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

Crazy that Flannery has six more caps than Murphy. He's been here since '22.

Yes, Dalton is a penalty machine. But there's a player in there and I'm glad to see him being persevered with.

See Richie says he worked this summer with Daragh Sheridan, the erstwhile Head of High Performance Coach Development at the IRFU, on how to move Ulster forward. Here's hoping that bears some fruit.

Sorry, I asked this before but no one could definitively tell me - is there any audio of Ulster games this season on the BBC? Now we know when the first match is, I've looked at the schedules page and I see Radio Foyle has commentary of Derry City this evening, although that might be FM. Can't find anything on the sport - rugby pages of the website to suggest there will be online commentary either

Depends on what he has done to his ankle. He came back for one game towards the end of last season, looked really sharp, might even have scored a try and then went off in the second half and wasn't see again before the end of the season if my memory serves me correct.

I hope he comes back soon, but I'm genuinely hopeful that Ward could really kick on this season, so I'm happy to see him get games. I'd also like to see Lukas Kenny get a go sooner rather than later. Lots of positive noises about him.

He was interviewed at half time last night on the pitch and I think he said he'd be back in a couple of weeks.

Agreed, lot's of work-ons but an enjoyable game.

Hume looks a lot slimmer and looked a better defensive player for it, early days though. Izzy, Lowry and Ward with big games, and it's great to see Stockdale still dangerous so soon after his injury.

My worry (besides the defence) is the lack of forward momentum in attack which is why we play so much side-to-side so much. A small tight five, especially with henderson on the wind-down, will do that. We need our tight five to be capable of bending the line, even if it's just around the rucks, to make the likes of McCloskey's job easier to punch holes a little wider. Hopefully Augustus can help with that along with Bell later in the season.

Any changes for Edinburgh dya reckon? I can imagine it staying the same but selfishly would like to see Augustus in at 8 and that'd likely push izzy to 2nd row

Aye, agree with Paul, Izzy should play 6, tough on McCann, but team comes first. McCann will play plenty this season anyway.

The only changes I'd consider are Augustus to 8 and maybe Dalton into the row, then again away from home ill discipline is something you want to avoid.

I'd also like to see Postlethwaite involved, if he isn't starting then the likes of Carson or Kok make more sense on the bench given they can play wing/centre.

Thought he was good - pretty aggressive. He was finishing his studies last season so hopefully this season he'll be back where he was in 23/24.

Ward across to left wing, Kok on the right and Moore in at FB.

Going by the first game, Lowry will be missed more.

Balacoune due to line out this weekend for Hinch in the AIL. So hopefully fully back in the mix next weekend.

If you add Bell in at LH then all of a sudden you're looking at a more than decent 1st XV.

Personally I'd rather see Izzy at 6 and as exciting as that back three looks on paper with ball in hand, I just don't like Stockdale at full back on the other side of the ball, it usually goes wrong and it normally hits his confidence.

I'm looking forward to seeing Canan Moodie tomorrow night for the Bulls, he is a talent and Hume will need to be on his game against him.

Strong Bulls side named, 7 changes from last week. A couple injury enforced (Marcell Coetzee and JF van Heerden) and the remainder largely to accommodate returning Springboks (Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw etc).

Bulls:

 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Nicolaas Janse v Rensburg, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johann Grobbelaar (captain), 1 Gerhard Steenekamp

Replacements:

 16 Juann Else, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 David Kriel, 23 Willie le Roux

Bulls were actually pretty poor in getting the win against Leinster last weekend tbh, but that's because they very often (and regularly last season too) seem a bit directionless in attack and vulnerable wide in defence.

Handre Pollard's return to me is the marriage of the most prototypical 10 to suit their big heavy pack - he'll play conservatively, and make sure they're playing in the right parts of the field and I think they'll be a lot more dangerous as a result.