »

Why would Alby kick the ball away with one minute left

Didn't want to give a penalty away near halfway and give them a chance to kick the three. Wanted to force them to run from deep.

vienne86

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Not the greatest rugby tbh, but it was entertaining enough.

Yep. Couldn't take my eyes off that. Good win for Ulster.

launish116

Treadwell needs to teach the rest of the pack how to carry like he did for his try!

bilston

Bit sloppy tonight...maybe no bad thing to get a tough game like that. But we definitely couldn't have complained had we lost. If they had a more reliable kicker we would have lost.

Stewarty Moore is a class act. He's not the finished article, but the more he plays the better he gets.

Hope Marshall recovers quickly, but it looked a bad one.

7 from 7 and 5 BP wins now...we'll take it!

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Treadwell needs to teach the rest of the pack how to carry like he did for his try!

He played like a guy who was maybe concerned it was going to be his last game for 3 or 4 weeks!

Paul Smeenus

Didn't get a chance to watch, but have recorded - will watch tomorrow. Sounds like a fairly scrappy game. Honestly think it will do no harm to have everyone brought down to Earth a bit.

Sounds like we were our own worst enemies - twenty minutes down to 14 men.

Paul Smeenus

Concerned about how many backs we have left - missing Burns, Baloucoune, Curtis, Hume, Marshall, Stockdale, Ludik and Addison.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Concerned about how many backs we have left - missing Burns, Baloucoune, Curtis, Hume, Marshall, Stockdale, Ludik and Addison.

Stewart has played pretty much every minute also, can’t be good physically.

Digifriendly

Too many penalties conceded but take the win nonetheless. Scarlets will be challenging for the play offs from what we've seen from last 2 outings.

Paul Smeenus

Watched it this morning.

EOS or Lowry MOTM for me. EOS was colossal - fantastic work in the loose, launched Reidy over the line for his try. As he gets more consistent game time, he's getting back to where he was the season before last, when he wasn't sharing starts with McGrath. It's also clear why he should be ahead of McGrath in the Ulster reckoning. (And Byrne for Ireland, but that's for another day...) Lowry was fast, decisive and brings so much to that FB role. But I don't know if Ferris has ever given MOTM to someone who doesn't play in the back row?

Lyttle and Moore also good. As was Treadwell, card excluded. From all the reaction, I expected some kind of kamikaze launch into Sebastian's head. It may still result in a citing, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. It was really gratifying to see his try - he's entirely capable of that, but we've seen it rarely. He's looked like he's kicked on a number of times, and then gone quiet again - hopefully it sticks this time.

Scarlets were good, and you'd think will continue to improve - glad we got them at this stage. They didn't do themselves justice at the start of this season, and now they're growing into it. I honestly couldn't believe their game against Munster; whatever else is going on, for me they're synonymous with dangerous running rugby. And they just kicked penalties all game. But they're growing back into it, and Connacht will need to be wary. I think beating them was what put the spring in the Scarlets' step coming to Ravenhill. (And their defence coach, from his interview, is immensely likable).

Think McFarland has been proven right in going fully loaded - otherwise, that's a loss at home. Instead, we've scraped(!) five points, and we're twenty ahead of the Ospreys (although I'd expect them to be overtaken by the Weegies). I'd rather that, and a pointed wake-up call, than having lost.

Our discipline could well have cost us that game - two yellows, and a significantly higher penalty count than usual. Was looking at our team stats - our discipline is where we really fall down. 5 yellow cards, 1 red card, we're 8th for penalties given away.

Marshall's injury was also a real problem that I think has gone unremarked - it left Moore playing in what was his fourth different centre combination in seven games. When was the last time Matt Faddes played OC? That made the Scarlet's job considerably easier - Marshall snuffs out a lot more of those attacks than Faddes managed (and both his kicking and discipline are much better). If he'd stayed on, I think the game might have been less close. None of other centres organises our defence and defends that 13 channel like he does. Poor aul' Marshy. Gutted for him.

And centre's now a problem. I wonder if there's any chance of getting McCloskey back? He might line out against Georgia, I suppose. I'd be delighted for him, but we could do with him at Ulster HQ.

I could see us slipping up against Edinburgh. They'll have two bees in their bonnet - the humping away to Leinster and the semi. They'll be out to avenge both.

Paul Smeenus

Also - dare I say it? - young Italian ref was pretty good. Decisive, clear.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Also - dare I say it? - young Italian ref was pretty good. Decisive, clear.

Yeah, that's the 2nd or 3rd time I've seen that ref and he seems pretty competent.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Watched it this morning.

EOS or Lowry MOTM for me. EOS was colossal - fantastic work in the loose, launched Reidy over the line for his try. As he gets more consistent game time, he's getting back to where he was the season before last, when he wasn't sharing starts with McGrath. It's also clear why he should be ahead of McGrath in the Ulster reckoning. (And Byrne for Ireland, but that's for another day...) Lowry was fast, decisive and brings so much to that FB role. But I don't know if Ferris has ever given MOTM to someone who doesn't play in the back row?

Lyttle and Moore also good. As was Treadwell, card excluded. From all the reaction, I expected some kind of kamikaze launch into Sebastian's head. It may still result in a citing, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. It was really gratifying to see his try - he's entirely capable of that, but we've seen it rarely. He's looked like he's kicked on a number of times, and then gone quiet again - hopefully it sticks this time.

Scarlets were good, and you'd think will continue to improve - glad we got them at this stage. They didn't do themselves justice at the start of this season, and now they're growing into it. I honestly couldn't believe their game against Munster; whatever else is going on, for me they're synonymous with dangerous running rugby. And they just kicked penalties all game. But they're growing back into it, and Connacht will need to be wary. I think beating them was what put the spring in the Scarlets' step coming to Ravenhill. (And their defence coach, from his interview, is immensely likable).

Think McFarland has been proven right in going fully loaded - otherwise, that's a loss at home. Instead, we've scraped(!) five points, and we're twenty ahead of the Ospreys (although I'd expect them to be overtaken by the Weegies). I'd rather that, and a pointed wake-up call, than having lost.

Our discipline could well have cost us that game - two yellows, and a significantly higher penalty count than usual. Was looking at our team stats - our discipline is where we really fall down. 5 yellow cards, 1 red card, we're 8th for penalties given away.

Marshall's injury was also a real problem that I think has gone unremarked - it left Moore playing in what was his fourth different centre combination in seven games. When was the last time Matt Faddes played OC? That made the Scarlet's job considerably easier - Marshall snuffs out a lot more of those attacks than Faddes managed (and both his kicking and discipline are much better). If he'd stayed on, I think the game might have been less close. None of other centres organises our defence and defends that 13 channel like he does. Poor aul' Marshy. Gutted for him.

And centre's now a problem. I wonder if there's any chance of getting McCloskey back? He might line out against Georgia, I suppose. I'd be delighted for him, but we could do with him at Ulster HQ.

I could see us slipping up against Edinburgh. They'll have two bees in their bonnet - the humping away to Leinster and the semi. They'll be out to avenge both.

Think you covered them all, but I thought O'Sullivan, Treadwell, Reidy, Moore, Lyttle and Lowry were the standouts.

Coetzee was a bit below par...although he still carried like a man possessed.

Utah_Saint

yep completely agree with the assessment. Pity EOS wasn't around the Ireland squad to get a run at Georgia.

Scarlet's looked good and will get stronger. Why is Steff Evans not with the Welsh squad? Loved the mullet btw...

Paul Smeenus

Utah_Saint wrote: »

yep completely agree with the assessment. Pity EOS wasn't around the Ireland squad to get a run at Georgia.

Scarlet's looked good and will get stronger. Why is Steff Evans not with the Welsh squad? Loved the mullet btw...

You last sentence answers the preceding question, surely?

Paul Smeenus

Dan pleased by Lowry and EOS as well

https://fal.cn/3bL6d

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Dan pleased by Lowry and EOS as well

https://fal.cn/3bL6d

EOS Called up to Ireland squad.

Paul Smeenus

Really pleased for him. Overdue.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Really pleased for him. Overdue.

Indeed, bad news for us if a McGrath ain’t fit though! Be a big Edinburgh pack!

bilston

Good news for EOS.

If McGrath isn't fit then I guess Kyle McCall or Gareth Milanonvich (think he plays both sides) will have to step up

Paul Smeenus

bilston wrote: »

Good news for EOS.

If McGrath isn't fit then I guess Kyle McCall or Gareth Milanonvich (think he plays both sides) will have to step up

Milasinovich LH, O'Toole TH

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Milasinovich LH, O'Toole TH

He doesn’t come across the most mobile and lacking game time! Hopefully Milasinovich hasn’t picked up a niggle again, hasn’t had two consecutive games in a row yet.

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

He doesn’t come across the most mobile and lacking game time! Hopefully Milasinovich hasn’t picked up a niggle again, hasn’t had two consecutive games in a row yet.

Yeah, I think we need to get him up to speed. Him or Kyle McCall against Edinburgh - what's your choice?

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Yeah, I think we need to get him up to speed. Him or Kyle McCall against Edinburgh - what's your choice?

Tough choice, gamble on Milasinovich’s fitness for the first half against a heavy pack and release McCall when game opens up abit more.

Last time we played Dan kept back the heavy weights till the second half?

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

Tough choice, gamble on Milasinovich’s fitness for the first half against a heavy pack and release McCall when game opens up abit more.

Last time we played Dan kept back the heavy weights till the second half?

Yeah - good spot. Started with EOS and TOT, brought McGrath and Moore off the bench.

Paul Smeenus

No word of a citing for Treadz?

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

No word of a citing for Treadz?

Strangely quiet, is it 72hours after game finishes?