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

With De Allende leaving a move to Munster could've been a good move for him. I'm not sure on Postlewaite's best position but who do they have lined up at 12 next year - scannell and goggin? That's pretty thin.

Or this could be fairly worthless and the coaches just rate him that highly anyway. I'd be happier with that.

Won't be long until the first choice 15 won't have anyone in there thirties in it. Feeling old!

So, missing:

Warwick

Herring

Roberts

Moore

O'Toole

Henderson

Treadwell

Izuchukwu

Rea Sr

Murphy

Timoney

Cooney

McCloskey

Marshall

Hume

Moore S (?)

Stockdale

Baloucoune

Gilroy (more than likely)

Addison

Lowry

Yikes.

Ah forgot about Moore.

Sounds about right then.

As said earlier we MIGHT get Hume or Lowry back as well for this one. Can't see either being in the Ireland 23 and they can't both be 24th/25th man.

By the same reasoning Herring and Timoney could be about, although I think they'll keep them both.

He's been fairly critical of our academy selection as well - Carson got selected ahead of Postlethwaite, Rankin and Sexton ahead of McIlroy and Moxham leapfrogging players brought in ahead of him.

Disappointing but not surprising about Allison.

Listening to the Tele Ulster podcast, the two forwards mentioned are second row John Glasgow and James McNabney. Both getting very good reports from AIL league. McNabney has looked like a serious operator for the Ulster U19s when I've seen the videos; apparently Glasgow is an aggressive, physical ball-carrier that has been improving all season and is highly regarded.

I became a big fan of Sheridan during the last U20s - not the biggest lock but as the competition went on he became more noticeable and dominated opposition that was bigger than him. Think he was a blindside that was playing there because of injuries?

Apparently Murphy, Rea Sr and Izzy are actually potentially available for selection? Although it's backs where we're stretched.

Don’t agree with him on this.

Well, we're about to get a look at them anyway. Any you particularly like?

I can be a stickler for size so I don't rate Crothers as high as others, but he's been made captain which has to count for something. Postlethwaite was the only one I really liked coming into the season - soft hands, physical and a fairly big lad, just not sure what his best position is.

Sounds like we might have a few more options than we were expecting for tomorrow.

Interesting team announcement ahead

Disappointed for Baloucoune (and the others in fairness), but very happy to see him lining out for us. Good team overall. Interesting to see Curtis at 13, and presumably Lowry is covering ten

Can't really argue with that.

Other than to wonder why Zebo wasn't banned at all for his hit on Lowry?

Not related incidents other than Ulster were involved in both and somehow managed to come out on the wrong side of the citing commissioners on both occasions. Not that Zebo being banned or not would have had any effect on Ulster.

Moore is a good player for a depth signing, he looked up for it.

Lowry was sensational but him and McIlroy got caught a couple of times trying to do too much.

Neither side could secure their own ball at ruck time, lost track of the amount of turnovers, conor oliver was doing my head in.

Oliver was the pick of the forwards but others did well too. Baloucoune looks imperious when at full speed but drifted out of the game a bit....or maybe it was one of those games which existed mainly on the other wing. It happens. I have always thought that the natural flow of a game is right to left as most players are right-handed and therefore the natural and more accurate and aggressive passes are right to left. Do left wings get more possession and score more tries than right wings?

I wasn't expecting Moore to be any good given the comments and observations from Munster supporters. I thought he did really well. He played the full 80 and at full throttle. If he keeps that up and gets up to speed in the line out codes etc we have got a bit of a bargain.

I don't know what's going on with Andrew or Stewart, but watching McCormick for the U20s there, there won't be many average players blocking his way for long.