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

launish116

Leicester struggling with the pace!

awec

Lads there’s a match thread. Use it please.

Dubinusa

I thought Burns was quite poor. Ulster need a good kick up the hole after that crap they served in the 2nd half. Awful showing.

launish116

I’d say it’s time to focus on the rainbow cup...time to fast track the youth! Few glaring holes still in our squad.

Dubinusa

Why were they box kicking?

awec

Tonight’s result is huge IMO. It kills off completely any idea that we are close to the big boys.

We’re miles away. We’re a decent side and that’s it. We do well in the Prowhatever because the standard is terrible, but the benchmark there really needs to be winning it and we don’t do that.

Im not sure where to go from here cause I don’t see us winning anything any time soon. We’re a making up the numbers team.

Deflated.

Squidgy Black

launish116 wrote: »

I’d say it’s time to focus on the rainbow cup...time to fast track the youth! Few glaring holes still in our squad.

If anything I'd love to see Lowry get a few starts at 10 just to see how he fares.

Utah_Saint

awec wrote: »

Tonight’s result is huge IMO. It kills off completely any idea that we are close to the big boys.

We’re miles away. We’re a decent side and that’s it. We do well in the Prowhatever because the standard is terrible, but the benchmark there really needs to be winning it and we don’t do that.

Im not sure where to go from here cause I don’t see us winning anything any time soon. We’re a making up the numbers team.

Deflated.

Completely agree...it all seems rather pointless. We should have won and threw it away. Still a fair amount of avg players with no outstanding talent coming through in the forwards.
Starting to think that Dan is maybe not our man...

BossMullet

I think he has maximized the talents and play of the forward pack but time and time again in bigger matches, our inability to consistently win collisions in attack and defense is costing us and until the personnel changes we will stagnate. I think we are likely to regress because our forwards will be eaten alive by the new SA teams and I am growing less confident if the Pro16 goes ahead of course, that we will even make the playoffs in that.

The Leone signing is looking worse and worse with each passing week especially considering the savvier forward signings made by Munster and Leinster.

Maybe I am being too pessimistic but it felt like that was our window to win a trophy and goodness knows when it will open again.

UAEguy2020

The worst part about tonight is people will blame it all on Cooney’s injury, and forget that with him on the field Ulster had an almost identical collapse vs Gloucester in the champions cup 6 months ago, that has sadly been papered over.

TRC10

UAEguy2020 wrote: »

The worst part about tonight is people will blame it all on Cooney’s injury, and forget that with him on the field Ulster had an almost identical collapse vs Gloucester in the champions cup 6 months ago, that has sadly been papered over.

Yeah it was very obvious even at the start of the half that Ulster had stopped playing. Cooney going off didn't change much. The Gloucester collapse was bad but you have to remember that Henderson, Treadwell, Carter Coetzee, Addison, Baloucoune were all injured. This was a full strength Ulster side with 6 months of experienece that dominated the first half and played some brilliant rugby.

molloyjh

The changes Borthwick made at half time clearly worked. Leicester were a different team after the break. And Ulster simply couldn't live with them. Leicester for large parts dominated territory, possession and dictated the tempo. They won collisions, they got quick ball and they capitalised on it fairly ruthlessly. The DG for me was a clear sign of that. Get into the 22 and push the lead out beyond a score, no messing. They were very good and well worth their win.

I think Ulster's biggest issue is their pack. A complete inability to slow Leicester ball, hold the gain line or win turnovers along with being well under the pump at the maul had a massive effect on how that half went. Mathewson didn't help when he came on and even when Ulster got some possession and territory late in the half he was almost always that extra half second too slow getting the ball away. And that ignores all the box kicking. Burns too seemed to disappear that half. But with the forwards being so clearly dominated they were always going to struggle.

I can only imagine how frustrating it is to have such a talented back line but rarely see them get to cut loose properly in games like these. Ulster are still a good side, but they are a level down from some of the top sides. McFarland has been a good coach and has definitely gotten the side to play up to and above the sum of their parts. That's as much as can be expected of him. But with only 1 player in the tight five of international standard, there's only so far good coaching will get a side.

Hard luck tonight.

TRC10

molloyjh wrote: »

But with only 1 player in the tight five of international standard, there's only so far good coaching will get a side.

Hard luck tonight.

Harsh on Herring

molloyjh

TRC10 wrote: »

Harsh on Herring

Eh, typo?

launish116

Hoping a reality check might send/force the recruiters out again! No pack now win!

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Hoping a reality check might send/force the recruiters out again! No pack now win!

I think I'd look to get Callum Reid plenty of game time in the Rainbow Cup, him and O'Toole together could be devastating ball carrying prop duo. Can they scrummage though?

Also get Lowry in at 10, Burns is fine, but maybe Lowry can spark a bit more in attack. We won't know until he gets a run of games, but look at his break for Shanahan's try last week...that's a game breaking ability that I'm not sure Billy has. But then Billy has his cross field kicking game which is very strong.

But if there were two players I'd want to see in the next 5 (?) games, it is Callum Reid at LH and Mike Lowry at 10. In fact Lowry at 10 with Addison at 15 would give us some nice footballing options in the backline.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

I think I'd look to get Callum Reid plenty of game time in the Rainbow Cup, him and O'Toole together could be devastating ball carrying prop duo. Can they scrummage though?

Also get Lowry in at 10, Burns is fine, but maybe Lowry can spark a bit more in attack. We won't know until he gets a run of games, but look at his break for Shanahan's try last week...that's a game breaking ability that I'm not sure Billy has. But then Billy has his cross field kicking game which is very strong.

But if there were two players I'd want to see in the next 5 (?) games, it is Callum Reid at LH and Mike Lowry at 10. In fact Lowry at 10 with Addison at 15 would give us some nice footballing options in the backline.

McKendry was quoting Dan on the rainbow cup, stating "I'm looking forward to seeing some of the guys who haven't much game time over the next few weeks. That's how I look at it."

Reid, McCann, Allison, Rea, Stewart, Finlay, Curtis. Seniors needing game time Carter.

Rainbow cup really needs used as a stepping stone for academy to cement a place into next seasons senior squad.

Still think we should be taking a punt on a Papili’i type player.

Scythica

Genuinely gutted with this. Had tickets purchased, perhaps I jinxed it but gonna go anyway.

Don't think we have any more signings lined up for next season. Struggling to feel motivated. Hell I even kind of wish we'd struggle enough to get into the challenge cup again.

It'd be nice for us to win something; but beyond a few big forward signings I'm struggling to think of what else we can do to get there?

Dubinusa

I think Mathewson was awful. He box kicked too much and he kicked poorly at some points. The Tigers were always going to have a good spell and when they did they made meters right down the 10 channel. They also got quick ball and kept Ulster on the back foot. Ulster did the same in the 1st half. But, Cooney was pulling the strings and playing well.
Ulster looked tired at about the 50 minute mark. They lost their structure defensively and they paid the price. Leicester had a superior bench and used it well. But, the main key for me was Ford. He kicked brilliantly and I think he was motm. Ulster on the other hand, kicked very poorly and the discipline was also poor.
Ulster need a 9. A back up, maybe it's time to fast track Finlay. They are very poor in depth at 9. Lacking Jack McGrath is tough also, he would make a difference if he was 100%. I thought that MacFarland was slow to use the bench, Herring was on for about 70 minutes and EOS and Moore looked out of gas at the 50 minute mark. It's frustrating and maddening to have a lead and lose. It's like Ulster went in at half time and ate some ice cream and bonbons and thought, job done. Jekyll and Hyde performance.
MacFarland has said that getting match time for peripheral players will be the focus during the "magic roundabout" cup. I hope to see Reid, McCann, Stewart and Sexton. This could be a good proving ground for the young players.

thomond2006

launish116 wrote: »

Still think we should be taking a punt on a Papili’i type player.

That's essentially what the Nakarawa signing is.

Dubinusa

I would also consider bringing Regan back! At the very least, he could fill in as a depth type player. Carter doesn't appear to be the answer and has concussion issues. Regan has added some kilos, is young and has gotten experience in NZ.
I doubt that Max Deegan will leave Leinster. He's good enough to force himself back into the 1st team, imo. Ulster should probably look to sign an experienced back row from abroad. A niq, that can add a physical presence. Losing Coetzee is a blow, but in 5 years at Ulster, he spent large amounts of time injured.

thomond2006

Regan is reported to be signing for the Ospreys.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56956073

Utah_Saint

I thought 6 beers and a good night's sleep would've help but I'm still gutted...

Missed a massive chance to win something. Can't see it happening again for a long time...

launish116

thomond2006 wrote: »

That's essentially what the Nakarawa signing is.

And yet we could still do with a other punt type player in the forwards.

bilston

Dubinusa wrote: »

Ulster need a 9. A back up, maybe it's time to fast track Finlay. They are very poor in depth at 9.

Ulster seem to be fast tracking Nathan Doak.

Dubinusa

thomond2006 wrote: »

Regan is reported to be signing for the Ospreys.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/56956073

Didn't know that. Good luck to him.

awec

After a good nights sleep I still feel that this loss is huge.

Two teams supposedly building for the future and we got absolutely humped in that second half.

We are miles away.

Former Former Former

thomond2006 wrote: »

That's essentially what the Nakarawa signing is.

Ah no.

Nakarawa is proven top quality, the only question is whether he's arsed. If he turns up and does his best, then he's potentially a Fardy level signing.

Buer

Former Former Former wrote: »

Ah no.

Nakarawa is proven top quality, the only question is whether he's arsed. If he turns up and does his best, then he's potentially a Fardy level signing.

I think that aside from the fact that Fardy and Nakarawa were/are both joining Irish teams at 33 years of age, there's no other real comparison. I'm not sure it's even a matter of whether he's arsed at this point. I'm not sure he's going to be physically able to get back to being the player he was. His body is starting to fail having had some significant injuries and his weight has clearly increased significantly.

Fardy was starting for Australia 10 months before his Leinster debut. He played every single minute of the Brumbies season in the months before arriving and was in top class shape. He arrived in plug and play mode and made an instant contribution.

Nakarawa has been a disaster for the past 18 months. He's now a bench player for Glasgow and it's hard to make a case for him being anything more than that.Right now, Nakarawa should not be in the Ulster team ahead of anyone who started last night and I'm not sure I see that changing.

Former Former Former

Buer wrote: »

I think that aside from the fact that Fardy and Nakarawa were/are both joining Irish teams at 33 years of age, there's no other real comparison. I'm not sure it's even a matter of whether he's arsed at this point. I'm not sure he's going to be physically able to get back to being the player he was. His body is starting to fail having had some significant injuries and his weight has clearly increased significantly.

Fardy was starting for Australia 10 months before his Leinster debut. He played every single minute of the Brumbies season in the months before arriving and was in top class shape. He arrived in plug and play mode and made an instant contribution.

Nakarawa has been a disaster for the past 18 months. He's now a bench player for Glasgow and it's hard to make a case for him being anything more than that.Right now, Nakarawa should not be in the Ulster team ahead of anyone who started last night and I'm not sure I see that changing.

Well things have obviously gone pear shaped for him lately. However, I said "if he turns up and does his best" - then he's on a different plane of existence to Papali'i, there is simply no comparison. Obviously needs to be injury free too.

He could well be a Fardy signing, or he could be an Owen Finegan signing. If I was a betting man I'd go for the latter but you never know.