Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Hype710

Ali Birch is hard done by. He's small but he's looked good this year when given a chance, good breakdown skills, pace and an ability to link up well. Would compliment the likes of Diack and Williams a lot better IMO.

irishbucsfan

Hype710 wrote: »

Ali Birch is hard done by. He's small but he's looked good this year when given a chance, good breakdown skills, pace and an ability to link up well. Would compliment the likes of Diack and Williams a lot better IMO.

Hes also not utterly appalling.

thomond2006

Apparently McIlwaine is coming back to Ulster next season, maybe a year or two of consistent first team rugby for Birch would be in his best interests.

bilston

thomond2006 wrote: »

Apparently McIlwaine is coming back to Ulster next season, maybe a year or two of consistent first team rugby for Birch would be in his best interests.

Birch is supposedly off to England next season

Rumoured (nothing is confirmed at all) INS and OUTS
OUT
Stephen Ferris
John Afoa
Adam D'Arcy
Niall O'Connor
Ali Birch

IN
Jannie Du Plesis
James McKinney
David McIlwaine

Will we get any back row replacements? Has Dom Ryan signed a new Leinster contract or joined Connacht yet?!

where's D'Arcy off to?

p.s - you leave our Dom alone

CIARAN_BOYLE

bilston wrote: »

Will we get any back row replacements? Has Dom Ryan signed a new Leinster contract or joined Connacht yet?!

Yep

bilston

[Deleted User] wrote: »

where's D'Arcy off to?

p.s - you leave our Dom alone

I believe D'Arcy is off to France.

totallegend

bilston wrote: »

Will we get any back row replacements? Has Dom Ryan signed a new Leinster contract or joined Connacht yet?!

Hands off! Have ye not got enough youngsters coming through as it is?

Yeah, Ryan has just signed a two-year deal.

lurtz

wheres this rumour about jannie du plessis come from?

bilston

totallegend wrote: »

Hands off! Have ye not got enough youngsters coming through as it is?

Yeah, Ryan has just signed a two-year deal.

If he's signed a new deal then fair enough. We have plenty of youngster scoming through but apart from Henderson and maybe Joyce they're all backs!

I read somewhere a few weeks ago that Ryan was linked with a move to Connacht so I thought Ulster would have made more sense for him;)

ssaye

TommyBowe14: Can't wait for my first game back in Ravers for a while. Need to put the disappointment of last week behind us with a big crowd #SUFTUM

bilston

lurtz wrote: »

wheres this rumour about jannie du plessis come from?

It's doing the rounds but it seems it would only happen if Afoa goes back to NZ (obviously). Also it would be only be a one year deal to effectively cover the end of Afoa's current contract which gets past the new NIQ policy.

We'll see.

shuffol

Who's Sean O'Connell, he's listed as a no.8 in the academy.

ormond lad

shuffol wrote: »

Who's Sean O'Connell, he's listed as a no.8 in the academy.

an exile. over here for past 2 years or so. think he plays with Belfast harlequins

RobbieRuns

He does play with Belfast Quins. Good player, big lad. Has not had that many chances with the Ravens, but played well with them last week.

mayolad93

Great to see Ian henderson get a start at lock, he hasn't played there for quite a while, and hopefully thats where his future lies. It'll be interesting to see how he gets on tonight. Good to see Tommy Bowe back aswell, hopefully injury free for a long while.

Swan Curry

Is the match tonight televised?

mayolad93

Swan Curry wrote: »

Is the match tonight televised?

Yeah BBCNI and TG4

shuffol

P. Marshalls been pretty hopeless since the 6N.

shuffol

shuffol wrote: »

P. Marshalls been pretty hopeless since the 6N.

good timing!!

shuffol

Deleted User wrote: »

good timing!!

I was just about to type how quiet Bowe's been since christmas

CIARAN_BOYLE

Bowe and Olding combine to score Ulster's second try.

ScissorPaperRock

Olding needs to be involved in one of the Irish tours this summer. Looks like a serious talent.

Beery Eyed

There's been some great stuff in this game so far. Olding, Henderson & Gilroy are outstanding young players. Even before Olding got that try I was just about to write that he's fast becoming one of the most exciting young centres to watch at the moment. He always seems to have time with the ball & is able to create space/beat tacklers. With himself, Marshall, Farrell & even Allen as young centre options they're in a great position right now

ssaye

Henderson running and fending off tackles is a joy to behold

edit cave try

game over

CIARAN_BOYLE

Try number 3 Darren Cave

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

Olding needs to be involved in one of the Irish tours this summer. Looks like a serious talent.

To be honest Olding would probably get more out of the JWC rather than playing for Emerging Ireland. That said he could well travel with the senior side (and start at 12, if Marshall is still out and Darcy is rested).

shuffol

Pienaar putting on a clinic. You see a lot of talented young players and hope that they might be able to become good test players one day. With Henderson and Olding the skys the limit, there's nobody else at that level of potential at the other provinces though I've high hopes for Luke Mcgrath.

Beery Eyed

shuffol wrote: »

Pienaar putting on a clinic. You see a lot of talented young players and hope that they might be able to become good test players one day. With Henderson and Olding the skys the limit, there's nobody else at that level of potential at the other provinces though I've high hopes for Luke Mcgrath.

JJ Hanrahan's showing at the JWC last year suggested that he could well reach those heights as well

thomond2006

Henderson, the next POC?

ScissorPaperRock

Beery Eyed wrote: »

JJ Hanrahan's showing at the JWC last year suggested that he could well reach those heights as well

He's had a fairly quiet season since though.

thomond2006

ScissorPaperRoc wrote: »

He's had a fairly quiet season since though.

Tbf he's had little enough opportunity with Munster.

Beery Eyed

Yes he certainly hasn't been given the same level of opportunities as the young Ulster lads have, but just in terms of potential shown so far I'd have him in the same category as the lads you've mentioned

Glass Prison 1214

thomond2006 wrote: »

Henderson, the next POC?

Henderson is one of those once in a generation talents, but he is a very different player to Paul O'Connell so no he is not the next POC imo.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Try number 4 from Marshall BP secured now at 31-0

ScissorPaperRock

thomond2006 wrote: »

Tbf he's had little enough opportunity with Munster.

That's what I meant really. He hasn't had the chance to make any kind of mark. Hopefully he'll get a bit more game-time next season.

shuffol

McComish had the turnover opportunity equivalent of an open goal there and he still couldnt come away with the ball.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Lutton impressing today in his second start

Glass Prison 1214

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Lutton impressing today in his second start

Yes he has looked good, he has been a real positive for Ulster the last couple of weeks.

Beery Eyed

Thought Lutton did pretty well alright. It wasn't the toughest test he'll ever face, but he did his jobs well & the scrum looked fine while he was on

ScissorPaperRock

The BBCNI commentator loves his similes. So far tonight he's compared players to a ferret, an imp and a mole.

Swan Curry

Niall O'Connor is on,let the Ulster rampage commence.

Hagz

That's some try.

awec

Was travelling, what was the final score?

thomond2006

awec wrote: »

Was travelling, what was the final score?

31-5, BP win for Ulster.

awec

thomond2006 wrote: »

31-5, BP win for Ulster.

Sweet! Happy with that!

rchendz92

I know the Dragons aren't exactly quality opposition, but that was still a great performance from Ulster. Olding can't seem to put a foot wrong and Henderson is so dangerous with ball in hand. Obviously fantastic t osee Bowe scoring again, shame Gilroy couldn't get on the score sheet as he had a good game and all. The Scarlets did us a big favour earlier I see!

Swan Curry

BBC showed Henderson's ankle heavily bandaged after he came off,hope it's nothing serious.

rchendz92

Swan Curry wrote: »

BBC showed Henderson's ankle heavily bandaged after he came off,hope it's nothing serious.

Wow, he's really taking after Ferris in every way possible :pac:

Sinbad_NI

SO again another great performance. Have to say I thought big RD at 6 did really well also.

MolBee

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

SO again another great performance. Have to say I thought big RD at 6 did really well also.

Diack has made the progression from squad player to solid stand-in when other guys are injured to now someone I actually consider an important part of the team. Far surpassed my expectations this season. The fact we can move Hendo to the second row without compromising at 6 is great.