The Rabo Pro12 Final - RDS - 25th May - Leinster V Ulster

First topic message reminder :

Well, there's been little chat on here for Ulster fans lately, so I decided to create a thread to try an encourage some build up!

My wifes birthday is on friday, and I long ago booked myself to do some work in Galway that day. Naughty naughty Clive! To make up for it, I booked a long weekend for the missus and the wee man to come.

Then I realise when the Rabo Final is. Long story short, I've rearranged hotels, Travelling from Galway to Dublin hotel for the weekend, and got two tickets through the supporters club!

I'll be in the North Stand, and we are going to attempt to bring little Ruan in the baby carrier! Is that mad???

Anyways, I'll put team info in here when it becomes available.

I have this weird fantasy that keeps coming to me, that Ferris will surprisingly be fit and named after having been kept top secret! There has been no timescale on his current injury since February when they stated he would probably miss the season.

Will Luke Marshall be allowed to play?

Any injury worries?

Will Leinster care more about this game than they did the Amlin final? (Honestly, barely a smile at final whistle!)

Jeebus when did Ulster fans become such a miserable bunch?

moan, moan, moan!! We've topped the league FFS! Its #OurDS!

Look at the Leinsterboyz, aging team, coach leaving, just won a mickey mouse cup and they think they're the bees knees!

Come on people! Man up! .....

rodders wrote:Jeebus when did Ulster fans become such a miserable bunch?

moan, moan, moan!! We've topped the league FFS! Its #OurDS!

Look at the Leinsterboyz, aging team, coach leaving, just won a mickey mouse cup and they think they're the bees knees!

Come on people! Man up! .....

And that's from a Derryman!!!!

rodders wrote:Jeebus when did Ulster fans become such a miserable bunch?

moan, moan, moan!! We've topped the league FFS! Its #OurDS!

Look at the Leinsterboyz, aging team, coach leaving, just won a mickey mouse cup and they think they're the bees knees!

Come on people! Man up! .....

I did say that I liked the #ourDS, in fairness! I've also asked a friendly question about a tv show, and complimented a guy on his wee joke!

I'm no ogre. Like I said though, the video stuff is something I do professionally, and so my eye was more critical whilst watching than most people's would be.

Fair play MrsP, It doesn't hurt me (that much)!

Right... now lets buckin' beat those southern scoundrels!

Grand Clive.

I do hope someone has warned the OUR.D.S of your attendance on Saturday so they have a special area set aside to cater for your needs.

Woe betide them if there are not adequate baby changing facilities available (for both mums and dads), kettles on hand to warm bottles.

And I really hope the entire crowd are aware that loud noises are to be avoided at all cost in case Ruan should be disturbed!!!

PS.

I hope he enjoys his first Ulster match and that he becomes a regular at Ravenhill.

Ha, well I imagine all those requirements are standard practice for the chino wearing Dublin hob knobs? Is it not?

I really hope he handles it ok, but if he doesn't I'll try not to blame anyone else!

Paul Marshalls nephew is going too. He's a good friend of Ruans (they go to mums and tots together! lol!). So if he can go, so can my boy!

*edit : just realising how confusing this may read to some people!

Come on Ulster! Come and have a pop if you think you're hard enough!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrviCl2ENH8

Jenny!

I was expecting that to be link to the fantastic facilities at the OUR.D.S!

rodders wrote: they could have filmed him on the big dipper at Barry's or at that Asda at Strabane or something...

Hah! The glory of the north-west

I'm not sure about the video. It's been a hell of a journey from Twickenham to here, with off-field tragedy and triumph and lots of testing times alongside a few times we've never had it so good. When you think about what this squad has gone through this season we've already earned this trophy but now we have to win it all over again. I can't believe anything other than we will in my heart. After everything this team has been through, we have one last champion performance in us to seal it, I'm sure of it.

I thought I wanted to win the Heineken Cup final last year, but it's nothing on the hunger I have for this game. I think thats partly a function of the hurt of last year and mainly that I think it's the best way for this team to honour an absent friend who has clearly inspired the very best kind of reaction to adversity in these men and whose memory continues to inspire everyone in Ulster Rugby to aim higher than before.

It's hard to sum that up in a video without it seeming cheesy or sentimental but it's true. This is our Cup, this is our RDS, this is our moment. It's Ulsters turn now.

And especially for Ulster fans. The original SUFTUM from the same year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtpunY88cJM

You have a hunger? We lost the last 3 finals in a row!

2 of them at home when we had topped the league.

The first one was Cheika's going away present.

Hunger mebollix.

Jen - BOOYA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-cArzPBFo

Cian Healy to Ruan Pienaar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMwl6pbCg38

We won't be allowed play this seeing as its your DS. So have a bang of it now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU_b4C57wGo

And of course our other opening song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYWZZlVlFb4

Right! Time for lunch. Jaaaaaaysis I'm hungry.

The Leinster forwards after big Nick comes at them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuL2pPOV22c

You really are an unpleasant kind of person.

Would a hungry like the wolf reference be out of place here...

...I'll get me coat...

Mickado wrote:Would a hungry like the wolf reference be out of place here...

...I'll get me coat...

...a sheepskin jacket I assume?

The wit is hitting the fan today! There must be a serious game on at the weekend?

I know we can't be involved in anything because Gats has publically banned Leinster players from playing for their Province forthwith.

Where is everyone for the game? I'm in the Grandstand, Block L.

Antrim Athletics track!

All seven of us in a scrum for seats on the north stand

I tried to liven up this thread earlier with a bit of banter, apparently that makes me a terrible person.

can't really be arsed. takes (at least) 2 to banter.

I was wondering who the suspected "unpleasant" person was. I did assume yep, it must be Jenifer. But I couldn't work out why.

Oh well, now you know how Gatland feels! He banters a bit during a press conference and all hell breaks loose.

Notch wrote:You really are an unpleasant kind of person.

Bit extreme..

It's just a bit of "banter".

Okay I'm confused now. From here on in I demand people sign off on their comments using either:

BANTER - for honest to goodness banter done with an innocent smile

or

"BANTER" - for a suspicious, potentially gritted teeth number that's in some kind of no-man's land of 'what does he really mean?'

We'll have to be more honest about which banter we are using.



BANTER

-

Notch, I think you need to lighten up and stop taking yourself so seriously.

I didn't look at Jenifer's youtube links, as sing song banter was never my favourite pastime. I think I'm going to have to though.

Well I think I should withdraw some of my previous comments. They were unnecessary. Hence I've edited them out.

I think with all the emotion around this game from an Ulster PoV, I'm going to find it difficult to come on here and talk about the Final. Thank God it'll be over one way or the other by Saturday night. Hopefully it ends with ecstatic bliss and not crushing despair!

It seems like I can't discuss how overwhelming the occassion feels give the exceptional circumstances of this season without some smart-alec popping up- I just hope the team uses that emotion in the right way on the day. Thats me out for a few days.

Notch, enjoy the game sir.

Notch wrote:
I think with all the emotion around this game from an Ulster PoV, I'm going to find it difficult to come on here and talk about the Final. Thank God it'll be over one way or the other by Saturday night. Hopefully it ends with ecstatic bliss and not crushing despair!

It seems like I can't discuss how overwhelming the occassion feels give the exceptional circumstances of this season without some smart-alec popping up- I just hope the team uses that emotion in the right way on the day. Thats me out for a few days.

Jeebus Notch don't you think you are loosing a bit of perspective? You need to spend a few days in Strabane or Ballymoney to see what crushing despair really feels like .....

If the Ulster players feel only an ounce of what Notch is feeling then Leinster are Fooked!

I can understand how Notch feels. It's serious. He wants his side to do more than promise something. The season needs a win to show progress is real and continuing. The season needs to give some kind of happy - I hate this word in this context but I'll use it this once - closure when remembering tragic events and the loss of such a promising young man, together with other members of his family.

I can understand all that.

But I can understand too that sometimes you have to keep trying to lighten the mood in places like 606 when two tribes from the one spot prepare to go to war. Sometimes it needs a little bit of silly banter (another word I detest!) to keep a lid on the perhaps more serious places a game of rugby could go between Ulster and Leinster. There are enough days in the year to grind into the depths of detail (like Sin é does regularly, God be good to him), but sometimes silly frippery is the only deal in town to keep things nice. The war itself will be on the field, no doubt.

SecretFly wrote:
I can understand how Notch feels. It's serious. He wants his side to do more than promise something. The season needs a win to show progress is real and continuing. The season needs to give some kind of happy - I hate this word in this context but I'll use it this once - closure when remembering tragic events and the loss of such a promising young man, together with other members of his family.

No I don't think so Fly. Progress is real and continuing and clear for all to see. Yes a trophy would be a great way to finish the season but its not the be all and end all.

It's important not to lose perspective over one game. What is more important is that we are building a team that can challenge for trophies every season.

We are clear underdogs against Leinster at the RDS and it will take a monumental performance to win. However I do believe this side is good enough, whereas last season we really needed Leinster not to underperform at Twickenham to have a real chance. I can see this one going either way and that in itself is a big step from last season.

What I assumed was in Notch's mind and in his opinion, rodders. That wasn't my opinion. I've seen other Ulster supporters say that they need to gain something to feel the year wasn't wasted. Feelings, urges, opinions, desires.

Of course Ulster are what they are - a bloody powerful and potent unit. A loss won't end that but that desire is there in some Ulster supporters. There is a compulsion to prove how far they've come with something tangible like a trophy. He seems to need this win and the emotion prevents him from tolerating smart-alecs. I was just acknowledging the emotions involved.

rodders wrote:

Notch wrote:
I think with all the emotion around this game from an Ulster PoV, I'm going to find it difficult to come on here and talk about the Final. Thank God it'll be over one way or the other by Saturday night. Hopefully it ends with ecstatic bliss and not crushing despair!

It seems like I can't discuss how overwhelming the occassion feels give the exceptional circumstances of this season without some smart-alec popping up- I just hope the team uses that emotion in the right way on the day. Thats me out for a few days.

Jeebus Notch don't you think you are loosing a bit of perspective? You need to spend a few days in Strabane or Ballymoney to see what crushing despair really feels like .....

Hihihi
Strabane is a lovely place I won't have a bad word said about it
Well when I say lovely i mean depressing and when I say won't I mean always
Carry on

SecretFly wrote:What I assumed was in Notch's mind and in his opinion, rodders. That wasn't my opinion. I've seen other Ulster supporters say that they need to gain something to feel the year wasn't wasted. Feelings, urges, opinions, desires.

Of course Ulster are what they are - a bloody powerful and potent unit. A loss won't end that but that desire is there in some Ulster supporters. There is a compulsion to prove how far they've come with something tangible like a trophy. He seems to need this win and the emotion prevents him from tolerating smart-alecs. I was just acknowledging the emotions involved.

No I know that fly. Don't think that I don't want to win this (badly) and will be bitterly disappointed if we lose. However I don't think its the be all and end all as there is a bigger picture. The structures are being put in place on and off the pitch to make us a top European club.

Some people need to keep some kind of perspective here. This is the second final of note that this group have played in, by contrast Munster had 3 bites at the Heino before winning .. Leinster were in 2 or 3 SF's and have lost 3 Rabo finals in a row.

This game is a win-win for Ulster given the stage we are at in our evolution. The progress has already been made, winning this would be a bonus... another milestone on the way to what we really want - the Heino cup.

As long as the team performs to its maximum, I'll have no complaints...however I'm quietly confident that if we do that might just be enough to win...

I understand where ulster fans are coming from (I really do) regarding motivation for this game and the emotion that weighs in behind it. It's a credit to your team, supporters and community.

I'm not sure ulster fans understand how much this means to Leinster though (I'm not saying it means more to us and I'm not saying it doesn't) but I do think that we have a desire that few ulster fans appreciate (at least few have written it on the thread).

I was at the rabo final last year right in the terrace 8feet away from where jack McGrath held his own for 7 minutes of injury time against Adam jones 5 metres from our line. That feeling of relief/victory when we eventually won that pressure releasing penalty was something I can't put in to words. Myself and however many others were near me were baying for blood in that passage, I've never been an atmosphere made so hostile (in a safe way) by fans showing great support.

When biggar got that conversion and we ended up losing, the joy of that heineken cup win was pretty much erased. I was completely numb. I remember sitting outside the stadium for a few hours afterwards shocked and shaken. The ospreys beat us with a last gasp like they had a few months previously in the rds too.

I didn't celebrate that heineken cup win the way i wanted to or could have if we hadn't been in the Rabo final at all.

Leinster and I want this. Make no mistake about it.

While there is a lot of sentiment and motivation for both sides, I can't believe people are getting so worked up at each other, and someone like Notch has to tear themselves away from the boards for a few days.

Sentiment won't play a part when a ball is kicked, Ulster won't let Leinster win as they've lost 3 finals, and vice versa. West Brom didn't let Fergie go out with a win, etc etc.


This is 2 great sides, in a final, both wanting to lift the Trophy, only one can.

Leinster and Ulster have been the 2 best sides in the Leauge, and its great both have made it to the final.

I'll be really dissappionted if Ulster lose, but in the long run, when I look back I'll see this as the year we proved we can compete consistantly at this level. (Instead of being like Edinburgh, one good run). However I will be dissapointed if in 3 years time we look back and don't have Silverware, or as much silverware as expected from this team (Like Ireland, with only one 6 nations).

Importantly going into the h-cup final last year, we needed to be at our best, and hoped Leinster had an off day. This time if we are at our best we don't need leinster to have an off day, it would be 50/50 if both are at thier best.

Kingshu wrote:While there is a lot of sentiment and motivation for both sides, I can't believe people are getting so worked up at each other, and someone like Notch has to tear themselves away from the boards for a few days.

Sentiment won't play a part when a ball is kicked, Ulster won't let Leinster win as they've lost 3 finals, and vice versa. West Brom didn't let Fergie go out with a win, etc etc.


This is 2 great sides, in a final, both wanting to lift the Trophy, only one can.

Leinster and Ulster have been the 2 best sides in the Leauge, and its great both have made it to the final.

I'll be really dissappionted if Ulster lose, but in the long run, when I look back I'll see this as the year we proved we can compete consistantly at this level. (Instead of being like Edinburgh, one good run). However I will be dissapointed if in 3 years time we look back and don't have Silverware, or as much silverware as expected from this team (Like Ireland, with only one 6 nations).

Importantly going into the h-cup final last year, we needed to be at our best, and hoped Leinster had an off day. This time if we are at our best we don't need leinster to have an off day, it would be 50/50 if both are at thier best.

Exactly, both teams are going to be seriously up for this game, plenty of motivation on both sides.

Jeebus Notch don't you think you are loosing a bit of perspective? You need to spend a few days in Strabane or Ballymoney to see what crushing despair really feels like .....

Ballymoney has provided such shining stars as Tony McWhirter and Davy Tw............. , ok well Tony anyway!

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:
I'm not sure ulster fans understand how much this means to Leinster though (I'm not saying it means more to us and I'm not saying it doesn't) but I do think that we have a desire that few ulster fans appreciate (at least few have written it on the thread).

I do. The hunger and motivation in Heaslip, Nacewa, Sexton etc. eye's was there for all to see last week.

There is huge motivation on both sides so this won't come down to who wants it most, it will be down to who plays the best and takes their points... maybe a bit of luck, but motivation or lack of certainly won't be a factor.

From an Ulster POV, in terms of getting the maximum fired up for a game, we couldn't have hoped for a better team to be up against. This Ulster team will squeeze the tiniest percent extra out of themselves simply because its Leinster. And that tiniest amount may be very necessary because it IS Leinster.

I guess, what I'm saying is, this could/should be the best Rabo Final we've seen in a long time. Hard to imagine any other clash from the teams in the league being as passion filled as this one.

I don't like pinning too much on the tragedy of this season, because then failure would seem like we didn't do it 'for Nevin'. I've no problem, with the guys using it as personal motivation, but as a team, we want to win this because we passionately want it to be our time, and no longer Leinster's. Lets not beat about the bush. We want to be better than you, and if we fail this time, it won't stop us targeting you.

We don't want to fluke a win, we want to be better than you. Three wins in a season would be a start, but ultimately we want to dominate you like you have us in the last decade. Its not that its personal, we also want to dominate Munster, Clermont, Saracens, Toulon too.

I don't doubt Leinster's desire, but surely you understand there is more passion in breaking through than there is in holding on to a dominant position you have become accustomed to.

clivemcl wrote:I don't like pinning too much on the tragedy of this season, because then failure would seem like we didn't do it 'for Nevin'. I've no problem, with the guys using it as personal motivation, but as a team, we want to win this because we passionately want it to be our time

No one in the dressing room will be talking about doing it for 'Nevin' I'm sure. It's about going out there and doing a job. On a personal level of course some of the guys may feel an extra motivation and should we win then no doubt we will see tributes paid to the Spence's but the players will be focused on the match only and will have to be.

This is a big enough occasion as it is. There is no need to add further sentiment or pressure. All that anyone can ask is that the team and players perform to their best and do themselves justice. That is how they can pay tribute to their teammate, the result will take care of itself.

clivemcl wrote:
I don't doubt Leinster's desire, but surely you understand there is more passion in breaking through than there is in holding on to a dominant position you have become accustomed to.

Leinster aren't holding on to a dominant position. They have lost 4 finals in a row and have had a disappointing season in the heino. Anyone who thinks they will be less passionate or hungry than us is deluded.

Damn good read, fellas!

I can feel the tension frothing up even way down here. Credit to you all!

I saw the Ulster promo video - nicely put together with a powerful, emotional and proud message. Delivery a bit OTT but still... nice background images of Belfast and those match highlights really added to the strong determination to go one more...

Leinster are a class act but this will not be like the HC last year from the sounds of the posts on here. Great for the game to have clashes like this.

Best of luck to both sides and let's hope it's another classic encounter.

Is this the biggest final yet????

Bigger than Munster V Leinster in 10/11???

Ok Thomond could hold more than the RDS will, but in terms of build up etc, is it maybe just because my team is involved?

I think that if either team had been in th e H-cup final (like leinster have been in years past) that it takes away from the league final in a lot of ways. Therefore the French Idea of moving the H-cup final to earlier in the season makes sense to me.

With the Munster V Leinster game Leinster had concentrated on h-cup and had the excuse that they didn't have enough rest, and that while Munster won, they had just won the big one.

With both teams out of the H-cup, I think the league final has gained more prestige.

What about you where would the winning the league count in H-cup terms?
Would you rather win th eleague, or lose in the final of the H-cup. Win the league or win the Almin? would you rather H-cup semi final or league win?

Personally I think in Irish eyes winning the leauge is just below winning H-cup, However in Welsh eyes I think they see it as lower. I think the Ospreys would have been gald not to win the league and to reach a H-cup final instead, or even a semi final instead.
The Scots and Italians are just hungry for any silverware, be it Almin, Leugue or H-Cup at present and would have no preference as long as they won one.