Fwiw 6ft 5 is 195.5cm and Harrys head tilt/AOC being close to camera can change perspective, I think theyre about the same size. I'm splitting hairs but regardless they're both on the short side for modern locks and we're underpowered in the engine room whichever of our current locks play
That's quite all right.
Who is the Ulster 9 in the video then?
O'Connor is himself short for a lock (Ulster site suggests O'Connor is 1.96m which is 6'4"), and Sheridan is noticeably shorter than him here.
He is definitely not 6'5".
I think you're a bit confused.
There's a few comments in that list about how Doak realises what they need to do in defence. Yet he's not starting.
Timoney and Moore both got Yellow Cards off the back of nothing. Just silliness. Lowry absolutely should have had one. Yet all three are starting. Is that accountability? Or some special kind of accountability that's "reward idiocy"?
You'll have to pardon me if I think your analysis is a bit haphazard.
He's pretty short. Just Googled his height and Wikipedia said he's 6'5". He's really not.
And if it's not about his size, I'm pretty bewildered.
"…initially playing at prop during his school days at Sullivan Upper before moving to the second row."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/64406275
I can't imagine he's a weak scrum pusher if he played at prop as a schoolboy.
Have seen Sheridan listed at 121kg recently and McCarthy at 124kg which seems about right on the eye test. At 6ft 5 he's on the short side for a lock though but agree with others that we should be seeing more of him with treadwell leaving end of season.
I don't think Murphy has much choice after the Zebre and Benetton games.
There has to be accountability.
I think its easy enough to identify MOST* of the problems at Ulster just by watching the tries they concede
*(Attitude)
v Benetton.
11mins 7-7 Ulster
TRY Benetton.
Gallagher kicks ahead from a ruck inside the Benetton 10m on the RHS. He Kicks it ahead twice more to finish on the Ulster left wing….
Just look at the lack of effort (LACK OF) from CERTAIN Ulster players.
Morgan makes a little effort at least (he’s no pace).
Its Herring, Matty Rea and Doak who are really bursting a gut to get back.
38mins 17-19 Ulster
Its Doak who recognises they have no one on the left wing. Ulster winger eventually wakes up and makes a struggle of an attempt to cover across.
Mendy touches down with more than 20m of space.
43mins 17-19 Ulster
Lowry down injured with medic.
YC McCann.
Ulster exposed on the left wing again. McCann comes in the side of the ruck.
57mins 17-19 Ulster
Benetton 3 pts
Timony YC. Head on head.
63mins Benetton 20-19
YC Moore. Deliberate KO
Abysmal defence on the Ulster Left wing. Yet again.
Try Benetton from LO maul.
Didn’t even have to go 1 phase. Pathetic effort.
69min Benetton 27-19
Ulster try Disallowed
O’Toole should have been YC.
79mins Benetton 34-19
“We know were not as good as we need to be.." - Timoney after the Zebre game
Is Sheridan really that much smaller than the rest? All.Rugby have him listed as an inch shorter but 2Kgs heavier than Joe McCarthy
We're very lucky they don't have any of their now-international back three starting. And I really don't rate Ioan Lloyd.
Here's hoping. I still think they're in a better place than us.
In 8th place in the table rather than 14th, for a start.
bookies maintaining a 7 point spread here in favour of ulster.
i think it could be closer than that
I don't mind McKee starting. Doak frustrates me.
Sheridan's absence does confuse me though.
Hard to say. Murphy started him in the U20s, where, despite being smaller than his contemporaries even then, he really asserted himself. I do wonder if it's just panic about the scrum, which obviously hurt us so much against Benetton, and Crean is a completely unknown quantity. Personally, I'd play Sheridan at blindside, but I think the decision has probably been made that he's a (small) second row.
A win would be a huge lift. And that backline - that's a great lineup.
I wonder if Murphy has quietly fundamentally written off this season and is experimenting until he has Sexton and Faloon in place. I liked the look of McKee in the friendly, but giving him his first start in a must-win game?
Also curious around Sheridan
Are we starting to fall into the old Dan trap of continuous chopping and changing.
Ulster Rugby team v Scarlets Rugby, Round 12, BKT United Rugby Championship, Saturday 1 March, 5.15pm, Kingspan Stadium (Live on BBC Sport NI, Premier Sports, RTE):
(The players’ origin clubs are included alongside their names.)
1. Callum Reid (Instonians RFC) (22)
2. Rob Herring (SACS) (246)
3. Scott Wilson (Dromore RFC) (27)
4. Alan O’Connor (Capt.) (Skerries RFC) (205)
5. Matthew Dalton (Belfast Royal Academy) (10)
6. Matty Rea (Ballymena RFC) (107)
7. Nick Timoney (Blackrock College RFC) (159)
8. James McNabney (Cambridge House Grammar School) (12)
9. Conor McKee (CIYMS RFC)
10. Jack Murphy (Clontarf RFC) (5)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan RFC) (126)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC) (197)
13. James Hume (Malone RFC) (96)
14. Michael Lowry (Dromore RFC) (117)
15. Stewart Moore (Ballymoney RFC) (76)
16. John Andrew (Ballymena RFC) (131)
17. Sam Crean (Hedway RFC)
18. Tom O’Toole (Ashbourne RUFC) (116)
19. Kieran Treadwell (Chipstead RFC) (172)
20. David McCann (Cooke RFC) (60)
21. Nathan Doak (Lisburn RFC) (81)
22. Jake Flannery (Kilfeacle & District RFC) (18)
23. Jude Postlethwaite (Lisburn RFC) (25)
So. Emergency on-loan loosehead straight onto the bench. Again, no Sheridan, which I find genuinely bewildering (I do wonder if he's under-powered in the scrums, because he's one of our best, most aggressive players in the loose.) I have no idea what Matty Rea keeps getting selected ahead of him.
Very interesting that McKee is starting.
This is a must-win game - Murphy came out during the week and said that if we lose this, there's no realistic hope of us qualifying for Europe next year, never mind getting into the URC knock-outs. So does he really think this is our best team? I know we've a number of our pack out injured, but I thought, in addition to Sheridan, McCormick had passed Andrew.
yep - and I don't think it will be a close call. It will be more of the same, no clear strategy, game plan or structure.
Out with injury update:
Henderson / Izzy / Cooney / Warwick / O’Sullivan / Stewart / McIlroy / Moxham / Michael McDonald / Reffell / Marcus Rea / Baloucoune. Lowry and Flannery are being monitored.
We’ve some IQ prop from Saracens on short-term loan.
We're going to lose to the Scarlets, who have been steadily improving.
highlights of ire A v Eng A are on YouTube
Not to mention our back row are all hybrids floating between positions, we have loads of 6.5s & & 7.5s
That's an interesting comment - will have to think properly about that. I'd agree McCann has no USP in that sense. Even Timoney - speedy, fit player. Although I don't think Prendergast has one, really.
Will mul that over.
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!
he was indeed pish, but bar Stockdale, McCloskey and perhaps Hume, no player had even close to a good game.
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.
And now starting. Shows what I know. But I am bewildered - he's been tasked with speeding up, and we've seen that in parts, buts he was absolutely woejous against Benetton - not a single contestable kick, it felt like.
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.
Lucky to be there. Very much so.
Doak pictured training with the A squad
Looking at the Ireland A squad again and I'm seriously scratching my head.
I really can't understand why Sheridan and Wilson aren't there (ahead, specifically, of Fineen Wycherly and Paddy McCarthy / Jack Aungier). I'd be tempted to take McCormick instead of Diarmud Barron as well. McCann is possibly caught in no man's land (although I don't think he's even been in an extended training squad for the senior team). Doak has played himself out of any discussion.
Ankle injury I think. Don't know the severity though.
The year after should in theory be better though? But a lot can happen in 2 years and as I said before I fully expect our U18s to be overtaken by their Leinster counterparts over the next 2 years because that it what always happens.
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