Ulster V Munster, Aironi V Ospreys, Scarlets Vs Blues, Leinster V Dragons - LIVE discussion

First topic message reminder :

Watching all 3 of these games at once.

Blues V Scarlets
http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_live.shtml

Ulster V Munster
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17940473

Aironi V Ospreys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/16836106

Warriors V Connacht
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_alba/watchlive

Live Scores website
http://matchdaylive.rabodirectpro12.com/index.php

With the BBC ones just use the pop out option, and make the browser smaller on the s4c one and put the sound down on the 2 u dont want.

The Great Aukster wrote:Zebo made the most of the Trimble contact and effectively "sold" Rolland the yellow card and almost sold the penalty try too. I'd be reluctant to say such gamesmanship has no place in the game as while it rankles the sense of fairness, why shouldn't a try to con the ref as they do at the breakdown etc. So I'm torn over Spence not "diving" in almost the same circumstance. What I didn't understand was how TOL can barge Whitten into a bunch of chairs and not even get spoken to?

Didnt we get a penalty for that?

I have no idea about either of those guys. Where do Munster get all these back rowers from? What age are these guys?

Notch wrote:O'Donnell should go ahead of Jennings. Ferris, O'Bries, Heaslip, O'Donnell, O'Mahony and Henry. I like it.

Me too. I think the back row is going to start changing a lot over the next few seasons.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I have no idea about either of those guys. Where do Munster get all these back rowers from? What age are these guys?

I don't know, they seem to specialise in forwards especially second rows, hookers and backrows. BOH and BOM are interesting options, I'm not sure whether BOM is getting a contract or if he is going to continue in the AIL for Clontarf, I think, because it is a bit of a risk to leave a good job and take a gamble on making it as a pro player. O'Hara has always been highly rated, he was supposed to be starting at 7 on the Irish U20 team that had Ruddock, Ryan and Butler in the backrow but got injured just before it. He was also one of the favourites to be named captain. His biggest problem is that he is very slight, but he is very good at the breakdown and a superb linkman.

Justice 4 Spence!

Rodders!

How many times have I to tell you?

You have to use the number of the player themselves to make it work so it should be,

Justice 22 Spence!

I thought 22 was D'arcy?? ....

Anyways I'm tired of running justice campaigns for our unsung heros.... ......

Nope!

Darcy is a Full Back (you know, wears 15 if he starts and stands nearest to his own goal line?) and so in a 23 man squad the FB cover will usually wear 23!

Good spot Mrs P ok here goes:


Justice 10 Humph!
Justice 19 Faloon!
Justice 22 Spence!
Justice 23 D'arcy!

Don't fancy Faloon much as a lock!

You should start to watch this rugby lark Rodders. I think you'd enjoy it once you got the hang of it!



Just off to get your flegs!

..... maybe I should start buying the match programs mrs P....

Some Ulster v Munster thoughts

Zebo is an alternative nominee to the Clermont prop last week for the Rugby oscars - pathetic
Again Gilroy out performed Zebo
Trimble will be sitting on pine next year unless he improved - Gilroy and Bowe for the wings
Spence was awesome in defence and poor in attack
Marshall confirmed he is an impact sub only
Jackson showed he is ready to step up and be first choice next year.
Humphreys added another joke effort to most pathetic tackle of the year award - sorry his defence is so poor I am actually beginning to be glad he is going
Henderson is the real deal
Birch and Diack both out performed Faloon again who has been really poor in recent weeks
Ulsters depth at prop is starting to looking something exceptional
The Munster backrow and Murray looed good but it is easy to look good on the front foot - lets see them on the back foot and see how they perform e.g many of the same players looked poor in the QF

I don't see how Spences attack can be criticised given the attacking platform we had.

I think he was exceptional in defence and without him we'd have lost by a lot more.

He needs more gametime and at 22 he may need to find another club to help reach his considerable potential.

The attacking platform was not good and to be fair I amy well be thinking back over a number of games rather than just this one but he does need to learn to pass more.

Now this may well be the way he is being asked to play but there were a number of instances on Saturday where we gave it to him and Munster just knew what was coming. Totally teelgraphed and totally pointless.

Our squad is thin enough as it is there is no way our 2nd choice 13 is going anywhere.

Lets see what develops under Anscombe

Well Geoff on that I would say:

1 Spence always gets across the gainline, which is a vital aspect of attacking play...maybe the most important aspect. The fact that the rest of the side don't make enough of that platform is down to the other players.

2 When you haven't been getting gametime and are being thrown in with players you don't play regularly with its difficult to pick the right passes and running lines. It's unfair to judge him against thr other players who are playing week in week out with the best players.

I think Spence has been mismanaged this season. He hasn't got sufficient gametime, whereas the injury prone Cave has been overplayed. When he has played hes been shunted from 12 to 13 and back and with different partners. It very difficult to find your best form in those circumstances.

I think he's done well given the circumstances and one thing about him is his attitude and commitment are always first class.

Good to see Trimble and Zebo bantering with each other on Twitter. Zebo sent a picture of a red card, trimble sent a picture of an olympic diver. Good natured stuff.

Zebo made a lot of it but Trimble made contact, so there is no denying it's a penalty, Ulster should have got one later on for a similar offence.

As for Gilroy and Zebo, Gilroy is being utilised better by Ulster. Gilroy is probably a smarter player than Zebo. However, Simon has a solid kicking game, an ever improving defence (could have done better for the try but like the 1/4 final, it was Jones' fault) he just needs to work a bit on his passing and decision making. They are both incrdibly good prospects, no need for the one upping stuff.

Gilroy, Zebo and Kearney jr are all incredibly exciting players and are the form wingers right now.

Zebo is the most raw of the 3 and most defensively vulnerable but with the ball in hand has an elusiveness and attacking ability that no other Irish back can match. He also is the best natural finisher in the country behind Tommy Bowe.

Kearney Jr is the best footballer and an exceptional talent and Gilroy is solid all round and has more experience at a younger age than the other two.

With Bowe and Fitzgerald out injured I wouldn't hesitate to start with any of the above 3 against the All blacks. Trimble isn't in great form since the 6N and I've never really rated Earls on the wing.

We all know who Kidney will go for though.

Rodders, Zebo's defence has come on a lot, watch the Connacht game, he stopped two certain tries, he was unlucky on Saturday. Gilroy isn't incredibly solid in defence either. Has he a good kicking game? I would rate Baby Kearney as the best at the moment. Zebo has a higher ceiling then all of them and is well on his way to reaching it.

Thomond wrote:Rodders, Zebo's defence has come on a lot, watch the Connacht game, he stopped two certain tries, he was unlucky on Saturday. Gilroy isn't incredibly solid in defence either. Has he a good kicking game? I would rate Baby Kearney as the best at the moment. Zebo has a higher ceiling then all of them and is well on his way to reaching it.

Nah, they are all around the same in terms of potential. All three could go on to be mainstays of the national team. Right now I think Kearney is the best, but it will change a lot over the next few years as players go in and out of form.

I might be biased Notch, but I think Zebo has more upside, you can't teach the speed, and elusiveness he has, a bit like Cullen he just glides through tackles.

Thomond I think Gilroy is very solid in defence. For such a young guy he is very good all round but one flaw is he carries the ball in one hand and doesn't pass very well imo.

I didn't say Zebo was a poor defender but hes the least complete of the 3 but arguably does have the highest ceiling although perhaps Kearney Jr does.

I can see kearney JR though moving to 13 or 15 whereas Zebo is an out and out winger.

They are 3 different players so it is difficult to compare them but Zebo looks the most ready for International level imo.

I think Gilroy is much more talented than Zebo personally. Gilroy has plenty of pace himself, and is a very elusive runner, with a ton of strength to back it up. Always beats his man. Ulster's attack this year has been poor, which is why he hasn't had as many chances. Most of Zebo's tries have come from space created for him, and he exploits it in an Ashton-esque fashion. Brilliant finisher. Lacks the individual talent of Gilroy though, who in the same situations would finish the same opportunities.

As for Kearney, I see him ending up at full back like his brother possibly.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I think Gilroy is much more talented than Zebo personally. Gilroy has plenty of pace himself, and is a very elusive runner, with a ton of strength to back it up. Always beats his man. Ulster's attack this year has been poor, which is why he hasn't had as many chances. Most of Zebo's tries have come from space created for him, and he exploits it in an Ashton-esque fashion. Brilliant finisher. Lacks the individual talent of Gilroy though, who in the same situations would finish the same opportunities.

Sorry Rory but that's nonsence. Zebo is as talented a player as I've seen in years. In terms of broken field running and finishing he is out there on his own right now.

The ease with which he left George North for dead a few weeks ago shows what a special talent Zebo is.

Just my opinion! Zebo is a brilliant finisher and is a very elusive runner, but nothing has suggested to me that he has any more natural talent than Gilroy. Infact, people must have short memories to think that, because Gilroy was doing the same thing and better last season when Ulster were much more effective in attack. Like I said, most of the tries by Zebo have been created nicely for him.

Don't forget George North is 19, and not the best defender. He isn't a superhero as much as he is made out to be.

Thomond wrote: They are both incrdibly good prospects, no need for the one upping stuff.

Thomond wrote:Zebo has a higher ceiling then all of them and is well on his way to reaching it.

Contradicting yourself in the space of a few minutes - impressive.

For what is worth, I think Zebo has more raw pace but with respect to the rest of the game I think Gilroy is the better prospect, and has the all round skill level to go further.

Kearney jr looks more like a 15 to me but big bro is in the way.
With both Fitzgerald and Bowe out there is chance 2 of these 3 will go to NZ, 1 definitely will.

Rory I don't mean Gilroy isn't an exceptional talent but Zebo is faster and more elusive than any other Irish back and still has so much he can improve on.

I think along with Madigan hes the most exciting back in the country.

I have no idea why you would think Zebo is more exciting than Gilroy honestly.

I just think he is a much more dangerous attacking player Rory.

I think Gilroy is a very exciting player too but Zebo just seems to have something extra beyond any of the other Irish backs.

I'm baffled that some people can't see it. Trimble is the encumbent Irish winger and Zebo has left him chasing shadows for two games running and he did the same to George North.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I have no idea why you would think Zebo is more exciting than Gilroy honestly.

Zebo's 12 tries for Munster this season makes him exciting.

And Rory, Ulster have scored more tries than any other team in the Rabo this season (53). Leinster have only scored 48 so there isn't anything wrong with Ulster's attack. Coincidentally, they have also leaked a fair few tries (41) to Munster's 27 and Leinster's 28.

This season tries:
Zebo 12 (22 games - 18+4)
Kearney 2 (22 games - 20+1)
Gilroy 6 (28 games - 26+2)

How many did Gilroy score last season Sin? The ulster attack has not been good IMO. We may have scored the most tries this season, but I would like to see the teams that we were playing when we got the majority of those tries. And the team that was starting. Lately, we have been praising our centres based on their defensive efforts. And the entire team. We have been far too predictable IMO.

Plus I never said Zebo isn't exciting.

I think Ulsters attacking play has been much better this season than last.

Gilroy hasn't scored as many but the ones he has have been pretty significant and his attacking form has really improved in recent weeks.

I do think he needs to learn to carry the ball in two hands and look for support at times but hes coming along nicely and has benefitted a lot from playing alongside Terblanche imo.

His hair style is rediculous though......

Gilroy wasn't playing very well earlier in the season but is now getting back to form. It's not unusual for young players to go like that; Zebo will have fallow periods too. I wouldn't say one is much better than the other; they are both prodigious talents.

Gilroys great strength is his footwork and pace, Zebo just seems to pick cracking lines in attack. Both players are fantastic to watch.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I have no idea why you would think Zebo is more exciting than Gilroy honestly.

He'd certainly have a better chance at a career as a stunt man than Gilroy!

Rory_Gallagher wrote:How many did Gilroy score last season Sin? The ulster attack has not been good IMO. We may have scored the most tries this season, but I would like to see the teams that we were playing when we got the majority of those tries. And the team that was starting. Lately, we have been praising our centres based on their defensive efforts. And the entire team. We have been far too predictable IMO.

8 tries in 14 games.

Think Ulster have changed tactics after the 6Ns to be more defencly minded.
Andrew Trimble didn't have a great 6ns which mght have affected his club form. He seems to be very much a confidence player.

Notch wrote:Gilroy wasn't playing very well earlier in the season but is now getting back to form. It's not unusual for young players to go like that; Zebo will have fallow periods too. I wouldn't say one is much better than the other; they are both prodigious talents.

Gilroys great strength is his footwork and pace, Zebo just seems to pick cracking lines in attack. Both players are fantastic to watch.

I haven't watched Gilroy as intently as any Ulster fan, so I'm not going to comment one way or the other on him other than I think he looks to be a fine player.

One think that Zebo has going for him which I think will help him is that he sees to be really laid back and I like the way he plays with a big smile on his face. He has a great boot as well.

Apples, oranges and pears.

Is David Kearney the best player of the 3?....I think so.

Agree on Trimble, he hasn't been the same since the 6N. He had a very good game against Scotland and before that the Leicester Tigers but beyond that he hasn't really hit top form this season much.

Has the news that Bowe is returning affected his form and confidence?

In terms of attack I think to a large extent ulster have been keeping their powder dry for a few weeks an during the semi final they were primarily concerned with baby sitting pj.

I hope to see a much more expansive game in 2 weeks because we wontget near leinster without it

geoff998rugby wrote:

Thomond wrote: They are both incrdibly good prospects, no need for the one upping stuff.

Thomond wrote:Zebo has a higher ceiling then all of them and is well on his way to reaching it.

Contradicting yourself in the space of a few minutes - impressive.

For what is worth, I think Zebo has more raw pace but with respect to the rest of the game I think Gilroy is the better prospect, and has the all round skill level to go further.

Kearney jr looks more like a 15 to me but big bro is in the way.
With both Fitzgerald and Bowe out there is chance 2 of these 3 will go to NZ, 1 definitely will.

No need to be acting the langer Geoff. Fair enough I got involved in it, but so has everyone else. Munster and Ulster fans are probably not going to agree on this one. Both are incredibly good players, Gilroy has all-round better qualities, he is a more complete winger. I would compare him to Hickie and Zebo to wee Shane if we were doing comparisons.

No need for the little swipe, just enjoy the rugby. For feic sake you have a HC final in a few weeks time, enjoy that instead of trying to wind me up!

Chill...I just couldn't resist the obvious contradiction in the space of a couple of posts

I agree with your comparison of Hickie to Gilroy seems like a decent comparsion to me.

Not sure I would compare Zebo to Shane though. He needs to show a hell of a lot more yet. For the oldies out there JJ Williams strikes me as a better fit

geoff998rugby wrote: For the oldies out there JJ Williams strikes me as a better fit

Never heard of him......

Gilroy reminds me a bit of Bowe honestly, except with even more strength. He is so deceptively strong, really does not look it. Especially with that hair As I said before, Zebo reminds me a bit of Chris Ashton with his support play. Great finisher.

Justice 4 Zebo!....

I knew there was someone Zebo reminded me off....... Tom Varndell!....

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Gilroy reminds me a bit of Bowe honestly, except with even more strength. He is so deceptively strong, really does not look it. Especially with that hair As I said before, Zebo reminds me a bit of Chris Ashton with his support play. Great finisher.

Also superb at winning restarts (when ROG puts them up). Think he won 3 restarts against Northampton which all lead to Munster tries.