Ulster squad additions

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All things relating to Ulster squad changes

I was about to say 'I bet WillyG has peed in a Taxi' but then I saw clive's.....

The thing is the players are not allowed to drink at any time during the season unless the club give prior apporval.

I assume away game in France or Italy are approved exceptions.

This is a point that annoyed Bowe - who is not a big drinker but does like 3/4 pints after a game. Laughingly I have seen this referred to Bowe having some 'managment issues' in his negotiations.

Then again drinking is a serious business

roddersm wrote:I was about to say 'I bet WillyG has peed in a Taxi' but then I saw clive's.....

I take this very personally sir.

Only messing Willy

Geoff that Bowe is some boy, not only does he get a massive IRFU contract... he negotiates 3-4 post match pints in there too! Fair play that man!

geoff998rugby wrote:He peed in a taxi.

Guys, have you ever been in an Italian Taxi!! The drivers are friggin' kamikaze drivers. It's no wonder the poor guy peed himself.

This just ruined my day. I suggest a moments silence.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/03/28/149570451/women-volley-ball-players-can-cover-up-for-olympics

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Notch - to be honest I didn't get to see Faloon's debut season and first saw him last season. Do you think that if he shown the form of his debut season now (even last season I thought he was really good) that he would have a shot for the 7 shirt in Ireland? Since everyone is obsessed with our natural 7s

I thought then he needed to be more physical in his ball carrying to make the Ireland grade, because thats what we're sort of expect from our backrows in Ireland. Our national side does not play a particularly open game, it does not play an offloading game at all. So, no. But he was a better player. I had hoped he could go on to great things if he continued to improve but he's become steadily less effective.

That it for me, and I think the club, he just hasn't kicked on

Here lads check out Faloon's offloading here. That's one aspect of his play we'll certainly miss.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=bBQ7MO3IBzw

geoff998rugby wrote:The thing is the players are not allowed to drink at any time during the season unless the club give prior apporval.

I assume away game in France or Italy are approved exceptions.

This is a point that annoyed Bowe - who is not a big drinker but does like 3/4 pints after a game. Laughingly I have seen this referred to Bowe having some 'managment issues' in his negotiations.

Then again drinking is a serious business

Geoff are you sure of this, as I work as a doorman when home from uni and have seen plenty of the ulster lads drinking, in fact I had to chuck Bryan young out on one occasion, for acting the complete plonker while under the influence.

Mad Rumour of Henrich Brussow signing for 3 uears.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Mad Rumour of Henrich Brussow signing for 3 uears.

hopefully there is a clause that bans Bowe from singing

That's only going around because he is South African.

I heard Marcel Coetzee

clivemcl wrote:I heard Marcel Coetzee

Ok ok, i admit it, this was a bare faced lie.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Mad Rumour of Henrich Brussow signing for 3 uears.

Are you on the wum again Jenny?

Surely Brussow has another year to run on his contract at the Cheetas?

MrsP wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Mad Rumour of Henrich Brussow signing for 3 uears.

Are you on the wum again Jenny?

Surely Brussow has another year to run on his contract at the Cheetas?

No but perhaps the person who put it on UAFC was WUMing. I got it 3rd hand.

(Cue loads of Ulster posters saying how shyte UAFC is)

yea well i just looked, the poster just used a afrikaans translation page to make a paragraph. Nothing to it, just a joke.

we should really be looking at keeping Henry at 7 and developing him. He is the closest thing to a natural 7 playing at anywhere near to international standard in ireland.

A decent player to add some depth is all we should be looking for.

I agree Stand, Just wish some Irish fringe player would come up here and be our fringe player. I dont believe we need a star, just another backup.

Would be very good if we could get an IQ player as opposed to an NIQ so we had that in our pocket so to speak.

I agree..maybe we can sign Willie Faloon from Connacht?.....

Standulstermen wrote:we should really be looking at keeping Henry at 7 and developing him. He is the closest thing to a natural 7 playing at anywhere near to international standard in ireland.

A decent player to add some depth is all we should be looking for.

"Cough" Peter O'Mahony "Cough"

Thomond wrote:

Standulstermen wrote:we should really be looking at keeping Henry at 7 and developing him. He is the closest thing to a natural 7 playing at anywhere near to international standard in ireland.

A decent player to add some depth is all we should be looking for.

"Cough" Peter O'Mahony "Cough"

Neither of them are any way close to a "natural 7"

POM is up there thomond but in terms of slowing down ball and being a general bloody nuisance I think Henry has surpassed him. Either way I would like to see both get gametime in NZ. Heaslip could use the summer off IMO and o'brien to 8.

Standulstermen wrote:POM is up there thomond but in terms of slowing down ball and being a general bloody nuisance I think Henry has surpassed him. Either way I would like to see both get gametime in NZ. Heaslip could use the summer off IMO and o'brien to 8.

Anyone who thinks Heaslip will be left at home in June while SOB plays in his least favourite and worst back row position in a year where the rankings will dictate WC2015 positions is delusional.

Jasus that was a very messy sentence.

Sob is not an international 8 except in a pinch.

O'Mahony has it in him, this natural 7 stuff is BS, we don't need one. O'Mahony is performing as well as any backrow in the country at the moment.

To suggest O'brien looks more comfortable at 7 than 8 is simply delusional Jen sorry. Heaslip has played far too much rugby IMO and needs a break. He is still technically one of our top three back rowers but there was something lacking in this area in the 6nations although I wouldn't rule out the coaching being an issue aswell.

Thomond wrote:O'Mahony has it in him, this natural 7 stuff is BS, we don't need one. O'Mahony is performing as well as any backrow in the country at the moment.

Exactly. That's why O'Brien is grand there.

Personally I don't think anyone is in the same class as Ferris O'Brien and Heaslip. Perhaps O'Mahony is the closest? Not sure really as I have not seen enough of him..... Yet.

If we don't need a "Natural 7" then those 3 are the best in the land.

SOB has been poor this year and I don't think he offers much when he isn't making big runs, people know how to stop him making big runs now, except Dan Parks. In my view O'Mahony offers more around the park, and is a very good lineout operator too.

Standulstermen wrote:To suggest O'brien looks more comfortable at 7 than 8 is simply delusional Jen sorry. Heaslip has played far too much rugby IMO and needs a break. He is still technically one of our top three back rowers but there was something lacking in this area in the 6nations although I wouldn't rule out the coaching being an issue aswell.

When did you last see him play at 8 then? The only time I remember him playing at 8 for Ireland was in Italy in Feb 11. When Rog had to save the day with a manky dropper.

Thomond wrote:SOB has been poor this year and I don't think he offers much when he isn't making big runs, people know how to stop him making big runs now, except Dan Parks. In my view O'Mahony offers more around the park, and is a very good lineout operator too.

Wow! I really need to watch O'Mahony a lot more then. My perception is that he is not that close. Ferris and Heaslip are grand in the lineout along with the 2nd rows.

SOB has been "worked out" a bit by other teams since the WC, and him winning European player of the year. Marked hard and double tackled a lot.

He looks better at 6 too where he can make the runs a bit more.

POM wasn't that effective against Ulster to be honest, and I think Munster looked worse off when O'Donnell went off and POM moved to 7. As for SOB, he had a very good game against the Blues. I think the reason most people want him at 6/8 is to see more of his runs, but as Jenifer says, he is heavily marked now. Henry/POM are no more "natural" 7s than SOB, in fact I would say POM especially is nothing like a "natural" 7.

People seem to think SOB has been poor this year (probably because of his lack of ball carrying), but his stats are pretty impressive over the 6 nations, making the same amount of tackles as player of the series Dan Lydiate. Made more carries too, and was part of an Ireland team that made the most turnovers in the tournament. Seems the lack of a natural 7 didn't hurt much then.

Does Geoff (or anyone) have any reason to believe we are still looking for more signings? Or have we completed our signings for next year? Very quiet on the rumour front.

I'd imagine we need another backrower clive. We've lost Faloon and Wannenburg and only signed Wilson, therefore I'd assume we'll sign someone else?

What is the NIQ quota next year? Is it still 5 + 1?

4+1.

Geoff had mentioned that we got permission from Dublin for an NIQ backrow and I have heard that is still the case but no names have been mentioned at all. I was all for getting a 7 but provided birch holds up we should be looking for a back up to ferris. Henry needs to stay put. I can't believe the progress he has made

Yea think so, but we are losing two in Danielli and Pedrie. Is the lack of rumours because they've sealed up the leaks, or more worryingly, do they have no idea who they could sign?

Come on Geoff, get digging! Call in a few debts!

Could our ex-Sharks tempt Keegan Daniels or Marcel Coetzee I wonder? Or maybe the hold up is Anscombe wanting to start his input by bringing a young all-black backrower with him?

Personally I don't see a lot of need for another backrow. Wilson is a fairly direct replacement for Wannenburg, and also Birch for Faloon. Joyce can fill in for Birch etc.

There is one glaring weakness in the first team and it has been there for five or six seasons, since the Doc went over the hill. Ulster are short of specialist flyhalf alternatives anyway with McKinney leaving, and now there are IQ flyhalves at all the other provinces surely the IRFU will finally allow Ulster to bring in a quality NIQ 10?

Could Gareth Anscombe accompany his father on the plane north?

As much as it would be amazing, is a son really going to want his father as a boss? Just not going to happen.

Despite being clearly our weakest link v Munster, you cant help but be impressed by that almost drop goal!

I think with the emergence oc madigan at Leinster the IRFU may allow us to sign a number 10.

however the spine of our team, 3, 5, 9, 10, 15 will be NIQ

I don't know if they would allow a NIQ 9 and 10 in the one province, given how important these positions are.

Think we'll see the NIQ spot being used for a backrower.

If we sign a 10, it should be an experienced 10. We have our own young 10s to develop!

I don't think we will anyway.

It will be a 10. Humphreys isnt cutting it. And they can afford to with Mcilroy picking up the tab on Piennar and Muller I reckon.

Maybe get Niall O'Connor back from Connacht?

I'm actually happy enough with IHumph. I think the stick he gets is disproportionate to his perfromances.

If Sexton or ROG put in the performance he did last week they'd have got motm

roddersm wrote:Maybe get Niall O'Connor back from Connacht?

I'm actually happy enough with IHumph. I think the stick he gets is disproportionate to his perfromances.

If Sexton or ROG put in the performance he did last week they'd have got motm

Justice for Humphreys! ....

For half the teams in the Rabo Humph is a totally fine standard of player. For Where Ulster are going (already are) he is not up to scratch.

However, if that drop goal had went over v Munster we would be singing his praises! I want to see that again actually! Any clips of it on the net?

Seriously enough lads I think he wasn't too bad. Nailed one drop goal and butchered another.

Overall he defended well.

His kicking from hand was poor but so was O'gara's and Pieenar's generally.

Tried to run the ball in his own half and ended up putting us under pressure but then Terblanche almost cost us a try by running out of his own 22.

I think Humph gets way too much stick compared to other players.

Rodders

The issue with humph was that his kicking in the first half was so bad we really didn't have that option in the 2nd. Then when pienaars touch finders went to pot we were really screwed and the two best kicks of the half were hacks through by ferris and muller.

I thought we should have brought terblanche up to first receiver when we were looking to clear. Had we had an effective kicking game we could have kept munster nullified much further up the pitch like we did in the last ten minutes. Humph will start the semi final but we desperately need an alternative next season