Heineken Cup Round 1 (Pool 4): Ulster v Castres - Friday 12th 8pm

by clivemcl Tue 9 Oct - 12:43

First topic message reminder :

Initial squad announced from Ulster, and Ruan is back! I would have thought he required resting, will he really play a part? Williams hasn't yet been ruled out so there is hope yet.

FORWARDS (16):
Rob Herring, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Neil McComb, John Afoa, Tom Court, Adam Macklin, Callum Black, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Lewis Stevenson, Stephen Ferris, Mike McComish, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Nick Williams.

BACKS (11):
Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Michael Heaney, Paddy Jackson, Paddy Wallace, Darren Cave, Luke Marshall, Andrew Trimble, Tommy Bowe, Craig Gilroy, Jared Payne.

Has Trimble really done enough to warrant a place at the expense of Gilroy?

Castres are sitting at 6th in Top14, only winning half their games so far.

Pedrie might not play on Ravenhill again. I'm not sure of his status, but he did not feature in their squad last week. injured?

By the way, Castres just beat Clermont! Were Clermont resting players?

We SHOULD win this based on form.

SUFTUM

by Don Alfonso Thu 11 Oct - 15:23

SUFTUM.

Anyone seen Geoff, I was wondering? Also - moving Ferris. Interesting. One of the best 6s in the NH, played at 8.

by **Notch** Thu 11 Oct - 15:33

Castres Olympique:
(15-9) Romain Teulet, Marcel Garvey, Seremaia Bai, Daniel Kirkpatrick, Marc Andreu, Pierre Bernard, Thierry Lacrampe,

(1-8) Yannick Forrestier, Mathieu Bonello, Michael Coetzee, Matthias Rolland, Rodrigo Capo Ortega, Piula Faasalele, Yannick Caballero, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Replacemnets: Marc Antoine-Raller, Gregory Marmoiton, Mihaita Lazar, Iosefa Tekori, Antonie Claassen, Rory Kockott, Paul Bonnefond, Thomas Sanchou.

A lot of first choice players missing for Castres. No Rory Kockott, No Joe Tekori, No Max Evans... looks like Hound was right. Delighted to see Pedrie back.

by **Notch** Thu 11 Oct - 15:51

Antoine Claassen is also a classy player omitted from this XV. We need to be winning this comfortably. We'll still need to go up the gears from last week but if Castres aren't taking this seriously... they've made what, nine changes from the derby against Clermont?

Hopefully we can make it a long night for them.

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 16:45

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19910510

Not too shabby!

by Pete330v2 Thu 11 Oct - 18:01

MrsP wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19910510

Not too shabby!

Not too shabby at all MrsP, that young sprog can play a bit can't he.

by **Notch** Thu 11 Oct - 18:06

He should have taken the lineout! nope

by WillyGilly Thu 11 Oct - 18:11

Just saw a certain Mr Bowe in work. He was filling up to the max with slices of chicken and taking advantage of our excellent 2 for £4 or 4 for £7 offer. Only available at your m&s.

by Rava Thu 11 Oct - 18:43

Excellent interview with Anscombe in today's Belfast Telegraph. Sounds like a very committed man.

"I miss my kids, but I've a big job to do"

"Believe me, we have the team to win the Heineken Cup.... we just need a bit of luck"

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 19:21

Does Mark Anscombe actually think we play in the "Robo" league?

Makes me laugh every time!

Laugh

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 20:16

That's shameless promotion willygilly, I should say now other supermarkets that sell chicken are available lol

by Rory_Gallagher Thu 11 Oct - 20:37

Are there any pubs in Belfast that will be showing the game?

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 21:03

Don't know about pubs but due to a late evening in work I will be watching from home with a few if anyone wants to join me in the Newtownabbey area just drop me a message there are already a few of us going to watch so the more the merrier. SUFTUM guinness

by BelfastDickVet Thu 11 Oct - 21:25

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Are there any pubs in Belfast that will be showing the game?

the Errigle will be showing it and alot of ulster fans come back there after the match.

by Rory_Gallagher Thu 11 Oct - 21:27

That is very kind of you to offer Neilthom!

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 21:47

No problem might as well watch it with a few other Ulster fans sure. Few beers etc and everything will be sweet when we get that bonus point Very Happy

Anyone who fancies it drop me a private message and I'll send you my address

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 21:54

That'll be all over Facebook before you get say "Iris Robinson"!

by **Notch** Thu 11 Oct - 21:57

Yeah, good point. How do you know Iris Robinson isn't lurking on here? A young man would want to be wary giving out his contact details in that case! Smile

by Don Alfonso Thu 11 Oct - 22:05

Notch wrote:Yeah, good point. How do you know Iris Robinson isn't lurking on here? A young man would want to be wary giving out his contact details in that case!

I suspect Neil knows exactly what he's doing.

Will the game be on in the Taphouse? I know it was recently bought over.

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:14

WillyGilly wrote:Just saw a certain Mr Bowe in work. He was filling up to the max with slices of chicken and taking advantage of our excellent 2 for £4 or 4 for £7 offer. Only available at your m&s.

What a cheapskate! He could've done the dining for a tenner! Still, if I was eating with him I woudn't be too fussy about the food... Very Happy

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 22:23

Haha well there's a 90 per cent chance the GF will be there so if Iris does come along that will be an interesting fight, have a tenner on the gf though lol. Think of me as Liam Neeson though, if I give you any details and you give them out I will find you lol Cool

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 22:27

Well...you just told the world your name so...

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:28

There can't be many Liam Neesons in the Newtownabbey area...

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 22:31

No there aren't Cari lol and sssh MrsP how'd you find out that was my true identity, your too good MrsP I have finally met my match Run

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 22:35

I'm a mother.

I know everything!!!

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:36

Yeah she's the All Seeing Eye....look out! Erm

by **rodders** Thu 11 Oct - 22:40

WillyGilly wrote:Just saw a certain Mr Bowe in work. He was filling up to the max with slices of chicken and taking advantage of our excellent 2 for £4 or 4 for £7 offer. Only available at your m&s.

Wow that's amazing Willy....... 2 for £4 is a cracking offer ...

The Taphouse is the fly or something now. I think they still show the rugby. Might pop in there after the game for a guinness

if anyone is around?

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 22:41

And anyway.

It was obvious.

neilthom is an anagram of Liam Neeson.

.....if you leave out the es and the a and one of the ns and add t and h!

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 22:42

The Taphouse used to be the Fly too!

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:43

Ah welcome Liam! Loved you in Michael Collins... Laugh

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 22:43

Well that's the last time I try joining a forum using my skills to disguise who I am.
Have to say didn't see this topic going down this route though when it was posted lol

by Don Alfonso Thu 11 Oct - 22:44

Is it back to being the Fly? How weird.

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:45

I suppose you don't get to watch Ulster much being a big Hollywood actor and all...?

Also, I bet you do the Dining for 2 for £10...have a word with Tommy will ya? Laugh

by MrsP Thu 11 Oct - 22:47

Liam,

Don't be alarmed. I once told WillyG who he had been out with the night before even though I have never met the lad!

Really freaked him out!

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 22:48

Yeah Don to be fair bars in Belfast love changing their names as much as I do. If I might post about the rugby for a bit (I know how dare I) I get the feeling Henderson is going to have a stormer. Whens the Ravens team announced does anyone know?

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 22:52

See don't need to tell MrsP where to go she probably already knows lol yeah sure Cari all of us Ulster Celebs hang out at a club where we discuss food offers and what not so next time I'm there I'll just let Tommy know sure and MrsP can tell him where you are at so he find you lol

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 22:54

oh I don't know Liam. When I met Tommy last year, I text MrsP to tell her, and she said "Are you sure it's him?" No...I'd only been chatting to his twin... Laugh

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 23:00

You've found her weakness Cari she cant tell Tommy Bowes apart Laugh

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 23:02

Well to be fair, it was such an unbelieveable situation, I can see why she asked if it was him... Very Happy

by Don Alfonso Thu 11 Oct - 23:07

Just checked out the Fly's Twitter feed.

Looks like it's the Big House or the Errigle...

by **rodders** Thu 11 Oct - 23:19

The fly is back.

Right serious question folks.

Will the real Sparky be back for this game?

by Cari Thu 11 Oct - 23:22

No, Sparky's done more drugs than Lance Armstrong by the looks...he'll never be his old self again.

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 23:25

Cari wrote:No, Sparky's done more drugs than Lance Armstrong by the looks...he'll never be his old self again.

Just hearing folks Sparky has been forced to give back all the titles he won over Leo The Lion etc

by **rodders** Thu 11 Oct - 23:26

#Justice4Sparky

by WillyGilly Thu 11 Oct - 23:39

MrsP wrote:Liam,

Don't be alarmed. I once told WillyG who he had been out with the night before even though I have never met the lad!

Really freaked him out!

Mrs P this incident still freaks me out beyond imagination. Until we meet I will be convinced you have some powers of witchcraft or the like.

by neilthom7 Thu 11 Oct - 23:40

I understand WillyG maybe we should have some kind of support group set up?

by WillyGilly Thu 11 Oct - 23:43

With torches and pitchforks?

by neilthom7 Fri 12 Oct - 0:18

Medi Evil style interesting choice WillyG maybe we could just feed her to Nick Williams although that does seem cruel and unusual

by **Notch** Fri 12 Oct - 0:28

neilthom7 wrote:
Cari wrote:No, Sparky's done more drugs than Lance Armstrong by the looks...he'll never be his old self again.
Just hearing folks Sparky has been forced to give back all the titles he won over Leo The Lion etc

Well that certainly won't take long.

by neilthom7 Fri 12 Oct - 0:54

Notch wrote:
neilthom7 wrote:
Cari wrote:No, Sparky's done more drugs than Lance Armstrong by the looks...he'll never be his old self again.
Just hearing folks Sparky has been forced to give back all the titles he won over Leo The Lion etc

Well that certainly won't take long.

Hey you better watch Notch New Sparky is going to come over that rail in the promenade like a hurdler tomorrow better try and hide mo1

by clivemcl Fri 12 Oct - 9:47

Plenty of interesting facts here:

Johann Muller and Craig Gilroy both played in every minute of Ulster Rugby’s 2011/12 Heineken Cup campaign, which lasted nine matches up to the final.

Castres Olympique missed an average of 16.8 tackles per match in last season’s Heineken Cup, the second worst total after former Italian side Aironi.

Castres had the second poorest lineout unit in the Heineken Cup last season, winning just 79% of ball on their own throw.

Ulster lost two matches on their way to the Heineken Cup final last season, which also resulted in a third defeat in nine matches.

Ulster have faced French opposition more often than any other nation in the Heineken Cup, winning 13, drawing one and losing 19
of their ties.

Ulster have won their last 12 home games in this competition, with their last Heineken Cup defeat at Ravenhill coming against Stade Francais Paris in 2008.

Castres conceded 102 points in their three away games last year, scoring just 33 in reply and losing all three encounters (v Scarlets, Northampton Saints & Munster Rugby).

The French side have not won on the road in Europe since dismantling Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo 76-11 in Italy in 2009 (Amlin Challenge Cup). Their only victory away from home in the Heineken Cup since their run to the semi-finals in 2001/02 was against Benetton Treviso in 2007.

Johann Muller won 52 lineouts last season (including three steals), 18 more than any other player in the competition. In addition, Rory Best threw more successful lineouts (99) than any other player last season, achieving an 86% throw success rate in the process.

Castres have lost 10 of their 14 Heineken Cup meetings with Irish opposition; only against Scottish outfits (25%) do they have a lower win % rate than against Irish sides (29%).

A Bonus Point win please.

Interesting fact about Gilroy and now he could likely start none of the HC games this year unless there is injury.

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