ERC Heineken Cup Final thread - Ulster v Leinster

[Glas a du]

First topic message reminder :

All roads lead to Twickenham for the clash of the Titans of Irish Rugby on 19/5/12.

Ulster Flag

Ulster for a long time dominated inter provincial rugby in Ireland. Some see this as the start of something big.

Leinster Flag

Leinster are blessed with an amazing cohort of talent, based around BOD. Is the third final in four years one too far for him? If Leinster do it they will create history with the first back to back wins (since Leicester apparently. Couldn't remember that, must have been devalued for some reason )

"@HarpinOnRugby: Sexton needs 15pts in the Heineken Cup final to become the first player to win back-to-back scoring titles in the competition. #2amrugbyfact"

Ulster have failed to make the Rabo playoffs. Will an extra game against Glasgow this weekend help or hinder Leinster? Will a lack of a competitive game hinder Ulster?

Meanwhile, we conducted a vox pops:

"Leinster all day, all night and all the next week. It's in the bag. BELIEVE"
Mr Gibson

"We are gonna Party like its 1999! SUFTUM!"
Mr Ravavivian

"Ulster are in CRISIS!"
Mr Ravavivian

"If Ulster get to the final then it's a devalued tournament"
Mr Livinguptostereotype

"well at least Nigel is reffing, I'll have my pink cowboy hat on cheering for him!"
Mrs Livinguptostereotype

"where my f***ing whisky, I don't support the Burgh, but they were robbed. It will be Exeter challenging Clermont in next years final mark my words!"
Mr Ofussurvive


NEWSFLASH

ULSTER FANS - IMPORTANT NEWS FROM STANDULSTERMAN

Sorry to get off topic lads. Just heard that Paddy Wallace will be down in the bar on Monday helping give away the heineken cup final prize from 8pm if anyone is interested.



"@WhiffofCordite: Not great news about Kearney and BOD is it? Hopefully just minor niggles. Why must pre-final weeks always be so fraught?"

"Mine's a double..." Mickado

"Can we change the title of this thread please to Three time European Champions v The poor man's munster" Hoog.

Come on Ulster, where's your banter?


"Kiwi, this one will do: -

" Rava

From Twitter:
"@rpetty80: If Ulster win the Hcup then Ireland would have 3 teams that have won it multiple times. England has 2 and France its just 1 #rugby"

There have been 35 tries scored in 16 Heineken Cup Finals. Will this game be above or below average in terms of tries?

[rodders]

I believe it is our game to lose.

Can Ulster win? Sure. But it will take us not playing at 100% Or some very bad/good luck on the bounce of the ball.

I believe we have a more varied game and can mix it up so as to frustrate Ulster. Ulster are that little bit more predictable.

If we both play 100% we should take it.

Just my opinion now. Most people would have said the same about Munster 3 years ago in Croke park.

It is a 2 horse race and a derby so anything can happen. We have a lot more to lose if things go wrong. Dunno if that is a good or a bad thing. But I think my team are good enough to take it.

That would be my take on it as well Jen.

Yup sounds about right to me too.

[Notch]

The question is, can our forwards perform to a level where they disrupt Leinster enough to put them at 70, 80%? It'll take a hell of a performance but it's possible.

Given 50/50 deadlock up front we'll probably lose.

[rodders]

Yup I agree we need to get the edge up front to have a chance. The set piece I think we can do but the challenge will be the breakdown.

Personally I think we may struggle there, Leinster blew us away there at Ravenhill but Nathan Hines did say we were the toughest team he faced at the breakdown this season

[Suspicious lurker]

Where Leinster hold a massive advantage in my opinion is the fact that bar a massive surprise we already know what the ulster team is going to be and know what to expect and will be training in exactly how to play against it.



Leinsters team is still in the air in a few key positions,



What back row combination will they play??

Ulster may have spent the whole week training with SOB playing at 6 and turns out he will play 7, will it be Jennings or Mclaughin??


Boss or Reddan??

Kearney or McFadden on the wing??


Hell, VanDeMERVE or Healy???


All these question marks lie over Leinster, not over ulster



ADVANTAGE LEINSTER

[GunsGerms]

Kearney will be full back surely. Nacewa and McFadden wings.

[GunsGerms]

I'd say Reddan will start though I wouldn't be worried if Boss started.

[Suspicious lurker]

Dave Kearney I was on about lb

[Rava]

Where Leinster hold a massive advantage in my opinion is the fact that bar a massive surprise we already know what the ulster team is going to be and know what to expect and will be training in exactly how to play against it.



Leinsters team is still in the air in a few key positions,



What back row combination will they play??

Ulster may have spent the whole week training with SOB playing at 6 and turns out he will play 7, will it be Jennings or Mclaughin??


Boss or Reddan??

Kearney or McFadden on the wing??


Hell, VanDeMERVE or Healy???


All these question marks lie over Leinster, not over ulster



ADVANTAGE LEINSTER

All that means that Leinster are a team unsure of several positions therefore unsure of how it will play. Ulster are a more settled unit with a settled gameplan.

ADVANTAGE ULSTER

[Suspicious lurker]

Nope it means Leinster have much more stronger competition for places, better players on reserve who can easily step up to the plate when asked


Unlike ulster



Advantage Leinster

[Rava]

Nope it means Leinster have much more stronger competition for places, better players on reserve who can easily step up to the plate when asked


Unlike ulster



Advantage Leinster

Look at the Munster game. Ulster have a first 15 that can outlast any team therefore our reliance on our reserves is not as great as Leinsters.

ADVANTAGE ULSTER

[Don Alfonso]

Leinster have BOD.

Ulster have God.

ADVANTAGE, AND GAME, TO ULSTER.

[Glas a du]

Male genes?

Advantage Miss King.

[Guest]

I've never seen Leinster lose live (4 games previous). My record with Ulster is 50/50 (2 games).

Advantage Leinster. (Watch Rava and Notch tear my match ticket up now).

[Rava]

I'll tear the fecin' skirt off ye on Saturday

[Guest]

[Gibson]

I'll tear the fecin' skirt off ye on Saturday

I would too Rav. The man's a Welsh roide. In all fairness. He's MINE! Mine I tell ya!

[Mickado]

Lads do you expect Jackson to definitely start?

Was just listening to Shane Horgan on Newstalk there and he said he was surprised how Edinburgh didn't target him more in what was his first HC start, he expects that to be a target for Leinster. He did say Jackson was an excellent tackler but he doesn't have much experience defending against a team with such a varied attack as Leinster.

[clivemcl]

Lads do you expect Jackson to definitely start?

Was just listening to Shane Horgan on Newstalk there and he said he was surprised how Edinburgh didn't target him more in what was his first HC start, he expects that to be a target for Leinster. He did say Jackson was an excellent tackler but he doesn't have much experience defending against a team with such a varied attack as Leinster.

And iHumph would do better?

oh dear... I think I just did this one myself

ADVANTAGE LEINSTER

[Mickado]

No, i'm not saying Humph would do better, we all know defense isn't his strong point. I'm just saying he's identifying that as an area that Leinster should look to exploit.

[geoff998rugby]

Jackson will start with Humphreys on the bench I reckon.

However I do think you will see Jackson play a fuller game this time.
The decision seems to have been made that the tactics that worked against Munster and Edinburgh wont work against Leinster.i.e content to defend make 60%+ of the tackles and win via set piece, counterattack and the boot.
You will see a more proactive Ulster on Saturday keeping posssession more than they did in the QF and SF.

Not giving too much away as Rory Best said as much last night.

[Standulstermen]

I see anscombe is in a bit of bother over in NZ to go on a slight tangent.

[BoyneRFC]

I see anscombe is in a bit of bother over in NZ to go on a slight tangent.

A non- issue. It obviously wasn't him. He texted Lam straight away and you know what rugby lads are like. I'd bet anything they were maori's who sent it..

[BoyneRFC]

I see anscombe is in a bit of bother over in NZ to go on a slight tangent.

A non- issue. It obviously wasn't him. He texted Lam straight away and you know what rugby lads are like. I'd bet anything they were maori's who sent it..

Having said that, I dont know what will constitute success for him in Ulster. If they lose on Saturday, perhaps winning the HEC?

If they win Saturday, the double next year?

Poor feicker.

[rodders]

What happened with Anscombe?

[geoff998rugby]

Succes next year ?

Pro12 play offs
Home HC QF

Anything else is a bonus.
To suggest that the above would be failure is total realistic.

If we are honest getting to the final this year is a bonus ahead of our development curve.

We still have never won in France
Bath remains the only English ground we have won a competitive match at (twice)
We have not won a HC game away to a Welsh or Scottish side since 2003

The win against Munster was a huge step forward but until we show we can win away regularly we will not be in this sort of situation very often.

That jsut may, just may, be to our advantage on Saturday.
Nothing to loose

[geoff998rugby]

What happened with Anscombe?

Somebody used his mobile to send a racist message.
Some prats idea of a joke

[Standulstermen]

Yeah in fairness his statement was fairly clear. To be perfectly honest I think it would be well nigh impossible to have an issue with race and be so involved with NZ rugby.

[Rava]

Dan Tuohy on the UR Website: =-

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/10545.php

"I played at Twickenham for Hartpury College against University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in front of around 3,000 students in the 2006 BUSA final, so the atmosphere will be slightly different on Saturday. We won that final so I am one from one at Twickenham - which is not a bad record.” he jokes

ADVANTAGE ULSTER!!

[Glas a du]

Boris is made Mayor of London

Advantage, Mr Becker.

[geoff998rugby]

Pienaer saying the same as Best - heavy hints Ulster's tactics will be different against Leinster than they were against Munster and Edinburgh

[Rory_Gallagher]

They will have to be. Beat Leinster at their own game and take a risk. While still putting in huge hits in defence!

[Glas a du]

Do you know how silly that sounds to a neutral?

Of course you do, youre on the wind

[GunsGerms]

Touhy is a very good player. Great that guys like him are playing in a European final. Can't only boost their chances of Ireland selection and international pegigree. Great day for Irish rugby.

Hope the match is a great one without too much niggle, injury (Ferris) or incident. Shame IH won't be playing because he is exciting to watch albeit a little porous in defence.

[rodders]

I think we'll really take them on at the breakdown the way Glasgow did, try and disrupt the quick ball that Leinster thrive off.

Thats easier said than done though and we weren't able to do that at Ravenhill...granted Henry went off early and Ferris was rested.

I can't see us moving the ball wide too much. We need to get Ferris, Trimble and Wanneburg running at D'arcys inside shoulder to get us over the gainline. We'll have to retain the ball because if Leinster build up phases of posession then the will cut us apart.

In defence we will have to be ferocious. I see us using the choke tackle a fair bit to keep the ball off the deck and force more scrums.

No matter what we do needs to be perfectly executed because if Leinster get ball then they will score points and the last thing we want is to be chasing the game.

[GunsGerms]

Ulsters tactics will be the same as SA in the first test v the lions with a hint of what Northamption did in last years final. Basically go all guns blazing in the first 20 mins. Target the set piece especially lineout maybe scrum hope to pick up a few pens maybe a try and defend their lead for the rest of the match. In every final there is a window of 10-20 minutes when even the best players are shaking off the jitters and extra pressure that comes with the unique atmosphere of a final. The problem is Leinster have experienced this before and will probably be targeting the first 20 mins too. Expect the match to get off to an electric start.

[Notch]

I've never seen Leinster lose live (4 games previous). My record with Ulster is 50/50 (2 games).

Advantage Leinster. (Watch Rava and Notch tear my match ticket up now).

Why youuu..!

[dublin_dave]

right drico will play its going to be close, half backs battle will be crucial etc etc enough rugby talk.

where we all drinking on saturday???

We are staying in Southwark, Borough Market for brekkie and a few swift halfs. Going to train it over towards Richmond from Waterloo at 1230..

Probably hit a few pubs in Richmond then head over towards stadium at 330. Heard bad reports about slow service in the fan park and taking an eternity to get a beer

[rodders]

Munsters tactics will be the same as SA in the first test v the lions with a hint of what Northamption did in last years final. Basically go all guns blazing in the first 20 mins.

Cough cough...Freudian slip there l'baby......

[Rava]

Off topic... but why is the 'Ulster Squad Additions' topic locked?

New on started a few days ago.

https://www.606v2.com/t29226p250-ulster-squad-additions

[Rava]

Where did UIK go?

[UlsterinKildare]

Off topic... but why is the 'Ulster Squad Additions' topic locked?

New on started a few days ago.

https://www.606v2.com/t29226p250-ulster-squad-additions

Cheers, Rava. Just found it after I sent that post, so I deleted it.

[BoyneRFC]

Guscott has just said that Ulster can win on Saturday.

Forget advantage, it's game set and match to Leinster. The man's a complete idiot !!

[GunsGerms]

Munsters tactics will be the same as SA in the first test v the lions with a hint of what Northamption did in last years final. Basically go all guns blazing in the first 20 mins.

Cough cough...Freudian slip there l'baby......

Apologies error edited. My brain needs a rest, doing some serious cramming.

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

Cronin
VDM
White
Toner
Jennings
Boss
Madigan
Kearney Jr

That is the reason I think Leinster will win.

[rodders]

Guscott has just said that Ulster can win on Saturday.

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!

[eirebilly]

Jaysus, Guscotts as bad as me when it comes to predictions... Sorry Ulster

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

He predicted Leinster would beat Clermont. Which is probably why we nearly didn't

[eirebilly]

I was blaming myself for that Jen, thank god that Guscott picked Leinster as well

[BoyneRFC]

He predicted Leinster would beat Clermont. Which is probably why we nearly didn't

No he didn't He thought ASM would win that one.

It's the kiss of death I tell ya!!

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

He predicted Leinster would beat Clermont. Which is probably why we nearly didn't

No he didn't He thought ASM would win that one.

It's the kiss of death I tell ya!!

Sorry you're right. Mixed up my double negatives there.

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