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

Clermont have a lot to play for.

But yeah they aren't where they where a few years ago.

Although Penaud can do anything at any time.

Ulster team to play ASM Clermont Auvergne, Heineken Champions Cup Round 4, Saturday 22 January at Kingspan Stadium, kick-off 5.30pm, live on BT Sport:

(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Angus Curtis, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Kieran Treadwell, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Tom O’Toole, Sam Carter, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Ben Moxham, Craig Gilroy.

None of our big hitters back.

EOS deserves the start.

Lowry must be covering 10.

Angus Curtis is the concern. I like him, but a step down from both McCloskey and Moore. No mention of any injury to Moore in the press release.

Aye big game needed from Curtis.

Not sure how I feel about tomorrow. I think given Clermont have to win that could be a factor.

None.

Bradley Roberts is actually on the bench rather than Andrew - apparently there was some kind of clerical error.

Excited for the game, and don't think we're going to take anything for granted, but worried about up front, and that's not a great bench overall.

Wonder what has happened with Andrew this season?

Big ask for Curtis!

So given Toulouse having to forfeit, beating Clermont will probably mean facing Toulouse in the last 16. Losing to Clermont means it’ll most likely be Connacht. That’s a bit of a kick.

O'Toole adds real oomph off the bench. Critical against tiring legs. I'd argue Marty Moore has been good enough to merit inclusion in a couple of extended Ireland squads - he's genuinely been great for us. But given his age, he's hardly tomorrow's man.

I'd say that's our first choice back row at the moment. At the start of the season, I'd have brought Reidy or Murphy straight back in when they were fit - albeit Timoney passed them both out last season - but ReaJea has done enough that the jersey has to be wrested back from him.

Jim, McCloskey was talking about being back for this game, so I'd say he's not too far off.

I think it's harder for Ulster players to get recognition from the southern media, thats just sensible editorials from southern media outlets really.

But I don't think it has any impact on Ireland selections.

The reality is Ulster needed to start winning away in Europe and needed to start beating Leinster, they've done that and all of a sudden we've 8 or 9 guys in the Ireland squad with probably two others in Addison and Stockdale to come back as well.

Anyway putting all that to one side we've have a great crop of young players.

Doak, Lowry, Moore, Hume, Baloucoune, McIlroy, even Stockdale would be considered young if he hadn't already been in the Ireland side.

Now it's time to deliver some forwards, and maybe, just maybe there are green shoots there as well.

Thinking about it I'd love Willie Anderson to still be involved mentoring these lads. The comments on Doak are interesting. I'm not a professional expert but early in the season I'd noticed he was a bit slow at clearing the ball away, but it was noticeable against Northampton that he was much quicker. His box kicking was a lot better against Northampton than it was against Munster as well. Virtually every kick was contestable. Hopefully people are having these conversations with him, be it his dad or others within the camp. I'm sure they are, it's their job after all.

But yeah, if we could order a couple of beastly second rows from the Ulster Academy then I think we'd all be pretty happy.

Just on Lowry, I don't know the guy personally, but I do know quite a few who do, and from everything I've heard that story about the guy in the wheelchair doesn't surprise me at all.

I really hope size isn't an issue for him at test level, because if it isn't I honestly believe he could be world class.

Bench is going to play major role in this game!

Some of the Rugby Ulster play is just wonderful.

It was unreal

...

Surely not?

You noticed how much better Clermont looked when Lopez came on. Not a ringing endorsement for JJ Hanrahan. But the big change for Clermont was really Penaud. He's world class. Such an excellent runner, but knows how when exactly to release the ball.

Awec is right that Ulster's subs didn't add much to the game. Clermont started winning a few collisions which they weren't for the majority of the game.