Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

URC Round 10 - Munster vs. Ulster - Saturday, Jan 8th @ 7.35pm - Premier Sports 2, RTE 2, URC TV

1234568

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 22,123 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Farrels role tonight was as a ball carrier. He is more than capable of running and passing but he played his role well tonight



  • Registered Users Posts: 22,123 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Who are you comparing them against?

    Previous years without the disruption?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭TomsOnTheRoof


    The problem is he hasn't been employed as a passing centre in quite some time (to be fair this seems to be an issue amongst all four provinces). He's also going into contact a bit too high. I really think we should be looking at Daly and Coombes outside DDA.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,387 ✭✭✭✭Clegg




  • Registered Users Posts: 22,123 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia




  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 7,305 ✭✭✭Dave_The_Sheep


    It doesn't really matter what's fair or not. Won't matter in Europe if we're not up to speed (which at this point, it's fair to say the provinces don't seem to be).



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭Downlinz


    I never remember interpros as poor in quality as the past two weeks. Slightly concerning signs for the Six Nations perhaps?

    Obviously covid disruption is playing a huge part in that but are other countries as badly affected? If they are the Six Nations is going to be a difficult watch from a spectacle perspective.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,887 ✭✭✭TRC10


    The lack of ambition from Ulster and Munster to play rugby was concerning yes.

    Connacht did try to play but the breakdown and offside line was a total sh*tshow which made it very difficult.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,838 ✭✭✭leakyboots


    I was at this (haven't watched it back, not sure I will!!) but I don't know if how atrocious the conditions were came across on the box. At one point I looked at the flags at the Mayorstone end, two of them blowing different directions and one not at all. The wind was swirling like mad the whole game and there was plenty of rain to boot. I don't think bemoaning a 'lack of ambition to play rugby' in that is very fair. Especially when we lost a player in the opening minutes. We did miss a couple of overlaps all the same when camped on their line.

    I thought our subs won it for us, JOD and the kids brought fresh energy and impetus. I thought Beirne was sensational, he really has it all. Haley was brilliant also bar that kick out of the full. He's very unlucky not to be in consideration for Irish honours, he's been a very good signing for us. Great positionally, steps off both feet, good clearance kicker, good in the air. Not saying he should be ousting Keenan but he's worth a look at international level.

    Crowley made a few mistakes but you can see there's a very talented player in there. Aherne had a fine game, he was utterly spent coming off. I was a big Niall Scannell fan but since that injury a couple of season ago he just seems to have lost his mojo with ball in hand completely, I think we need to be giving Barron the jersey for the rest of the season.

    Rather than bemoaning Munster's efforts, I came away from that match wondering how Ulster were so poor against 14 for 70-odd mins. They didn't fire many shots at us at all.

    As an aside, the general narrative across the media since the Connacht game has been a bit much - some of those players hadn't played much rugby in a couple of months. Zebo tonight was playing his first game since October 11 or something. We're basically back to a 'first game of the season' scenario, give them a break. I don't think we're getting the most out of the squad in coaching terms at all and am glad JvG is leaving but a little bit of perspective.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,111 ✭✭✭Red Silurian




  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 8,111 ✭✭✭Red Silurian


    Have you been watching any of the Premiership or Top14 games? We're not the only tournament having COVID trouble



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,370 ✭✭✭lawrencesummers


    The 6 nations is a formality the way france are playing.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,885 ✭✭✭OldRio


    What an utterly dreadful game of Rugby. Awful.

    How Burns is getting paid for playing Rugby is a mystery to me. Ulster were clueless.

    As for Munster? It seems for some that the bar is set so low nowadays, that the performance last night was somewhat acceptable. IMHO it was pure muck. (apart from Beirne)

    Perhaps JVG wants to leave now? Perhaps the players want him to leave now? Somethings not right.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1 pickpaint01


    😐️😔 i really awkward



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,749 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    Ah here, Munster came from behind to win after playing for 65 mins with 14 in absolutely awful conditions. Nobody's claiming its the second coming of JVG, but it was a decent performance in the circumstances and conditions and a bloody good result.

    Where's the deserved pile on for McFarland, who IMO is a bluffer no better than JVG.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,977 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    Simon Hick on Twitter made the point Ulster scored more in 15 mins against 15 men than they did in 65 mins vs 14.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,749 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    I'd suggest that your friends aren't very knowledgeable about the laws of the game then. I was in the ground and it was obvious from the countless replays on the two huge screens that Zebo had made contact to Lowrys face with his shoulder and that he had made no attempt to wrap.

    In fact Crowley could also have seen a card in the same incident.

    But I do agree that some on here must never been to a sporting fixture if they've never heard the home crowd react badly to red card for one of their players. It happens all the time.



  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭phily2002


    It was shocking to be honest. They were happier to just kick into the 22 then to try and score. You'd have thought they were 20 points up with the bonus point in the bag. Serious lack of leadership...



  • Administrators Posts: 53,127 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    With the 50/22 rule now it is inexcusable that we didn't run Munster all over the park when they were a man down. I only saw the second half and it was pure muck from us. Munster looked to have the backfield covered which means there was definite gaps available in the defensive line if we had the brains to find them.

    Burns is terrible, don't understand why he got a new deal.



  • Registered Users Posts: 19,873 ✭✭✭✭El_Duderino 09


    Is Madigan injured or what's the craic with him? I've only seen him start a handful of games and doesn't look obviously terrible. I'd imagine he's a viable alternative if he's fit.



  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,977 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    Hard to disagree with that, awec. Add in a debutante, 22 year old winger, and Ulster definitely didn’t make the most of it. I can only remember French getting caught out once.



  • Registered Users Posts: 23,532 ✭✭✭✭phog


    I was at the game and I genuinely thought the TMO was looking at the lads taking Lowry out in the air, I think most of the booing was because it was clear Lowry had a leg on the ground before the tackle. Those near me didn't realise nor how could they without commentary notice that it was the shoulder by Zebo that the ref and TMO was concentrating on. There's a lot to be said that the Ref/TMO conversations should be available on the stadium speakers.

    Once we clawed it back to 6-7 I was happy enough that we could win the game, I was annoyed that we didn't find touch immediately after the restart from our 2nd try but looking at it later French was unlucky in that an Ulster player made contact with him just as he kicked the ball and it sliced inwards to the field of play.

    Losing POM immediately before kick off and Zebo within 15 minutes was definitely not the start we needed but in fairness everyone dug it and fronted up and thankfully we got the win.

    I was near the coaching ticket on the East Terrance and was happy to give them thumbs up for the win after the match, they must have been under terrible pressure in the last week or so. Great to see the players with a smile of their faces too even before the fulltime whistle.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,383 ✭✭✭ersatz


    I only caught the first half and didn't expect Munster to play their way back into it, especially given the amount time they spent on Ulsters line with nothing to show for it. It is worrying that whatever else is going on around the park Munster can't convert goal line possession as they used to.

    Fair play though, they collected themselves and took advantage Ulster's limitations on the day.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,977 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    "...with nothing to show for it."

    To be fair, at least this weekend gone, they decided to kick the 3 after 2 penalties, so not entirely nothing to show for it (even if it should've been a try).

    And more generally, to me it seems the 5m tap-and-go, which had become really popular over the last 12 months, seems to becoming better defended? Interested to see what happens there during the 6N tbh.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,885 ✭✭✭OldRio


    Sooooo Zebo decision was incorrect.

    I'm utterly baffled.



  • Subscribers Posts: 40,722 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat




  • Registered Users Posts: 3,666 ✭✭✭irelandrover


    Unless they had an angle that no one else had then that decision makes no sense.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,920 ✭✭✭✭Interested Observer


    That's an amazing decision. You could easily see someone in a different tournament get a 4 week ban for that.


    Edit, for more context the article in the Indo is saying Zebo didn't really make contact, Crowley did, but he also won't be sanctioned. This quote is bizarre:


    >Instead, it was Munster out-half Jack Crowley who completed the tackle, with extensive reviews of the footage suggesting Zebo made "minimal contact whistle wrapping his left arm.


    Given it was Zebo's right shoulder was the offending one, and he didn't wrap with that arm at all.



  • Administrators Posts: 53,127 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    I've given up trying to understand disciplinary decisions in this league. This makes no sense whatsoever.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭KaneToad


    That zebo one puzzled me too. It looked like an unfortunate but fair red card on the day. I thought we got to see all angles on it too.

    Anyways, good news for Zebo on a good day for Munster with RG signing up for a couple more years.



Advertisement