Ulster vs. Leinster, Saturday 6th March, 19.35 (Eir Sport 1)

Legalfarmer89

TomsOnTheRoof wrote: »

Officiating is a joke globally. A week ago Moody got away with four or five strikes on an opposition forward in super rugby. Not even a yellow. Toulouse V Brive today say the Toulouse openside jump into a tackle and literally somersault. Ref called play on. The game is being destroyed by poor laws and poor refereeing.

Good point about poor laws. The laws are too complicated and there is too much “open to interpretation”. The rule book needs to be simplified.

Clegg

McCloskey was poor tonight I think. Has a ton of size but didn't use it effectively. Same with Stockdale.

sydthebeat

Clegg wrote: »

McCloskey was poor tonight I think. Has a ton of size but didn't use it effectively. Same with Stockdale.

He made the first try for robbie bally

awec

sydthebeat wrote: »

He made the first try for robbie bally

And the second one until Frank realised he wasn't supposed to award it.

Buer

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

JOB should have gotten a red and played with 14 for most of the match. Is nice that you can park it.

It is nice and it is unfair. I don't know what you want me to say, really.

I'm parking it in terms of, when Ulster had the advantage or the same number on the field, Leinster still were better and were ahead deservedly on the scoreboard.

Maybe Ulster would have come back. But they were struggling up front regardless of the cards.

clsmooth

Clegg wrote: »

McCloskey was poor tonight I think. Has a ton of size but didn't use it effectively. Same with Stockdale.

Had a nice offload in the lead up to Baloucounes try. Game completely passed Stockdale by. Made a great cover tackle but probably should have been yellowed for not releasing after. Didn’t do a huge amount else.

Paul Smeenus

Buer wrote: »

It is nice and it is unfair. I don't know what you want me to say, really.

I'm parking it in terms of, when Ulster had the advantage or the same number on the field, Leinster still were better and were ahead deservedly on the scoreboard.

Maybe Ulster would have come back. But they were struggling up front regardless of the cards.

What was the score when JOB launched himaelf into Madigan's face?

Clegg

Leinster would have won that game even if Ulster remained at 15. Their pack is simply much better. Before the game I posted that I thought Leinster shaded it up front, but there was a chasm in quality.

Henderson makes a huge difference, but they need two or three players of his quality if they ever want to challenge for league and Champions Cup honours.

stephen_n

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

You do realise that O'Brien earned a stone cold red and he waffled about a "moving contact" when he made contact with Madigan's chin and slipped up to his nose? And he doled out a yellow?

I don’t think Warricks was a red, don’t think JOB’s was either as Madigan was jumping and dropping into him. It was head to head, not forearm or shoulder to head. Warrick’s was without force and should have only been a yellow. Murphy was going to give a yellow but the TMO forced his hand. Blaming Murphy for Ulster having a powder puff front 5 is just a cop out though.

awec

Clegg wrote: »

Leinster would have won that game even if Ulster remained at 15. Their pack is simply much better. Before the game I posted that I thought Leinster shaded it up front, but there was a chasm in quality.

Henderson makes a huge difference, but they need two or three players of his quality if they ever want to challenge for league and Champions Cup honours.

I think we'd have bonus pointed ye with 15 men but sure we'll never know.

Cheers Frank.

Paul Smeenus

stephen_n wrote: »

I don’t think Warricks was a red, don’t think JOB’s was either as Madigan was jumping and dropping into him. It was head to head, not forearm or shoulder to head. Warrick’s was without force and should have only been a yellow. Murphy was going to give a yellow but the TMO forced his hand. Blaming Murphy for Ulster having a powder puff front 5 is just a cop out though.

Yeah, head to head is a red.

I don't see anything in the laws about "not if you're jumping" or "not if you're dropping". Presumably you do and can quite it.

clsmooth

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

What was the score when JOB launched himaelf into Madigan's face?

Do you have anything else positive to add to the conversation about the game or do you just want to keep going on about the same incident?

Interested Observer

Enjoying the whinging and bitterness tbh.

Paul Smeenus

clsmooth wrote: »

Do you have anything else positive to add to the conversation about the game or do you just want to keep going on about the same incident?

It decided the game, and now, we're out of the running.

Positive? Yes. Lowry and Baloucoune should be in the Irish squad.

I'm also glad the pick and go is back.

Akrasia

awec wrote: »

Fake news.

Well a yellow card with 2 mins to go is exactly the same as a red card with 55 mins on the clock....

Paul Smeenus

Akrasia wrote: »

Well a yellow card with 2 mins to go is exactly the same as a red card with 55 mins on the clock....

Awec is a true Ulsterman and is being facetious.

Akrasia

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

It decided the game, and now, we're out of the running.

Positive? Yes. Lowry and Baloucoune should be in the Irish squad.

I'm also glad the pick and go is back.

Baloucoune Is head and shoulders the most dynamic ball carrying winger playing in Ireland today

clsmooth

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

It decided the game, and now, we're out of the running.

Positive? Yes. Lowry and Baloucoune should be in the Irish squad.

I'm also glad the pick and go is back.

Both were very good tonight Baloucoune had terrible luck with the timing of his injury. He’d could easily have had a few 6N starts under his belt by now.

Clegg

awec wrote: »

I think we'd have bonus pointed ye with 15 men but sure we'll never know.

Cheers Frank.

Leinster were already starting to seize control of the game by the time Warwick was sent off. We'd scored a try despite being down to 14 and scored another a few minutes later with a full compliment of players.

awec

Not moaning about this one, cause it's never really refereed, but does anyone think that the rules around latching need more focus? The Bent try, he had 2 Leinster lads attached to him before he met an Ulster player, how are you supposed to tackle that? I'm pretty sure VDF was in front of him too.

Virtually impossible to stop legally.

Akrasia

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Awec is a true Ulsterman and is being facetious.

Yeah, I was backing him up. Adding up the cards as if all cards were equal is BS

Paul Smeenus

Clegg wrote: »

Leinster were already starting to seize control of the game by the time Warwick was sent off. We'd scored a try despite being down to 14 and scored another a few minutes later with a full compliment of players.

I'll say it again, what about when he didn't give a toss about JOB slamming his head into Madigan's chin?Whhat was the control situation them?

Buer

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

What was the score when JOB launched himaelf into Madigan's face?

You seem to be having a misguided pop. I don't agree with the colour of the cards. You're looking for a fight where it doesn't exist.

To answer your question, it was 7-3. Then 12-3. Regardless of red or yellow, JOB was off the field for the next 10 minutes. In that period, Leinster scored a 7 pointer and dominated Ulster up front in that period.

The game was a farce. That doesn't mean Leinster didn't put in a very strong showing with a lot of cohesion and power up front.

stephen_n

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Yeah, head to head is a red.

I don't see anything in the laws about "not if you're jumping" or "not if you're dropping". Presumably you do and can quite it.

And just ignore the point that your tight five is simply not good enough. Ulster the Wales of Pro 14 rugby. Need red cards to beat decent teams. You can moan about refs or TMO’s all you want. That doesn’t change. Ulster are the current ladyboys of Irish rugby. Great backline, powder puff pack.

awec

I said it on the Ulster thread but I'll say it here too cause you all need to read it.

Balacoune is the best winger in Ireland. He's better than Stockdale, he's better than Earls, he's better than Lowe. He quite literally has it all.

Buer

Brilliant salt from McFarland on the disallowed try. Has gone to the Brendan Ventner school of interviews.

Interested Observer

Buer wrote: »

Brilliant salt from McFarland on the disallowed try. Has gone to the Brendan Ventner school of interviews.

I don't know what he said but the disallowed try was a joke. Ruddock tackles the wrong player.

Akrasia

awec wrote: »

Not moaning about this one, cause it's never really refereed, but does anyone think that the rules around latching need more focus? The Bent try, he had 2 Leinster lads attached to him before he met an Ulster player, how are you supposed to tackle that? I'm pretty sure VDF was in front of him too.

Virtually impossible to stop legally.

They shouldn’t have been able to latch so quickly if they were onside behind the hindmost foot at the ruck

The ref was policing the white try line as the offside line for the defending team but letting attackers away with being ahead of the ball before the penalty was quick tapped and ahead of the ruck for the pick and gos, it’s a huge advantage to only ref one teams offside line and this is why Leinsters quick taps worked but ulsters didn’t, Leinster were coached to ignore the offside line in attack because refs don’t enforce it, while Ulster were tryingto keep discipline by respecting the offside line as much as possible

Buer

Interested Observer wrote: »

I don't know what he said but the disallowed try was a joke. Ruddock tackles the wrong player.

"Baloucoune scored two tries... Oh one try".

Was just a really good way of conveying his annoyance at the decision without being a dope and mouthing off.

Paul Smeenus

Buer wrote: »

You seem to be having a misguided pop. I don't agree with the colour of the cards. You're looking for a fight where it doesn't exist.

To answer your question, it was 7-3. Then 12-3. Regardless of red or yellow, JOB was off the field for the next 10 minutes. In that period, Leinster scored a 7 pointer and dominated Ulster up front in that period.

The game was a farce. That doesn't mean Leinster didn't put in a very strong showing with a lot of cohesion and power up front.

Leinster looked very good. As they always do.

But I think that Ulster were robbed of an opportunity to beat Leinster because Leinster's foul play was not punished appropriately - and then Ulster's was.

If you take a lot from a performance with that refereeing, fair play to you.