Ulster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread II

Utah_Saint

vienne86 wrote: »

Positive noises from Tommy Bowe:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2015/1129/750092-bowe-not-giving-up-hope-on-six-nations/

Tbh I think Bowe needs to focus on ulster. He's had so many injuries and frequently misses huge parts of ulster's season.

vienne86

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Tbh I think Bowe needs to focus on ulster. He's had so many injuries and frequently misses huge parts of ulster's season.

I agree, but I'm just glad that his recovery seems to be going well.

bilston

We could do with Tommy back and at the top of his game. Maybe after Christmad we'll have him, Payne and Olding all back.

Our league position isn't as bad as it first looks. Of our 8 games so far we've 5 away and 3 at home and we have Munster, Leinster and Scarlets away out of the way. I still think we can get a top 4 finish. We are hard to score against (at Pro 12 level) which means we'll be hard to beat at Kingspan.

There's my positive thought for the day!

bilston

Reading uafc the latest on transfer rumours are that Ludik and Van Der Merwe will get extensions with Ludik being treated as a project player and that Nick Williams will be replaced by a player of similar status to Piutau.

Ironically Williams has been one of our best players so far this season.

awec

Why would we extend Ludik with Piutau coming in? Nelson is better than Ludik too. It makes no sense at all.

And he has no hope of ever playing for Ireland. Ever.

mfceiling

awec wrote: »

Why would we extend Ludik with Piutau coming in? Nelson is better than Ludik too. It makes no sense at all.

And he has no hope of ever playing for Ireland. Ever.

So true. He is a good solid squad player and always plays fairly good but that's about his ceiling unfortunately. He's taking up a valuable niq slot imo.

bilston

awec wrote: »

Why would we extend Ludik with Piutau coming in? Nelson is better than Ludik too. It makes no sense at all.

And he has no hope of ever playing for Ireland. Ever.

Agree with you on Nelson. I know he has been around for a couple of years but in a way he has been the find of the season for us. If he goes well over the next two months I wouldn't be that shocked if he caught the attention of Schmidt given the lack of FB options available to Ireland.

I suppose wrt Ludik if he isn't going to be taking up a NIQ spot then it isn't the end of the world, but then he probably won't be that cheap.

I'm more worried about the front row to be honest awec, specifically TH. Herbst needs a rocket up the arse.

bilston

mfceiling wrote: »

So true. He is a good solid squad player and always plays fairly good but that's about his ceiling unfortunately. He's taking up a valuable niq slot imo.

But he wouldn't be taking up a NIQ spot, he'd be a project player. The fact Ireland are lacking FB options may be the reason why Ulster would be given special dispensation to allow him project status.

mfceiling

bilston wrote: »

But he wouldn't be taking up a NIQ spot, he'd be a project player. The fact Ireland are lacking FB options may be the reason why Ulster would be given special dispensation to allow him project status.

I suppose so but you'd have to say there are better home grown options for 15 than Ludik.

bilston

mfceiling wrote: »

I suppose so but you'd have to say there are better home grown options for 15 than Ludik.

Yeah Nelson and Olding are arguably as good, but Ludik can play centre and wing too so he wouldn't be a bad option as cover. Put it this way in previous years we've had Ricky Andrew and David McIlwaine as cover, Louis Ludik would be a lot better than that.

CatFromHue

If Ludik is kept on and with Piatau coming it would be good for Nelson to leave as his gametime will be severely restricted with those 2 guys there all season.

jacothelad

CatFromHue wrote: »

If Ludik is kept on and with Piatau coming it would be good for Nelson to leave as his gametime will be severely restricted with those 2 guys there all season.

If Ulster give P45s to iHumph and Windsor - as they should - Nelson could be a back up 10. He's better than those two - as is Olding and probably Marshall. Ulster are in a right mess. It's been a slow motion car crash since they sacked Anscombe. Losing Afoa, Court, Muller, dHumph, Bell and a few others while filling the squad with the likes of Browne, Faloon, Windsor, Clive Ross, Bronson Ross and the rest of the empty shirts. None of this is helped by a charisma free zone in the coaches hut. Players would follow Schmidt and Lam into an inferno. They'd slam the door and nail it up on Doak and Clarke to make sure they didn't get out.

CatFromHue

Ah here, iHumph must be well up on the charts for turnovers after the Saracens game :P

Utah_Saint

How Clarke still has a job is beyond me...!

awec

Utah_Saint wrote: »

How Clarke still has a job is beyond me...!

The CEO is clueless.

Utah_Saint

awec wrote: »

The CEO is clueless.

I always jump at the chance of a dig at Doak but the most ineffective part of our game is the forward play and that is Clarke's domain. You think i'm being harsh you should see the lads on UAFC....;)

bilston

Clarke seems to be a problem. From seemingly alienating players to not getting the desired results.

Doak is a bit different. I think he is actually a decent backs coach. Certainly when Anscombe was here and Doak was looking after the backs we played some good attacking rugby. My hope is that with Kiss now in charge Doak can go back to what he is good at.

No idea what Barakat (sp?) brings to the party, that isn't a criticism, I just don't know what he is meant to be doing.

madlad88

Utah_Saint wrote: »

I heard he's being carrying a succession of injuries and may not get back to pro12 level...although its a rumour

Also, I believe Herbie Hancock could be lookin a new province soon if he doesn't pull his socks up. He's been tom kite every game he's played this season.

That is a vicious rumour, O'Connor is only 23.

He has had his fair share of injuries in the last 6 months but hes back in the running with the A squad so give him a bit more time and he'll be back with the 1st squad.

Much better prospect than your man Browne anyway.

awec

bilston wrote: »

Clarke seems to be a problem. From seemingly alienating players to not getting the desired results.

Doak is a bit different. I think he is actually a decent backs coach. Certainly when Anscombe was here and Doak was looking after the backs we played some good attacking rugby. My hope is that with Kiss now in charge Doak can go back to what he is good at.

No idea what Barakat (sp?) brings to the party, that isn't a criticism, I just don't know what he is meant to be doing.

"Breakdown coach".

A makey uppy Ulster Rugby title.

Utah_Saint

awec wrote: »

"Breakdown coach".

A makey uppy Ulster Rugby title.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we have a 'Ministry of Silly Walks' at Ulster....

jacothelad

madlad88 wrote: »

That is a vicious rumour, O'Connor is only 23.

He has had his fair share of injuries in the last 6 months but hes back in the running with the A squad so give him a bit more time and he'll be back with the 1st squad.

Much better prospect than your man Browne anyway.

O'Connor has all it takes to be a very fine player indeed. He's a big, ignorant, hard fecker with a lot of athleticism and skill.

mfceiling

jacothelad wrote: »

O'Connor has all it takes to be a very fine player indeed. He's a big, ignorant, hard fecker with a lot of athleticism and skill.

Definitely won't fit in to the ulster set up then...

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Team for tomorrow... Is that a wild O'Connor I spot on the bench?

Utah_Saint

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Team for tomorrow... Is that a wild O'Connor I spot on the bench?

Team appears to be rotated a bit which is good. Hendo back where he belongs.

molloyjh

Who is covering 10? Marshall?

CIARAN_BOYLE

molloyjh wrote: »

Who is covering 10? Marshall?

Nelson started at 10 quiet a bit this season.

jacothelad

SHOCKING, SHOCKING WEATHER HAS ARRIVED. Absolutely brutal. Gale force winds and driving rain. It's like the Sportsground........:D

bilston

jacothelad wrote: »

SHOCKING, SHOCKING WEATHER HAS ARRIVED. Absolutely brutal. Gale force winds and driving rain. It's like the Sportsground........:D

Just drove into town and back. Horrendous, thought the kids had opened the windows in the backseat at one point. Glad to be watching this from the sofa. I can't see a lot of rugby being played which is a shame because we could do with 5 points tonight.

bilston

And there ends Ulster's season.

FFS...

Clive Ross on for Iain Henderson.

Jesus wept

bilston

Cave off as well.

At least we are winning

mogwai81

What's the score?

vienne86

mogwai81 wrote: »

What's the score?

14-0.

phog

bilston wrote: »

And there ends Ulster's season.

FFS...

Clive Ross on for Iain Henderson.

Jesus wept

What happened Henderson?

bilston

phog wrote: »

What happened Henderson?

Possible hamstring injury. As long it isn't the knee. Leg area anyway.

mfceiling

bilston wrote: »

Possible hamstring injury. As long it isn't the knee. Leg area anyway.

Looked like his knee...couldn't be more fecked with injuries

Journeyman_1

That's actually a pretty poor result for Ulster, they should have gotten a comfortable 5 points but for inaccuracies. they went 70~ minutes without scoring against a pretty poor side. Injuries are a worry though!

bilston

mfceiling wrote: »

Looked like his knee...couldn't be more fecked with injuries

Hard to say but it was fecking innocuous.

Anyway given the conditions and injuries we'll take the win.

Good scrum (first half). Kyle McCall continues to impress.

bilston

Journeyman_1 wrote: »

That's actually a pretty poor result for Ulster, they should have gotten a comfortable 5 points but for inaccuracies. they went 70~ minutes without scoring against a pretty poor side. Injuries are a worry though!

Ah there were a few passes getting caught in the wind that didn't help. We probably needed to get the 4 tries in the first half.

bilston

Les Kiss said there are a couple of long term injuries after tonight.

Balls.

aimee1

Les Kiss said on BBC NI that ulster suffered two long term injuries tonight, who were they?

bilston

aimee1 wrote: »

Les Kiss said on BBC NI that ulster suffered two long term injuries tonight, who were they?

We lost Tuohy, Henderson, Cave and Nelson to injury (think that was it).

I'm guessing the ling term injuries will be Hendy (hammy I think but possibly knee) and Nelson (foot/ankle). Cave might have got a stinger on the shoulder.

The injuries would put you off the sport nowadays.

aimee1

bilston wrote: »

The injuries would put you off the sport nowadays.

yeah its pretty much serious injury after serious injury and thats not even taking concussions into account. The chop tackle needs to be completely banned and reffed properly

the foot trip is banned but lads are allowed put their entire body in front of the carriers knee area, its asking for serious injury.

connacht player pinged tonight when he wrapped his arm around the carriers leg but in the world cup, Lydiate up-ended tom wood and because 'his arm was out away from his body' he was deemed to be trying to wrap when he really wasnt

Digifriendly

Journeyman_1 wrote: »

That's actually a pretty poor result for Ulster, they should have gotten a comfortable 5 points but for inaccuracies. they went 70~ minutes without scoring against a pretty poor side. Injuries are a worry though!

Considering the injuries they suffered to key players during the game Ulster did pretty well IMHO. They dominated territory/possession in the second half playing into a strong wind. Also were it not for a controversial TMO decision they might otherwise have denied Edinburgh a losing BP. Edinburgh are well coached and well drilled so not a 'pretty poor result' IMHO.

bilston

I'm going to say it because I'm not slow to criticise the guy but fair fecks to Clive Ross. He stood up last night.

Also while McCloskey was outstanding from the bench I thought Marshall had his best game in a while and watching O'Connor last night you have to ask why the heck have we not seen this guy in about 9 months?

On the downside as soon as Lutton left the pitch and Herbst came the scrum went to poo. Herbst did wel in the loose though which is.something. There is no question that our best front row is McCall, Best, Lutton.

Possible team for Toulouse

15 Ludik
14 Trimble
13 Marshall/Cave
12 McCloskey
11 Gilroy
10 Jackson
9 Pienaar
1 McCall
2 Best
3 Lutton
4 Van Der Merwe
5 O'Connor
6 Wilson
7 Henry
8 Williams

That's on the basis that Nelson, Henderson and Tuohy are injured. Would be more hopeful Cave will be fit. Toulouse are no great shakes I am naively of the belief that we can still get 4 wins from the pool.

MJohnston

Digifriendly wrote: »

Considering the injuries they suffered to key players during the game Ulster did pretty well IMHO. They dominated territory/possession in the second half playing into a strong wind. Also were it not for a controversial TMO decision they might otherwise have denied Edinburgh a losing BP. Edinburgh are well coached and well drilled so not a 'pretty poor result' IMHO.

It's easy to forget too that barely a month ago we were all worried that Ulster would never find an away win.

Journeyman_1

MJohnston wrote: »

It's easy to forget too that barely a month ago we were all worried that Ulster would never find an away win.

This was a home game where they were 14:0 up after 10 minutes. They dominated the game and failed to score again. That's why I think it's poor, not that everyone should expect to get TBP against Edinburgh. In this case Ulster had a great opportunity for it and messed it up.

Of course I understand they just needed a win, but it could (should?) have been more.

jacothelad

Journeyman_1 wrote: »

This was a home game where they were 14:0 up after 10 minutes. They dominated the game and failed to score again. That's why I think it's poor, not that everyone should expect to get TBP against Edinburgh. In this case Ulster had a great opportunity for it and messed it up.

Of course I understand they just needed a win, but it could (should?) have been more.

Yes, Ulster had players 'held up' over the line on 3 occasions and had Marshall's try disallowed for something that happens in about 50% of rucks. On another night that would have been at least a 4 try bonus point win.

vienne86

Any news on the injuries, Henderson in particular?

Utah_Saint

Not sure of the accuracy of the story but its been reported on uafc that V Vito's transfer was blocked by Nucifora. If this is true the rath of ulster fans will be astronomical!

bilston

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Not sure of the accuracy of the story but its been reported on uafc that V Vito's transfer was blocked by Nucifora. If this is true the rath of ulster fans will be astronomical!

Why? What good young back row olayers have Ulster got coming through? I would be surprised if that was the case.