Ulster 2013/2014

First topic message reminder :

It had to come eventually.

Squad

HOOKER
Rory Best, Rob Herring, Niall Annett
PROP
Tom Court, Callum Black, Paddy McAllister, Declan Fitzpatrick, John Afoa, Bronson Ross, Adam Macklin, Ricky Lutton
LOCK
Johann Muller (c), Dan Tuohy, Neil McComb, Lewis Stevenson
BACKROW
Iain Henderson, Stephen Ferris, Mike McComish, Sean Doyle, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack, Roger Wilson, Nick Williams
SCRUM-HALF
Ruan Pienaar, Michael Heaney, Paul Marshall
OUTHALF
Paddy Jackson, James McKinney
CENTRES
Stuart Olding, Luke Marshall, Paddy Wallace, Darren Cave, Michael Allen
WING
Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy, Chris Cochrane
FULL BACK
Jared Payne, Peter Nelson, David McIlwaine

Confirmed Pre-Season Games
Ulster Rugby vs Leinster Rugby, 23rd August
Leicester Tigers vs Ulster Rugby, 31st August

Heineken Cup Pool 5
Ulster Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Montpellier, Treviso

Ulster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers, 11th October
Montpellier vs Ulster Rugby, 19th October
Ulster Rugby vs Treviso, 7th December
Treviso vs Ulster Rugby, 14th December
Ulster Rugby vs Montpellier, 10th-12th January
Leicester Tigers vs Ulster Rugby, 17th-19th January

RaboDirectPro12

First five games starting on the 6th September;

Newport Gwent Dragons vs Ulster Rugby    
Ulster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors            
Connacht Rugby vs Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby vs Benetton Treviso
Ospreys vs Ulster Rugby

Full fixtures at http://www.ulsterrugby.com/rugby/results_1stxv.php

Bent has actually proven to be a good LH. He is a LH who converted to TH recently but whenever he has played for Leinster on the LH side he has destroyed the oppositions scrum. Very handy squad player to have.

geoff998rugby wrote: Don't under estimate the Irish dispora if McGrath proves to be a dead end

Fortunately it rules Bent out

That would mean we a looking at 3 of our 4 NIQs in the back five of the pack. I see the need for it if ferris doesn't return but if he did it would be limiting opportunities for the likes of Henderson potentially

Henderson wil lget plenty of game time

2nd Row - NIQ, Tuohy, Stevenson
Back row - NIQ, Diack, Wilson, Williams, Henry

With those as the 1st XV alternatives he will not be short of game time.

Bottm line until Joyce, Doonan and 'Lurking Lorcan'   come through we need more depth.
By time they do Williams and Wilson will be on the way out

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Bent has actually proven to be a good LH. He is a LH who converted to TH recently but whenever he has played for Leinster on the LH side he has destroyed the oppositions scrum. Very handy squad player to have.

Fair enough but with Paddy McAllister still needing to travel the road back to first team status we need better than a squad player otherwise we are way too dependant on Callum Black

You may read rumours of Payne to Leinster - don't worry its complete rubbish

I wonder if you have heard what I heard regarding Jack McGrath, ie it's a non goer. He doesn't want to move north just like Ruddock & McLaughlin in previous years. So I'm not sure what will happen with the props.

We also need to get used to the idea that Ferris is done. He won't be here next season.

I feel sorry for Pat Lam. Connacht are going to be raised this summer. I would expect a couple of announcements shortly.

Yep my understanding is McGrath wont come.

Not quite given up on Ferris yet but he will never be a 25 games a year man.
Ulster have been planning without him already hence why we are looking for a backrower of high quality for next year.

Not heard anything like that about Connaught though  

Will ask around tomorrow

Well from what I heard two leading Connacht players will be joining Leinster. Ulster are heavily aiming to bring in one. Tried to get more detail but wasn't told who it was even after mentioning four players you might expect it to be.

Would explain, in part, why we are confident 3 of our 5 new signings will be IQ though.

Geoff, indeed. As I understand it Marmion and McSharry may be Leinster bound (though McSharry seems to be more uncertain now). I can't see us having any real interest in Henshaw so I'm not sure who it could be.

Well our supposed IQ incomers are props, 10 and possibly back row - although the preference there is a big signing.
If our cloth has to be cut due to the current uncertainty re Pro12 and HC I can see the backrower being IQ as well - especially if Doyle comes good and Ferris can play some games.

So my guess is one or more of their props

Hopefully the props coming in are better than those at Connacht right now...

Well if what Hook says is true one of them might not be.

Unless we are thinking of taking a backrower - I'd take Muldoon to strengthen the squad if finances mean we have to lower our sights

Muldoon was a brilliant player a few seasons ago but is he on the wane a bit now? Faloon maybe, mind you Doyle showed he's a good option at 7 yesterday.

Front row is surely the priority with both first choice props leaving.

Any info on Muller?

It would be very depressing to see one of the Connacht props taking up a place in our squad. They are all pretty mediocre at best, compared with us having one of the best scrummaging front rows at the moment in the Heineken Cup whereas Connacht are among the worst....

But if we are taking a player from Connaught who could it be.

No point taking a back we have enough of those

Muller is retiring I am certain and that is why a NIQ 2nd rower is our highest priority

Griffin is also strongly rumoured to Munster. Tough times for Connacht.

If Ulster are going for a prop then my guess would be Nathan White. Great scrummager and leader who went to Connacht after we won the HC in 2012. He has been a bit injury prone though but is IQ in time for the RWC.

Yep I was thinking White is the one who is most likely

I agree Geoff, I'm really not sure who there is out west that adds anything to our squad. Puzzling to say the least. It might just be the remanent of an unnamed centre (it was Marshall) going to Leinster. We could have been looking at McSharry or Henshaw in that case. That said the McGrath/Marshall deal was never even remotely on, but they just had to make sure just in case. They did the same scouting for a Pienaar replacement even though it was clear he wasn't going.

I know Eoin Sherrif has come up in conversations about an IQ 2nd row but I don't think he has come on as the Ulster coaching setup would like.

In the backrow Robin Copeland's name has come up again. I can't that one happening in truth, but he would be a good signing.

By the way the Ravens lost but Paddy Wallace got through the game fine with no problems

White has looked decent in patches but has been injured a bit. Certainly looked good while at leinster and was very good in the loose. Wouldn't be unhappy with that.

Think Copeland is signed up for a few years yet. Henshaw just signed a new deal so hopefully hell remain where he is. Although both McGrath and Conway were under contract too....

Presume if Leinster were looking at a Connacht player Marmioin would their first choice, then maybe a centre. Although I think I read somewhere about Tiernan O Halloran wanting away.

I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining this but have Marmion and Henshaw not signed extensions?

I'm nearly sure I remember these and being happy for Connacht managing to keep their players.

I'm not keen on any of what I've heard above.

I can understand big name transfers between provinces, but nicking each others squad players just stinks IMO.

Surely if squad players are what you need, you should be looking to your own academy or promising AIL players.

I don't know how Connacht fans continue to be so faithful despite being robbed year on year.

Stinks.

clivemcl wrote:

I don't know how Connacht fans continue to be so faithful despite being robbed year on year.

Stinks.

Aye, but who gets them into the Heino almost every year?  

theslosty wrote:

clivemcl wrote:

I don't know how Connacht fans continue to be so faithful despite being robbed year on year.

Stinks.

Aye, but who gets them into the Heino almost every year?  

Sorry lads but I've tried to stay away from all the euro threads. Whats the format of the HC next year? Are the numbers been cut? Or are the English places going to the PRO 12 and Top 14? Is there an Amlin?

Right now it looks like the whole Pro12 and 8 French teams. No Amlin.

Still... i may as well add to the speculation - Willie Faloon's contract is up at Connacht.

I was certain Faloon signed an extension.

I read something somewhere the other day about him being out of contract - i guess it may have been an old article. (the downside of google researching!)

We've got to go out and bag a bonus point next week now too- Tigers took all five.

Faloon has signed an extension with Connaught

Notch

Im going to be bold here but I don't see why (if we perform) we cant roll into Leicester with 23 points in the bag. I don't see Montpellier forgetting that opening 20mins at welford rd. Im going for Montpellier by 10

I hope Montpellier do win next week- still if we want 23 points we've got to win both games with the bonus point!

Have Connacht just had a "Mark Twain" moment???

Can scratch Copelands name of possibles to Ulster hes signed for Munster

Excellent move for Copeland and Munster.

It also offers an excellent illustration to anyone who believes that a player being under contract will prevent a move.

MrsP wrote:Have Connacht just had a "Mark Twain" moment???

The reports of their crapness have been greatly exaggerated?

marty2086 wrote:Can scratch Copelands name of possibles to Ulster hes signed for Munster

He was never on Ulsters radar

Do Munster just buy out his contract or is there a transfer fee involved in these moves

Once the front row situation has developed the recruiting priorities changed. But I wouldn't say he was never on their radar, but he hasn't been a serious target since the end if the summer. Good signing for Munster though

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Excellent move for Copeland and Munster.

It also offers an excellent illustration to anyone who believes that a player being under contract will prevent a move.

Great move for Copeland, great signing by Munster and great post by Hookie. Great things do indeed come in threes.

Is there any liklihood of us signing Dougal back from Munster? He may be more inclined to come north than the other southerners.

Ah now clive, you have a few southerners...

There's Bowe... and then there is Court...and then there is Diack, Muller, Payne, Pienaar and a few others

Difference is none of them has been told tales by Munstermen or Leinstermen about the wicked men of the north

geoff998rugby wrote:Difference is none of them has been told tales by Munstermen or Leinstermen about the wicked men of the north  

What about Nick Williams   

 He was re educated in Italy

Not meaning to be downbeat but… I can’t believe we scored 7 tries against a team and probably came away with the least impressive of the four province wins at the weekend.
Obviously, I’d be much more upbeat by the weekend if the team we had beaten was Toulouse, Northampton or Perpignan.
Thats said, did the other provinces have as many first teamers missing as us?
I think we need these few weeks though and whilst we may not ‘shine’ through these games, its a vital time to gather momentum and get players back up to speed.
I do dream of a day where we can do something good without Leinster doing likewise with so much ease…

Just found out that David Humphreys formally applied for NIQ/NIE players at
LH, TH, Lock and Backrow.

He knows he wont get the lot but he is obviously pushing for 3 with the missing place being IQ now.
The Lock will be NIQ for certain.

Do you think they has a deal where if IQ players refused fair offers, the IRFU would then say ‘its not your fault they don’t want to come (i.e. McGrath)’ you can now go after NIQs since you tried your best…

I could see 2 NIQ and 2 NIE being acceptable.

I dont believe there is any way more than 4 NIQ would be allowed at the Province and that is a good thing.