Ulster vs Edinburgh, Build Up Thread

by **Notch** Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:38 pm

First topic message reminder :

Ulster vs Edinburgh
5.45pm, Saturday 28th April
AVIVA Stadium Dublin
Heineken Cup Semi-Final

Nice sparkly new thread for the build-up to the Heineken Cup Semi-Final. Links to press interviews, team speculation, breaking news and discussion in the week ahead.

Let's kick off with interviews with Ulster defence coach Jonathan Bell and Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley.

Jonny Bell thinks Ulsters fans can be the difference as he reflects on his own win in the 1999 competition.

Michael Bradley talks about the Toulouse quarter-final and assesses the threat of Ulster.

Post any and all match-related chat here thumbsup

by SecretFly Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:05 am

a million pubs........................?

Must be those new Japanese crush resistant one-person-per-pub models Wink

Lonely places, I hear... you can actually hear the clunk of ice falling into your Guinness as the Japanese barman learns his trade......

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:06 am

About 33000 to 35000 Ulster fans I am being told

by Rava Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:06 am

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:Well the missus has just given me the go ahead for the final.

Over to you now Edinburgh....don't let me down!

Don't go spending your money foolishly now Tattie Whistle

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:06 am

SecretFly wrote:
Must be those new Japanese crush resistant one-person-per-pub models

Lonely places, I hear... you can actually hear the clunk of ice falling into your Guinness as the Japanese barman learns his trade......

Sounds like my kind of place fly..... Very Happy

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:10 am

geoff998rugby wrote:About 33000 to 35000 Ulster fans I am being told

Awesome Geoff, awesome.

Unfortunately I don't remember much about the 1999 run other than watching it on the TV but that makes me well up with pride, it really does guinness

.

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:17 am

It is going to be one hell of a site - we have a huge roll to play as the 16th man. We need to, in a nice way Very Happy

, make it a very intimidating place for the Edinburgh players - lets scare the Poopie of of them

by The Great Aukster Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:21 am

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:Well the missus has just given me the go ahead for the final.

Over to you now Edinburgh....don't let me down!

Sounds like your missus knows a fair bit about rugby. Probably has already booked the hotel for you and then can always go instead so as not to "waste" it - shopping with her mates.

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:26 am

Yep one smart wife you have there - lets you think she is being generous by "allowing" you to go to the final and all the time is getting herself a trip to London. laughing

by MrsP Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:35 am

You're all very cynical about the motivation of us wives lads!

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:39 am

I know my wife MrsP Wink

- she told me at weekend that at last she could have a rest after a hard week at work. She was going shopping !.

Can you imagine a man ever saying that Shocked

by Tattie Scones RRN Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:28 am

Well it sounds like you all think I'm a bit niave but the joke's on you lot.

I'm not married.

by Rava Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:30 am

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:Well it sounds like you all think I'm a bit niave but the joke's on you lot.

I'm not married.

Tattie that's actually worse mate. If you are having to ask permission already, well ........... Rolling Eyes

by MrsP Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:31 am

Sooo

Whose "missus" has given you permission then?

Shocked

by Tattie Scones RRN Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:31 am

It may also be a David Vs Goliath week.

First, Chelsea last night followed by Edinburgh on Saturday. If we can keep 15 men on the pitch, then we'll have a chance.

Hopefully there'll be a few cheap tickets for the final available in Northern Ireland come Saturday night Wink

by Tattie Scones RRN Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:35 am

Rava wrote:
Tattie Scones RRN wrote:Well it sounds like you all think I'm a bit niave but the joke's on you lot.

I'm not married.

Tattie that's actually worse mate. If you are having to ask permission already, well ...........

For the sake of an easy life pal, it's worth the grovelling.

I did think of getting myself a rugby loving lady from Uni but....well.....chubby chasing isn't really my thing TBH

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:37 am

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:It may also be a David Vs Goliath week.

First, Chelsea last night followed by Edinburgh on Saturday. If we can keep 15 men on the pitch, then we'll have a chance.

Are you comparing Ulster rugby to Barcelona FC? Cool

by clivemcl Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:39 am

Getting annoyed with the media. I listen to Radio Ulster every day (until Uncle Hugo). Not once has anyone mentioned the rugby yet. If its true that 30/35k will be going down, why are there no phone ins about it, no interviews with players / staff etc.

Do UR have a part to play in ringing the media and pushing stuff like this forward?

Windsor Park holds 18k and we never stop hearing about NI footie team despite the fact they are crap! If NI were playing Azerbaijan on Saturday they'd be ranting and raving about it.

by Rava Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:43 am

clivemcl wrote:Getting annoyed with the media. I listen to Radio Ulster every day (until Uncle Hugo). Not once has anyone mentioned the rugby yet. If its true that 30/35k will be going down, why are there no phone ins about it, no interviews with players / staff etc.

Do UR have a part to play in ringing the media and pushing stuff like this forward?

Windsor Park holds 18k and we never stop hearing about NI footie team despite the fact they are crap! If NI were playing Azerbaijan on Saturday they'd be ranting and raving about it.

Easy answer mate. Lift the phone and ring them. Start the debate by complaining there isn't enough media coverage.

by Don Alfonso Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:52 am

Just about to write exactly the same thing - had to log in first!

"Do you know what me and 34, 999 other Ulster folk will be doing on Saturday?" Attention-grabber. They make a fuss if fifty kids queue for conert tickets. There are buses on - did Geoff say four trains? It's quietly massive!

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:56 am

Dont know how many trains but I do know they are all booked and not a ticket in sight.

As for buses they were being added as demand increased.

My guess if anyone hasn't got travel/accomodation booked at this stage your best bet is book a room at a Airport hotel and drive (getting a taxi into town).

Cant see any other way at this late stage.

by SecretFly Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:56 am

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:It may also be a David Vs Goliath week.

First, Chelsea last night followed by Edinburgh on Saturday. If we can keep 15 men on the pitch, then we'll have a chance.

Hopefully there'll be a few cheap tickets for the final available in Northern Ireland come Saturday night

Barcelona? Goliath?

You put your left leg in, your left leg out, you put you left leg in and shake it all about.

Never in the field of human conflict was there a more impotent and predictable time-wasting attack theory than the one tiresomely repeated over and over and over by the great Barcelona.

Pass, Pass, Pass, Shimmy, Pass, Pass, pass, pass to the left wing, pass to the centre, shimmy, pass, pass, pass to the right wing, pass to the centre......................................... and the Chelsea lads having a cup o' tea and some buns as they wait for the clock to fall off the wall with boredom.

Goliath? More like a bunch of Morris Dancers. I don't expect Ulster to dance around the time limits quite so ineffectively as Barcelona did.

by Mickado Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:07 am

geoff998rugby wrote:Dont know how many trains but I do know they are all booked and not a ticket in sight.

As for buses they were being added as demand increased.

My guess if anyone hasn't got travel/accomodation booked at this stage your best bet is book a room at a Airport hotel and drive (getting a taxi into town).

Cant see any other way at this late stage.

Jez, I thought you were over reacting when it came to hotels. But there’s feicing nothing!

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:10 am

I looked up a week ago and there were 4 rooms left, in the centre, on booking.com

4 rooms !!! - no doubt long gone

by Mickado Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:12 am

I was checking the little guest houses in my area thinking that they wouldn’t be all booked up. The 3 hotels in my area are all sold out completely.

Saturday night could be a serious session in Dublin at this rate. Just out of interest, out of the 35k supporters, how many of them would be female…? Wink

by MrsP Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:24 am

Behave or I'll tell!

by Mickado Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:25 am

I’m just asking is all! I have a few single friends who are enchanted by the Norn Iron brogue. I’m just looking out for them… I swear…

by clivemcl Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:30 am

Ulsters biggest game in 12 years? Really? Tell me what other Sport from NI has reached these levels? Yet, not a peep!

https://www.facebook.com/BBCSPORTNI

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:46 am

It's probably because BBC Sport runs a separate facebook page devoted entirely to Ulster Rugby.

https://www.facebook.com/bbculsterrugby

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:49 am

Just been on the UTV - total bloody joke !

5 main strories are:

2 about a Scottish soccer team
One about a pub game (snooker)
One about a game parachuted into NI with no local roots (Ice Hockey)
One about a boxing match

What makes it worse 6 local soccer games where the combined crowd would not make Ravenhill 50% full will get equal billing this weekend.

Clearly 35,000 people don't know what proper sport is steam

by MrsP Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:53 am

See the picture on there of DavyH kicking a football?

Has he got a hole in his shoe?

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:54 am

Cool your Japanese jets fellow Ulster fans. They'll be covering this tonight, tomorrow and Friday. Calm before the storm.

by clivemcl Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:02 pm

Wendy Austins topic of the day is Chelsea Football Club!!!! furious

I hope you are right Notch!

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:08 pm

More press cuttings, this time featuring Craig Gilroy and Ruan Pienaar;

http://www.planet-rugby.co.za/story/0,25883,3551_7698808,00.html

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/13895.php

I like the sounds coming out of the Ulster camp. Confident but taking nothing for granted. I feel like we're in the right frame of mind; if we lose, it won't be because we didn't get our heads in the right place. The experienced players we have know the drill and the younger guys seem full of confidence and hunger too.

by RuggerRadge2611 Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:09 pm

It's funny watching you Ulster lads having a moan about coverage. Scottish rugby barely gets a mention either. The similarities between Edinburgh and Ulster are increacing by the day.

Except we don't moan as much.....

Run

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:16 pm

Having lived in Scotland, the lads up the thread don't know they're born Laugh

You'd get the impression that many Sports journalists in Scotland are entirely unaware of the existence of the Scottish Pro12 sides. Coverage is sporadic at best in print media and TV coverage is confined to the dark recesses of BBC Alba.

In Ulster, rugby generally gets the back page in the Belfast Telegraph when it matters and indeed the front page when we beat Munster there- it gets about the same amount of coverage as football in the Telegraph and lots of coverage in a few other papers as well as benefiting from some coverage in the print media of the Republic of Ireland. BBC Sport NI has a dedicated social media presence on twitter and facebook entirely dedicated to rugby and games are shown at primetime Friday night on BBC 2 NI.

The coverage of the game in Scotland makes us look like a rugby-mad country by comparison!

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:18 pm

geoff998rugby wrote:Just been on the UTV - total bloody joke !

5 main strories are:

2 about a Scottish soccer team
One about a pub game (snooker)
One about a game parachuted into NI with no local roots (Ice Hockey)
One about a boxing match

What makes it worse 6 local soccer games where the combined crowd would not make Ravenhill 50% full will get equal billing this weekend.

Clearly 35,000 people don't know what proper sport is

+ 1

by clivemcl Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:21 pm

BBC Sport just got back to me and said there will be an Ulster Press Conference today and interviews will be taken at the same time. So should be on newsline tonight i assume.

by Rava Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:27 pm

RuggerRadge2611 wrote:It's funny watching you Ulster lads having a moan about coverage. Scottish rugby barely gets a mention either. The similarities between Edinburgh and Ulster are increacing by the day.

Except we don't moan as much.....

Its just that there are more of us Radge so it is more noticeable Very Happy

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:29 pm

Great another 1.5 minute spot with Stephen Watson to look forward to.

A few weeks ago he was asked by Noel Thompson if Ulster have a bigger ticket allocation for the SF because Trimble won the coin toss for the home dressing room........

to which he answered "I don't know, probably" ......

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:41 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17836969#

Severe weather warning by met eireann for tonight Shocked

.... hopefully this won't affect any travelling support coming from Ferries or planes.

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:46 pm

I think the answer is no. Bit of a stupid question to be honest- Ulster had already sold their full allocation by the time of the coin toss Headscratch

by **RDW** Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:54 pm

Scottish news coverage of Rugby is appallingly bad. Indeed I've had many a rant on here, and the old 606, about the subject! mad

One of the the worst ones recently was when we beat London Irish to qualify with a home quarter final for the HK.

The "sport" section spent 5 minutes on football, mostly on the Livingston vs Ross County 1st division game or whatever the hell it was, then at the end gave about 10 seconds mentioning the Edinburgh result.

And there has probably been worse examples than that that I've managed to forget!

Probably helps explain part of the reason why rugby isn't very popular in Scotland compared to football.

p.s. regarding the weather - I'm glad I'm flying and not on the boat! vomit

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:59 pm

rodders wrote:Great another 1.5 minute spot with Stephen Watson to look forward to.

A few weeks ago he was asked by Noel Thompson if Ulster have a bigger ticket allocation for the SF because Trimble won the coin toss for the home dressing room........

to which he answered "I don't know, probably" ......

Always though Stephen Watson was a clueless naughty naughty boy to be honest

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:04 pm

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/10440.php

Ulster squad for the weekend is up!

by **Notch** Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:09 pm

Possible Ulster team?

1. Tom Court
2. Rory Best
3. Declan Fitzpatrick
4. Johann Muller (c)
5. Dan Tuohy
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Willie Faloon
8. Pedrie Wannenburg
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Paddy Jackson
11. Craig Gilroy
12. Paddy Wallace
13. Darren Cave
14. Andrew Trimble
15. Stefan Terblanche

16. Nigel Brady 17. Paddy McAllister 18. Adam Macklin 19. Lewis Stevenson 20. Robbie Diack 21. Ian Porter 22. Nevin Spence 23. Adam D'Arcy

Question marks remain over the fitness of Chris Henry and Paul Marshall- a race against time. And should Ian Humphreys be picked? Is McLaughs brave enough to make the biggest call of his Ulster career at 10?

by **RDW** Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:18 pm

Edinurgh have set up a fan zone in Dublin

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/edinburgh-news/4179-semi-final-fanzones-home-and-away

Anyone know much about the Berkeley Court Hotel? Looks a bit fancy for rugby punters...

by geoff998rugby Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:19 pm

Someone in the Ulster ticket office is saying Edinburgh have only sold 2000 tickets - is that really true ?

by **rodders** Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:21 pm

Did anyone hear any rumours about betting irregularities on this game?

Apparantey bets are flooding in on Paddy Power on Edinburgh and they are getting suspicious

Don't really bet much myself but a pal of mine does, although the feicer could be on the wind up! steam

by **RDW** Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:22 pm

The article I just posted claims we've sold 4000.

You've got to remember that we've been absolutely crucified with travel companies hiking prices up significantly since this was announced - I know a lot of people who just couldn't afford it!

I can'y either, but hey ho!

by Mickado Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:25 pm

RDW_Scotland wrote:Edinurgh have set up a fan zone in Dublin

http://www.edinburghrugby.org/news/edinburgh-news/4179-semi-final-fanzones-home-and-away

Anyone know much about the Berkeley Court Hotel? Looks a bit fancy for rugby punters...

you haven't met many Dublin rugby punters! It's a nice place, spitting distance from the ground. Can't tell you much more as i've never stayed there but it looks like a nice place.

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