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

bilston

I'm happy, just because I thought we'd probably lose, so we'll take the win.

Ulster started well and then from then it became a dogfight. Connacht are a good side, and if we played them 10 times on neutral territory I don't think there'd be a lot between the sides. That's just where we are at the minute.

Player wise I'm not convinced about Flannery unfortunately. He has some nice touches but I think there is a bit of a gap between Burns and him, particularly in game control, but still I'm keen to see him get minutes to see if he develops.

Timoney seems to be finding a bit of form which is good news. Also that was Addison's best performance of the season. If he stays fit and keeps up that trajectory he could be a big player in the second half of the season.

Paul Smeenus

Definitely agree re: Flannery. I think Burns is the Ulster player who has had to play with a niggle more than any other, because of a lack of trusted backup. Flannery just has to be persisted with. He needs to get to a stage where we can win the easier games and rest Burns (and in fairness, we just beat Connacht with him). And when Flannery plays, Baloucoune inevitably gets the ball with five feet before he's swallowed up by two opposition players. Burns is (or certainly used to be, under our old attack) brilliant at kicking cross field for Baloucoune to beat one man.

Timoney does look to be motoring, and there were flashes of the Addison of old last night for possibly the first time since he's been back.

Digifriendly

Poor tackling for Connacht's second half tries. Need to tighten up defence.

Dubinusa

Another good effort from Rea. He's certainly putting his hand up. I'm very impressed with Timoney. He's such a good player.

Paul Smeenus

I honestly don't get Dan's fascination with Matty - not as good as Sheridan or his younger brother. He hasn't been bad recently, but still...

He's obviously giving Reffell a chance, but it's his second cap after almost a year out and he could only manage 50min last week.

Apart from the back row, as good a team as we can field (minus Herring).

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121547373#Comment_121547373

I fancy Ulster in this one. I think there's a fairly good advantage for Ulster in the front row.

Rea has been very good. Sheridan will get there soon.

bilston

Sheridan only got game time last week because of a late withdrawal I believe.

He came on last week against Connacht and the first thing he did was make a powerful carry from our line and made 3 or 4 really vital metres in heavy traffic. I think he's excellent.

Rea has done well recently but we need to see more of Sheridan.

We might have a small chance here. But the back row is the big big difference between the sides amd that's why Leinster will almost certainly win.

Good to see Luke back, however Hume has been one of our best players so far this season so is a big miss.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121547943#Comment_121547943

Leinster haven't geled this season. Scraping over the line v Connacht . The backs look like they've rarely played together. This is a good chance for Ulster.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121547943#Comment_121547943

Think the same every week, why is he being overlooked. He always seems to make an impact.

bilston

Very good start here, but we've been here before.

Some nice touches by Burns for both tries.

Paul Smeenus

Burns has been significantly better than Prendergast, but I'm loving hearing all about how amazeballs Sam is.

Dave_The_Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121557921#Comment_121557921

He's been on fire choice wise every time he's gotten a chance.

bilston

Not a bad start to 2024!

clsmooth

Great win by Ulster. Took Leinster’s defence apart repeatedly and managed to wrestle back momentum in the last 10mins of the game when it looked like it might get away from them. Burns, Timoney and Henderson all excellent. Enjoy the evening lads!

leakyboots

Super win, congrats. Timoney looks to be in great form, great to see. He's a fabulous athlete

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121558663#Comment_121558663

Timoney is criminally underrated. He has been for eons.

awec

David Nucifora, Philip Browne, Frank Murphy, George Clancy, John Lacey, Leo Varadkar, Leo Cullen, Nienaber, Heaslip and co.

Work that one right up your bangles.

Paul Smeenus

Ha ha ha classy, awe.

phog

Ulster, take a bow

https://twitter.com/JLyall93/status/1741961156154061027?t=kSDyPExY6_UixKfvId4jPw&s=19

Scythica

Lads, it's official.

We're brill

ulsteru20s

That was a humungous win imo. I think the bookies had us as 13/14 point dogs in it. Although, i honestly don’t think the bookies have yet calibrated to Leinster still winning but not looking as dominant this year. They continue to look very scorable on this year out wide.

The back row was amazing imo. I thought that along with Burns being the best 10 on the field by a country mile was the winning of it. Stockdale looks like he is back as well.

Edit: its crazy how things can turn around. I’m still not super in love with mcfarland but its still fun to be winning. We also have u20s coming which should have a big ulster showing. It can go from blow it up to somethings cooking pretty quickly.

Dubinusa

Does Eweres have his own personal postal code? He's a fcukin unit!

Dubinusa

It's good to see a forgotten man, Rea, get opportunities and impress. Fair play to him. I really like how O'Toole is going too. For me, he's neck and neck with Bealham atm.

Ulster clung on and got it done. They did very well and were deserved winners. I would say Kitshoff with all the experience is helping. Also the 2nd rows are playing well.

MacFarland........in!

bilston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561391#Comment_121561391

Yeah I reckon Kitshoff is having a huge impact. He's played 4 games for us and we've won 3 against good to excellent opposition, so the indicators are there.

But another player who has done bloody well is Sean Reffell. He gets stuck in at the breakdown (and yes he was very fortunate with one penalty award as even he seemed to admit with a cheeky wink), but I like him.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561507#Comment_121561507

Yea, he's a good shout too. The Ulster forwards are doing well. They really have upped the performances.

Locke_Lamora

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561507#Comment_121561507

I knew nothing about Reffell before he came here but was gutted for him picking up that injury. He wasn't getting game time at Saracens despite being fairly well thought of there, made the big career decision to put playing time first and went to a less competitive team, only to play one game before being forced to rehab for months. Certainly seems to be making the most of his time now.

launish116

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121561507#Comment_121561507

Was watching Reffell he picks and choses his rucks, and is always thinking one or two plays ahead trying to position himself. Not a bad outing for his 2nd game.

Paul Smeenus

So, halfway through the season, what do we think?

Last season’s endless mauling, the conservatism of selection and gameplan and the QF home capitulation to Connacht, in a tsunami of penalties, meant that I was fairly unenthused about our fortunes this season. I said at the start of the season that I just wanted to see us kick on and evolve a bit.

It was clear from a couple of interviews and Meet the Supporter events that McFarland and Petrie were acutely aware that the supporters were unhappy with seeing our talented back line almost redundant, and young lads languishing playing A games or AIL. They admitted that the Leinster, Sale and Munster losses had shaken them badly and they  retreated to the safety of the rolling maul, as they knew it worked. Tom Stewart will thank them no doubt, given his try-scoring record, but God it was hard to get excited about.

I also started this season concerned that we had fluffed our coaching reshuffle. Our players looked markedly less skilful last season that the previous season – and that coincided with Soper moving from skills coach to assistant coach. Our defence looked pretty porous – and there was nothing to suggest it should be otherwise, having reintroduced Bell after a poor tenure as Worcester defence coach (and it seemed another conservative, “oh we know him – he’ll do” appointment).

I thought at the time that we had made completely the wrong call giving Soper rather than Jared Payne the assistant coach position.

Now? I don’t know.

Losses away to Glasgow and Bath are not massive blots on the copybook, but the manner of them was. We’ve never had amazing depth, but it seemed that we were just unable to kick on in games and keep pressure on. We lost leads to Glasgow, Bath, Connacht (away) and Edinburgh, and losing the latter two is indicative of a profound game management problem, given the lead we had in Galway, and that Edinburgh was at home. To be honest, a month ago, I was pretty forlorn about the team.

It's always hard to say if the noises from the likes of Stuart McCloskey about getting a new attacking system to bed in are genuine or whether they’re just excuses, frankly. If you are implementing a new attacking system or philosophy, and the players are just a wee bit off, that’s what you would say. But if you knew the team and coaches had been criticised for an uninspired attack the previous season, and you were trying to deflect some criticism, that’s also what you‘d say.

But the wins over Racing, Connacht and Leinster indicate green shoots. As much in mentality and confidence as in new attack patterns. Not folding against Leinster in those pressured defensive minutes (of which there were a lot) is a significant improvement. There were flashes in those three games of the skills of old – tip-on passes, Burns’ lovely short kicking game. The lineout is still a worry, but the scrum seems to be improving. There’s talk that Kitschoff is contributing more than just good scrumming and loose play on-field – that he’s already providing real leadership and experience. The sport is so much about mentality, and that has so often been our Achilles’ heel. His presence seems to be improving that. The players seem to have a spring in their step. Could this be the start of them taking this season by the horns?

And there has been one significant, constant plus this season – blooding new talent. The comparison with last season is night and day. We have given first caps to Academy lads Zac Solomon (hooker), Scott Wilson (tighthead), Joe Hopes (second row), Lorcan McLoughlin (back row), Reuben Crothers (back row), James McNabney (back row), Ben Carson (centre) and Shea O’Brien (fullback). Scott Wilson has gotten four caps (all wins, coincidentally, including against Munster, Leinster and Racing) even though we signed Greg McGrath and James French as TH cover, because Moore was injured and O’Toole had been at the RWC. Wilson soon shunted them to one side, and the management has had faith in him. To say this is a breath of fresh air is a wild understatement.

In the light of the Scarlets’ current situation, I now wonder if we did make the right coaching appointment in Soper. There’s so many issues with Welsh Rugby as a body, never mind the individual teams, that it’s hard to know what’s happening behind the scenes. Also, it’s Peel and Payne’s first season together at the club. But they’re not doing great.

There are a couple of players that are playing within themselves, that are in a bit of a slump. Baloucoune seems short of confidence, which is criminal.

Doak’s service has become ponderous – he’s entirely capable of fast, accurate ball from the base of a ruck, but the precocious, physical, clever player that he was in his first season, isn’t on the pitch. Hopefully both can get back in form.

Addison has an awful lot of rust to shake off, and Lowry hasn’t played much.

But there are players that are really impressing. It’s amazing having Henderson play more than the odd European game as a warm-up before going off to Ireland camp.

David McCann has been a revelation. Genuinely. He’s always been skilful, and had a good head on his shoulders, but he has been  ferociously physical this season. It’s been so enjoyable to watch. Not every 20/21 year old came come in and mix it up with older players, and that was true of McCann. But he was imposing himself on games before he got injured – our most influential player, often. It looks like his development has actually been managed very well.

Hume is fully over his groin injury and has been brilliant, not just the footwork but stuff like the tip-on pass for Baloucoune’s try against Connacht and some good kicking.

Ewers has done precisely what he was brought in to do, adding serious heft, and Timoney has been physical, abrasive and fast. Hopefully we get to see what Reffell’s capable of.

Crucially, Cooney and Burns seem to both be in improved form.  With Burns, I do wonder if that’s because he has been able to share some of the flyhalf burden with Flannery. If he has a niggle now, we are resting him and trusting Flannery (or Doak) to take the reins. I’ve seen less of him limping about on the pitch, holding his arm or his calf or whatever. He can be properly rested to get over the wear and tear.

What does everyone else think?

EDIT: Should also have mentioned Harry Sheridan. Not the tallest lock, but has some real dog. Keen to see plenty more of him.

Wikidy

Great write up!

Glad to see Henderson put in a long string of games for Ulster, can't remember last time that happened. Also good to see Timoney and Hume back in the form of 2 seasons ago and Stockdale looking sharp.

Sometimes a bit of luck can go a long way, how different would it be if we lost to Connacht and Leinster by 1 point?

Paul Smeenus

Hume and McIlroy available for Toulouse.