Ulster Team Talk Thread III: Les Miserables SEE MOD WARNING POST #1924 + #2755

awec · 23-04-2018 05:06PM

Uptake of season ticket renewals must be slow, Ulster have extended the deadline out by a month. Though they're trying to say it's cause of the European uncertainty, but I don't really believe that.

awec · 23-04-2018 05:18PM

According to UAFC Zac Ward is off to Worcester. Academy back row.

Son of Andy Ward I think?

Hands Like Flippers · 23-04-2018 05:20PM

Hadn't noticed his name for A's. Had he got much game time? Still young.

MJohnston · 23-04-2018 06:35PM

They've got to hold onto McPhillips at all costs, and one of the Leinster 10s wouldn't go amiss too. But I disagree with the previously expressed idea that we need an experienced 10 - it'll just become a Pienaar situation where he's relied on constantly and has little or no international duty, so our young backups are left out. McPhillips doesn't need to learn from a superior player, he needs great coaching (a tall order at Ulster for sure) and lots of experience.

mfceiling · 23-04-2018 07:10PM

It's a bit of a strange one.

We get castigated for not developing players in certain positions and then we're told "here take one of these 2 young lads".
Are Carberry or Byrne good enough if we get a tough group in Europe (just maybe we get there) next year?
Will McPhillips stay and if so does he become the understudy to either Carberry or Byrne? Bit unfair on him no?
What happens after a year or 2? Do the IRFU tell Carberry or Byrne "listen get back down here cause Johnny is retiring"...Ulster back to square 1?

Not trying to stir shìt...just wondering what the positives are to this for Ulster?

Brewster · 23-04-2018 07:19PM

mfceiling wrote: »

It's a bit of a strange one.

We get castigated for not developing players in certain positions and then we're told "here take one of these 2 young lads".
Are Carberry or Byrne good enough if we get a tough group in Europe (just maybe we get there) next year?
Will McPhillips stay and if so does he become the understudy to either Carberry or Byrne? Bit unfair on him no?
What happens after a year or 2? Do the IRFU tell Carberry or Byrne "listen get back down here cause Johnny is retiring"...Ulster back to square 1?

Not trying to stir shìt...just wondering what the positives are to this for Ulster?

Ulster need two competent 10s for next season. They have a good prospect in McPhillips, but they need another. A permanent solution may not be possible at this time, a year out from WC.

Locke_Lamora · 23-04-2018 07:20PM

Hands Like Flippers wrote: »

Hadn't noticed his name for A's. Had he got much game time? Still young.

He's a pretty good player and he's been playing consistently for Hinch, but he probably feels there are too many young backrowers ahead of him right now. Ward's mainly an 8, so within the academy he's in competition with Dunleavy who got picked ahead of him for Ireland u20's, and Allison who just captained Ireland u19's. Greg Jones plays 8 as well a little as well I think. Then there's Timoney in the seniors who can play 8 and looks good to make a long career at Ulster. While he could potentially be a good player, he probably feels he's not getting the game time to prove it.

Hands Like Flippers · 23-04-2018 09:03PM

Saw him playing at Down HS 1st xv. Good player but in all fairness Allison is better.

bilston · 23-04-2018 09:31PM

The above conversation got me thinking who was the last Ulster player to be a regular in the No.8 position for Ireland. I'm thinking you'd have to go as far back as Brian Robinson. Anyone think of anyone more recent?

durthacht · 23-04-2018 09:58PM

mfceiling wrote: »

It's a bit of a strange one.

We get castigated for not developing players in certain positions and then we're told "here take one of these 2 young lads".
Are Carberry or Byrne good enough if we get a tough group in Europe (just maybe we get there) next year?
Will McPhillips stay and if so does he become the understudy to either Carberry or Byrne? Bit unfair on him no?
What happens after a year or 2? Do the IRFU tell Carberry or Byrne "listen get back down here cause Johnny is retiring"...Ulster back to square 1?

Not trying to stir shìt...just wondering what the positives are to this for Ulster?

Well between them they have been good enough against New Zealand, England, Exeter, and Montpellier among others - so I think that yeah they are good enough.

awec · 23-04-2018 10:03PM

durthacht wrote: »

Well between them they have been good enough against New Zealand, England, Exeter, and Montpellier among others - so I think that yeah they are good enough.

Did they actually start in any of those games or just make token appearances once the game was in the bag for Sexton to get a rest?

irishbucsfan · 23-04-2018 10:07PM

awec wrote: »

Did they actually start in any of those games or just make token appearances once the game was in the bag for Sexton to get a rest?

Ross Byrne started against Montpellier

Burkie1203 · 23-04-2018 10:19PM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ross Byrne started against Montpellier

And came on after 2 minutes at home to exeter

prawnsambo · 23-04-2018 10:25PM

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ross Byrne started against Montpellier

Burkie1203 wrote: »

And came on after 2 minutes at home to exeter

You two sound like a pair of pimps.

awec · 23-04-2018 10:40PM

Burkie1203 wrote: »

And came on after 2 minutes at home to exeter

And lasted how long?

prawnsambo · 23-04-2018 10:47PM

awec wrote: »

And lasted how long?

Can you not look up the Leinster website yourself? It's a lot better than it used to be and will save the twenty questions routine.

awec · 23-04-2018 10:51PM

prawnsambo wrote: »

Can you not look up the Leinster website yourself? It's a lot better than it used to be and will save the twenty questions routine.

It’s broken, shows Byrne played 0 mins all season.

Dave_The_Sheep · 23-04-2018 10:52PM

He went off for a HIA after a few minutes of being on and came back on then after ten minutes, if memory serves, finished out the game.

irishbucsfan · 24-04-2018 05:41AM

awec wrote: »

It’s broken, shows Byrne played 0 mins all season.

awec · 24-04-2018 06:27AM

It’s broken on mobile so.

Paul Smeenus · 24-04-2018 07:28AM

Carbery also started against the mighty US and was appalling, and git broken against Fiji.

Lads, it doesn't matter. Joe and Nucifora think this is the best way for the back up ten for Ireland to improve.

Everything else is window dressing.

clsmooth · 24-04-2018 07:35AM

bilston wrote: »

The above conversation got me thinking who was the last Ulster player to be a regular in the No.8 position for Ireland. I'm thinking you'd have to go as far back as Brian Robinson. Anyone think of anyone more recent?

Didn’t Paddy Johns play 8 for a while with Ireland?

prawnsambo · 24-04-2018 07:43AM

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Carbery also started against the mighty US and was appalling, and git broken against Fiji.

Lads, it doesn't matter. Joe and Nucifora think this is the best way for the back up ten for Ireland to improve.

Everything else is window dressing.

Was appalling? I seem to remember he put Earls through with a fine pass and another flat pass on the gain line where he got flattened for his trouble put Stockdale through for his first international try. Are we doing the 'missed kicks = bad out half' trope by any chance?

Paul Smeenus · 24-04-2018 07:45AM

By missed kicks, do we mean charged down kicks, by any chance? If which there were two? And wasn't he pulled?

You lads are SOOOooo defensive about Carbery.

Former Former · 24-04-2018 07:47AM

Smeenus is in the Ross Byrne camp then.

prawnsambo · 24-04-2018 07:47AM

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

By missed kicks, do we mean charged down kicks, by any chance? If which there were two? And wasn't he pulled?

You lads are SOOOooo defensive about Carbery.

I could say you lads are sooooo precious about your white jerseys and who wears them. But where does that get us?

Paul Smeenus · 24-04-2018 07:59AM

Not very far. I'd like to get back to my substantive point, which is that this decision/pressure on the young lads is all about Team Ireland, but foolishly I included a criticism of Carbery which I thought balanced the overly positive picture being painted, and of course that became the most important thing to respond to. Sigh.

Paul Smeenus · 24-04-2018 08:05AM

I do wonder if Cooney's form and importance to Ulster influenced this pressure. He's a bit of a glowing example of the "shift and get game time" idea.

Bridge93 · 24-04-2018 08:07AM

My view of it I think can be summed up as:

Ulsters best interest would be Ross Byrne to go north
Irelands would be Carbery to go
Leinsters is neither to go

We don't know the view of the two lads

It's easy to see the problems with this whole event

Paul Smeenus · 24-04-2018 08:10AM

Former Former wrote: »

Smeenus is in the Ross Byrne camp then.

I'm actually not. I think it would benefit Ireland more if Carbery were with Ulster. But I think he has serious flaws when he has to control a whole game at OH, and doesn't come on into a team in the lead. I think time with Ulster would actually be a better learning curve for him. He'll get much more direct experience of having to make stuff happen for the team. He .ight have to line up against the best international teams in the world at the RWC, and he needs to get his head around what can be done when your pack isn't hugely dominant.

Ulster Team Talk Thread III: Les Miserables SEE MOD WARNING POST #1924 + #2755

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