Ulster 2014/2015

First topic message reminder :

Details of pre-season games to confirmed- we take on Exeter Chiefs at Ravenhill on Friday the 22nd August and then travel to Donnybrook to face Leinster on Friday the 29th August. On the transfer front, it seems like our business for the year is concluded. Second row looks strong and our back line is stronger than ever, but there are concerns about our depth in the front row and back row of the pack. A lot depends on Wiehahn Herbst turning out to be a hit and Chris Henry staying fit- our decision to spend a valuable NIQ spot on Louis Ludik and Sean Doyles departure leaves us exposed at open side with two new, extremely untested players in Reidy and Butterworth vying to be Henrys understudy. Rob Herring is another player who needs to avoid injury at all costs. Niall Annett has been allowed to leave along with Brady in recent seasons and the 3rd choice hooker is not obvious. With seedings in Europe determined by league performance, Ulster may very well rue their lack of depth in the forward pack come May.

Players Out
Johann Muller (retired), Paddy Wallace (retired), Stephen Ferris (retired), Chris Cochrane (retired), Chris Farrell (Grenoble), Niall Annett (Worcester), John Afoa (Gloucester), Tom Court (London Irish), James McKinney (Rotherham), David McIlwaine (Rotherham), Paddy McAllister (Aurillac), Sean Doyle (ACT Brumbies), Adam Macklin (Rotherham), Ian Porter (Connacht)

Players In
Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), Louis Ludik (Agen), Wiehahn Herbst (Natal Sharks), Ruaidhrí Murphy (ACT Brumbies), Dave Ryan (Zebre), Ian Humphreys (London Irish), Charlie Butterworth (Lansdowne), Sean Reidy (Counties Manukau)

Ulster don't do turbulent off seasons but if we did...

We've also been rocked with the seismic revelation David Humphreys is leaving the province- indeed has already left- for Gloucester. Anscombe was slated to be seeing out the last year of his contract before being quietly let go but the Humphreys bombshell left him as the odd man out, and he's been pushed out the door. The decision was partly because he was hired to work under a Director of Rugby and Ulster are looking for someone with more experience in the market to take on Humphreys role in addition to the coaching responsibilities. As usual, the rumour mill is on overdrive and opinions are polarised- but this is Ulster Rugby after all. Les Kiss is our interim Director of Rugby and it seems Allen Clarke is filling the role of forwards coach in the short term. More changes or appointments could be forthcoming.

If all that wasn't enough we've been dealt a real group of death in the new Champions Cup- double-winners Toulon will brave the Ravenhill roar along with old friends Leicester Tigers and old foes the Scarlets. All in all, this team should be capable of securing a Top 4 finish at the very least in the Pro12 and we need to target the top two, our prospects in Europe look more occluded- it might come down to best runners-up and our pool promises to be tight and competitive.

Opening fixtures

F; Exeter Chiefs (H)
F; Leinster (A)

Pro12; Scarlets (A)
Pro12; Zebre (H)
Pro12; Cardiff Blues (A)
Pro12; Zebre (A)
Pro12; Edinburgh (H)

geoff998rugby wrote:

geoff998rugby wrote:  Credible rumour
Ferris to retire
Fitzpatrick could be joining him

To quote myself from a couple of weeks back some on the other board seem to think the former is to be made public in the next 24 hours

    

An I say again, boooooooo.
It's a bitter pill to swallow but swallow we shall have to.

I must confess, I'm surprised it's taken this long if it happens. The writing has been on the wall for a very long time. Much more disappointing and concerning are Fitzpatricks problems. He was always threatening to turn into a really good prop and could always be relied upon for at least scrum parity in the Pro12.

Ferris' retirement confirmed

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1547/Stephen-Ferris-to-retire-from-rugby-.aspx

Notch wrote:Ferris' retirement confirmed

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1547/Stephen-Ferris-to-retire-from-rugby-.aspx

    

He's lived the rugby dream alright, done things only a small percentage get do in their rugby life (Club, International & Lions) and wowed the crowds at Ravers with superhero status.

Good luck Stevie and all the best for a bright future!!!!!

Paul O'Connell still wears Stevie Ferris pyjamas.

great player and a huge loss. could have been an all time great

Somewhat selfishly, I find myself thinking about Ulster having serious poor luck at times... Of all the players we had, it had to be our superstar.

Well, Ian Henderson, start carving out your future cult status! Paul O'Connell is shopping for new pyjamas...

It's been in the pipeline for a while. At least he got to wear the jersey one last time and run out at the revamped Ravenhill.

He can be proud of everything he's achieved but given his enormous potential its a case of what might have been.

That period from his performances in the 2011 RWC stretching through to the HEC final appearance for Ulster stand out as his peak for me. He was sensational.

His combination with O'Brien was wrongly maligned on the back of the RWC loss to Wales - that was a world class back row that should have seen us past 2015 but it wasn't to be.

Best of luck Stevie   .

There is, always has been, and shall ever be, only one "F" in Ferris.

Knew it was coming but still

F*#K!!!!!    

Been a thought in the back of my mind for a while now, but never wanted to acknowledge it.

All the best to him for whatever he does. Such a shame to see someone so talented withdraw from the game early on. It's a shame that he was such a superman on the field, but he's been felled by an ankle injury. Not really a fitting way for such a gladiator to go.

From an English perspective, I think he's one of the great Irish backrowers. Even though he left the tour early, he really put a stamp on the 2009 Lions. It's a testament to the way that he played the game that I really used to fear playing Ireland in the Six Nations whenever his name was on the team sheet.

Strangest thing, I was reading some of his interview in an article there, and my eyes started to get really wet....

  

We sometimes talk and with some justification about Ulster not producing enough backrowers

but given 2 ifs - Ferris + Pollock not retiring and Ireland and Ulster having enough Locks we could be going into next season with

Henderson, Ferris, Wilson, Henry, Pollock as our backrow players - all Ulstermen born and bred and only Wilson over 29 years old.

Food for thought

Ouch, sad news indeed but the writing was on the wall as soon as he re-injured himself really.

A phenomenal player, such that i would have picked him over O'Brien when both were firing on all cylinders.

Rugby will sorely miss him.

Yeah, we have been very unlucky with a lot of our injuries all being in the same area. We can still put out a good homegrown back row if Henderson plays 6 with Henry at 7 and Wilson at 8. Very well balanced. But we really need another player or two from outside the province in that area.

It will be interesting to see where Henderson is used at the weekend, with him having last started at 6 for Ireland. His form at lock I feel merits an extended run.

Sky Sports somehow managed to confuse the beast that is Stephen Ferris with our Small Parcel....

https://twitter.com/Chris_C_11/status/473826043032526848/photo/1

Notch he is earmarked for the 2nd row that is where Ireland need him.

For Ireland 2nd row will come from POC, Toner, Hendo, Ryan
For Ulster 2nd row will come from der Merwe, Tuohy, Hendo with Stephenson as back up

geoff998rugby wrote:Notch he is earmarked for the 2nd row that is where Ireland need him.

For Ireland 2nd row will come from POC, Toner, Hendo, Ryan
For Ulster 2nd row will come from der Merwe, Tuohy, Hendo with Stephenson as back up

I'm surprised Caldwell wasn't considered as a potential signing especially with Henderson and Tuohys international aspirations, Ferris and what was a potential retirement at the time and Stephenson seemingly going backwards last season

Didn't he turn us down last year?

rodders, he was contracted to Bath until this season. Signed with Exeter last week

Yeah but I'm sure I heard we approached him but he didn't want to come back to Belfast, can't remember where though..

We approach him to see if he would be interested in signing this year - basically last year put out a feeler for this year.

He said he think about it.
His lack of game time this year meant Ulster's interest cooled.

Neither party pursuade the matter this year - neither that interested by the look of it.

So when are UR going to soften the blow with the IQ signing(s).

Surely we should be able to attract somebody north. Its a strange state of affairs when players would prefer to be loyal to their home club even if they could get better gametime only 1.5-3 hours drive north.

I have no idea Clive, but I hope we hear some news on that soon. The guy Butterworth is by all accounts potentially useful but it's a punt which may or may not work out. We need someone proven too.

Congrats to ricky lutton and stuart mccloskey on getting called up to the emerging ireland squad.

clivemcl wrote:So when are UR going to soften the blow with the IQ signing(s).

Surely we should be able to attract somebody north. Its a strange state of affairs when players would prefer to be loyal to their home club even if they could get better gametime only 1.5-3 hours drive north.

To be honest who knows I do know - Conway, McLaughlin and Ruddock have all said no in the past so I wouldn't hold your breath.
This is the element of the revised structure that is just not working due to player not wanting to come north.

We definitely have 1 backrower coming in and I would expect 2.
I would imagine 1 would be a player of genuine 1st team standard and the other cover standard - ala Doyle
This is over and above Butterworth

clivemcl wrote:Congrats to ricky lutton and stuart mccloskey on getting called up to the emerging ireland squad.

  Delighted for both

geoff998rugby wrote:
To be honest who knows I do know - Conway, McLaughlin and Ruddock have all said no in the past so I wouldn't hold your breath.
This is the element of the revised structure that is just not working due to player not wanting to come north.

geoff is there any particular reason for it or is it just personal preference?

I think generally if you asked people in the south would they be interested in coming north the answer would be no.
Just a mirror of that mindset.

We are a foreign country you know   

geoff998rugby wrote:I think generally if you asked people in the south would they be interested in coming north the answer would be no.
Just a mirror of that mindset.

We are a foreign country you know   

I'd heard that mentioned before   

I wondered if the tax breaks they get the other side of the border played a part

Would it come to the point where the IRFU may need to step in to grease the wheels a little or is that too much of an issue with Leinster and Munster?

The tax rebate thing has changed now hasn't it? Players can qualify if the retire in an EU country.

I think its speculation why individual players don't want to move to Ulster. Everyone has their own reasons but really I don't like the idea that extra incentives need to be put in place - if they want to come they will.

Well IRFU need to do something if they are serious about players moving around, between provinces, and as such make it possible to reduce the number of NIQ going forward, which is their aim.

Of course it is specualtion as to why players don't come north but for whatever reason it has hardly ever happened in the professional era - 2, maybe 3, and even then only squad fillers - no 1st team material.
I do not include returning Ulstermen

Yes but Geoff for pretty much the entire pro era Munster and Leinster have been winning silverware and serious challenger for the HEC cup whereas Ulster haven't.

If you factor in the tax rebate, the political unrest in NI and the Celtic tiger in the south up until 2008 it is hardly surprising to see so few players move up.

Add in Ulster get very little coverage in the Southern media.

Most Leinster players will live south side of Dublin which makes it a bit of a trek compared to Limerick, and lets be honest anyone getting game time for Leinster in recent times would be unlikely to want to move.

Well Ulster have been up there for the last 4 years.

I agree to some extent but Standard of living in the south remains higher, our political nonsense isn't going away, the tax rebate isn't going away

None of the 3 players I mentioned were 1st XV players when they turned us down

Bottomline do you think Munster and Leinster players will come north without insentives - I'd say a big fat NO. Therefore if the IRFU want to make this work they need to apply some 'carrots' and 'sticks' to make it happen.

rodders its in everyones best interests for a bit of balance and just takes one or two to enjoy the experience for others to think it might be for them.

Theres only so many Doyles and Herrings Ulster can go out and find before quality drops of and Ulster suffer.

I think if O'Connor stays at Leinster we might have a better chance of scooping up a few of their players .....

rodders wrote:I think if O'Connor stays at Leinster we might have a better chance of scooping up a few of their players .....

Maybe Sexton will join Ulster if he decides to leave Racing instead of going back to Leinster, you think he'd mind being Jacksons understudy?

Probably preferable to carrying Gopporth kit bag if O'Connor is still there anyway....

Seriously though I think we will see more players move around under Schmidt and the DOR. Part of the stipulation for Joe taking the job was closer integration between the provinces and national side with the national coaches having more direct input.

It doesn't help though that you have private agents like Frankie Sheehan and Ryan Constable trying to get players moved to England rather than inter provincially.

Press conference at Ravers later today. Rumours about sponsors and potential naming rights of the stadium...

If it's build a burger I'm all for it.

clivemcl wrote:Press conference at Ravers later today. Rumours about sponsors and potential naming rights of the stadium...

Tayto Ravers

Anyone know if the Tayt ... I mean Ravers will be used for Framptons world title fight in September?

I'll bet 2 pints of murphy's and a tuna and cheese crepe that it's BT sport....

rodders wrote:Anyone know if the Tayt ... I mean Ravers will be used for Framptons world title fight in September?

Frampton said yesterday they didn't want to reveal where just yet but it'll be somewhere that could hold 20'000 fans, the only place that could do that at the minute is Tayto Park

And Frampton fights on..... well Boxnation... but don't they have some deal with BT sport too?

I can see the pro12 moving into a conference system, with Ulster, Glasgow and Edinburgh playing in the Ulster-scots conference on BT sport .

BT seem to have their sights set on rugby which is very much OK by me as I get BT Sport free.

Who has the Pro12 coverage for next season? Still on BBC/S4C etc?

That is the question Pete - I am certain, using only my incredible powers of deduction rather than Geoff's more usually accurate covert methods, that BT sport will be the sponsor.....which I will further predict using said powers will precede further related developments regarding the Pro12.... dum dum dum....

Pete330v2 wrote:BT seem to have their sights set on rugby which is very much OK by me as I get BT Sport free.

Who has the Pro12 coverage for next season? Still on BBC/S4C etc?

Sky have picked up rights for next season and will be sharing them with BBC, RTE and TG4 so all but a handful of matches will be shown in the UK and Ireland next year

World XV: 15 James O'Connor, 14 Drew Mitchell, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Roger Wilson, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Mamuka Gorgodze, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Juandré Kruger, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Sona Taumalolo.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 François Trinh-Duc, 23 Benson Stanley.

We take pride in our guys who get to represent Ireland- but what about when they get to represent the whole world? We salute you Roger Wilson.

Kockott versus Pienaar will be interesting.