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)

You and Aukster both need to be less confrontational.

I agree with your point but you need to make it in a way that will not inflame the situation. The truth is, you are both acting in a confrontational manner and it needs to de-escalate. If this is going to be discussed on here, it's going to be a discussion not the delivery of lectures that will put peoples backs up.

Could you explain the confrontational bit from my one post on this subject in this thread.

Aukster - its casual racism. You and a few others here need to read up about it and stop making excuses for him because it is inexcusable.

To personalise it a bit - I'd imagine David Rudisha (who is a Munster fan and has been to Thomond Park - his coach is from Munster) and all Munster supporters would be horrified if some of the Munster players dressed up like Kenyans with chains around their necks and tweeted their photograph.

I think they should (and would) be severely disciplined.

Why don't you try discussing it, instead of lecturing anybody who disagrees with you. And I say that as someone who agrees with everything you've said in that post. Doesn't matter. It's still going to ruin the thread with the kind of responses it will elicit. People don't take well to being lectured.

This is a multi-purpose thread. It will have to be locked if discussion is anything less than civilised. I don't want that.

I tried discussing it in the other thread, but it was locked just before I could make any other points. I agree with your post, you have have made the points I would have made if you hadn't done so. Ausker has simply been looking for excuses for them. I'm very disappointed in some posters here who I thought would know better, but don't seem to know better.

I appreciate that. That said, I want to keep the peace on this thread. This is a slippery slope we're on.   

Notch wrote:I appreciate that. That said, I want to keep the peace on this thread. This  is a slippery slope we're on.   

Fair enough. I've said my piece and won't be saying anything else.

Sin you do enjoy going to the extreme when it's anything but a Munster issue, you do, admit it.

We all agree with your points all be it in different ways but jees man lay it to rest, it's done and dusted.

Now this is a thread on the up and coming Ulster season, the Paddy Jackson thread is closed because everything that can be said has been said. Lets leave this thread about Ulster's season please.

Pete330v2 wrote:Sin you do enjoy going to the extreme when it's anything but a Munster issue, you do, admit it.

We all agree with your points all be it in different ways but jees man lay it to rest, it's done and dusted.

Now this is a thread on the up and coming Ulster season, the Paddy Jackson thread is closed because everything that can be said has been said. Lets leave this thread about Ulster's season please.

Pete, how about sticking to the subject in question rather than having a petty go at me, please? If Munster players ever do something like that, you won't find me making excuses for them.

I wasn't having a petty go, I was however yanking your chain. Take a big old chill pill fella and cheer up, at least you don't have these blinkin parades and bonfires ruining your day

P.S. you do enjoy the feeling of schadenfreude when Ulster man sausage-up don't ya

Pete ironically the whole thing had blown over and here you are, starting it up again... It was indeed done and dusted before you came in to have to have the last word and then proclaim it done and dusted 

If you want a discussion of Ulsters forthcoming season post something relevant instead of coming in to further goad a poster who had agreed to leave it at that before you came in.

On a brighter note... new signings in the spotlight. Franco van der Merwe and Wiehahn Herbst I don't believe have arrived yet.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1623/Louis-Ludik-I-can’t-wait-to-play-.aspx

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/1613/Getting-to-know-Dave-Ryan.aspx

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/charlie-butterworth-ulster-lansdowne-flanker-1550779-Jul2014/

We really need the season to start!

My predictions on the new signings are...

Franco vdM- big hit.
Wiehahn Herbst- hit. Won't ao anything spectacular but will do be very solid and consistent
Dave Ryan- will get little game time
Sean Reidy- won't get much game time
Charlie Butterworth- really don't know!
Louis Ludik- hit, again consistent and solid without being amazing. Looking forward to watching him play
Ian Humphreys- meh, we know what we're getting. Will be better than McKinney.

But I love goading Sin when I'm bored, he's a great target. SORRY Sin é

I've a great feeling about Ludik, I think he's going to be one of those little known signings that become firm fan favourites. I can't deal with this time of year when the season feels an age away. It's only a couple of months away but feels like a year. Ulster will be in a much better place than some people seem to think.

Next year I think we have a stronger squad on paper. More depth in the back line, more depth at tight head, more depth at 10 and in Herbst and van der Merwe we have guys who will play more games in the season than Afoa and Muller.

Also forgot about Ruaridhi Murphy. Not sure about him, he could easily be first choice but it's a very open race for who will be first choice loose head. Could be any one of the three.

I saw some of Ruaridhi Murphy and he looks to be one of those destructive looseheads.....or at least he was, lets hope something of that still remains. With Herbst coming in and VDM being an added strength at lock I believe we may have our powerful dominance in the scrum making a return. The depth we have there is simply a huge bonus which will make the difficult end of season run in a less daunting prospect. We can't forget nor underestimate the return of iHump as well. It's all rosey

Notch wrote:You and Aukster both need to be less confrontational.

I'll take that as a rap on the fingers (even though I don't know what it's for). For your peace of mind I'll chain up the speech and forego further debate.

Franco will be on his way soon, he's finished with the Lions. But Herbst and Murphy will have to wait as the Brumbies and Sharks are in the playoffs.

Both players being played out of position this weekend too.