connacht v ulster

Utah_Saint

Clegg wrote: »

Connacht's set piece has been utterly dominant. We can bemoan Ulster's deficiencies as they're many, but this has been a very competent performance from Conn.

The point is they only need to put in a decent performance in to do this. Imagine if we were playing at the RDS, it would be 80+

bilston

Nice first touch by McPhillips. Shame about the finish.

chatticusfinch

Unlucky there, nothing going right for Ulster today.

bilston

The comeback is on...

awec

This team selection is poor. We are badly coached. Our team is no world beating team, we’ll certainly never win a trophy with it.

But we’re not even hard to beat. We can’t defend, the system is just nonsense. We can’t tackle. The coaches are not getting all that they can from this squad.

There is an attitude problem and a coaching problem. Can’t fix the former until you fix the later.

bilston

The one thing here is that the likes of McBurnery, McPhillips and Lyttle are having a positive impact. Obviously Connacht have dropped the intensity a bit, but if there is any positive to be taken it is that the young lads are doing quite well.

Scythica

Officially on the FOLK wagon now

Clegg

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Clegg wrote: »

Connacht's set piece has been utterly dominant. We can bemoan Ulster's deficiencies as they're many, but this has been a very competent performance from Conn.

The point is they only need to put in a decent performance in to do this. Imagine if we were playing at the RDS, it would be 80+

You'll put out a stronger side against Leinster, but I get your point. Your pack tonight is piss weak, but even with your strongest one you haven't the players to give Piutau and Stockdale the best platform possible.

irishbucsfan

Fair play TOH, not a bad effort 74 minutes in!

Clegg

Darren Cave waving an imaginary card.

He deserves his exile from the side. Bad, bad form.

irishbucsfan

Class

Clegg

IN YOUR FACE DARREN

chatticusfinch

Yeehah, great response try there.

Squidgy Black

The Paul Marshall effect

bilston

That sums it up really.

awec

What’s a lock doing that far up the field from a breakaway

bilston

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Fair play TOH, not a bad effort 74 minutes in!

Why are you praising cynical play?

Scythica

9 Ulster players jogging in that replay there.

Can't even play for pride. Somethings not well in the camp

awec

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

At least he bust his bollocks to get back!

Ulster bloody jogged back!

Peregrine

Whoever didn't make that tackle right after the intercept needs their P45. Looked like a prop but they didn't even try.

bilston

Some of these young lads have done very well.

Some of the more senior players need to look at themselves

irishbucsfan

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

Well I was praising him for running back from the opposite side of the pitch and catching the Ulster player and saving a try. But yeah the cynical play also prevented a try, so worth it for Connacht I'm sure.

durthacht

I wonder how Stephen Ferris' blood pressure is right now...?!

prawnsambo

Like the cut of Johnny McPhilips. Impressed me with the U20s and he's doing it again now.

Tigerandahalf

Great to see Connacht playing like this again.

Ulster's pack is poor but their backups are even worse. Their sub scrum got demolished.

McPhilips made a difference when he came on. Was unlucky with lick to touch but otherwise ran the game well.

bilston

awec wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

At least he bust his bollocks to get back!

Ulster bloody jogged back!

I'm just f*****g angry. I may fall out with someone tonight...IBF seems as a good person as anyone...:-)

Peregrine

I'm not watching BBC but I'd like to know Ferris' reaction if he's on BBC!

bilston

Right, well I will officially call it...

Les, take a flight back to Australia for Christmas...and stay there...

That is all...

MayoForSam

Sweet

bilston

Peregrine wrote: »

I'm not watching BBC but I'd like to know Ferris' reaction if he's on BBC!

He's relatively calm

mfceiling

Well that was an absolute ball of shìte.

prawnsambo

bilston wrote: »

Some of these young lads have done very well.

Some of the more senior players need to look at themselves

This. Some are just passed it and some are just not bothered. For TOH's first try, for no good reason, Hendo decided to tackle an already tackled Bundee and barely put a hand on TOH. And then just jogged after him.

Piss poor effort.

durthacht

bilston wrote: »

He's relatively calm

He seems resigned to me. Exasperated rather than angry. He almost seems used to bad Ulster performances.

Eddie O'Sullivan is more critical.

eyeball kid

Great to get a win against Ulster, we don't seem to get too many of them. Ulster really aren't in a good place at the moment.

connachta

Biggest disappointment of the night : Niyi caught by Stockdale.

Otherwise, Connacht were magnificent. Just stunning.

sydthebeat

Ulster are a bit piss these days really....

awec

If it were me I’d have every single one of those players in for training on Monday morning.

wp_rathead

...at a Xmas party.... not jealous..

Squidgy Black

I think the worst thing about a game like this is that people will focus on how poor Ulster were and ignore how well Connacht played.

Hats off, they were on another level tonight and really made a show of their opposition.

molloyjh

awec wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

At least he bust his bollocks to get back!

Ulster bloody jogged back!

To be honest I saw a lot of that in the second half. I didn’t see the first so hard to comment overall but there was a lot of half hearted efforts. The line speed at times was nothing short of lazy. And guys were falling off tackles that they should have made.

It’s quite possible Kiss can’t turn things around here, but I’m not sure what coach could. You need a Cheika. An absolute bollocks who will change the culture in the organisation as a whole. These issues go WAY beyond the coaching staff.

Utah_Saint

connachta wrote: »

Biggest disappointment of the night : Niyi caught by Stockdale.

Otherwise, Connacht were magnificent. Just stunning.

I wouldn't get carried away, I would expect the other provinces to beat conn easily. Ulster are the gift that keep giving

Diabhal Beag

Thank you Les Kiss. All best with Ulster for the next 3 years.

Utah_Saint

molloyjh wrote: »

awec wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

At least he bust his bollocks to get back!

Ulster bloody jogged back!

To be honest I saw a lot of that in the second half. I didn’t see the first so hard to comment overall but there was a lot of half hearted efforts. The line speed at times was nothing short of lazy. And guys were falling off tackles that they should have made.

It’s quite possible Kiss can’t turn things around here, but I’m not sure what coach could. You need a Cheika. An absolute bollocks who will change the culture in the organisation as a whole. These issues go WAY beyond the coaching staff.

I think the players don't respect or fear kiss. And he comes across as a bit of a softy. If the players can get away with embarrassing performances they do exactly that, they just don't care.

Scythica

Must say, Connacht were great.
However,

FOLK

exaisle

Come back Ruan Pienaar...

I'm a Connacht fan, but it gives me no pleasure to see Ulster playing this badly...and it does their psyche no good either. I'd hope they'd have a few of their front-line players back for New Year and that they bounce back from this.

To my mind though, they've never been a cohesive unit since Pienaar left (and Jackson became unavailable for selection). There just seems to be nobody driving the bus.

bilston

molloyjh wrote: »

awec wrote: »

bilston wrote: »

Why are you praising cynical play?

At least he bust his bollocks to get back!

Ulster bloody jogged back!

To be honest I saw a lot of that in the second half. I didn’t see the first so hard to comment overall but there was a lot of half hearted efforts. The line speed at times was nothing short of lazy. And guys were falling off tackles that they should have made.

It’s quite possible Kiss can’t turn things around here, but I’m not sure what coach could. You need a Cheika. An absolute bollocks who will change the culture in the organisation as a whole. These issues go WAY beyond the coaching staff.

Removing Kiss wouldn't be a quick fix, but so can't forgive his selections. He does it time after time after time. It NEVER works. The defence is a mess as well which I believe is his remit. There are plenty of issues beyond his control but that is even more reason why he needs to get what is his responsibility right, and he just isn't.

molloyjh

Utah_Saint wrote: »

I think the players don't respect or fear kiss. And he comes across as a bit of a softy. If the players can get away with embarrassing performances they do exactly that, they just don't care.

If that’s true then those players should F off with Kiss too then. That BS is pure poison in any environment. This is their team more than it is Kiss’.

bilston

exaisle wrote: »

Come back Ruan Pienaar...

I'm a Connacht fan, but it gives me no pleasure to see Ulster playing this badly...and it does their psyche no good either. I'd hope they'd have a few of their front-line players back for New Year and that they bounce back from this.

To my mind though, they've never been a cohesive unit since Pienaar left (and Jackson became unavailable for selection). There just seems to be nobody driving the bus.

The loss of Jackson is far more significant than the loss of Pienaar IMO.

connachta

Utah_Saint wrote: »

connachta wrote: »

Biggest disappointment of the night : Niyi caught by Stockdale.

Otherwise, Connacht were magnificent. Just stunning.

I wouldn't get carried away, I would expect the other provinces to beat conn easily.  Ulster are the gift that keep giving

I don't say we'll win away in Dublin/Limerick, but you can't say it's anything else than a very accomplished performance. Good handling, good runs, back to Connacht 2015. We could target a ChallengeCup final.

Tigerandahalf

Ulster need to clear out 4/5 players from the pack.
Herbst, Diack, Warwick, Ah You, Clive Ross are just passengers.

At the start of the season I felt Ulster still didn't have a quality prop on either side and that is something they need to sort. With Marty Moore coming in they have hope but they need a quality LH too. Herbst is always an injury risk so have to hope that Ross Kane develops.

With Trimble, Bowe and Piutau gone they are looking very light in the backs too.

Serious rebuilding job needed.

V der Merve is a big loss too in the 2nd row. He was a solid lineout operator and hasn't really been replaced.