Telling how comfortable Bealham looked at scrumtime today with some power behind him in the row. We haven't really replaced roux yet, Fifita hasn't shown much yet
This really is one eyed viewing. Connacht were well beaten and the margin tells the story. Blaming the TMO is a distraction from the obvious gap between the 2 teams on the night.
It was a mirror image of the reverse fixture at the Aviva except that time it was Connacht who were much superior.
I can't believe people are still taking this jimdemp guy at face value and replying on that basis.
Cop on lads.
Don't be ridiculous. Munster fans wanted Connacht to take points from Ulster last night. We certainly didn't want Ulster to get a TBP, And all Irish rugby fans would prefer to see Connacht in the Heineken Cup next year
Actually, I'm not down on Tuimauga (nor did i mention him). I just think Bealham, then Heff and Delahunt are several notches above the rest. Burke has made a lot of progress this year. The others have not really impressed, although it hasn't been for lack of honesty or effort.
There's still plenty left in this painful season, so we'll get to sift further for diamonds, but come the summer it will be time to behave like a professional outfit and cut those who aren't going to make it.
Absolutely nonsense, as a neutral, that was as comfortable as win as you will see. Of course there were a couple of debatable penalties, but Ulster by far the better team. They dominated territory and possession of the ball. The only thing up for debate was whether Ulster would get 4 or 5. Connacht actually converted the few times they were in Ulster 22, but they never had enough possession in the right areas to really pressure Ulster.
World rugby are trying to outlaw these hits. The opposition coach has to be aware that there risks in tackling Lowry or any smaller player. I can almost guarantee that Connacht coach didn’t make any issue of this before match. But coaches absolutely must make sure their players aware of this. Once this gets established in the mindset of everyone, these incidences won’t happen and game will be safer for all.
Connacht were never winning that game with the officials. Joy Neville will be happy enough as a Munster fan tonight because that pretty much finishes the challenge from Connacht.
I just don't get why they're not going lower, waist to knees. It was frustrating watching the upper body tackles on McCloskey - he's too strong and just wades through them. I think it's an area where our backs need to do some work. Get Marmion to teach them, he tackled like a lion this evening.
Think youre being harsh on Tuimauga he was playing Loose head in the Mitre 10 Cup 4 months ago and is now playing tighthead against Ulster. Aungier is starting to look lightweight against the top teams and is suffering with injury as a result. Duggan is not strong at the scrum but when you have a lightweight second row its hard to judge. Connacht need a big 4 to rotate with Dowling.
That wrong. If Lowry wants to dip, in the act keeping his balance, he is perfectly entitled to. There is nothing in the laws of the game that makes this illegal. I’m sure you will agree that he is not deliberately dipping in the hope of getting a shoulder in the head? If you agree with this, then the onus is back on the tackling player to take account of a possible dip when tackling. Lowry is a joy to behold, we need to protect him at all costs. If that means a few lads getting yellow cards, till the coaches of the opposition team realise who they are playing against and that they need be ultra careful, then so be it. We have got to protect the head at all costs.
And Doak winning player of the match was a travesty, Conor Oliver was THE ONE!
Agreed, but which part of the pack. For me, it's the front row, not just because of the penalties conceded in the scrum, but the contribution in the loose. I had higher expectations of Aungier and Duggan, this season, although Jordan has carried a heavy burden. They gave illo a senior contract, let's see him play. but we need at least one high quality recruit there.
At second row, Dowling and Murray are great and getting better (we won the line out today), Thornbury will be back soon, but Leva hasn't contributed enough, so we need one more. In the back row, there's a clear gap now between Prendergast, Oliver and the rest. Boyle is of that standard but rusty right now, Murphy will bring a lot, but we need at least one or two more. There may be another recruit to be had from Leinster, and we have the boys who've just graduated from the academy.
Wayne Barnes used that exact reasoning in an international last season by the way, player committed to legal tackle opponent suddenly drops a foot, rugby incident move on. I would expect he is correct.
Nope. There is a responsibility on Lowry too, he is in control of his movements, he is aware a tackle is immediately coming, he dips a foot at the last possible second and his actions make a perfectly legal tackle illegal. BBC Ulster commentator spot on - rugby incident move on.
I know it’s harsh. But rugby is for all shapes and sizes. The reality is now with the laws of the games, Sullivan has to be aware of the guy he is chasing and knowing that there is a chance he could dip. He absolutely needs to be lower to the ground, very low to ground, when he makes that tackle. It’s the tackler’s responsibility to get this right, depending on who he is tackling.
Go back to the Munster thread Jim demp. We have enough pain to deal with without your opinion
Really frustrating to be bringing in fifita, bringing in tupimatu etc when they’re clearly not up to this level.
Connacht need a lot of recruitment in the pack this summer.
Tuimauga played well he is a loosehead playing tighthead
You absolutely need to take into account Lowrys height for me - you can’t just give him a massive advantage where he drops his head and is getting a lad a yellow every week. He controls his movements.
Harsh or not there’s a difference between a 6’0 guy and a 5’7 guy dropping a head.
Sullivan was making a tackle four and a half feet high, that’s really reasonable. Irrelevant to the result but Lowry can’t just drop a foot and make that tackle illegal it’s ridiculous.
Are you talking about the should to the head of porch in the first half which cause the handbags?
When everyone is available Connacht have a very decent side but once they have to dip into their bench and beyond the bench there are lads there that are stuggling at that level.
On a bad run of results now.
You can blame heff for his deliveries or toh for his mismanagement. Fact is if you don't have the backup you are totally left exposed. Heff had nobody to deliver to and TOH had nobody to provide to. Prendergast is the guy in the lineout. You have to have these guys. They are the primary guys.
Joy Neville was a disgrace. She really has it in for Connacht. Porch got a shoulder to the head she did nothing. 1st try she didnt check the blocking, second try she didnt check the grounding which looked to be held up.
I think Ulster would have targeted this game after the Aviva to be honest.
That’s it. Players are going to need to adjust. I’m not saying it is easy for the tackler when they are committed, it’s very hard when Lowry is in that position. But you can’t make excuses because of Lowry’s height.
Comfortable enough for Ulster. Connacht tackled their hearts out though. Oliver and Prendergast were fantastic.
Another poor result in the end just couldn't get any sort of possession or field position all evening.
Defended well at times but often turned over possession straight after a great defensive set etc.
Ulster deserved winners. We just don't have the depth in our squad once ya go past a certain point.
Fair enough. I don’t understand their view because they’re basically saying you can’t tackle Lowry in that scenario where’s he catching a ball which will happen a lot obviously as he is at 15. When a guy that small dips he’s gonna make 80% of tackles illegal by that criteria.
There goes Connacht's Heineken cup qualification for next year.
Cardiff will surely beat them to 8th with 2 games at hand
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