Ulster v Aironi HC Rnd3 Friday 09 December 2011 KO 19.30pm

First topic message reminder :

Ulster have included new signing Stefan Terblanche in their matchday squad ahead of Friday's Heineken Cup round 3 fixture against Aironi at Ravenhill (kick off 7.30pm).

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The South African fullback arrived in Belfast over the weekend and is in contention to play some part against the Italians. The 36 year old has been drafted in on a short term deal as cover for Jared Payne who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Declan Fitzpatrick is again ruled out with a neck injury suffered in the Glasgow game two weeks ago. Ruan Pienaar came through his 20 minute cameo against Scarlets on Friday unscathed and is back in contention for a starting place.

Paddy McAllister gets a start at loosehead in place of Tom Court with Court on the bench.

The Ulstermen shared a pool with Aironi in last season’s tournament and picked up 10 points from the two games, scoring ten tries in the process.

Ulster Match Day Squad to face Aironi, Friday 9th December, Ravenhill (kick-off 7.30pm)
(15-9): A D'Arcy; A Trimble, D Cave, N Spence, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, R Pienaar;
(1-8): P McAllister, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg;
Replacements (16-23): A Kyriacou, T Court, A Macklin, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, P Jackson, S Terblanche
This season, Ulster currently sit in third place after two rounds, two points behind Clermont Auvergne and four behind leaders Leicester. Friday’s opponents Aironi are yet to register a point in this year’s competition.

Just because you've brought up UAFC.....is there any talk of bringing back the forum on the Ulster website? They still have one on the Munster web site is that right?

I know I said he is our best 12 we have available. But please, if you want to go digging for my posts yesterday and find where I mentioned the words "on form" then be my guest. You said that D'Arcy in his prime was merely "solid" and I disagreed. Then I pointed out lately however he has been awful. I stand by that. Yet he is the only 12 we have currently, who is playing there week in week out.

You continue to disagree with me, and I would ask you to therefore tell me who you would pick at 12 over D'Arcy, but since you are not replying to my "disgraceful" posts, I guess you won't be replying.

My point is Rodders is that 5 points at home to Leicester still is, probably, not enough. We would still need other results to go our way for us to finish above Clermont.

I would be amazed if we go into the last game being able to lose and still qualify for the HC QF's

Rory knock it on the head please! Either make it up with yer man or add him to your foe list but can you please stop with the bickering and personal insults!

roddersm wrote:Just because you've brought up UAFC.....is there any talk of bringing back the forum on the Ulster website? They still have one on the Munster web site is that right?

Dead in the water I'm afraid.

Basically no one want to police the purile drivel that is often posted against possible legal implications - that is what brought the site to a halt.
Many people who run these sites do not realize the extent that they are liable for there contents. I wouldn't do it.

As I have said Rodders I have not insulted anyone. And I have already said to him lets just leave it there in the other thread, but he seems to enjoy following my posts.

OK thats a shame geoff it was good on there at times.

OK fair enough Geoff maybe a Tigers win would be better for us.

I think it just a different mind set.

Your way gives us a 12.5% chance of making the HC but only a 35% chance of the Amlin
My way gives a 5% chance of the HC but a 75% chance of the Amlin.

Neither is wrong

Foe list him Rory - I already have.

Artful_Dodger wrote:Foe list him Rory - I already have.

How do I do that?

Click on their profile and there should be a link to 'add to foe list'.

Thanks

I never Knew about that Foe list before, this makes 606v2 way more intresting.

Ps whats does Foe listing someone really do?

It means you won't be able to read their posts and they won't be able to PM you, I think.

Afternoon guys, sorry I haven't been on since before the weekend. Five points was the target and this was achieved. Another five is crucial this weekend. If I was a betting man I would have a couple of bob on Clermont getting a LBP.

We can look the at the permutations after we see the Leicester v Clermont game but I believe like the rest of you we will need to target 4 tries in a win at home to Leicester. At this stage that still looks doable but we will have to wait to see what happens with injuries etc.

Got to go with Geoff on this one Rodders. In a perfect world we would be playing well enough to have chance in all 3 games but i genuinely dont see us getting anything from France.

I think we will have a great shot at the amlin (and potentially a 2nd place QT) if Clermont win next week. If Tigers are all but out after next week i fancy us to do them at Ravenhill (they would have little to play for and we would have a massive chance).

All irrelevant if we cant BP Aironi this weekend. We need a big performance.

Would you rather the best runner up quarter final spot which is looking like away to Toulouse or maybe Leinster or getting into the Amlin and have a genuine chance of silverware?

Leinster- Ulster quarter-final in the Aviva would be class

HEC QF spot for me please Golden!

Stand , Geoff I'm not disagreeing as such. My focus is that we can still win this group but we can discuss it further after next weekend, where as Stand says if we don't get the bonus point then its game over!

SUFTUM!

Thats a good question golden. To be honest if it was against Leinster i would love it. If it was against toulouse less so.

I'll take HC Quarter Final qualification over Amlin Cup no matter who we might be playing. It's the only way to get our seeding increased and hopefully get a Pool where we aren't against two of the better HC teams.

It's not complicated. We try and win every game and see where we end up

I would like it if Clermont won next week too. Would leave us only needing to beat Leicester to guarantee second place, which could mean we continue in Europe. Should Leicester win we'll be top if we get the BP against Aironi or even just win in all probability but there's a much bigger chance we finish third after the next two rounds.

Either way we'll need to win at Clermont to guarantee our progress which is a big ask, so I'd rather be 5/6 certain of getting something from the group than knowing we could slide to 3rd on the last day.

Plus Leicester are a bunch of Kumquats whereas the ASM fans are a great bunch of lads altogether

It's not often you see 1F look overawed...

http://www.u.tv/Sport/City-Hall-party-for-Ulster-legends/a9a27adf-fd74-4b86-b93d-661c9b9f31fd

Im not sure Rava. Of course i agree the HEC is the preminent tournament and as such we want to go as far as possible but if you gave me the option of an Amlin final or going out, spanked away at Toulouse then im less certain.

I think something tangible in the trophy cabinet would be a massive boost.

Stand you are forgetting about option 3, we reach the QF and spank Toulouse (or Leinster)...that would be my preference

I kind of agree about having silverware in the trophy cabinet. What would be the difference in HEC qualification points between going out in the QF again, and making it to / winning the Amlin final? Where's Neil F when you need hm?

Tries on YouTube- minus the first unfortunately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLC6BAB9FB055103F4&feature=player_embedded&v=VpKBe1Qglqk

Notch wrote:Tries on YouTube- minus the first unfortunately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLC6BAB9FB055103F4&feature=player_embedded&v=VpKBe1Qglqk

On that note tehre was delightful hands from D'arcy and Diack in the build up to Trimble and jackson's respective scores. Missed that at the game. Very good.

On the seeding for next year thing.
Our rating will go up as the year we lose will be a 1 pointer 4 years ago.

We are currently 16th in the rankings.
Because of the year they lose we should go above go above London Irish, Bath and possibly Ospreys. Toulon, if they get a really good run in the Amlin are the only ones who could realistically go above us who are currently below us.

So that takes us to 14th.
Perpignan and Biarritz are almost certain not to qualify for next year. They are 12th and 14th respectively and both are 10 points or more behind qualification. Stade are 6th on the same points as Racing so also not certain.

That takes us to 12th - we just might make it to being a 2nd seed next year - but it is going to be close.

Finish 1st and we are there, finish 2nd we should be ok, finish 3rd and it will squeaky bum time

geoff998rugby wrote:On the seeding for next year thing.
Our rating will go up as the year we lose will be a 1 pointer 4 years ago.

We are currently 16th in the rankings.
Because of the year they lose we should go above go above London Irish, Bath and possibly Ospreys. Toulon, if they get a really good run in the Amlin are the only ones who could realistically go above us who are currently below us.

So that takes us to 14th.
Perpignan and Biarritz are almost certain not to qualify for next year. They are 12th and 14th respectively and both are 10 points or more behind qualification. Stade are 6th on the same points as Racing so also not certain.

That takes us to 12th - we just might make it to being a 2nd seed next year - but it is going to be close.

Finish 1st and we are there, finish 2nd we should be ok, finish 3rd and it will squeaky bum time

Geoff thanks for this. As I said earlier I would suffer a defeat in the QF to achieve a better seeding. I really believe we can at least get second from the group. I know it wouldn't guarantee an easier group but it would be a decent marker of our progress under McLaughlin.

Stop talking about defeats!!

roddersm wrote:IWe seemed to have gone backwards again with the same sort of error strewn displays and poor execution that have haunted us in the past. Talk of players leaving and others coming in, inconsistant selection and poor tactics.

I'm still positive that we can still have a good season if we get a few results next month but it does cross your mind with each poor display that last season was a bit of a fluke rather than the start of an upward trend.

ULSTER SAYS NO!!!!!

red_stag wrote:

roddersm wrote:IWe seemed to have gone backwards again with the same sort of error strewn displays and poor execution that have haunted us in the past. Talk of players leaving and others coming in, inconsistant selection and poor tactics.

I'm still positive that we can still have a good season if we get a few results next month but it does cross your mind with each poor display that last season was a bit of a fluke rather than the start of an upward trend.

ULSTER SAYS NO!!!!!

Snow Patrol say (just say) Yes!!

Obviously I meant the 'royal we' above. Ulster are doing fine

roddersm wrote:Stop talking about defeats!!

Thought that would get a reaction. Just thinking out loud Rodders. I am so confident that Ulster will win something this year I have tickets bought for the HC and Amlin Finals

Bin that Amlin ticket!! SUFTUM!

roddersm wrote:Bin that Amlin ticket!! SUFTUM!

Nah, I want to see Munster again

Actually looking at next year in more detail the one thing we need to do is cheers for whoever plays against the Hairsprays as that will be a big help

Shouldn't be too difficult Come on Mark McCall do it for the lads this weekend

Thing is though, QF= 4 points

Final of Almin = 5 points and winning it = 6 points (+ Connacht get into Europe again).

True but I don't want a 2nd seeding that badly and if my calcualtion are right 4 points would be enough to secure a 2nd seeding anyway.

How many points do we get for winning the HEC? ......

I say bollix to the Amlin, thats a consolation prize only. We should be 100% focused on qualifying for the HEC QF and if we end up in the Amlin then we can give that a lash then.

With the players we have we shouldn't be chatting about the Amlin. I'd far rather reach another HEC QF than win the Amlin. We should be wanting to play the likes of Tolouse and Leinster, thats the only way we'll close the gap on these teams.