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

LO can you explain why O'Sullivan is a good scrummage? If the repeated dominance by Bealhham isn't enough or the fact he got yanked at half time, or his constant collapsing doesn't paint a picture... He was dominated this weekend. Warwick was an improvement.

Just watching the game on YouTube.

Random thoughts.

10:22 and 10:47 - massive congratulations on Josh Murphy for his workrate on being able to hurl himself into rucks offside twice in a row. I actually have no real complaint about that. It's often what the game is. But I thought Mack Hansen should know, so he can unclench and dry his tears away.

I actually thought Brace was genuinely good - clear, decisive - in everything except the scrums. Not that I thought he got any calls wrong, or was unfair (Connacht obviously notably dominant) but he just let the whole process completely slow the game down.

I was sceptical about the Jack Murphy love after the game. But some of his kicking was absolutely howitzer-like, and his general play was really very good. I genuinely think he could have scored a try on 77:32. I appreciate that the sensible, strategic thing to do was chip back inside, but he looked like he could have smoked Cordero comfortably. Listening to a few podcasts etc afterwards, it sounds like he has the widest skillset of any of our 10s.

We nullified the Connacht maul completely. Not just with weight or heft but smarts.

The Connacht maul at 65:50 - McCormick and Timoney have the ball slowed and McCann is brilliant on the edge of the maul, shouting at the ref - "can I close in? Can I go for it?" Absolutely putting in Brace's head that he is just waiting to be legal to get us our ball. McCann has the highest rugby IQ of any young Ulster backrow since Pollock, I think.

McNabney was great. He's shaping into a monster, and 6'5" one that can be lifted in the lineout. Let folk down South endlessly pore over and dissect Gleeson and Edogbo, and McNabney can just work away up to fulfil his potential, without all the hype.

Doak was 100% PotM. He was fast in delivery, beautiful kicking game and a canny shooter in defence, really rattling Blade and Murphy repeatedly. I think/hope Murphy is the making of him. He's told him to speed up the bloody service (and referenced that publically), and Doak has everything else.

Our ideal back five in the scrum has Sheridan in second row and Izzy in the backrow. That was a good performance from Treadwell against Connacht, but he's been eclipsed by Sheridan for the last year and a half. Sheridan's issue is that he is abrasive, tough, aggressive but 6'4". Not as tall as the vast majority of second rows. And not as explosive as Izzy. But Sherry is excellent, full of aggro, and skilled. Certainly if Izzy and A. N. Other backrow can jump (and McCann can and McNabney seems to be able to), Sheridan is a first choice second row for me. (I think he's being currently kept on the bench as a "finisher". I'm not sure that's a great plan. Although it arguably did work on Saturday.)

Agree with everything there. Also pleasantly surprised at the pace shown from a jack Murphy. quick for a small man!!

Technically Eric is just not that good. Strength wise he doesn't fill the bill. A one time capped international who has drifted off into the lower dimensions of rugby. A player who will compete with the lower tiered league players. Who was once mighty for Trinity... Is now a middling type player.

I must agree that your analysis and the massive depth of knowledge and understanding that consumes you, is blinding, dazzling and leaves us mere plebs quivering and aghast. Every day I eagerly anticipate your musings on everything from the price of turnips to dark mysteries of the oceans.

Timoney signed until 2007.

Any update on Baloucoune?

O'Toole banned for six matches (the Connacht match included).

Will miss the first two 6N games, and Leicester, Exeter and Zebre for us.

Time for Wilson to step up and shine.

Can he not go to tackling school and have it reduced. If it was Owen farrell they'd succeed in getting the length of ban reduced somehow by whatever means possible and have him available for the 6 nations

Nonsensical to let an injury determine the length of a ban, people are always overly emotional when they make that argument. It would be a nightmare to litigate - how to we determine to what extent a previous injury worsened it?

Oh - it said in the 42 article that his previous red was why four weeks was the maximum mark-down he could have from the ten weeks entry level.