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

Saw that. Excruciating.

ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY SQUAD 2021/22:

Year 1:

James Humphreys

Conor McKee

Jude Postlethwaite

Harry Sheridan

George Saunderson

Year 2:

Ben Carson

Reuben Crothers

James McCormick

Ben Moxham

Conor Rankin

Year 3:

Azur Allison

Lewis Finlay

So Allison is indeed still in the Academy. Shame Sheridan is way back in Year 1. Only one prop fills me with foreboding.

Anyone know the result of the u20 game v munster today please?

Good point made on T'Other Forum - with the very real lack of rugby for youngster last season, the only fellas that got academy positions were those that had played U20s or for the As.

More might get spots when they show their mettle playing in AIL this season.

Yea, I prefer not to be overly negative as well with young players, but I'll admit I'll be nervous watching Humphries take the field for a while yet. I'd wager that he was promised a place in order to tempt him away from Gloucester.

McKee looks meh. Big lad with an okay pass but made a few costly errors. We have Doak and Finlay there anyway so I'm not worried, although I don't think the management rates Finlay tbh.

Saunderson's strength's and weaknesses were fairly plain to see. Decent around the park, dangerously woeful in the scrum. Needs to improve there and his general conditioning/fitness imo before he takes the field at senior level.

Was unsure about Sheridan to start with but he convinced me during the u20 tournament. Plays with an edge/intensity that we're generally missing from our pack and made meters against a much bigger pack that he had no right to make. He'll have those games where I end asking if he's just not quite big enough but he looks a huge upgrade on the second rows that have been in an out of our academy for a while.

I'm pretty excited about postlewaithe, not sure where he'll play (maybe center imo) but he's got great size for someone with another year at u20 level and plays/hits aggressively. I'd rate him over carson tbh.

Hope everyone just out of school gets plenty of opportunity to make their claim for the academy, it must be a difficult situation given the current climate and there'll be a lot of nervous budding-professionals.

Saunderson will hopefully get the O’Toole treatment from Dan, be night and day in a year or two! Fingers crossed.

Really like Sheridan, he has the aggression and niggle we’ve lacked. Thought he warranted more than first year academy slot.

Finlay stumps me, but hoping change of academy management might change his fortunes. Between him and Doak based on U20s performances we’re looking we’ll.

Probably announced this week but u18 schools have apparently been ravaged with injuries and quite a few u17s (some who haven’t played a minute of senior rugby) have been moved up to help make numbers. Could be a pretty inexperienced squad this year

Agree with all this, Postelwaite and Sheridan would be the two that I'd be hopeful can make an impact.

Has Herring done his knee/acl in?

Insta pic's with a frame/brace on his knee

If herring is out I personally would start with Tom Stewart as first choice and have James mccormick who I think is better than roberts fighting with John Andrew for the bench spot

would’ve thought Stewart was back by now. I like roberts as well but James mccormick is a fantastic prospect who captained Ulster schools and is highly rated, he is a dynamic ball carrier who has a strong set piece- good scrummager and an accurate throw

He is but he seems to have developed a lot physically recently adding a lot of mass to his frame but you could be right maybe too soon. Just hope Tom Stewart is fit as he’s a better option than andrew and roberts

I'm all for giving youth a shot, but surely it's Andrews shirt to lose considering the form he was in? Roberts on the bench, he was good enough in his cameos that I expected him to overtake McBurney if he hadn't left.

Tom Stewart was still in crutches until not too long ago I think, so I suspect he has a lot of fitness to make up before getting a lot of game time. McCormick I haven't seen much of but I don't think he's played much senior rugby yet at all, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's still a while away from getting minutes. A little frustrating considering we have two decent prospects, but we also have two good senior players in that position so it is what it is, can't complain too much.

U18's apparently kicked off today according to this. I think they actually posted it after the game kicked off, if the time/date is right from the article, which makes watching it a little difficult.

Don't know any of the names to watch but the usual suspects are well represented. Campbell with nine players (five starting).