Ulster vs Saracens - HC quarter final - Saturday, 5th April 6:30pm

First topic message reminder :

Ulster vs Saracens.

Saturday 5th April at 6:30pm

First game at a newly renovated Ravenhill I believe with a new capacity of 18,000.

Ulster are currently 3rd in the Pro12 and won all their pool stages in the HC, including impressive away wins vs Leicester and Montpellier.

They have a few Irish players who were involved in the title winning 6 nations like Best and Trimble. Trimble in particular had a very good tournament.

Close to full strength in terms of their squad.

According to Ulster fans their current form hasn't been great but I take that firmly with a pinch of salt. Their latest result - a loss to Cardiff could shake any sense of complacency.


Saracens are currently the league leaders in the AP with a healthy 7 point gap off 2nd placed Saints. Just 2 losses in the AP in 18 matches which contrasts with their two losses in the pool stages of the HC. Saracens are currently the top try scorers in the AP and were top try scorers in the HC pool stages. Form wise Saracens have been comfortable without really putting in a notable performance.

Notable clashes

Best vs Brits - the Irish hooker vs the flamboyant South African who plays more like a centre - will be key in getting their teams into good positions.

Muller vs Borthwick - skipper vs skipper - both will be key in inspiring their sides.

Jackson vs Farrell - the 2nd choice Irish 10 vs the current England 10 - both will be expected to boss the game and take any opportunities and points on offer



Ulster team

15. J Payne
14. A Trimble
13. D Cave
12. L Marshall
11.T Bowe
10. P Jackson
9. R Pienaar

1. T Court
2.R Best
3. J Afoa
4.J Muller (C)
5.D Tuohy
6.R Wilson
7.N Williams
8.C Henry

16. R Herring
17.A Warwick
18.R Lutton
19.I Henderson
20.S Ferris
21.R Diack
22.P Marshall
23.C Gilroy






Saracens team



15. Alex Goode
14. Chris Ashton
13. Duncan Taylor
12. Brad Barritt
11. David Strettle
10. Owen Farrell
9. Richard Wigglesworth

1. Mako Vunipola
2. Schalk Brits
3. James Johnston
4. Steve Borthwick ©
5. Mouritz Botha
6. Billy Vunipola
7. Jacques Burger
8. Ernst Joubert

16. Jamie George
17. Richard Barrington
18. Matt Stevens
19. Eoin Sheriff
20. Kelly Brown
21. Neil de Kock
22. Charlie Hodgson
23. Chris Wyles


Thoughts?

Gibson wrote:

Hookisms and Hyperbole wrote:Im at the ground.  We fear a red.  I hope Goode is ok.  It looks nasty though I dont think its intentional

He was looking at the ball. It wasn't intentional. Clumsy at worst. But very dangerous.

Certainly wasn't intentional but as you say very dangerous. Real neck braker of a landing.

Florian Fritz did the same on Varndell a few years back and got a straight red.

Yeah not intentional but perhaps reckless...

Can't see Ulster winning it now, Sarries are too clinical a side.

Oh god..........

Still no link and I have no idea what anyone's talking about here...I've put Radio Ulster on and it sounds like they're now a man down...

Cari wrote:Still no link and I have no idea what anyone's talking about here...I've put Radio Ulster on and it sounds like they're now a man down...

Check Skype dahlink...

Really wish Goode the best of luck, he fell very badly.

Harsh red though I think but cant have too much to argue about.

Long game for Ulster now.

Cari wrote:Still no link and I have no idea what anyone's talking about here...I've put Radio Ulster on and it sounds like they're now a man down...

Red card for the 15 for tackling Goode in the air, Goode landed on his head and had to be stretchered off.

Even the Saracens fans around me didn't think it was red. Seems harsh. But it was very nasty fall.

Fock. Thats the game. Cant beat Sarries with 14 men for 75 mins. Can they?

i listenened to the whole french interaction of the ref, touch judge and tmo. the key points they all three made were

payne did not jump, and did not compete for the ball
goode landed on his head

therefore they considered it to be i) dangerous and ii) deliberate (not taking eyes off ball is not an excuse if you know you may be running through someones legs who is in the air). Therefore "professional foul" were the words mentioned by the tmo.

Sent ya one Cari

Nachos Jones wrote:Really wish Goode the best of luck, he fell very badly.

Harsh red though I think but cant have too much to argue about.

Long game for Ulster now.

I think the fact he didn't compete for the ball by jumping, but instead just ran into him.

Ulster havent lost though yet

I hope Goode is OK there he didn't look good when he fell

It is not a red card though, very clumsy, should be more aware but he is looking at ball the whole time he didnt even get his hands up had he been trying to do it the hands would have been up so he didn't get a knee to the head.

Thanks you two. Sounds like this could be an injury riddled game...   

This is not Ulsters game.

Wrong decision. Clearly an accident. Game ruined. Hope Goode is ok. Injury definitely influenced the decision.

link purrleeez - I'll love y'all forever !

Needs a Sarries man wound up. I know who Id go for. Couple of 10 mins breaks to even it up...  who knows?

Believe.

neilthom7 wrote:I hope Goode is OK there he didn't look good when he fell

It is not a red card though, very clumsy, should be more aware but he is looking at ball the whole time he didnt even get his hands up had he been trying to do it the hands would have been up so he didn't get a knee to the head.

I think what went against him is that he didn't compete for the ball, he just ran straight into him. If you far enough away that you choose to not compete for the ball then your far enough away to pull out.

Certainly dont think it was intentional though.

Gibson wrote:Needs a Sarries man wound up. I know who Id go for. Couple of 10 mins breaks to even it up...  who knows?

Believe.

Yep, time to wind Farrell up.

Thought it was going to be a yellow for sure.

I was all looking forward to seeing Payne play.
Oh well.

Tough now for Ulster.

Tommy Bowe really is world class.

neilthom7 wrote:I hope Goode is OK there he didn't look good when he fell

It is not a red card though, very clumsy, should be more aware but he is looking at ball the whole time he didnt even get his hands up had he been trying to do it the hands would have been up so he didn't get a knee to the head.

rubbish. he didnt compete for it therefore it was potentially dangerous. and when goode landed on his head, red is fair enough. payne needed either to jump, or check his run. rugby players know exactly whats going on around them so i dont buy the "he had his eyes on his ball" nonsense as an excuse.

Why oh why do the commentary team talk and talk over the ref mike so that we can not hear what they are saying? On a different note - what a shame that this has completely changed the whole nature of the game - in a bad way.

Need to see it again bit it looked clumsy and a yellow. The way Goode fell made it look worse. That said, I'm fairly drunk and the screen seems hazy. And there's a pink elephant giving me the eyes three rows down

Yep - it's far from over.

ah jees now best is off injured

What the hell is going on, this ref is losing control of this match

Hodgson on now, Sarries going on full out attack.

Quins you really dont know your arse from your elbow do you?

its stacking up against Ulster now, the loss of Best is massive. If Ulster win this i think they deserve to win the final

GunsGerms wrote:Wrong decision. Clearly an accident. Game ruined. Hope Goode is ok. Injury definitely influenced the decision.

theres a big difference between something being an accident, and someone making it look accidental even when they knew what they were doing was dangerous. payne did the latter and paid the price.

3 players gone in the first ten minutes. And Pienaar doesnt look like hell last the game

Thanks for the links folks. I think my laptop can't handle them though. It's way behind in time so I'm back on Radio Ulster.

Come on ulster you can still win.

Ah Jayzuz my man Rory off. I mean... who dealt this hand?

GunsGerms wrote:Quins you really dont know your arse from your elbow do you?

yeah, and you are more up on the rules that three top irb refs who have the advantage of all the camera angles and replays at will. anyone but england hey cyclops?   

Sounds like Pienaar is struggling with his bad shoulder too.

Rory Best off and I don't see Pienaar lasting too much longer. All going pear-shaped for Ulster.

quinsforever wrote:

neilthom7 wrote:I hope Goode is OK there he didn't look good when he fell

It is not a red card though, very clumsy, should be more aware but he is looking at ball the whole time he didnt even get his hands up had he been trying to do it the hands would have been up so he didn't get a knee to the head.

rubbish. he didnt compete for it therefore it was potentially dangerous. and when goode landed on his head, red is fair enough. payne needed either to jump, or check his run. rugby players know exactly whats going on around them so i dont buy the "he had his eyes on his ball" nonsense as an excuse.

maet wise up if your eyes are up in the air how can you possibly know what is going on around you, the fact that good landed on his head while is a bad injury to goode is nothing to do with the decision had he landed on his backside and got up and wlasked away should that have changed the decision? No it should not, it is ayellow, not a red

quinsforever wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Wrong decision. Clearly an accident. Game ruined. Hope Goode is ok. Injury definitely influenced the decision.

theres a big difference between something being an accident, and someone making it look accidental even when they knew what they were doing was dangerous. payne did the latter and paid the price.

You really are dumb if you think he intentionally tackled Goode in the air. No hope for you.

Put it this way lads, it still 0-0. Ulster need to slow this game down and control it. Then strike. 

Needs intelligence, nous and brute-force to execute it though. 

Mon Ulster!

What did best go off with?

I have never been Paynes biggest fan. Ask any ulster man. That wasnt a red though. Not intentional anyway. Any clown could tell that.

Ulster still have the nous to stay in this match and possibly nick a win.

GunsGerms wrote:

quinsforever wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:Wrong decision. Clearly an accident. Game ruined. Hope Goode is ok. Injury definitely influenced the decision.

theres a big difference between something being an accident, and someone making it look accidental even when they knew what they were doing was dangerous. payne did the latter and paid the price.

You really are dumb if you think he intentionally tackled Goode in the air. No hope for you.

only you have said he intentionally tackled goode in the air.

are you actually watching the game or just listening to irish radio?

because the refs were under no doubt. ref, tmo, and touch judge. but obviously if you know the letter of the law better i bow to your superior knowledge. fat chance.

Yeah, I was expecting yellow, but cannae argue with the red - not intentional, but reckless and dangerous. Just such a shame it has taken the shine off of what would have been the icing on the cake of a great afternoon of rugby so far.

Homonnnn Ulster.