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

launish116

bilston wrote: »

McCann, we talked about last week, but Marcus Rea was really impressive last night. He makes his tackles, he is a good line-out option, he has a low centre gravity and uses it in effectively in the carry and he is a nuisance at the breakdown. He was also talking a lot last night as well. The only thing I want to know is why we haven't seen more of him already!

Indeed, Rea Jnr was very good last night! Was surprised just how good he was! Only going to get better.

Just now need to get a backrow of McCann, Rea Jr, Allison all up to speed! We can dream!

Looking forward to the next few games during international window! We really have a nice back bone building.

Paul Smeenus

Yeah - I thought Rea played well actually as a 7. Thought he'd been 6 or 8 before.

Stockdale looked great, but thinking about it - is that because he was never called on to defend? As long as it does his confidence some good... but the might not have turned a corner quite yet.

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Yeah - I thought Rea played well actually as a 7. Thought he'd been 6 or 8 before.

Stockdale looked great, but thinking about it - is that because he was never called on to defend? As long as it does his confidence some good... but the might not have turned a corner quite yet.

Possibly, even last week where he was poor defensively, he was actually good going forward..but he was imperious under the high ball last night...and going forward was an a different level to anyone else on the pitch.

I said it during the week, but I'd keep the experiment going. We're lucky enough to have options on the wing, even Faddes went well last night, so the more Stockdale plays there the better he will get.

I'm really interested to see the Ireland back 3 against Italy...I reckon Stockdale may well get the jersey, especially if Larmour is injured.

Edit - I think Rea Jnr played 8 in that cameo against Leinster back in May 2019 when he won MoTM

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Indeed, Rea Jnr was very good last night! Was surprised just how good he was! Only going to get better.

Just now need to get a backrow of McCann, Rea Jr, Allison all up to speed! We can dream!

Looking forward to the next few games during international window! We really have a nice back bone building.

I could definitely see McCann at 6 and Rea Jnr at 7 in a future Ulster back row.

Hopefully Allison gets a shot over the next few weeks...he probably will as unfortunately I suspect Marcel will be with SA

Locke_Lamora

bilston wrote: »

I could definitely see McCann at 6 and Rea Jnr at 7 in a future Ulster back row.

Hopefully Allison gets a shot over the next few weeks...he probably will as unfortunately I suspect Marcel will be with SA

Rea is 23 now so I would really like to see him build on this game. Someone posted on the PR forum that there have been many A games where he has been quiet/anonymous and I'd agree with that. Much like his brother I think he needs to start improving in each coming game, although he'll need more game time to do that tbf. He still looks quite light to me, so I reckon he'll be a 7 going forward, and I hope the coaches are making him focus on the skills necessary for it.

McCann is a couple years younger but looks huge. Really like what he brings to the team. Haven't seen Allison in training pic - injured? Seems to be out a lot for someone so young, which is never a good thing. Hard to get stronger when injured and you won't get consistent game time, and if you don't play you don't improve. Hope he plays soon, he's plenty talented.

launish116

Locke_Lamora wrote: »

Rea is 23 now so I would really like to see him build on this game. Someone posted on the PR forum that there have been many A games where he has been quiet/anonymous and I'd agree with that. Much like his brother I think he needs to start improving in each coming game, although he'll need more game time to do that tbf. He still looks quite light to me, so I reckon he'll be a 7 going forward, and I hope the coaches are making him focus on the skills necessary for it.

McCann is a couple years younger but looks huge. Really like what he brings to the team. Haven't seen Allison in training pic - injured? Seems to be out a lot for someone so young, which is never a good thing. Hard to get stronger when injured and you won't get consistent game time, and if you don't play you don't improve. Hope he plays soon, he's plenty talented.

Did think Rea Jr is older and was good, but couldn’t help but think McCann by that age will be better.

McCann does look huge in fairness, Rea Jnr does look a lot lighter and has had a few injuries.

Out of curiosity is there much difference between academy and senior S&C? Took Rea Snr over a season to really fill out for senior rugby.

bilston

launish116 wrote: »

Out of curiosity is there much difference between academy and senior S&C? Took Rea Snr over a season to really fill out for senior rugby.

Was Rea Snr even in the Academy...did he not just go from playing for Ballymena and Ulster A to the senior squad. Not sure if that's right, but in my head that is how it happened...it would explain why he took a bit of time to adapt. I also think he may have been injured when he first joined the squad.

Locke_Lamora

launish116 wrote: »

Did think Rea Jr is older and was good, but couldn’t help but think McCann by that age will be better.

McCann does look huge in fairness, Rea Jnr does look a lot lighter and has had a few injuries.

Out of curiosity is there much difference between academy and senior S&C? Took Rea Snr over a season to really fill out for senior rugby.

Not sure about the differences in training but it might just be down to genetics. Stewart Moore filled out quickly enough in the academy and McCann has really bulked up recently as well.

launish116

bilston wrote: »

Was Rea Snr even in the Academy...did he not just go from playing for Ballymena and Ulster A to the senior squad. Not sure if that's right, but in my head that is how it happened...it would explain why he took a bit of time to adapt. I also think he may have been injured when he first joined the squad.

Aye you’re right stand corrected, think he joined squad mid/end of a season, got injured and then was the following season he really seemed to hit his Peak.

Just thinking do are forward always seems to be smaller/light when we look across the league?

As for McCann he looks like he’s genetically gifted and could fill out a bit more and still be athletic!

Paul Smeenus

Rea Jr turned 23 literally this week. I'd prepared for him to grow into his role. Not everyone is a child prodigy.

Paul Smeenus

Here, when's Hendy's hearing?

The Lost Sheep

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Here, when's Hendy's hearing?

Verdict wont be until tomorrow.

The Lost Sheep

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Here, when's Hendy's hearing?

Verdict wont be until tomorrow.

launish116

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Verdict wont be until tomorrow.

3 weeks for Hendy

Ulster’s 7 Squad for the weekend:
Azur Allison, Ben Carson, Lewis Finlay, Hayden Hyde, Bruce Houston, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, Conor Rankin, Marcus Rea, Aaron Sexton, David Shanahan.

bilston

45-5 win in the first 7s match against Connacht.

Aaron Sexton with 2 tries

Bazzo

bilston wrote: »

45-5 win in the first 7s match against Connacht.

Aaron Sexton with 2 tries

I presume the ref was terrible.

bilston

Beat Munster and then lost to Ireland.

No Leinster team???

The Lost Sheep

bilston wrote: »

Beat Munster and then lost to Ireland.

No Leinster team???

As mentioned in 7s thread. Leinster between call ups to irish squad and injuries they didnt compete

Paul Smeenus

https://rugbylad.ie/time-ever-got-involved-johnny-sexton-got-fight-one-u20s-players/

Wasn't this McBurney?

bilston

Bit of a tiff between politicians in NI (no shock there) about whether fans can attend sporting events.

I was at the Ulster game a couple of weeks ago and it seemed totally safe to me...never mind two metres, you were probably 5 metres away from the nearest person outside the person you were with. If anything they could have let a lot more in and still maintained 2 metres social distancing.

Put it this way, sitting outside watching Ulster play rugby felt a lot safer than taking a trip to Tescos.

awec

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

https://rugbylad.ie/time-ever-got-involved-johnny-sexton-got-fight-one-u20s-players/

Wasn't this McBurney?

Yes it was McBurney.

Apparently McBurney was a bit forceful in a tackle against a senior player who was returning from injury, which Sexton took exception to, and the end result was McBurney had Sexton's jersey over his head giving him a few digs.

Or so the story went anyway.

Paul Smeenus

bilston wrote: »

Bit of a tiff between politicians in NI (no shock there) about whether fans can attend sporting events.

I was at the Ulster game a couple of weeks ago and it seemed totally safe to me...never mind two metres, you were probably 5 metres away from the nearest person outside the person you were with. If anything they could have let a lot more in and still maintained 2 metres social distancing.

Put it this way, sitting outside watching Ulster play rugby felt a lot safer than taking a trip to Tescos.

The GAA has been an absolute shambles though.

Buer

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

The GAA has been an absolute shambles though.

They've been a f*cking disgrace up and down the island.

thomond2006

Buer wrote: »

They've been a f*cking disgrace up and down the island.

Are they still looking for a meeting with NPHET? :rolleyes:

bilston

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

The GAA has been an absolute shambles though.

No doubt...I hope Ulster don't lose out because teams from other sports can't keep things under control.

bilston

https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1317549442791329793?s=09

Paul Smeenus

So. Team for the Dragons?

We have Henderson banned, Herring, Stockdale and McCloskey with Ireland. Definitely missing Baloucoune, Addison, Curtis – not sure on Burns, Marshall or O’Toole – he was apparently missing “several” weeks from the end of September.

Dragons aren’t the mugs they have been in recent years – there seems to have been some solid recruiting. The likes of Desperate Dan and Nick Tompkins. But they’re losing their best players such as Tompkins and Moriarty to the Welsh camp, so maybe we could afford to let McCann/Rea Jr/Allison get more game time?

kingofthekong

bilston wrote: »

Beat Munster and then lost to Ireland.

No Leinster team???

The Ireland squad is practically Leinster tbf:

Dardis - Leinster
O'sullivan - Leinster
Roche - Leinster
Ian Fitzpatrick - Leinster
Jack Kelly - Leinster
Terry Kennedy - Leinster
Steven Kilgallon - Leinster
Gavin Mullen - Leinster
Peter Maher - Leinster
Hugo Lennox - Leinster

bayern

kingofthekong wrote: »

The Ireland squad is practically Leinster tbf:

Dardis - Leinster
O'sullivan - Leinster
Roche - Leinster
Ian Fitzpatrick - Leinster
Jack Kelly - Leinster
Terry Kennedy - Leinster
Steven Kilgallon - Leinster
Gavin Mullen - Leinster
Peter Maher - Leinster
Hugo Lennox - Leinster

all are ex-leinster underage, some ex-academy bar O'Sullivan..

Leinster squad is meant to be leinster academy & senior players but given injuries they can't field.

Paul Smeenus

Dardis. What journo wrote that he was an outside bet to get a call up for the Lions back in the day?