Tigers V Ulster

Is it too early in the week to start this thread?

Don't care.

My local rugby calendar is clear for the day and I have two tickets for this beauty! The wife and I will be at Welford Road (she likes a bit of Toby) to cheer on the boys and looking forward to a great day.

Bring on the Irish Invasion!

TIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSS!

Is it too early in the week to start this thread?

Yes

Don't care.

Oh

The wife and I will be at Welford Road (she likes a bit of Toby)

Is it the fake tan, or the jug ears?

Bring on the Irish Invasion!

TIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSS!.
Metal Tiger

Indeed, who knows another one of these would be pleasant:

http://www.leicestertigers.com/rugby/1989.php

SUFTUM!

Tigers should win at home. But a win for Ulster and they can start to dream. If Ferris keeps up his form they have a chance.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Tigers should win at home. But a win for Ulster and they can start to dream. If Ferris keeps up his form they have a chance.

Ulster will expect to beat Tigers at Ravenhill, and win both matches against Aironi. So a win on Saturday would put them with one foot in the 1/4s and allow dreams of a Home 1/4 final.

Of course a home win for Tigers and it is all game on. (Though of course I do expect Ulster to be leading the group at Christmas)

It will be an invasion of Ulstermen on Saturday not Irishmen Metal ;-) And if our pack can bring the intensity we took to Clermont its going to be one hell of a battle, heres to another cracking HEC game, an Ulster win and of course Ferris to smash a few English boys for the banter (standard protocol for him)

Tigers desperately need both a BP win plus avoiding allowing Ulster anything.

Coming up short of the max against Aironi could be telling in this group.

Aironi aren't the whipping boys they once were. Take them for granted at your peril - just ask Biarritz about that. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we took eight points from them, and not with any great ease. I'm hoping for ten, but i'd be shocked if we managed it.

LondonTiger wrote:
Is it the fake tan, or the jug ears?

Actually it's his legs... she likes a good thigh

That was a good link too. I'd forgotten how much we thrashed the Ulstermen back then. Hopefully a taste of things to come this saturday

Don Alfonso wrote:Aironi aren't the whipping boys they once were. Take them for granted at your peril - just ask Biarritz about that. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we took eight points from them, and not with any great ease. I'm hoping for ten, but i'd be shocked if we managed it.

That may be so, but I still feel like we let the bonus point slip against them last week, rather than they denied us it. We were 20 points up in the first half and the pack was playing well but the back line did struggle a bit with a few knock ons (Tuilagi does seem to be doing this a lot lately... not sure if he is pushing too hard or just the victim of some dodgy passing?)

Had we got a few more of our first choice centres out there I think we would have got the BP.

Don Alfonso wrote:Aironi aren't the whipping boys they once were. Take them for granted at your peril - just ask Biarritz about that. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we took eight points from them, and not with any great ease. I'm hoping for ten, but i'd be shocked if we managed it.

1 Ospreys 8 6 1 1 186 134 0 26
2 Leinster 8 6 0 2 184 144 2 26
3 Munster 8 5 0 3 160 125 3 23
4 Glasgow 8 5 0 3 166 140 2 22
5 Cardiff Blues 7 4 0 3 163 151 4 20
6 Treviso 8 4 0 4 173 157 3 19
7 Ulster 8 4 0 4 147 140 1 17
8 Scarlets 8 3 1 4 141 135 3 17
9 Connacht 8 3 0 5 119 156 3 15
10 Edinburgh 8 3 0 5 168 197 2 14
11 Newport-Gwent D'gons 7 2 0 5 123 165 2 10
12 Aironi 8 1 0 7 112 198 2 6

LondonTiger wrote:
Ulster will expect to beat Tigers at Ravenhill, and win both matches against Aironi.

err...we'll be confident we can do those things if we play well, I wouldn't say we are 'expecting' to.

If we can come away with a point next week then that will be a decent result for us I think but we need something from that game.

Portnoy, they rarely win games, but give away much fewer five-pointers than you'd imagine. That's all I meant. I think it was two or three last season.

How often to Tigers actualy win games these days? Hardly any more than Aironi

Such a change isn't it. Not long ago the result wouldn't be in doubt.

Fortress WR is not what it once was.

The Tigers have lost a bit of their aura but surely they'll win this one.

It's not at all like Tigers to not rack up the try bonus points though!

Really can't make up my mind about this fixture. My initial instinct was to go for Leicester at home, but Ulster showed such spirit at the weekend and have no shortage of quality in the pack to stand up to Leicester.

I'll go for Leicester but only just. Losing bonus point for Ulster.

Apart from Bath twice in the past two seasons have Ulster won in England?

Ulster have plenty to prove on the road so I wouldn't take too much from the Clermont game. We are a different beast at Ravenhill.

The Tigers will start as firm favourites but certainly this is as strong as Ulster have been in recent times so I think there is a good chance we can get something from this game.

I think Rodders is right - let's not get ahead of ourselves. No Pienaar, no Afoa, no Payne. I'd be delighted with an LBP.

Apparently, 1F is good to go, though.

No Afoa? Will he not be fit for the weekend? That makes a big difference I think.

Ferris against Croft will be worth a watch.

He's returning to be best man at Jerome Kaino's wedding. He was never supposed to be over this early - he came over as a favour.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Ferris against Croft will be worth a watch.

Not for Croft fans it won't .......

I think Tigers have enough to get them through the match and can top the pool.

Leicester defeated Ulster 49-7 in the only previous Heineken Cup meeting between the sides at Welford Road in January, 2004.

A week previous to that, Ulster had beaten the same opponents, then coached by Dean Richards, 33-0 at Ravenhill.


Anyone going for history repeating itself and a big win at home for both teams?

I'd be happy with an Ulster LBP. Delighted with a win, and over moon into the land of make believe with a WBP, and then in land that people in th land of make believe dream about with a WBP and dening Tigers a LBP, ( and Aironi beat Clermont).

roddersm wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Ferris against Croft will be worth a watch.

Not for Croft fans it won't .......

Both put in MOTM performances at the weekend so both have some form. It'll be great to see two contrasting yet top class blindsides go head to head. Ferris with the raw power and carrying abilities, Croft galloping onto the ball and racing around the pitch.

Eh I have to say I think Ferris is in another league compared to Croft.. no bias here, I just don't think Croft is of the same standard as Ferris and other international class blindsides.

red_stag wrote:I think Tigers have enough to get them through the match and can top the pool.

Our pack is very good and pretty much first choice but our backs leave a lot to be desired at the moment. They are doing a job but we are still missing a lot through injury.

Unless we get some of the big guns (Ben Youngs, Manusamoa Tuilagi etc.) back in time for Ulster I fear they may turn us over. Which would effectively end our HEC.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Eh I have to say I think Ferris is in another league compared to Croft.. no bias here, I just don't think Croft is of the same standard as Ferris and other international class blindsides.

You can't compare them really as they are very different styles of blindside.

Croft is very good at the Line Out, Running, Handling, Support Play, Scoring etc.

Ferris is very good at flopping around on the floor like a wounded moose, offside, in the scrum halfs pocket and pretending he is trying to get out of the way!

A lot of people on these boards seem to really not rate Croft. I find it odd, to me he is one of England's best players and I can't remember him having a bad game recently. Geech rated him rather highly on the Lions' tour too. I'm not saying he is god incarnate or anything, but he's not a bad player at all!

I do rate Ferris the better player, but it's silly to suggest that "he's in a different league" to Croft.

Both are very good blindsides indeed. Absolutely no question. Ferris edges it for me because I prefer his more physical and direct style, but when Croft is good, he's very good indeed.

In fairness, Croft did try really, really hard and put in some good performances when he kindly filled in for an injured Ferris on the Lions tour.

If i'm honest I rate Ferris above Croft. Croft is still a very good player.

If I had to pick one for my team it would be Croft, simply because Ferris doesn't have that long of a career left, and misses alot more games than Croft through injury, however in the games he does play he makes a far bigger difference to the team than Croft.

Think thats a fair comparision.

Metal Tiger wrote:Ferris is very good at flopping around on the floor like a wounded moose, offside, in the scrum halfs pocket and pretending he is trying to get out of the way!

What else do you want in a blindside?

Only yanking your chains about Croft. He's a good player if you like that sort of thing.

Ferris is in serious form though...so yous have been warned...

Will Ferris be fit?

Fit and raring to go.

He's already been shipped in a cage to England, had his rabies vaccination, but is still foaming at the mouth, wanting to get torn into fresh Tiger meat.

According to todays leicester mercury we could have ben youngs back and possibly 36 and agulla.

Glad to hear that, after all we want no excuses that we beat a weakened side

nathan wrote:According to todays leicester mercury we could have ben youngs back and possibly 36 and agulla.

Im not sure the fat Argie was a such a big loss but Youngs and a fit center are a big plus.

LondonTiger wrote:Will Ferris be fit?

If theres a fitter guy on the pitch on one leg I'll eat my hat.

Afoa and Pienaar missing for Ulster are big losses, always think theres a chance when Ferris is starting for Ulster though.

I don't think it is unreasonable to say he is in another league (in my opinion at least). Croft just doesn't hit the standard set by Ferris, Kaino, Burger, Lydiate etc. In fact out of all the 6 nations blindsides, for me Croft would come last or second last. I would take Ferris, Lydiate, Dusautoir and Brown over Croft, and he would be competing with Zanni for the last spot.

Don't forget SOB

SOB is our openside

I think Ferris is better at blindside than SOB, but SOB is our best 7.

Kingshu wrote:Don't forget SOB

...Or Sean O'Doormat as Gorgonzilla calls him.....

Rodders, you're taking your life in your hands, mocking SOB. The Leinster boys will be on you like a pack of ravenous wolves.

You should just about get away with it, as it's a Tigers v. Ulster thread.

I'll concede that Croft is not as good at scrapping at the breakdown as Ferris but I do think he is better in every other aspect around the park.

He is one of those sort of players where people frequently say (wrongly) that he was quiet or didn't do much... but then when he is not playing everyone suddenly realises the work he does and starts saying how much we miss him.

In a straight 'duff em up fest' I would go with Ferris. Open running attacking rugby I'd go for Croft every time.

But then I am quite one eyed!!

TIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRSSS!!

Leicester have a lot of pressure on them. They really have to make the semi's (at the very least) this year to show they aren't losing ground in Europe. They also have a relatively easy group that includes the weakest side in the 24 and the third Irish province. Clermont have a poor away record too so the Tigers really should be targetting this year to go far with maybe five or six wins to top the group. They have a good blend of youth and experience in both forwards and backs so they should be able to temper youthful exuberance with hard-headed experience.

Ulster got hammered the last time they played at Welford Road too, and are missing their HEC talisman from last year in Ruan Pienaar. Add to that that Ian Humphreys isn't playing well and the back three has been constantly shuffled all season. The front three haven't been any more settled either, and will miss Afoa massively.

OTOH Ulster have Ferris so should win easily

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I don't think it is unreasonable to say he is in another league (in my opinion at least). Croft just doesn't hit the standard set by Ferris, Kaino, Burger, Lydiate etc. In fact out of all the 6 nations blindsides, for me Croft would come last or second last. I would take Ferris, Lydiate, Dusautoir and Brown over Croft, and he would be competing with Zanni for the last spot.

Aaaarrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

when will people realise that Dusautoir is NOT France's blindside. France historically number their back row differently and do not always play a blind and open. however Dusautoir is their openside and Bonnaire the blindside.

Personally I would take Croft ahead of Bonnaire, Brown and Lydiate. If the lions selected Warburton at openside I would go with Ferris at 6, but if they selected SOB I would consider Croft.

I note the Tigers fans are happy to bring up the mauling they gave us at Welford Road in 2004 but fail to mention the thrashing we gave them just a week before. 30-0 at half-time if I remember. Dhumph was on fire that day. I expect his young brother will be chomping at the bit atm. Playing against his old team will inspire him.

Metal Tiger, I will be on the Holland & Barrett terracing. Leave a pint for me behind the bar mate

Rava thankfully this game is at welford Road. I have not forgotten the Ravenhill match that season at all - and you will note in most threads on the subject I have predicted that Ulster will expect to beat Tigers at home (though we stand more chance if it is not on a Friday night).

You may well be right LT. Looks like our wee bit of success last season has elevated us to prime-time on a Saturday with Sky so you could be lucky.

I am looking forward to this immensely. I'm not going to shout the odds but I think there isn't a lot between the two teams atm so it will be whoever performs better on the day. I just hope it's us, predictably . I would be more confident if Afoa was playing and await a positive announcement about 1F's fitness. The silence coming out of URFC is deafening.