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

Hopefully 6 weeks for something like that which would have him back for Europe.

Racing (home) and Cardiff away won't exactly be walks in the park. From a fan POV and from a financial POV we need an extra home game this season and we're more likely to get it through the Challenge Cup than URC IMO, so I'd like to see us going for 4 from 4 in the pool to make sure.

Anyway he'll be fit for those matches or he won't be, we'll just have to wait and see.

Big opportunity for someone like Hopes or Irvine to get some minutes. It will be interesting to see where they are at. Our second row depth is nowhere near where it needs to be.

Where should Tom Stewart rank as a hooker in the Ireland set-up?

A better hooker than McCarthy.

Maybe the relevent question is where does he rank as an openside…

Lions v Ulster Rugby, Sat 25 October, 12.45pm, Ellis Park Stadium, Round 5 BKT United Rugby Championship (Live on Premier Sports and URC.tv)

Player appearances in brackets

1. Sam Crean (5)

2. Rob Herring (257)

3. Tom O’Toole (126)

4. Harry Sheridan (44)

5. Joe Hopes (2)

6. David McCann (71)

7. Tom Stewart (58)

8. Juarno Augustus (3)

9. Nathan Doak (92)

10. Jack Murphy (16)

11. Zac Ward (12)

12. Jude Postlethwaite (32)

13. James Hume (102)

14. Robert Baloucoune (72)

15. Michael Lowry (126)

Replacements:

16. James McCormick (10)

17. Callum Reid (32)

18. Scott Wilson (38)

19. Matthew Dalton (15)

20. Bryn Ward

21. Conor McKee (4)

22. Jake Flannery (22)

23. Werner Kok (17)

Stewart has all the attributes for a 7. He's got a jackal in him, he's mobile and as far as I know he's a good defender.

To be honest my main excitement is the man on the bench who will likely replace him halfway through the second half.

Big call anyway as I think Marcus Rea is out there?

Tough call to bench Kok after last week, but it's probably a pre planned selection.

He played against the Bulls in Round 3.

Nervous about this one. Hope Ward goes well (and Hopes, for that matter).

Think we'll have to get used to being concerned bout our depth this season. (Although we are missing six backrowers - Izzy, Timoney, Gusty, Reffell, McNabney and McLoughlin.)

Devastating try

We're definitely showing fight, just a little worried about our fitness later on and more mistakes creeping in.

Yeah - very callow starting team up front with Ward and Hopes. Will have been the first time in SA for them and the likes of McKee. Disappointed in the result, but not too disappointed in the team.

Baloucoune was superb and I thought Postlethwaite and Hume worked well together - Jude certainly has a load of fight in him. We need a big, solid TH second row.

Put Ward into a pack with Hendy, Izzy, Timoney and Augustus etc and then I think we'll see exactly what this kid is about. He played well today.

Balacoune showed serious class, all three tries were excellent, the second one in particular. If he keeps playing like that he will have to be in the Ireland conversation again. Hume and Postlethwaite were very good as well, that's our centre pairing post McCloskey. Postlethwaite had always showed a good passing and kicking game but today he carried like Big Stu. Hume continues to ramp up towards his best.

We still lost though. A combination of a lack of bench depth, playing at altitude, no natural 7 and a struggling scrum cost us.

StIll if we'd been offered 6 points on tour two weeks ago most of us would have banked it.

Is there anybody here that owns a season ticket that can tell me if Ulster v Cheetahs in Amsterdam has gone on sale for them yet?

Ticket office said they will be offered to season ticket holders before going on general sale end of this month/beginning of November, so I'm trying to gauge when I need to be on the ball, as I'll be buying for a group.