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

bilston · 13-07-2023 12:19pm

Those fixtures worked out as well as they could for us.

Who is the other URC team in our group? How many teams qualify? 4?

Edit - Cardiff are the other URC team. They may well lose all 4 games. 2 wins at most gets us to the last 16 I guess.

I'd far rather have an extra couple of pool matches and go straight to the Quarter Finals.

awec · 13-07-2023 3:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120845635#Comment_120845635

Cardiff which screws us a bit.

The other 4 teams will get bonus points against Cardiff no problem, theyre all basically staring with a 5 point head start on us. This format means we don’t get a gimme fixture against the whipping boys in the pool.

if we want to finish high in the pools bonus points are going to be important.

bilston · 13-07-2023 5:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120846825#Comment_120846825

Ah right enough I didn't think of it that way. You're right, that does screw us.

We get Racing and Toulouse, they get Cardiff...that actually is a total b****x

It's basically like a World Cup qualifying group in Football with a group of England, Denmark, NI/ROI Bulgaria and San Marino and everyone in the group bar NI/ROI gets to play San Marino.

Paul Smeenus · 19-07-2023 10:45am

Deeply disappointed with this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66244387

awec · 19-07-2023 12:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120869896#Comment_120869896

I suspect a 1 year extension so that the kit + stadium rights come up for renewal at the same time next year.

Dubinusa · 19-07-2023 2:00pm

How much liability are Kingspan responsible for? I can't remember much about this tragic incident.

sydthebeat · 19-07-2023 2:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120870737#Comment_120870737

It's messy, lots of different sectors at fault including Kingspan and the BRE who were over the testing of the product

RichieRich_89 · 25-07-2023 8:04pm

Will there be a new Ulster jersey for this season? And if so will there be a ladies' version? Me ma's trying to think of a present for my brother's partner's birthday.

launish116 · 04-08-2023 8:32pm

New strip, little underwhelming! Though not much you can do with white I guess!

That aside good to see Stewart potentially getting a cap tomorrow! and Henderson back fit again.

Paul Smeenus · 05-08-2023 10:27am

I quite like the new kit!

I'd love Stockdale to be back up his best, or on the way there.

bilston · 06-08-2023 2:02pm

Kit is grand, seen worse.

As for last night, I think it was a decent night for the Ulster lads, I don't think any of them played badly.

Henderson was excellent, really led from the front, and can play himself back into the starting XV.

I thought Herring was very good and sealed the third spot ahead of Stewart who had a decent debut. Stewart will have learnt a few things last night about the physicality of test rugby, but I've no doubt he has many caps ahead of him.

O'Toole was fine, good to see him get a start and do well in the loose, I'll leave the scrummaging to others to comment on, but it seemed to me that anything that went against Ireland in the scrum was down to the other side.

McCloskey made some mistakes in the first half, but finished the game strongly, touch and go in my opinion as to whether he makes the squad just because he only plays 12.

Stockdale's tackle effort for the first Italian try was so poor, but other than that I thought he was good, very good at times, not sure if he makes the squad, but how good would it be if he can get back to his best in this coming season World Cup or no world cup.

But Hendy was top drawer last night, let's hope he plays at least 10 games for Ulster this season!

Locke_Lamora · 06-08-2023 3:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120946173#Comment_120946173

Yep, great to see Henderson playing like that again despite some fans insistence that not bringing Kleyn will be the undoing of us.

Don't think Stockdale will ever fix his tackling but I'd bring him just for the big plays he's capable of that Earls, quite frankly, isn't anymore. The disparity between the comments about Earls and Stockdale I've read online have been hilarious - if Earls cuts back inside it's because he's 'team centric' rather devoid of pace, if he gets flung from a tackle but gets back up he's 'industrious,' he gets overpowered to let in a try and it's an 'uncharacteristic mistake,' and don't get me started on people saying he can play 13. Stockdale doesn't help himself but its jarring to read the comments from people who clearly didn't watch him at the end of the season. If Nash broke through a bit earlier I'd have him ahead of them both.

Feel for McCloskey, been our best and most consistent player for a while and started well against SA before getting injured. But, as you say, only plays 12.

Paul Smeenus · 06-08-2023 6:23pm

The awful attempt of a tackle aside, I thought, for a player playing his first international game in two years, Stockdale did a lot more good than bad. At one stage, towards the end, we was sweeping left to right and was guldering at Frawley to widen his line, and Frawley was just staring at him blankly. All seemed a bit unfamiliar.

O'Toole played well and seems as reliable in the scrum as Kilcoyne at loosehead, if not slightly more so. Was good in the loose.

Henderson was brilliant - he rucked two Italians off the ball at the same time for McCloskey's try.

Stewart looked very comfortable at this level.

Podge_irl · 06-08-2023 6:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120946173#Comment_120946173

I thought Stewart was excellent. If he had another couple months he'd be in with a shot...

Very comfortable with him as the backup if something goes wrong with the top 3.

Locke_Lamora · 13-08-2023 6:55pm

Anyone know the kick off time and date of the academy vs AIL game that's supposed to be happening this week?

Lost Ormond · 13-08-2023 7:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120973710#Comment_120973710

It's on the ulster site as 7.30 in malone Friday night

Locke_Lamora · 13-08-2023 7:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120973753#Comment_120973753

Completely missed that, cheers.

Deramore · 15-08-2023 8:29am

Ulster Rugby have explored the possibility of staging a fixture at a GAA ground this autumn, the Belfast Telegraph understands.

The move would represent an historic first for the northern province.

With their Ravenhill pitch currently being replaced with an artificial surface, it is believed Ulster Rugby bosses have sounded out their GAA counterparts with a view to staging a pre-season friendly, expected to be against Glasgow, in October.

Home grounds of Armagh and Derry would be among the possibilities with both boasting capacities similar to that of Ravenhill.

RuPi · 15-08-2023 10:19am

Had heard a few weeks ago it was to be played in Derry as the pitch won’t be ready by then.

Locke_Lamora · 15-08-2023 3:45pm

https://ulster.rugby/content/ulster-development-team-named-to-face-ail-select-xv

Development team named for Friday.

Paul Smeenus · 15-08-2023 4:27pm

Team News

https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/21b1562a-3f46-4591-a435-3432ddf98a38.jpg

(15-9) Ben McFarlane, Lukas Kenny, James Girvan, Ben Gibson, Ethan Graham, Zach Quirke, Ryan Davis

(1-8) Jack Boal, Henry Walker, Cameron Doak, James McKillop, Mark Lee, Bryn Ward, Josh Stevens, Lorcan McLaughlin

Replacements: Zac Solomon, Jacob Boyd, Flynn Longstaff, Scott Craig, Conor Neary, Adam Montgomery, James Humphreys, Rory Ellerby, Henry Boyle, Josh Eagleson

No surprises as far as I can see. Anybody know anything about Zach Quirke, starting ahead of Humphreys? God knows outhalf is where we need someone coming through.