Castres V Ulster match thread

[neilthom7]

First topic message reminder :

So we are into the final round of group matches and this Saturday 19th January at 1.35pm Castre will take to the field V Ulster. Now Ulster are already guaranteed to qualify from the group and Castre are out but there is plenty riding on this for Ulster namely a home QF. If Ulster were to win and get the try bonus point they would definitely get a home Quarter final anything else and then it is down to other teams results as well. The biggest thing for Ulster will be to avoid any QF trips to France. The biggest worry for Ulster going into the match is now a big injury list. It is possible Ulster if all of their doubtful players don't make it will not be able to field 3 backs on the bench. So what are your predictions guys?
The match will be on Sky Sports 3 and I will update this thread with teams as we know them.

Ulster
(15-9): Gilroy; Trimble, Cave, Wallace, Allen; Pienaar, Marshall;
(1-8): Court, Best, Afoa, Stevenson, McComb, Diack, Henry (capt), Wilson;
Replacements (16-23): Herring, Black, Fitzpatrick, Henderson, McComish, Heaney, Jackson, Cochrane.

Castres
P Bernard, M Evans, S Bai, R Lamerat, M Garvey, R Tales, R Kockott; Y Forestier, M-A Rallier, A Peikrishvili, M Rolland, C Samson, M Babillot, P Faasalele, P Wannenburg.

Replacements: B Mach, S Taumoepeau, M Lazar, I Tekori, T Lacrampe, J Bornman, P Bonnefond, M Andreu.

[Cari]

Great kick Gilroy!

[Glas a du]

Terrible decision Nigel, that should have been a pen and yellow against Court!

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

Some very good performances in the pack so far. Lineout an absolute shambles again. Its a real weak point in the side that better sides could exploit

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

That knock on is a very lucky break. Thank god for Henry. He has been superb yet again.

[neilthom7]

Paddy Jackson has played well since he came on

[Notch]

Oh god.

[nathan]

surely that was an illegal tackle by the Ulster 3. He didn't use any arms, just his shoulder.

[neilthom7]

I think the Sky commentator would marry Chris Henry if he could

[Notch]

I think the Sky commentator would marry Chris Henry if he could

He'd have to fight me to do it, the skank

[JmD]

Terrible decision Nigel, that should have been a pen and yellow against Court!

Did look like it in real time, good decision though on the replay.

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

The only thing about Henry will no doubt Kidney will pick O'Mahony instead for the Six Nations despite his superb form this season.

[neilthom7]

HaHa suprised Cari has not weighed on the marry ability of Henry yet Notch lol

[Cari]

HaHa suprised Cari has not weighed on the marry ability of Henry yet Notch lol

I have some taste

[neilthom7]

HaHa suprised Cari has not weighed on the marry ability of Henry yet Notch lol

I have some taste

Bowe or no one for you Cari

[valjester]

The only thing about Henry will no doubt Kidney will pick O'Mahony instead for the Six Nations despite his superb form this season.

There is no way that Kidney can justify picking POM over Henry. He could justify picking them both by saying he wants to keep the same team that beat Argentina, but otherwise the press will have to call him on that.


I was hoping this game would be much more comfortable, just up and only a point in it, yikes.

[Cari]

F-T 8-9

[Artful_Dodger]

Well we were never going to get a TBP, we got the win, but a couple of trys would have been nice. Saracens just need the TBP win against Edinburgh and we will be away to Sarries in the knockouts. Unless Toulouse turn Tigers over in some style at Welford Road.

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

Superb result. That is a game we would have lost last season. Henry, Best, Court all superb.

[Artful_Dodger]

Afoa or Henry MOTM?

[toml]

afoa, he deserved to win us a try and yellow. he was also good in the loose

[Artful_Dodger]

Yeh I'd go for Afoa as well, tore their scrum to shreds and I agree, their loosehead should have had a yellow before he was subbed and we should have been given a penalty try.

[Notch]

Henry. Wouldn't be sure about Best with the lineout Hooky. Court and Afoa were great!

Now just hope results work out that if we are away it's in England not France. Allez Montpellier!

[toml]

what are the odds on edinburgh not conceding 4 tries?

Jackson really did change things. he looked back to his old self - taking the ball flat and causing problems.

Gilroy looked fairly comfortable at 15

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

Henry. Wouldn't be sure about Best with the lineout Hooky. Court and Afoa were great!

Now just hope results work out that if we are away it's in England not France. Allez Montpellier!

Best was excellent apart from the lineout. The lineout is a collective failure as much as the scrum was a collective success. Afoa was excellent too of course. It almost goes without saying.

[valjester]

what are the odds on edinburgh not conceding 4 tries?

Jackson really did change things. he looked back to his old self - taking the ball flat and causing problems.

Gilroy looked fairly comfortable at 15

Edinburgh are really dreadful this year, I reckon they will concede it before the break.

Good to hear about Jackson and Gilroy.

[Artful_Dodger]

What impact will Montpellier winning have on Ulster?

[toml]

In related news, congratulations to Glasgow. They deserved to get a result out of this pool.

[Notch]

What impact will Montpellier winning have on Ulster?

A very good one, if Toulon win a trip to Toulon is very possible. Even likely. If they lose it's unlikely. We want Montpellier to win this for sure.

[Artful_Dodger]

I would have thought if Toulon lose we will be more likely to get them as we will both be on 23 but they have more tries? Surely if Toulon win and went upto 27 points it would be very unlikely we'd get them as they would most likely get the 6th, 7th or 8th place qualifier?

[MrsP]

The line was just a disaster. But no one can imagine that Best can throw well to a lineout containing Muller and Tuohy and poorly when they are not there.

It was just a disaster. The scrum was fantastic though.

I hope Wilson hasn't done too much damage to that Hamstring. Is it the same side he had such bother with at the start of the season?

[Hookisms and Hyperbole]

I'd rather have a trip to a potentially fickle Toulon than Saracans.

[Don Alfonso]

Had to listen to it on the radio! Ended up throwing three sons about in the air towards the end!

Was Jackson a catalyst? How did Diack and Allen do? Gikroy went well at fullback? Sounds like Wallace was poor.

Sounds like Pedrie went well. Do we have any number eights left?

[MrsP]

Jackson was good but it was more that Pienaar was lost looking at 10.

Small Paul was fine but Ruan just didn't fire at OH at all.

[neilthom7]

Pedrie got he official MOTM award and played well, Henry was superb, Afoa and Court really decimated their front row. Lineout was generally awful and a lot of mistakes. Thought Henderson did well when he came on. We looked better balanced when Jackson came on and he played well individually too, Cave I thought also did well.

[Don Alfonso]

In fairness, sounded like Castres may have thrown it away with substitutions.

[toml]

Diack wasn't too bad at all, works tirelessly... still room for improvement especially his groundwork

[eirebilly]

Well done Ulster

[MrsP]

Thanks Billy.

It feels weird that we got our first win in France playing worse than I have seen us in a long time!

Good, but weird.

[eirebilly]

I was amazed to hear that stat MrsP, first win in 15 attempts. Really does not seem right. A win is a win so well done them

[Notch]

Had to listen to it on the radio! Ended up throwing three sons about in the air towards the end!

Was Jackson a catalyst? How did Diack and Allen do? Gikroy went well at fullback? Sounds like Wallace was poor.

Sounds like Pedrie went well. Do we have any number eights left?

Wallace was good in the second half, the catalyst for some good backs moves along with Jackson. With Pienaar at 10 our halfbacks were all over the place, so backs never had a chance and Wallace did miss a few tackles. Cave made some questionable decisions when putting the boot to ball and was possibly our worst player. Missed tackles and poor decisions, bit of a game to forget. As soon as Pienaar moved to 9 he made things happen- Marshall was decent but Pienaar is a 9, not a 10, and we can't move Ruan just to accomodate him. Pienaar was poor today at 10.

Allen tried hard but look slightly overawed and didn't get into the game. Trimble did everything well but also had little to do, quiet game. Gilroy was highly accurate with the boot and demonstrated an admirable composure which will boost his Ireland chances. His running game was good but what was pleasing was he brought the men around him into play. Most mature performance I've seen from him.

Henry was Captain Fantastic, turning over ball at will, Diack tried hard but must carry the can for the lineout. Wilson went off injured too early to give a verdict. Stevenson, McComb and Henderson battled manfully in the trenches and won some turnovers in the tight with McComb the quietest of them. Couldn't say enough our front row, Besties throwing aside.

[Artful_Dodger]

I think its a bit harsh to put the linout on Diack. He's a backrower who is a great jumper, but with a hooker of Best's caliber, and three second rows on the pitch, Diack isn't really the person I would be making culpable, even if he was making the calls.

[MrsP]

I don't think you can put a total disintegration in the lineout down to any one player.

Goodness knows I am not speaking from experience but I would think that a fairly small error in timing can make everyone involved look pretty daft.

[Notch]

No, but if you're making the calls you are responsible for everyone else doing their job right, getting the little details right. It's like how coaches and Captains get it in the neck when their players don't perform. I'm not blaming Diack. He's not very experienced in the role.

[MrsP]

That's true enough.

Also, why on earth was Garvey allowed to play on when it appeared he had KO'd himself by getting a bang on the head from Pedrie's hip?

That makes me really cross. How do we get kids to see the importance of coming off when they have taken a bang on the head if they see the Pros playing on after being KO'd?

[neilthom7]

I have to say I disagree here Notch you making the calls are responsible for calling the right option and making sure you are right. The timing etc is a combination of hookers throw, lifters and the jumper working in co-ordination. You are certainly not responsible for these guys not doing their job right. I think too that Diack calling the lineouts shows a serious problem he is a back rower and a young one at that. This shows that the people who should be more involved i.e the Hooker and the Locks are not capable of doing it themselves and that is something that will need to be rectified by the time Muller retires.

[The Great Aukster]

Thought it was quite amusing how by the end of the game Shaggy had done a complete U turn on Paddy Jackson - citing how Ulster missed his leadership!

Gilroy had a really good game but his positioning shows a lack of experience playing 15. With no alternative he has to play a bit more there whenever possible.
Still not convinced by Allen in defence, Cochrane should maybe be given a chance to oust him.

[neilthom7]

Thought it was quite amusing how by the end of the game Shaggy had done a complete U turn on Paddy Jackson - citing how Ulster missed his leadership!

Gilroy had a really good game but his positioning shows a lack of experience playing 15. With no alternative he has to play a bit more there whenever possible.
Still not convinced by Allen in defence, Cochrane should maybe be given a chance to oust him.

It was great wasn't it you could see the pain on his face as he tried to wriggle out of it.

[Notch]

I have to say I disagree here Notch you making the calls are responsible for calling the right option and making sure you are right. The timing etc is a combination of hookers throw, lifters and the jumper working in co-ordination. You are certainly not responsible for these guys not doing their job right. I think too that Diack calling the lineouts shows a serious problem he is a back rower and a young one at that. This shows that the people who should be more involved i.e the Hooker and the Locks are not capable of doing it themselves and that is something that will need to be rectified by the time Muller retires.

Absolutely, but Stevenson is your classic front jumper whereas McCombs lack of progression thus far has probably been down to being not trusted to call a lineout.

The Henderson thing is a red herring because a) he's 20 and b) he has more experience in the backrow at this level.

[MrsP]

If Edinburgh beat Sarries tomorrow we could still have al three Irish Provinces through couldn't we?

[neilthom7]

Yep if Sarries were to lose and get nout and Munster won then Munster would win the group and Leinster could go through as a runner up

[Sponsored content]