Ulster v Scarlets Friday 4/1/2013 match thread

[neilthom7]

First topic message reminder :

So this Friday 4/1/2013 Ulster take on Scarlets at Ravenhill. Kick off is at 7:05pm.
Ulster are coming off their first league loss of the season away to Munster albeit with a significantly weakened team. I think here we can expect to see a very different looking Ulster team especially with on this game to go before the crucial Heineken Cup final round matches.
The Scarlets are coming off a heavy boxing day away defeat to Ospreys as well and will be looking to close the gap and build momentum into their own Heineken cup ties.
Should be a cracking match with a rivalry that has really developed in the past few seasons I can't wait.
BBC 2 NI are covering th match any other broadcasters I come across will be added as will teams as the week goes on.

Ulster XV
(15-9): A D’Arcy, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar;
(1-8): T Court, R Herring, A Macklin, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry c, N Williams;
Replacements (16-23): N Annett, C Black, J Afoa, N McComb, R Wilson, M Heaney, P Wallace, R Andrew.

Scarlets : Dan Newton, George North, Gareth Maule, Jonathan Davies (capt), Kristian Phillips, Aled Thomas, Tavis Knoyle, Phil John, Emyr Phillips, Jacobie Adriaanse, Sione Timani, Richard Kelly, Josh Turnbull, Johnathan Edwards, Rob McCusker.

Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Rhodri Jones, Deacon Manu, Tomas Vallejos, Craig Price, Gareth Davies, Scott Williams, Adam Warren.

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)

Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Brian MacNeice (both IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Gordon Black (IRFU)

TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU

[pete (buachaill on eirne)]

Ireland's attack is very lateral which doesn't suit Trimble at all IMO, tbh it doesn't suit many wingers.

[Morgannwg]

Scarlets; it was the right decision to bring in Gareth Maule. He is a good ball distributor and very strong. But he should have went to 12, not 13.

[Kingshu]

well, look like we get a Welsh region and a Welsh referee, Leighton Hodges (WRU)


I know some welsh fans don't like it when they get an Irish team and an Irish referee, but personally I don't mind.

In this League we should count on the refs to be impartial, teams playing newcastle don't complain if they get a North of England Ref, likewise we have to pull together in this League, and just assign refs to games regardless of nationality.

Anyway if we didn't have a Welsh or irish ref, it means that Irish/Welsh derbies would always be reffed by Italians or Scots and remember how many complaints that got.

I think the Pro 12 looked into it and said the best games should have the best refs and decided that the best way was for the ref to be either Scottish/Italain, or from the travelling Nation, whicheverone is best. To try and improve the reffing of the League which has had its fair share of complaints.

[WillyGilly]

Suftum!!

[Don Alfonso]

Ulster to scrape in after a scare from a try conjured out of nowhere by the Scarlets backs.

SUFTUM!!

[Glas a du]

SFYBAYT!

[Morgannwg]

Only just found out about Gareth Owen's suspension. How ridiculous is that decision.

[Cari]

Evening All

[Cari]

Luckily for the Scarlets Trimby didn't get a grip on the ball or that would've been a tidy intercept.

[neilthom7]

You seem a bit on your own there Cari luckily I am now home from work after a long and somewhat lost diversion.

[Cari]

0-3 thanks to Aled Thomas' penalty. Eight minutes gone.

[Glas a du]

This is a pathetic game in terms of error count. Tavis Knoyle is very twp.

[Cari]

Evening Neil Orange Peel

I always talk to myself on here anyway... How's your day been? I'm hoping I can stay awake for this game. I'm so tired. Think Ulster will get a try in soon. Looks promising for them.

[Notch]

Pretty poor start from Ulster! Not looking after the ball.

[neilthom7]

Don't you normally talk to Tommy? lol everything except that diversion has been good today except I'm not at Ravenhill off course. This could be another tight one. A lot of errors.

[Notch]

Unlucky D'Arcy. Just back in the team!

[Golden]

Darcy injured again? Poor Lad

[neilthom7]

Ah poor D'Arcy and that doesn't help us either

[Cari]

Adam D'Arcy off limping a bit. Ricky Andrew replaces him.

[valjester]

What happened D'arcy, my feed is, to put it mildly, f**king horrific.

[Cari]

Notch - you not a Ravenhill tonight yourself?

Neilly - I think I might've jinxed Ulster earlier...Scarlets within a sniff of a try there.

[Notch]

This is really slapdash from Ulster. We're making this game quite a lot harder than it needs to be.

[Cari]

Not sure Val, it didn't look too serious, but he was limping a little bit walking off. Look like he turned an ankle or something like that.

Jebus! Where the hell was that going Aled?!

[Notch]

Notch - you not a Ravenhill tonight yourself?

I've been poorly. The lads will have to rely on my distant moral support.

[neilthom7]

I think that was a bit harsh on Hulk wasn't much he could do to roll away really was there?

[LordDowlais]

Surley that should have been a yellow for not releasing in the red zone.

[Notch]

Newton is kicking the corners well, its the right tactic.

[LordDowlais]

Never was that forward.

[Cari]

Sorry to hear that Notch. Hope you're feeling in tip top form next weekend I want an autograph...

Pienaar going for the sticks. Well he couldn't do worse than Thomas' second effort.

3-3 at 21 minutes.

[LordDowlais]

Scarlets are taking the game to Ulster in all fairness.

[Golden]

What a take from Andrew there

[Cari]

Suddenly this game's woken up! Fairdo's what a take by Aled Thomas that was.

[Notch]

Hectic passage of play!

[LordDowlais]

Ulster's support and offloading is second to none tonight.

[neilthom7]

We seem to be getting a bit of an upper hand on Courts side of the scrum I think he is taking a lot of pressure off the 2 younger guys in there.

[LordDowlais]

Holding on, excelent defence by the Scarlets.

[valjester]

Pienaar's pass really is a thing of beauty, all wrists.

[valjester]

Great take by Trimble.

I always thought what Williams did there is illegal, but the amount of players who get away with it is ridiculous, if he is part of the ruck he's not supposed to be taking the ball on like that.

[LordDowlais]

The ref is starting to get a little bit harsh on the Scarlets now.

[Cari]

Pienaar boots another penalty.

6-3 at 33 minutes.

[neilthom7]

Some very blatant lazy Scarlets runners there

[Notch]

Oh dear, Dan Tuohy is off. I hope he's alright for next week.

[maestegmafia]

This is a good game.

[neilthom7]

Touhy off early that hopefully is just a risk prevention

[valjester]

Oh dear, Dan Tuohy is off. I hope he's alright for next week.

Bit of a disaster if he's not okay.

[neilthom7]

Good man ref we aren't going to become footballers

[Notch]

Not a complete disaster when you consider we still have Iain Henderson to come back into the squad, but certainly far from ideal. Not much luck with injuries this half.

Breakdown and scrums are a mess in this game.

[Cari]

Pienaar kicks another...MOTM so far I think...

9-3 at 37 minutes.

[Notch]

HULK SMASH!

[Cari]

HT 9-3 Should be an exciting second half I think.

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