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

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Robert Bradley being kept on instead?

McBurney hasn’t really progressed, sadly came with a lot of hype.

Disappointing that it hasn't worked out for him, but watching Roberts the other night I just thought Dan might unearthed a rough (very rough with that hair) diamond here, plus we have Stewart coming through and Herring and Andrew are comfortably ahead of McBurney.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Bradley Roberts.

I'm okay with that. Sorry not to see McBurney kick on, but he didn't. Is Scottish qualified, apparently? Tom Stewart moving up through the ranks, and Andrew has looked like a very serious player for us this season.

Ha i’ll get it right eventually! Been impressed with Roberts! He’s small but offers physicality and makes ground.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Coetzee out til Mid-June. Has played our last game for us, then.

Missed this. That's a real pity.

Arguably no bad thing for Ulster with next season in mind, but still it would have been nice to see him get a good send off.

Utah_Saint

Sorry to see McBurney go. However J Andrew has raised his level considerably this season, and as the previous posters mention we have Stewart coming through and Roberts looking like a handy player.

Utah_Saint

Have we heard if this rainbow cup thing is happening or what?!

Squidgy Black

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Have we heard if this rainbow cup thing is happening or what?!

Andy Friend said in an interview as far as Connacht are aware it's going ahead next month but there's be no real mention of it from any of the unions or the pro14 themselves I don't think

bayern

Utah_Saint wrote: »

Sorry to see McBurney go. However J Andrew has raised his level considerably this season, and as the previous posters mention we have Stewart coming through and Roberts looking like a handy player.

not to mention John McKee potentially returning in a year or two.

Paul Smeenus

bayern wrote: »

not to mention John McKee potentially returning in a year or two.

Is he really good enough? McCormick is quite highly rated as well, I believe?

If McKee doesn't make it at Leinster, he's maybe blown it with his insistence on shifting to hooker. Meanwhile, we end up giving Andy Warwick another contract at LH.

awec

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Is he really good enough? McCormick is quite highly rated as well, I believe?

If McKee doesn't make it at Leinster, he's maybe blown it with his insistence on shifting to hooker. Meanwhile, we end up giving Andy Warwick another contract at LH.

Hasn't he always been a hooker? I think he refused to shift to prop for Ulster?

Utah_Saint

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Andy Friend said in an interview as far as Connacht are aware it's going ahead next month but there's be no real mention of it from any of the unions or the pro14 themselves I don't think

They are leaving it very last minute. Obviously waiting on how the 'Rona' pans out over the coming weeks. They seem to think they can vaccinate 50% of the population in NI by Easter.

Utah_Saint

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Is he really good enough? McCormick is quite highly rated as well, I believe?

If McKee doesn't make it at Leinster, he's maybe blown it with his insistence on shifting to hooker. Meanwhile, we end up giving Andy Warwick another contract at LH.

wonder would he switch back (position) ?

or is too late to try and 're-learn'

bayern

awec wrote: »

Hasn't he always been a hooker? I think he refused to shift to prop for Ulster?

He played across the front row in school, he saw his professional future as a hooker, ulster wanted him try to be a prop.

discusses it here:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/65324957/leinster-rugby-v-glasgow-warriors

Paul Smeenus

awec wrote: »

Hasn't he always been a hooker? I think he refused to shift to prop for Ulster?

"Since becoming involved in the Leinster system, McKee has shifted across the front row from loosehead prop to hooker and now plays his club rugby with All Ireland Division 1B side Old Belvedere."

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/ulster-rugby/ulster-hooker-john-mckee-awarded-place-in-leinster-academy-39369934.html

Played loosehead - and captained - in the Campbell College's 2018 Schools cup.

bayern

Utah_Saint wrote: »

wonder would he switch back (position) ?

or is too late to try and 're-learn'

He doesn't have the body shape/frame to be a prop at pro level.

Squidgy Black

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

"Since becoming involved in the Leinster system, McKee has shifted across the front row from loosehead prop to hooker and now plays his club rugby with All Ireland Division 1B side Old Belvedere."

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/ulster-rugby/ulster-hooker-john-mckee-awarded-place-in-leinster-academy-39369934.html

Played loosehead - and captained - in the Campbell College's 2018 Schools cup.

Didn't really have the size for prop at the top level, was just under 6 foot and 100kg coming out of school, and I think he has a feeling himself he wouldn't make it as a top level prop.

bilston

It would be a shame if McKee doesn't make it, he was always highly rated at school. Hooker will be a competitive position at Ulster, he might be better off at Connacht or somewhere like that

Utah_Saint

bilston wrote: »

It would be a shame if McKee doesn't make it, he was always highly rated at school. Hooker will be a competitive position at Ulster, he might be better off at Connacht or somewhere like that

Kinda sums up our forward production over the last decade. Lots of promise at underage only to just fall short

Paul Smeenus

If he was actually better than Stewart, certainly, he'd be in the reckoning at Leinster. As I say, McCormick is highly rated, I think, but don't know just how good.

Squidgy Black

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

If he was actually better than Stewart, certainly, he'd be in the reckoning at Leinster. As I say, McCormick is highly rated, I think, but don't know just how good.

Massive backlog in Leinster at hooker now too unfortunately for him, the two senior lads in Cronin and Tracy, Kelleher, Dan Sheehan starting to break through and his younger brother Bobby Sheehan is a massive unit of a hooker at 6'5 in the sub academy

bayern

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Massive backlog in Leinster at hooker now too unfortunately for him, the two senior lads in Cronin and Tracy, Kelleher, Dan Sheehan starting to break through and his younger brother Bobby Sheehan is a massive unit of a hooker at 6'5 in the sub academy

Bobby has left the sub academy last I heard.

Lee Barron is the big prospect in the sub academy.

Paul Smeenus

awec wrote: »

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

Heard it was Payne's recommendation.

Paul Smeenus

Ulster team to play Zebre Rugby, Guinness PRO14 Round 16, Friday 19 March at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 8.15pm, live on Premier Sports / eir Sport):

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Rob Lyttle, Michael Lowry, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, John Andrew, Marty Moore, Cormac Izuchukwu, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Jordy Murphy (Capt.), David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Matty Rea, David Shanahan, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham.

First start for Izzy, Lowry at ten again, McCann starting again (at eight), Reid and Moxham on bench. Looking forward to this. Only disappointment is Shanahan.

launish116

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Ulster team to play Zebre Rugby, Guinness PRO14 Round 16, Friday 19 March at Kingspan Stadium (kick-off 8.15pm, live on Premier Sports / eir Sport):

(15-9) Ethan McIlroy, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Rob Lyttle, Michael Lowry, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, John Andrew, Marty Moore, Cormac Izuchukwu, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Jordy Murphy (Capt.), David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Matty Rea, David Shanahan, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham.

First start for Izzy, Lowry at ten again, McCann starting again (at eight), Reid and Moxham on bench. Looking forward to this. Only disappointment is Shanahan.

O’Toole released by Ireland due to injury? Thought area Jnr might of got a game before season end.

bilston

Nice backline and good to see McCann at 8.

Would have liked to have seen Doak on the bench, but still it's a good side.

Paul Smeenus

launish116 wrote: »

O’Toole released by Ireland due to injury? Thought area Jnr might of got a game before season end.

Yeah, ReaJea's absence has been frustrating - any time he's played he's looked pretty good, so I don't get it.

I know McCann is viewed as something special; it looks like Izzy might fall into the same category.

bilston

Any argument for switching Moore and Hume? Moore seems a bit more of an attacking threat? They will probably interchange anyway.

It's no exaggeration to say that that 10-12-13-15 axis could be the spine to the Ulster backline for the next 10 years.

Paul Smeenus

bilston wrote: »

Any argument for switching Moore and Hume? Moore seems a bit more of an attacking threat? They will probably interchange anyway.

It's no exaggeration to say that that 10-12-13-15 axis could be the spine to the Ulster backline for the next 10 years.

Hume more comfortable defending 13, although I've been told the long-term plan is him at 12 and Moore at 13.

Eight of the starters Ulster born and bred (Andrew, McCann, Lowry, Lyttle, Hume, Moore, Baloucoune, McIlroy) and two more (O'Sullivan and Izuchukwu) academy graduates. Getting there.

realhorrorshow

Not an Ulster fan, but my God that backline is exciting.

Dubinusa

McKee is just completing his 1st year in the Leinster academy, so plenty of time for him to progress. Fair play to him for making the move. I hope he does succeed and plays for Leinster.
McBurney was a lad I thought was a future international when I saw him at u20 level. Disappointed to see that he didn't make the strides necessary, but good luck to him and I think the move to Edinburgh is a good one.

Paul Smeenus

Dubinusa wrote: »

McKee is just completing his 1st year in the Leinster academy, so plenty of time for him to progress. Fair play to him for making the move. I hope he does succeed and plays for Leinster.
McBurney was a lad I thought was a future international when I saw him at u20 level. Disappointed to see that he didn't make the strides necessary, but good luck to him and I think the move to Edinburgh is a good one.

Yeah, McBurney might still become a stalwart at Edinburgh - not a world-beater, maybe, but he's still youngish.

Pinched from elsewhere -

Ethan McIlroy 10/08/2000
Robert Baloucoune 19/08/1997
James Hume 07/09/1998
Stewart Moore 08/08/1999
Rob Lyttle 28/01/1997
Michael Lowry 20/08/1998