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

why is Evans applying the head process framework to foul play?

Did he actually connect with the head?

How was that not a yellow for shoulder on head against ToT

Terrible performance but some very poor decisions against Ulster. Benetton should have had two yellows in second half

WTF is happening?

We are serious pish at the moment. I'm not seeing any improvement, in fact I'm seeing the opposite.

We have good players, players that have been leaders at U20s level for Ireland. Why aren't they kicking on? Why do they never kick on? What's happened to McCann? Where is Sheridan? Why hasn't Doak improved? Is Baloucoune still alive? Is Stewart injured again (he looked like the best young hooker I'd ever seen at 20s level 5 years ago).

Is there is a serious attitude issue within the squad? I don't mean they are a bunch of w@nkers or anything like that. I sometimes wonder if some of them are just happy to be known as Ulster players, some of them feel that they've made it and they don't need to go that extra yard. They go out play the occasional blinder, get paid at the end of the month and go home happy. Thats great for them, but they might also be known as being part of the worst Ulster squad in living memory. Maybe I'm completely wide of the mark on this. But this is at least on a par with the Matt Williams days.

But whatever about that, the other embarrassment is out Irish representation. We have 4 players in the senior squad and 3 in the A squad...7 players in total!

Leinster have about 35 players across the two squads.

That is a damming indictment. We're at the point now where 3rd...THIRD...yes 3rd!!!! choice Leinster players are considered better than 1st choice Ulster players. How can any of these Ulster players possibly be happy with that?!

I'm not able to provide any solutions or answers other than hoping for 4 or 5 years where we produce an amazing crop of players, but even then I suspect most of them would fall by the wayside. Our U18s are supposed to be really good, let's see on 4 or 5 years time how many of them are in Ireland squads. Right now I'd wager very very few. I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.

I'd love to have a thoughtful discussion on this but honestly I'm none the wiser. Sometimes just seems the players don't give a flying fk. Whether things need time to settle more than we thought I dunno.

Went to Treviso, lovely spot and weekend, but jesus we just shot ourselves repeatedly with indiscipline. Worst part is, the traveling support was barely bothered in the end, it was almost expected.

Cooney all but confirmed gone just not official, not hearing any rumours of hulking big 2nd rows or props (or scrum halves!) Waiting to be announced.

Can be in a position to have excuses next season.

Yeah, it's players not making the jump from being good U20s to being good Test players that's the problem. Soper in the new transition coach role is a big positive step. But you still need a high performance senior environment for players to kick on and get the best out of themselves. There are huge questions over Murphy for me. I don't get the same sense at all of excellence in what they're doing that was there under Anscombe and at times under McFarland. Some help on the signing front couldn't help either. We'd probably be hearing a lot more about it if Munster or Leinster only had one NIQ.

So any of the following players that we can hang our hats on?

Daniel Green

Clark Logan

Henry Walker

Tom McAlistair

Walker must be decent enough given this is his second year with the 20s?

Any update yet on the injury izzy picked up?

Ankle injury I think. Don't know the severity though.

Doak pictured training with the A squad

The problem is we are losing to both Zebre and Benetton, it's hard for the Ulster lads to mount that much of a case at the moment.

A games are brutal anyway. I don't like them, to me players end up playing themselves out of contention rather than into it. It's different if it's the like of the Emerging Ireland squad (or the old Churchill Cup) where the lads are together for 3 weeks and play 3 matches, but one off games are bollix IMO.

Looking at the ‘a’ squad, I’d very much doubt they’d beat Treviso being down a man for almost a half either.

A very underwhelming team full of players who have yet to do anything at pro level.

Re. McCann's lack of call ups. Gave this some thought recently and if you go through the irish test team, nearly every single forward, back 5 especially, has a USP.

Beirne (turnovers), Ryan (rucking), McCarthy (size and aggression), Vdf (stamina and workrate), Doris (Dynamism and workrate, complete player), Pom (lineout and leadership, albeit final season). Even on the bench you have Conan (hard carrying), Baird (elite athlete).

McCann is pretty mobile, undeniably works hard and is a willing carrier without making massive gains but at the top level everyone works hard so maybe he's missing something that makes him stand out to coaches? Potentially the same case for Sheridan. Izzy has been selected but again he has elite athleticism compared to most in his position. Performances like benetton won't have helped McCann but when team form eventually improves I'm still not sure how much we'll see of him in green despite captaining at u20s. Hope I'm wrong!