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

Loads of positives from that for Ulster. They definitely didn't die wondering. Play like that in the URC run in and we can definitely make the top 8.

I thought Ulster were going to lose by a cricket score after Bordeaux’s first three tries. What a fight back. At least morale hasn’t gone completely. What the heck happened to Baloucoune? A new injury or the same one?

A few thoughts about the game –

Again, we need to stop gifting teams twenty minutes of free scoring at the start of games. Going down by 21 unanswered points is a very tough place to work ourselves back from. If we could stop that – put it this way, we outscored Bordeaux in the second half. It’s a brilliant sign of our mental fortitude that we are able to shrug it off and play our way back into games. At this stage, our heads don’t go down. But what would be better yet is not actually doing it in the first place. And if our defence had been as shoddy and porous as it was earlier in the season, we’d have been looking at a Leinster-Quins score.

Crucially, we gave away a lot less penalties. A couple of months ago, any time we were under pressure, someone didn’t roll away in the tackle, or jumped offside, or put hands in the ruck. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen fewer silly penalties. Everyone gives away penalties, but we had gotten into the habit of consistently giving away braindead ones. That seems to have improved – please, please, please let that continue, because it was a major reason we weren’t winning games.

We played some rugby. Backs’ moves, offloads, purpose, support. For the second week in a row, we had moments of incision and smarts. Perhaps it’s coincidental that it’s also the second week Mike Lowry has been at FB.

Also for the second week in a row, our scrum seems to have been less of an issue – it still creaks, but it’s given away less penalties. It’d be nice to have a half-decent scrum, but in the meantime, we seem to have found ways to work around it. The lineout is also working reasonably well, although Stewart needs to sort out his throwing, because we could really do with his ball-carrying and groundhog work.

Thought TOT played with his head screwed on for the first time in a long time. Tough carries in traffic, good in defence, strength to tunnel over for a try. Seemed alert and switched on. Hopefully he keeps it up and gets back into the green jersey.

Dalton wasn’t a discipline blackspot when he came on - one penalty, and a great deal more physical than AOC or Treadwell. Hoping that Stormers game was just a rubbish game for him.

McNabney was, again, brilliant. Less showy, but all business. Top tackler. Joint top carrier. Top forward on metres made. A couple of runs with French players hanging off him.

McCann and Timoney were very good.

Doak, when he came on, was a flashback to his breakthrough season. Fast service, excellent support lines, good awareness. If he continues like that, Cooney will be less of a loss next season. He know he ups his game when he comes off the bench, though.

Murphy was very good, albeit with the occasional mistake – overcooked kicks, for the most part. I genuinely feel that his game management is already better than Burns’, and he’s brave in defence. He has a real turn of speed as well.

McCloskey was McCloskey, Notable the amount of times we saw him with a couple of French players trying to bring him down, arm outstretched and looking around for an offload.

I felt Moore illustrated again what I said last week – he’s a better centre than fullback. He doesn’t bludgeon in contact but he has a way of moving that often allows him to make a few extra metres – and his shoot-out tackle on Carberry was superb.

Stockdale was excellent. I mean, brilliant. It felt like he was dragging the whole team with him, not just turning on a bit of sparkle when he got the ball wide. Two or three of his linebreaks were on Ward’s wing – he’s getting involved, popping up everywhere. This summer tour could be an important one for him.

And Lowry back to his best position. He’s not quite back to his best yet, it looks like there’s a lack of decisiveness a bit, but he’s been playing wing for a few months.

Zac Ward looks like the real deal. Don’t think his positioning under the high ball was tested much, which is where his inexperience shows mainly, but he’s skilled, fast and strong. That back three looked connected and sharp and are improving.

At the end of the day, we still lost, and giving twenty one points away before turning the engine over was ridiculous. The Bordeaux forwards aren’t just physical bullies – their handling, support and reading of the game is genuinely superb. We spent long periods in scramble defence, and some of the lines the backs cut through us were phenomenal. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves when some of their scores looked so effortless.

But there’s no question that we’ve improved, and it’s great to see. We keep being told that we want to play a fast, mobile game, and the improving weather will help that. Basically, I think if we play like that for the next four games, we will pick up wins and losing bonus points, and will be in the top eight. What we can’t do is turn up and expect that to somehow happen. How many times have we followed an impressive performance with one totally off the pace?

I really, really enjoyed rooting for Ulster again yesterday, and there were parts of our game that I was massively proud of.

Ward was very impressive. However, I hope you do still have Baloucoune who is a real game-changer. This injury is not looking good.

https://www.reddit.com/r/irishrugby/comments/1jv0uxg/state_of_the_nation_ulster/

Very good thread found on Reddit Re. Ulster currently. Worth a read.

Unrelated to anything, but sweet God Ferris is a difficult listen. He's such an absolute Munster fluffer, while at the same time pouring scorn on Ulster so much that McCloskey (who would have played with him) felt compelled to take to Twitter to tell him to wind his neck in.

It's unbelievable that this is a man who beat Munster in a European knock out in Thomond. He must have wept for a week afterwards.

"Hit 'em harder! More physicality! You have to want it more!'

When you're a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. I shouldn't be vexed by him and his "analysis". I'm long in the tooth enough to ignore it.

But Jaysis, Fez, get off your knees in front of mediocre Irish team.

I’d like to apologise on behalf of everyone in Leinster not involved in such nonsense.
Supporters clubs attract the wrong sort.

I hadn’t got that far into it.
there is a need in general for better and more songs in Irish rugby but open mic nights are not the answer.

That is hilarious!! I want to go along to the next one for the laugh.

Izzy, Kok and Postlethwaite back from injury.

Hume, Baloucoune and Hendo still out.

Postlethwaite or Moore for Hume, Izzy into second row for me. Dunno if Kok comes in for Ward - Werner's hustle and workrate is fantastic to have, but Zac has earned his place, I think. His speed would be a useful weapon lined up against Lowe (if he plays).

Reuben Crothers retiring at the end of the season. Don’t know what prompted this but I hope he’s content with his decision and has no regrets.

From an Ulster perspective, it sucks that a former u20 grand slam captain is retiring without getting a proper chance.

Hope he finds success in whatever he does next

Bloody hell. That's a loss. Very disappointing.

Saw this. Some good work going on at grassroots level.

https://ulster.rugby/content/ulster-rugbys-club-capital-improvement-project-transforming-grassroots-rugby-clubs

With 12 months remaining until full completion, the Ulster Rugby ‘Club Capital Improvement Project’ is now well underway, bringing vital infrastructure upgrades to 30 rugby clubs under its remit. Supported by £5.1m of investment through the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, this ambitious scheme is set to deliver modern, inclusive, and sustainable facility enhancements that will benefit clubs and communities for many years to come.