Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

PhatPiggins · 08-03-2011 1:19am

Ulster are a very tempting 9/2 outright and with a 10 point start to beat Northampton in the quarter. The way the respective teams are playing its almost your patriotic and financial duty to bet on them.

thomond2006 · 08-03-2011 6:00pm

Jane is a class act either at wing or fullback, he would be a fantastic signing.

Botha being left go frees up an NIQ spot and some money.

Is Danielli staying?

CIARAN_BOYLE · 08-03-2011 7:04pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Is Danielli staying?

He is contracted for another year so I presume so

thomond2006 · 16-03-2011 12:10pm

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0316/afoaj.html

Ulster sign All Black John Afoa on 2 year deal.

Direct replacement for BJ Botha.

GerM · 16-03-2011 12:16pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2011/0316/afoaj.html

Ulster sign All Black John Afoa on 2 year deal.

Direct replacement for BJ Botha.

Not a bad signing at all. Not a like for like signing but a decent one all the same. He can play anywhere across the front row and is very mobile. Not in Botha's league at scrum time. Has improved since he first came on the scene though and once he settles should be able to hold his own at HEC level.

16-03-2011 12:19pm

Botha will be a huge loss tbh, not just in a playing capacity.

Check out this video, I reckon he's the scrum coach too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=133SuTjvHAw

Hype710 · 16-03-2011 1:15pm

Humphreys has done admirably in luring top players to Ulster. Afoa should fill Botha's void and is not yet in his prime as a prop. Are the South Africans signed for next season too?

irishbucsfan · 16-03-2011 1:33pm

John Afoa!? Thats a great signing!

Tommy Seymour to Glasgow probably escaped a lot of people's attention, hope it works out for him there.

[Jackass] · 16-03-2011 5:50pm

Surprised this didn't come up, but Ulster have been awarded finance to finish the redevelopment of Ravenhill, and put 3 new stands (excluding the new corporate stand) and it will make Ravenhill a modern, top of the range stadium, with capacity of 15,000 - 20,000.

On top of the Ravenhill development, Windsor Park, around the corner, is going to be built into a top class 20,000 all seater stadium and there will be a modern 10,000 seater stadium developed for League of Ireland side Glentoran along with an IFA training centre on the same site and the modernisation of Linfield and Derry city stadiums.

All in all, great news for Ulster and Irish rugby, as well as giving the IRFU a lot more firepower when looking at putting together a world cup bid down the line with modern stadia based around the country.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/stadiums-fit-for-our-heroes-on-way-at-last-15110370.html

Surely RDS / Leinster must be next in line for a modern, purpose built stadium, as well as a develolpment of a 10,000 municipal stadium of west in Galway city for GAA, Rugby & Football with corporate facilities.

Sporting infrastructure on this island has been appauling for the last 50+ years. It's nice to see us catching up now.

REQUEST: Someone posted plans to the new Ravenhill development showing the entire four new stands and capacity details, can someone please repost as I can't find it anywhere. Thanks

CIARAN_BOYLE · 16-03-2011 10:14pm

Summation of moves for next season

Out
McCrea wing Connacht
Seymour wing Glasgow
NOC OH Connacht
Anderson BR Connacht
Botha prop Munster
Caldwell lock Bath

In
Afoa prop
Black prop
McComish BR
Harlequins lock
Ulster can also sign a project player, there has been a couple of south african youngsters mentioned as possibilities.

EDIT thanks borna

borna7 · 16-03-2011 10:51pm

Also Ulster have signed Stevenson a 2nd row from Harlequins for next season to add to your list with Caldwell heading to Bath

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 5:59pm

Ulster: (15-9): A D’Arcy; C Gaston, N Spence, L Marshall, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; (1-8): P McAllister, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), T Barker, C Henry, W Faloon, R Diack

Replacements (16-23): N Brady, B Young, J Cronin, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, P Marshall, D Cave, T Seymour

Dragons team for Ulster Martyn Thomas, Will Harries, Adam Hughes, Pat Leach, Aled Brew, Jason Tovey; Wayne Evans; Phil Price, Lloyd Burns, Dan Way, Luke Charteris, Adam Jones, Andrew Coombs, Lewis Evans, Joe Bearman.

Replacements Steve Jones, Pat Palmer, Hugh Gustafson, Adam Brown, Toby Faletau, Tom Riley, James Leadbeater, Matthew Jones

Other than D'arcy and RP I don't think there is a back over 21 in that team. This could go one of two ways for Ulster, there could be a flop due to the lack of experience or it could click and be a think of beauty. I'm hoping for a good game tonight

18-03-2011 6:01pm

Backline is fantastic to see. Lets hope they can rough it out.

Dragons are a very weak team, on Paper that Ulster team is way on top in almost all positions.

Ulster still planning ahead, in 2/3 years they're going to have an absolutely fantastic (predominantly Irish) squad to take on the ML/HEC again.

Rising up...
Back on the streets...

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 8:20pm

Had good start by Ulster wrote but then that happens.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 8:21pm

7-5
mistake from D'arcy led to a try, that said the Dragons try scorer may have been offside

thomond2006 · 18-03-2011 8:51pm

HT: 10-5

Stev_o · 18-03-2011 8:57pm

Ulster Rugby Comic relief is fantastic! In stitches laughing.

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 8:59pm

They have done well lol

18-03-2011 9:25pm

That try was a shining example of why teams who kick the ball away concede.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:25pm

ffs ulster 10 dragons 17

Ulster have released the bench
Marshall on for Jackson
Cave on for Marshall
Seymour on for D'arcy
Wannenberg on for Diack
Tuohy on for Barker

18-03-2011 9:31pm

and the bench repays the faith

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:32pm

Seymour scores a try which Pienaar fails to converts

Why is ulster letting Seymour go

15-17

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 9:32pm

Pity didnt get the conversion but we can go on from here and get another try.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:38pm

damianmcr wrote: »

Pity didnt get the conversion but we can go on from here and get another try.

Dragons are using their third kicker of the night to strech the score to 20-15

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 9:40pm

Can we do it?

I reckon so.

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 9:45pm

Get in. Now need RP to slot this over.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:45pm

Good man Cave, what a way to return to ulster colors

18-03-2011 9:45pm

Nice try off first phase.

HOLD

18-03-2011 9:47pm

60seconds to rewrite the scoreboard!

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 9:47pm

FFS. Raging

thomond2006 · 18-03-2011 9:48pm

22-20 with 2 minutes to go!

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:48pm

drop goal from tovey who hadn't managed to get it between the posts earlier on

EDIT RP DG to win the game

18-03-2011 9:49pm

Pienaar does just that. Ulster 1 point win

damianmcr · 18-03-2011 9:49pm

AHHHHH

Brilliant. Amazing.

Jesus that was a nerve wrecking ending.

CouchSmart · 18-03-2011 9:49pm

My heart!

GerM · 18-03-2011 9:50pm

So what you're saying is that I made a mistake choosing to watch the U20 side instead of Ulster?

thomond2006 · 18-03-2011 9:53pm

Wow what a finish!

25-23 FT

CIARAN_BOYLE · 18-03-2011 9:59pm

GerM wrote: »

So what you're saying is that I made a mistake choosing to watch the U20 side instead of Ulster?

I think so

GerM · 18-03-2011 10:02pm

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I think so

Arse.

Brewster · 18-03-2011 10:18pm

Amazing last five mins. Ulster are learning to win tight games without playing well. That is always a sign of a good team. To win that game with less than a minute to go when they kicked off is fantastic stuff...

CouchSmart · 18-03-2011 10:55pm

Ulster are becoming a bit of a dark horse to win something this season. I can see them beating Northampton in the quarters.

Digifriendly · 19-03-2011 12:33pm

CouchSmart wrote: »

Ulster are becoming a bit of a dark horse to win something this season. I can see them beating Northampton in the quarters.

Not a chance if they play like that. Remember Gloucester destroyed Dragons last weekend in the LV Cup. Ulster will have to up their game considerably if they are going to compete with Northampton.

CouchSmart · 19-03-2011 2:03pm

Digifriendly wrote: »

Not a chance if they play like that. Remember Gloucester destroyed Dragons last weekend in the LV Cup. Ulster will have to up their game considerably if they are going to compete with Northampton.

Ye but last nights team was fairly callow. They were missing players like Botha, Court, Best(Starting front row), Ferris, Wannenburg(On the bench), Humphreys, Wallace, Trimble, Danielli. All in all not a bad result realistically.

jacothelad · 19-03-2011 2:44pm

Digi is correct. If Ulster were to play like that they'd lose by a cricket score. The saving grace of last night is that of the 15 who started, only Muller, Pienaar, Spence and D'Arcy are going to start against Saints.

Court, Best, Botha, Muller, Tuohy, Ferris, Wannenberg, Henry (Faloon), Pienaar, Humphs, Danielli, Wallace, Spence, Trimble, D'Arcy.

Those in red to come in. I'd hazard a guess that that team would have ripped the Dragons a new orifice last night.

Players like Luke Marshall, Jackson, McAllister, Gaston, Gilroy and eveb Spence are novices. Some have hardly played AIL rugby never mind M.L. stuff and it looked like it once the adrenaline had worn off.

Digifriendly · 19-03-2011 2:53pm

jacothelad wrote: »

Digi is correct. If Ulster were to play like that they'd lose by a cricket score. The saving grace of last night is that of the 15 who started, only Muller, Pienaar, Spence and D'Arcy are going to start against Saints.

Court, Best, Botha, Muller, Tuohy, Ferris, Wannenberg, Henry (Faloon), Pienaar, Humphs, Danielli, Wallace, Spence, Trimble, D'Arcy.

Those in red to come in. I'd hazard a guess that that team would have ripped the Dragons a new orifice last night.

Players like Luke Marshall, Jackson, McAllister, Gaston, Gilroy and eveb Spence are novices. Some have hardly played AIL rugby never mind M.L. stuff and it looked like it once the adrenaline had worn off.

You make a fair point. Must still be a question over Ferris's fitness and what's the story with Botha at present? Is he still injured? Think if Cave plays well over next 2 ML games that he might still come into contention alongside Wallace in centre for HC match.

jacothelad · 19-03-2011 3:02pm

Digifriendly wrote: »

You make a fair point. Must still be a question over Ferris's fitness and what's the story with Botha at present? Is he still injured? Think if Cave plays well over next 2 ML games that he might still come into contention alongside Wallace in centre for HC match.

Not sure about Botha. He needed an operation (to reattach a tendon I think) to his elbow. If he isn't fit for Northamptom we will get screwed in the scrums. Ferris will be fit according to the info available at the moment. I'd actually play Spence at 12 and Cave at 13. Spence would be more than a match for Downey and bring Mincer on at 50. Whitten also coud come in to the reckoning at 12. He is a very under rated player who has a lot more to his game than simply trying to batter a hole in the opposition.

jolley123 · 19-03-2011 8:54pm

Just in case no one saw it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCU_fLJXlQg&feature=feedu

damianmcr · 19-03-2011 9:26pm

What is it chap? Not showing for me.

Digifriendly · 19-03-2011 11:09pm

damianmcr wrote: »

What is it chap? Not showing for me.

Ulster v Dragons Comic Relief shown at half time on BBCNI's coverage of the game.

CouchSmart · 19-03-2011 11:13pm

jolley123 wrote: »

Just in case no one saw it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCU_fLJXlQg

^

Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

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