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

Paul Smeenus · 18-12-2022 9:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120012020#Comment_120012020

Our coach says that wasn't the reality. This afternoon, at my local club Christmas do, people that were involved in the effort talked to me about the work that went into making sure the ground was playable, and that it was playable.

What was your involvement? Reading the decision?

Paul Smeenus · 18-12-2022 9:41pm

Also, FFF, you should reply, rather than just sneak-editing your posts.

Former Former Former · 18-12-2022 9:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120012096#Comment_120012096

Our coach has said it could have been played in Ravenhill.

Our coach says that wasn't the reality

Your coach isn't an impartial observer here. His job isn't to adjudicate on the pitch or to decide who gets to walk through the turnstiles.

His job is to prepare the team to win the match and for the third week in a row, he's failed utterly to do so. That should be his one and only focus.

If Ulster needed home advantage to stop themselves going 31-0 down, then fair enough, but it's not a good omen for their future prospects and it absolutely isn't a good look for the coach.

Paul Smeenus · 18-12-2022 10:01pm

What if they needed home advantage so that their passionate fans could go?

That's my point about you being a Leinster fan - you see a home game as being about points because you don't see going to see Ulster as an inherent good. Every Ulster fan does. Again, it comes down to fans of other provinces going "if Ulster fans can't go to a "home" game, it doesn't matter if it wouldn't have affected thier completion points".

And that "if Ulster needed home advantage to stop themselves going 31-0 down" - your point again comes down to "winners don't need to be in that position" which might make you feel superior, but you know what? Some teams need every advantage they can get.

bilston · 19-12-2022 12:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120009591#Comment_120009591

Bit OTT like

lawrencesummers · 19-12-2022 8:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120009741#Comment_120009741

You can talk about both all you want, but using one as an excuse for the other lacks maturity and the manager needs to prioritize his problems and top of his list is the location of game, as opposed to the performance of his team.

OldRio · 19-12-2022 10:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120011866#Comment_120011866

I don't know if Ulster having a few hundred would have changed the outcome. I also have no idea how away fans were allowed access and home fans not.

Burkie1203 · 19-12-2022 11:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013220#Comment_120013220

LAR declared they were a part of the official delegation and if they were refused entry they would sue Ulster rugby

There was officials from Ulster present too on Saturday.

Jump_In_Jack · 19-12-2022 11:29am

Does anyone know who was the person(s) responsible for telling the EPCR to move the match?

Presumably once the match has been moved it is a done deal, so if the person responsible was facing uncertainty by the deadline to make the decision, presumably at least 48 hours before kick-off or something like that, and facing a possible 28-0 walkover if the ground wasn’t ready in time versus the heartache of moving it, the person(s) probably had to move it out of that uncertainty.

I don’t think anyone would blame the person(s) responsible for the decision if that was the situation, and McFarland is on very dodgy ground to be giving out about it if that was the situation.

If however there was a strong belief amongst the groundsmen that they had it under control and they weren’t being listened to, then that would be a very poor admin decision within the Ulster organisation.

Does anyone know if there were inspectors from the EPCR that enforced the decision over the Ulster representatives? If that were the case then that should be investigated further so it doesn’t happen again.

Hopefully more detail will come out soon, it was a terrible way for the Ulster fans to be treated, and I think they should have been given a chance right up to a few hours before the match to prove the ground was playable, as the alternative ground was an hour and a half away behind closed doors anyway so I don’t think the away team could complain too much if they were given say 5 hours notice.

OldRio · 19-12-2022 11:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013400#Comment_120013400

Of course. Official delegation. Of course.

mfceiling · 19-12-2022 11:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013443#Comment_120013443

Wearing club hats and scarfs.

Definitely "official" delegation.

Paul Smeenus · 19-12-2022 11:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120012984#Comment_120012984

But nobody has used it as an excuse? Nobody has said, "we lost to La Rochelle because the game was moved".

McFarland is talking in his interview about the "occasion" of a big European game. It's an "occasion ' whether you win or lose. The loss to Toulouse last year, at home, was a huge night.

Anyway, I'm done with this. We were denied would could have been a fantastic event (and money-spinner), McFarland was angry and you're doing mental gymnastics and strawmen arguments to cast him as just a sore loser. Your opinion is clear.

Iamabeliever · 19-12-2022 12:08pm

No rugby club runs on thin air. It's purely financial reasons the club is feeling agrieved. Games like Saturday would have featured in the clubs financial plan especially in providing new deals for players. With the added likelihood that Ulster will not be making it to the last 16, it's gotta hurt

19-12-2022 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120013421#Comment_120013421

Does anyone know who was the person(s) responsible for telling the EPCR to move the match?

Some fella called Onan Rogara, completely independent of both clubs so no worries there.

Strand1970 · 20-12-2022 7:27am

On OTB last night it was reported 65% of the pitch was unplayable on Friday afternoon. That kind of explains why the decision was made on Friday.

pickarooney · 20-12-2022 8:59am

OTB had zero sympathy for Ulster's predicament. Not sure I agree with everything but the worst case scenarion definitely played out.

Paul Smeenus · 20-12-2022 10:14am

OTB have never had any sympathy for any predicament Ulster have ever been in, in fairness. Not theri market, as we're constantly reminded.

Scythica · 20-12-2022 11:02am

OTB (and in general, most irish rugby podcasts etc) are fairly crap

20-12-2022 11:02am

I don't think the point is unreasonable though - if the pitch isn't playable 24 hours out from the game, then the ECPR didn't really have much choice but to move it.

I feel like Ulster made a mess of this by not just calling it on the Tuesday / Wednesday and moving the game. They could have done something similar to what Munster did last year then in terms of putting buses on etc to have 10-15k fans in the ground on Saturday, and at least rectify something out of it.

Glasgow had an issue with Scotstoun and moved the game to Murrayfield in plenty of time, so still had some fans in the ground for the game on Friday night.

Paul Smeenus · 20-12-2022 11:16am

Yeah, an earlier call would have maybe been wiser although, as pointed out above, there's a lot of income you're giving up.

20-12-2022 12:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120017253#Comment_120017253

Yeah, understood, but they could have at least taken some steps to mitigate the income loss by trying to get some of those fans into the game in Dublin and not needing to refund. The way it turned out is the worst of all scenarios.

Also - it was suggested on both OTB and in Gerry Thornley's article on it today in the IT that Ulster themselves were "slow to get the covers on the pitch" and that the specialist heaters didn't actually arrive until Thursday due to some delay.

If there's any truth in either of those statements then this is solely on the Ulster Rugby administration.

Buer · 20-12-2022 12:45pm

It's also somewhat easier for Glasgow to move their game when Murrayfield is less than half the distance from Belfast to Dublin. Far less of an inconvenience for the players and fans. A good number of Ulster fans would be coming from further than Belfast also.

I can understand Ulster wanting to give Ravenhill every chance.

stephen_n · 20-12-2022 1:02pm

It’s called home advantage for a reason. Besides the financial you can understand why they would want to have it in Ravenhill. Especially given the opposition.

However if it is the case that the covers went on late and the heaters were delayed. They should have considered moving it and at least having some fans at the game.

ionadnapokot · 20-12-2022 4:37pm

Will Lowry be moved back to outhalf for Connacht game?

Was surprised they asked Doak to fill in v La Rochelle instead of brining on Moore at FB. Intrigued if they give Doak another run there. He went well enough. He's a strong boy!

And more of Henderson at 6 please!!!

bilston · 20-12-2022 6:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120018534#Comment_120018534

I'd definitely want to see more of Doak at 10.

antietam1 · 20-12-2022 7:09pm

Gerry Thornley was saying there were concerns on Monday about the pitch, Heaters didn't arrive until Thursday.

Also says not all of the cost will be to Ulster.

Could been 0-28.

There is a bit more but I know if I was an Ulster fan no facts would make me feel less aggrieved, as I was when Montpelier were awarded 28-0.

Former Former Former · 20-12-2022 11:12pm

https://www.epcrugby.com/2022/12/20/epcr-statement-ulster-rugby-v-stade-rochelais/

Wtf

lawrencesummers · 20-12-2022 11:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020008#Comment_120020008

The EPRC are just making a token gesture with a view to pretending that they care about actual paying attending fans as opposed to just the TV and everything to do with TV.

The european cup organizers never have and never will care about the people who buy tickets, unless of course its for the final.

Reading between the lines and filling in a lot of blanks Ulster might be after threatening legal action to recoup lost revenue.

Larbre34 · 20-12-2022 11:47pm

I don't think we ever saw the same shenanigans from ERC that we see frequently now from EPCR. But of course, those of us who warned and warned at the time, about the setup of the structure that became EPCR, were told we were overeacting.

Now we have a competition structure that has thrown out the best bits of what used to be the ERC HC and treats some of the greatest contributor Clubs to the competition down the years like dirt.

I hope Ulster rinse them over this bizarre, unfair, spiteful and high-handed carry on, in whatever ways there are that they can be rinsed.

Podge_irl · 20-12-2022 11:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020008#Comment_120020008

Supposedly its about Ulster's stated second venue (RDS) not being available because they did no contingency planning in order to actually get it ready. Which, given the surprisingly advance notice of potential problems, would be a big black mark against Ulster management if true.

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

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