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

1 Irish u18

give it a few years

Every province has gaps. Who was the last Leinster-produced scrum-half to be there or thereabouts for Ireland? Not Gibson-park. Not Murray. Not Boss. Not Reddan.

Having said that, I agree with your concern about outhalf. Burns isn't good enough at top provincial level, and, in fairness, has to play game after game with niggles. That's the position we need to bolster. We have brilliant backs and Burns has gone backwards.

Reddan played for Munster schools and U19, then went Connacht, Munster, Wasps, Leinster. Not sure how he's Leinster-produced.

What's the feeling on Brigg? Very surprised when I saw that. I was impressed with him at schools level.

I’m surprised someone leaving that young. Leinster guys usually wait until they know they are not getting in with leinster. I can’t think of the last one who left this early. I’ve never seen him play though.

Can't really comment as I haven't really watched any of them, maybe our coaches rated them roughly the same and decided to back our own. Missing the u20's isn't the end of the world but I'll admit it is a telling sign - there can't be many who've missed the squad entirely to go on and have successful careers? Baloucoune would be the first name to spring to mind and Sheehan was like third choice. Doaks has next year but he'll be up against some decent props.

I imagine we have been looking at them at least, prop is a bit of a crisis position for us in terms of depth. The TH from Clontarf has been brought in for training as well apparently so we're obviously exhausting all avenues in trying to sort it out.

Better than... Matty Rea or Greg Jones?!?

I'm more pessimistic after what's happened over the last year with apparently limited funds to improve. I know Petrie told us what we wanted to hear about playing a better style and giving sharing game time around, but do we have the players or coach for it? Of those players you've named I'm only really excited about Postlethwaite and Sheridan next year, Izzy I'm cautiously optimistic about and I think McNabney has come on leaps and bounds from last year but might not really make an impact for another year or two.

We'd be very well if 5/6 of those new academy players become regulars that can consistently contribute to winning games. We'll see what they're about next year for the u20's I suppose.

I was impressed. Good physical lad with a good engine. He could be a surprise. Good on Ulster to bring him up to Belfast.

I would say that Ulster have some great prospects in the academy. I really think Wilson will go places. McNabney looks a complete player and is better this year, McLoughlin was great for the 20's.

MacFarland was very poor last season. The team was mentally soft. That's on him. If there's no improvement, he should be shown the door.

We only had seven academy players left after those development deals that were announced so I certainly see their reasoning. We seem to be casting the net wide and I would wager there's some decisions made here with the long term budget in mind - we've brought in an AIL prop and one that was playing semi-pro in australia so I think they are hoping that we can produce at least one from the academy to fill that sort of gap instead.

The size surprised me but we had the space, so why not I suppose. I could easily see one of the new back three recruits making their debut shortly after they play u20's given the drastic drop in quality after Baloucoune and Stockdale, or maybe before depending on injuries. No rush though.

Based solely on U20s I'm hoping Scott Wilson and Lorcan McLaughlin can make an impact, but no idea how they've been doing in AIL. But agree that Postelwaite, Sheridan and McNabney would be the three main hopes and Izzy as well, just not sure how hebhas recovered from his injury.

Longer term, and again just what I saw in the Schools Cup, it will be interesting to see how Lukas Kenny goes over the next 12 months. At schools level he looked a cut above, but obviously there is a long way to go for him.

Indeed. Ironically, we're better covered at 15, with Addison, Lowry, Moore and potentially Shea O'Brien, if he kicks on.

Bath is a nice trip to make for a rugby game, but I'd had it in my head that I was finally going to see a game in France this year. Watch Ulster get knocked out early just to piss me off.