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

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120018924#Comment_120018924

For a guy who has just turned 21 it was a big ask from the coaches to cover 10 v a serious La Rochelle side.

If they start Doak ahead of Flannery and Madigan I think it spells the end for those.

Has Angus Curtis played any minutes at outhalf?

oisinog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120022179#Comment_120022179

Well Madigan is injured so we should be expecting Flannery to start tomorrow.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020153#Comment_120020153

Ulster could make themselves look foolish here. They did zero contingency planning for the RDS by all accounts. Even some small planning could have meant a crowd in attendance even if it was just the stands either side of the pitch.

Petrie and McFarland can make all the noises they want, but Petrie in particular made a mess of this. He tried to curry favour on SM with Ulster fans all week when he should really have been doing his job.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120024530#Comment_120024530

Ok. Thanks. Is that the same knee injury that has kept Madigan out since Oct?

Paul Smeenus

Ulster team to play Connacht, BKT United Rugby Championship Round 10, Friday 23 December at The Sportsground (KO 7 35pm), live on RTÉ, Viaplay and URC.tv.

(15-9): Mike Lowry, Ethan McIlroy, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle, Nathan Doak, John Cooney;

(1-8): Rory Sutherland; Tom Stewart; Marty Moore; Alan O'Connor; Iain Henderson (Captain); David McCann; Marcus Rea; Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew; Eric O'Sullivan; Gareth Milasinovich; Sam Carter; Greg Jones; Dave Shanahan; Jake Flannery; Stewart Moore

Given we're missing Herring, Warwick, O'Toole, Burns, Hume, Baloucoune, Stockdale, Addison and Madigan, it's not bad. Are Vermeulen and Treadwell being rested, I wonder. And is Refell still injured?

Dubinusa

What's going on with Jordi? Has he fallen off the radar?

Must love hardship

Interesting to see Doak start at 10. Has shown up well in the few cameos I've seen him play there for both Ulster and Ireland 20's.

Flannery hasn't exactly kicked on and must be dissapointed with his game time since moving to Ulster similar to Bill Johnson before hi.

Would Healy be an option for Ulster next year I wonder? Contract is up at Munster. Is clearly 3rd choice now but will get plenty if game time if and when Carberry are in irish camp. Will have an interesting decision to make on his next move with his Scottish connection too.

I can't see Madigan extending his current contract past the end of this season so might be room for Ulster to make a signing in this position.

Paul Smeenus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120025505#Comment_120025505

Bloody hell - forgot about Jordi.

ionadnapokot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120025708#Comment_120025708

Last I heard he was back in Barcelona

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120025505#Comment_120025505

He was involved in the warm up in Dublin. So I’m surprised he isn’t back in the squad as a bench option at least.

Dubinusa

Looking around Ulster depth chart it's a pretty good squad. There are weaknesses, like all squads. I can't see Ulster falling apart. They've had a blip and need a response.

But having Carter, Rea Sr is a weakness, imo. Izzy hasn't made any impact yet and McAnn is obviously not good enough. They really be looking for a good lock. If Izzy can't step up and shore up the quality, there's a problem.

They are comfortable at many positions and should be very competitive. MacFarland needs to turn this around.

Paul Smeenus

We apparently have a big name NIQ back row signed for next season. I have confidence Izzy can become a good Ukster regular, at the very least, and rate Sheridan below him. Need to see more of Refell.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120026204#Comment_120026204

Any idea as to who, there's some rumors of Connors heading north?

The lads like McNabney and McLoughlin will be thereabouts down the road. Sheridan could be a blindside. I rate him too!

McAnn has being somewhat of a disappointment. I thought he'd be a regular in the xxiii.

Paul Smeenus

I wouldn't write McCann off just yet - not every player comes blasting though at 21.

Dunno about the NIQ, but there seems to be a sense it's a Saffer.

RuPi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120026222#Comment_120026222

Jasper Weise was the first name that was mentioned but the more recent one was Pieter Steph Du Toit.

McCann is a funny one, he was well ahead of Cian Prendergast at 20’s and one has really kicked on while the other hasn’t, shifting between all three back row positions probably hasn’t helped McCann nail down a spot.

Sheridan is seen by Ulster as a blindside moving forward although at AIL and A level he is also a quality second row.

Reffell has been out with a hamstring injury for quite a while.

Paul Smeenus

Apparently Murphy is retiring at the end of the season, and neither Madigan nor Gilroy will be offered new contracts.

Locke_Lamora

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120027929#Comment_120027929

If there was any fat to be trimmed from the squad those would be some of the first names on my list. Gilroy has been one hell of a player for us, I'll never forget his try against munster in the Heineken cup. I hope this means the rumours about Lyttle leaving arent true then.

Dubinusa

Madigan is really just eating up money. Murphy retiring is strange? He's still got some game left in him. Gilroy has not been the same since his back injury.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120022179#Comment_120022179

Yeah Curtis has played a bit at 10, not a lot mind. Think he started at 10 at Thomond either just before or during the Pandemic.

Don't think it's the end for Flannery either, but unfortunately he didn't exactly grasp the one start he got against Zebre. We'll see how Doak goes tonight.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120028277#Comment_120028277

Losing all that money last week could have a big impact on recruitment.

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120024556#Comment_120024556

I agree with some of this, I definitely don't think Jonny Petrie should have been tweeting about the situation 5 mins before KO last week. Ulster spent the first 40 minutes feeling sorry for themselves last week and it cost them the match. That attitude will have dripped down from the top.

Still, it is a bit odd that 160 La Rochelle "delegates" got into the game, just as a point of principle and if Ulster are to be believed the pitch was playable by Sat morning so a bit more patience would have helped.

But despite the protestations by Ulster I'm inclined to think they have at least as many questions to answer as the EPCR who by the way I have a very negative view of in general.

Clegg

Strange game. Ulster are getting into some good positions, but either losing possession themselves or getting turned over by Connacht.

Serious lack of pace from McIlroy is an issue as well. Chased down by Jack Carty who was well behind him when he threw the intercept.

awec

Bye Dan.

Clegg

Ulster tried their damndest to bottle that.

Brewster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030165#Comment_120030165

Not quite! But a little too close for comfort!

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030176#Comment_120030176

Same old story. Tried our best to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory.

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120030265#Comment_120030265

A tight away win is a win and in a difficult place to get a result. We were also missing some of our frontliners. Dan's job is safe.

Paul Smeenus

When I saw the two teams, I would happily have taken two points.

awec

In the context of the game, yea fine.

but the bigger picture, it’s same old Ulster.

There was a bonus point win on offer for us there.

Paul Smeenus

Good team.

Ulster team to play Munster, BKT United Rugby Championship Round 11, Sunday 1 January at Kingspan Stadium (KO 5 15pm), live on Viaplay, TG4 and URC.tv.

(15-9): Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8): Rory Sutherland, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (Captain), Greg Jones, Sean Reffell, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Jordi Murphy, Nathan Doak, Jake Flannery, Ethan McIlroy.