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

Dubinusa

Very harsh for Warwick, imo. The red was enough punishment.

Former Former Former

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Still find it odd that the Toner clothes-line was not looked at again...

We don't know that it wasn't. Pro14 does not release details of citings.

molloyjh

bilston wrote: »

Depends on what the mitigation was?

If it was "Dev is 6'9" and Mike is 5'7"" then personally I don't think that is mitigation.

I can't remember what the officials said on the night.

Lowrys head dropped going into contact.

bilston

molloyjh wrote: »

Lowrys head dropped going into contact.

Think that is fair enough having just watched it back

molloyjh

bilston wrote: »

Think that is fair enough having just watched it back

And I'm totally fine with yellow cards for those. Players need to learn that if you are going to tackle you have to get low. If you can't tackle safely then get the hell out of the way. It will improve player welfare but also help open things up a bit more and give us some more line breaks and attacking rugby. The game is being stiffled by defences and we desperately need to start giving more advantage to attacking rugby.

bayern

Ulster team to play Dragons, Guinness PRO14 Round 15, Saturday 13 March at Principality Stadium (kick-off 7.35pm, live on Premier Sports / eir Sport):

(15-9) Jacob Stockdale, Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle, Michael Lowry, Alby Mathewson;

(1-8) Eric O'Sullivan, John Andrew, Ross Kane, Alan O'Connor (C), Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Gareth Milasinovich, Cormac Izuchukwu, Matty Rea, David Shanahan, Ian Madigan, Ethan McIlroy.

bilston

McCann at 6 and Timoney at 8. I thought it might have been the other way round.

Good to see Lowry at 10. Moore at 13 will be interesting. I think he usually plays better at 12, but the ability to play 13 will serve him well with McCloskey still having a good few years left in him.

launish116

Wasn’t expecting as much of a change up! Looking forward to it!

launish116

bilston wrote: »

McCann at 6 and Timoney at 8. I thought it might have been the other way round.

Good to see Lowry at 10. Moore at 13 will be interesting. I think he usually plays better at 12, but the ability to play 13 will serve him well with McCloskey still having a good few years left in him.

Always thought he’d be a blindside and let some out and out 8 play.

Still no sign of Rea snr? Did he get a contract. *edit just saw it’s Matty not Marcus

sydthebeat

cooney fully rested or injured?

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Always thought he’d be a blindside and let some out and out 8 play.

Still no sign of Rea snr? Did he get a contract. *edit just saw it’s Matty not Marcus

I'm not sure. He has looked very good at No.8 for the A team and the U20s last year.

Either way I'm just happy he is playing

I'm almost sorry Jacob is available, as I'd like to see McIlroy get a start at 15. He looks to have the goods to play there.

bilston

I wonder who our kicker is tonight?

Lowry or Lyttle?

launish116

bilston wrote: »

I wonder who our kicker is tonight?

Lowry or Lyttle?

Lyttle take some pressure off Lowry. Plus he’s like Halfpenny, never seems to miss.

ScissorPaperRock

Nice break by Stockdale to create that.

Lowry kicking.

Locke_Lamora

I try not to be too critical of players, but the less shanahan plays next year, the better. I cringe every time he goes to pick the ball up.

Very scrappy game, young guys didn't make too much of an impression although I thought Lowry and Moore went well enough. Moore looked a little better in defence but still lots to work on, runs sharp lines and gets his hands free in attack. Lowry tackled heroically, hope we see more of him at 10 next year as well.

Utah_Saint

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

I try not to be too critical of players, but the less shanahan plays next year, the better. I cringe every time he goes to pick the ball up.

Very scrappy game, young guys didn't make too much of an impression although I thought Lowry and Moore went well enough. Moore looked a little better in defence but still lots to work on, runs sharp lines and gets his hands free in attack. Lowry tackled heroically, hope we see more of him at 10 next year as well.

Lowry certainly has the talent to play 10. He just needs to add about 10-14lbs if he's to realistically stand a chance week in week out

launish116

Not sure what I was expecting.

Young ones didn’t let us down. Looked hungry enough.

All minutes & experience at the end of the day! Can only do us good

bilston

Excellent nights work from the backs. Stockdale, Moore, McCloskey and Lowry all very good.

Stockdale's break for Matthewson's try was top class and something Ireland are missing at the moment IMO.

Moore is an interesting one. Up to now he has been a 12 (think he played one game at 13 earlier in the season away to one of the Welsh sides), but I'd give him a run of games at 13 now. His first try showed that him and Big Stu could form a very productive partnership.

I'd like to see Cooney, Lowry, Lyttle, McCloskey, Moore, Baloucoune and Stockdale line up together in the Rainbow Cup. I think that could be a very dangerous backline. We just a need pack to do that backline justice.

Also Dan, if you're taking requests, please start Callum Reid next week! Also Dave McCann has a bit of the Peter O'Mahonys about him in terms of defensive lineout steals.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

Excellent nights work from the backs. Stockdale, Moore, McCloskey and Lowry all very good.

Stockdale's break for Matthewson's try was top class and something Ireland are missing at the moment IMO.

Moore is an interesting one. Up to now he has been a 12 (think he played one game at 13 earlier in the season away to one of the Welsh sides), but I'd give him a run of games at 13 now. His first try showed that him and Big Stu could form a very productive partnership.

I'd like to see Cooney, Lowry, Lyttle, McCloskey, Moore, Baloucoune and Stockdale line up together in the Rainbow Cup. I think that could be a very dangerous backline. We just a need pack to do that backline justice.

Also Dan, if you're taking requests, please start Callum Reid next week! Also Dave McCann has a bit of the Peter O'Mahonys about him in terms of defensive lineout steals.

Harsh to leave out McIlroy, but Lyttle is so rounded. Actually think Mcilroy has a higher ceiling going forward, just always seems to make ground.

Reid looks sharp, mobile and aggressive carrying. Breadth of fresh air and definitely warrants being fast tracked.

McCann quietly went about his business, still think he’s suited to blindside and less ball carrying. Couple of consecutive games could do him wonders. Looks to be still getting used to the pace/physicality which is understandable.

Can we please start leap frogging Shanahan, how many intercepts has he thrown.

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Harsh to leave out McIlroy, but Lyttle is so rounded. Actually think Mcilroy has a higher ceiling going forward, just always seems to make ground.

Reid looks sharp, mobile and aggressive carrying. Breadth of fresh air and definitely warrants being fast tracked.

McCann quietly went about his business, still think he’s suited to blindside and less ball carrying. Couple of consecutive games could do him wonders. Looks to be still getting used to the pace/physicality which is understandable.

Can we please start leap frogging Shanahan, how many intercepts has he thrown.

I 100% agree on McIlroy, I think he could end up at 15.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

I 100% agree on McIlroy, I think he could end up at 15.

And that’s us forgetting Addison! Albeit if he ever returns

If only we didn’t need forwards!

Locke_Lamora

I was told for years that henderson couldn't call a lineout so you can only assume POC was yelling from the sideline given all the credit he's being getting today.

An Ulster hooker nailing every lineout at it's peak after calls for him to be dropped as well? Nah couldn't be...

And lets not get started on what happened on that left wing...

We're what's holding this nation together no matter how badly Leinster C beat us.

bilston

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

I was told for years that henderson couldn't call a lineout so you can only assume POC was yelling from the sideline given all the credit he's being getting today.

An Ulster hooker nailing every lineout at it's peak after calls for him to be dropped as well? Nah couldn't be...

And lets not get started on what happened on that left wing...

We're what's holding this nation together no matter how badly Leinster C beat us.

I was thinking about this earlier. If the Ulster backs played for Leinster, and the Leinster backs played for Ulster, what would the Irish backline look like?

I dont mean this from a Leinster always get all he selection calls POV. I'm talking about the respective packs they play behind. If some of those Ulster players played behind a really dominant pack (like Leinster's) I think the narrative around a few of them might change from a national perspective.

Even last week the likes of Baloucoune and Lowry were creating havoc with ball in hand despite the fact they didn't have as much platform as they would have liked.

Number 137

bilston wrote: »

Depends on what the mitigation was?

If it was "Dev is 6'9" and Mike is 5'7"" then personally I don't think that is mitigation.

I can't remember what the officials said on the night.

What if I told you that Toner is 6'10? Mitigation there...?

launish116

https://twitter.com/murray_kinsella/status/1371469779190550531?s=21

New appointment

https://www.ulsterrugby.com/2021/03/former-all-black-craig-newby-signs-as-ulsters-new-skills-coach/

awec

Interesting appointment, seems to have been plucked from relative obscurity?

bayern

launish116 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/murray_kinsella/status/1371469779190550531?s=21

New appointment

https://www.ulsterrugby.com/2021/03/former-all-black-craig-newby-signs-as-ulsters-new-skills-coach/

can't go wrong with NZer as skills coach.

Paul Smeenus

I had assumed Soper wasn't being replaced. I'm glad he is.

About as far from one of our legendary, historical Herculean trawls of yesteryear, scouring the world for coaching talent, before settling on Doak, as you could get.

Paul Smeenus

He's a former back row. Trying to instil a bit more bite in our pack?

sydthebeat

https://www.therugbysite.com/coaching-videos/coaches/craig-newby

some videos by him here.... former highlander and kiwi 7s as well