Ulster 2014/2015, Part 4

First topic message reminder :

God we love the sound of our own voices.

No wundaar deh Welsh don't want anything to do with us no more. We're doeumb.

Har har. Yoo gueys are so feenny.

Our allies this weekend are:

Blues (Glasgow)
Treviso (Ospreys)
Edinburgh (Munster)
Dragons (Leinster)

So who is most likely to do us a favour? Will Leinster rest key players I wonder?

Lets face it Clive, there's nobody there that's going to help us out. It goes against my every fibre not to suppor the Irish sides but I'll be looking for Edinburgh and the Dragons to do us a small favour. It's a step too far to expect Treviso to help us out but not completely unimaginable. The Blues have very little to offer unless Glasgow go to sleep for 80 mins like we did for 40 or 50 mins a fortnight ago.

It is however very imaginable that Connacht could turn us over but on saying that we're starting to play a little rugby right at the right part of the season and just for a change we're not completely decimated by injuries at season end. It's still going to be squeaky bum time this weekend.

Ulster team & replacements to play Connacht, Guinness PRO12, Sportsground, Saturday 11th April (14:40 kick off): (15-9): L Ludik; T Bowe, J Payne, D Cave, C Gilroy, P Jackson, R Pienaar; (1-8): C Black, R Best (C), W Herbst, D Tuohy, F Van der Merwe, I Henderson, C Henry, R Wilson; Replacements (16-23): R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, R Diack, C Ross, P Marshall, I Humphreys, S McCloskey.

Cave at 12 - fair enough - McCloskey will be fairly rusty. Other than that, delighted to see Hendo at 6 and the internationals back.

Hoping for a win.

That is a very strong looking team. Should be enough to get the win.

Great to see McCloskey back.

I would have preferred McCloskey to Cave but it's still a very strong team- we'll need this strong a team every week from now on, everyone needs to stay fit from now until the end of the season.

All of the other contenders should have easy wins this week... anything but 4-5 points could derail our playoff charge.

clivemcl wrote:Our allies this weekend are:

Blues (Glasgow)
Treviso (Ospreys)
Edinburgh (Munster)
Dragons (Leinster)

So who is most likely to do us a favour? Will Leinster rest key players I wonder?

Leinster are resting quite a few players with no Heaslip, Madigan, Kearney, SOB, Healy or Boss and just the 11 internationals plus Gopperth and Te'o

It's as strong a team as we've fielded this season. I'd have goce for McCloskey at 12 but when it comes to the 2 times captain verses the player that's been on the naughty step I guess Caveman wins
McClockey on after 40-50 mins, Cave to 13, Payne to 15 would do.

They are all cup finals now so a strong team with some continuity and momentum would also do.

Fingers firmly crossed

Henshaw vs Payne will be a very interesting battle!

Please permit me some nonsensical fun...

IF Ulster found themselves winning against Connacht with four tries in the bag. Connacht have a lineout on the 79th minute on our five meter line having scored three tries already, and being 8 points behind...

Do we let them roll a maul over the line to let our Irish buddies go home with two points???

Presumptuous much??

Seymour playing a blinder against Cardiff. Cutting their defence apart!

If that was a penalty against Muldowney, Williams should be banned for life.

Code:

VinceWLB wrote:If that was a penalty against Muldowney, Williams should be banned for life.

Agreed!

After a good start, our discipline has gone to shoite again

Hmm thought that was a try, Pienaar never really intended to slot it down.

Gilroy is just so good, I really do hope he can make the World Cup squad.

Ulster trying to win this without the ball but it's all going well so far. Best plays I've seen from the lads all season which means we're peaking at the right time

Now there's optimism for you

VinceWLB wrote:Hmm thought that was a try, Pienaar never really intended to slot it down.

I don't think it's possible to put your hand on top of the ball and grasp it without putting any downward pressure on it at all, even if you pick it up! If a fingertip is enough pressure to cause a grounding, that can't not be a grounding. It's frustrating for Connacht because that would have been played on had Aki not contested it, and of course it shouldn't be played on in that situation. It should be a 5m scrum regardless of the actions of the Connacht player.

Good half really, Connacht playing a really good possession game but we were organised and not very disciplined, but organised enough to hold them out. Then we punished a few turnovers. We need to get number 4 early in the second half to put it up to Munster and Leinster.

Ffs what have you guys done to Nigel?

Red card and citing, some of the other ones have been just as daft.

Best gets our fifth with a good driven lineout. This will be a really good win if these demented Westies don't come back at us again! They have been really good today., Connacht. Really determined.

I can't handle this!

PHEW!

Absolutely cracking match - well done to Connacht and Ulster.

Both sides gave their all - Connacht unlucky not to get a draw.

Phew, that and the national had me in squeeky bum territory.

Job done Ulster and well done as a victory in Galway is hard enough to get let alone a bonus Connacht definately a different side than we've ever seen in this competition. Matt Healy looks like a real contender for sure amongst the usual suspects.

I'm actually really pleased Connacht got the bonus point to show for their efforts, even if it did make the last 10 minutes absolute torture. They played really well, they are a really good team now, which makes me even happier to see Ulster get out of Galway with all five...

Connacht for the Top 6, everything crossed for them.

Yep, heart was in my mouth for the last 10, and very happy to see Connacht pick up a well deserved bonus point.

Ulster's errors aside, I thought it was a great game. SKY will be pleased

Our kicking is going to cost us.

We converted a single, solitary try unless I'm much mistaken - eight points gone begging.

11 points missed with the boot by Ruan but local knowledge is everything in those conditions. Rory was immense and easily MOTM but the rest of the pack put in a decent shift. The scrum was unusually shaky but a lot of credit has to go to Lam who had answers to most of Ulster's questions. Aki makes such a difference to their game, and if Healy was a Leinsterman he would be in the Ireland squad.

The Great Aukster wrote:11 points missed with the boot by Ruan but local knowledge is everything in those conditions. Rory was immense and easily MOTM but the rest of the pack put in a decent shift. The scrum was unusually shaky but a lot of credit has to go to Lam who had answers to most of Ulster's questions. Aki makes such a difference to their game, and if Healy was a Leinsterman he would be in the Ireland squad.

He is a Leinsterman

Hes having a great season tbf

Looks like its down to the game in Satsuma park for the home semi...nail-biting stuff...

ME-109 wrote:Looks like its down to the game in Satsuma park for the home semi...nail-biting stuff...

Ulster still have to go to Glasgow after that. And Leinster before! Plenty of room for slip-ups. Bonus points will probably decide it.

Munster are ahead at the moment on the basis of having scored one more try, is that right? Close enough.

Notch wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Looks like its down to the game in Satsuma park for the home semi...nail-biting stuff...

Ulster still have to go to Glasgow after that. And Leinster before! Plenty of room for slip-ups. Bonus points will probably decide it.

Munster are ahead at the moment on the basis of having scored one more try, is that right? Close enough.

I had it in my head that in Pro11 it was decided on head to heads? I could be wrong.

clivemcl wrote:

Notch wrote:

ME-109 wrote:Looks like its down to the game in Satsuma park for the home semi...nail-biting stuff...

Ulster still have to go to Glasgow after that. And Leinster before! Plenty of room for slip-ups. Bonus points will probably decide it.

Munster are ahead at the moment on the basis of having scored one more try, is that right? Close enough.

I had it in my head that in Pro11 it was decided on head to heads? I could be wrong.

If two or more Teams finish with the same number of league points, their placings will be determined by the following criteria in descending order:

number of matches won;
the difference between points for and points against;
the number of tries scored;
the most points scored;
the difference between tries for and tries against;
the fewest number of red cards received;
the fewest number of yellow cards received.

Read more at http://www.pro12rugby.com/statzone/competition_rules.php#RS77oVBbBKCkIAit.99

i love The Dragons so much right now!!

It would really take us to lose all the games now for Leinster to catch us. Still going to be very difficult to finish in top 2 though. I think we will need to win all 3 games unless Glasgow fall to both Ospreys and Connacht. Possible.

But if we beat Leinster we're definitely in the playoffs whatever happens

True, and with a bit of luck Leinster will beat Toulon to go through to the final, meaning that will be their focus when they meet us. Here's hoping anyway.

If Connacht play like they did against us, they could definitely beat Glasgow or the Ospreys. Munster have an easy run-in apart from the game against us...

1 win needed to definitely make the playoffs, 2 might give us home advantage, 3 will probably give us home advantage.

Munchkin wrote:True, and with a bit of luck Leinster will beat Toulon to go through to the final, meaning that will be their focus when they meet us. Here's hoping anyway.

Leinster play Toulon on Sunday then Ulster on Friday, it'll be a physical game against Toulon so can't see them being at full strength come Friday or at 100% but that could be wishful thinking

If we can field as strong a side as we did at the weekend we would be odds on to take a win over a tired Leinster side in theory.

Michael Allen away to Edinburgh - bit of a shame, but understandable, and I wish him well.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/guinness-pro12/ulster-wing-allen-set-to-make-switch-to-scotland-31139820.html

There's the guts of a decent ex-Ulster backline out there - Whitten, Farrell, Seymour and now Allen.

Good player - probably a good move for him personally if he gets more game time but with Trimble, Payne and Bowe likely to be away with Ireland losing a versatile 3/4 like Allen is a bit of a risk.

Don Alfonso wrote:Michael Allen away to Edinburgh - bit of a shame, but understandable, and I wish him well.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/guinness-pro12/ulster-wing-allen-set-to-make-switch-to-scotland-31139820.html

There's the guts of a decent ex-Ulster backline out there - Whitten, Farrell, Seymour and now Allen.

If he's half a Tommy Seymour, then that's money well spent and he's still young enough to become SQ.

By the sounds of it, Ulster fans rate him? There is definitely a Visser-shaped gap in Edinburgh at the moment and Dougie Fife is Pro 12 quality at best.

Good, powerful runner, George. Was in excellent form at the start of the season and then confidence took a bit of a knock, I think, when Trimble, Bowe and Gilroy all became available again and he slipped off the radar.

Came up playing centre as well, although he featured primarily as a wing for us.

Not a world beater, and I don't know how realistic a Scotland cap is. But clearly driven and dedicated. Very useful squad player at the very least.

Tricky one. Whilst you can't blame a guy for wanting to be higher up the pecking order elsewhere - I've always maintained that  modern rugby success depends on having Michael Allen standard backups. To succeed over a long, physical season of rugby, you need to be able to accept the inevitable injuries and have the likes of Allen, Whitten, Farrell waiting in the wings.

Its a case of how much can you reasonably pay a player who rarely takes to the field.

That said, I suspect this signals that young Arnold is seen as a solid prospect. I know he impressed me in his appearance last month (Or the month before?)

We certainly know how to produce centers - to the point that we have to occasionally switch them to the wing.

If you count Allen as a center...

Wallace, Cave, Trimble (developed as a center), Spence, Farrell, Whitten, Marshall, Allen, McCloskey, Olding, Arnold.

And despite all that - we use a Kiwi...

Don Alfonso wrote:Michael Allen away to Edinburgh - bit of a shame, but understandable, and I wish him well.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/guinness-pro12/ulster-wing-allen-set-to-make-switch-to-scotland-31139820.html

There's the guts of a decent ex-Ulster backline out there - Whitten, Farrell, Seymour and now Allen.

Why do so many outlets report that Piutaus joining next season?

rodders wrote:Good player - probably a good move for him personally if he gets more game time but with Trimble, Payne and Bowe likely to be away with Ireland losing a versatile 3/4 like Allen is a bit of a risk.

Disaster really given the age profile of Trimble and Bowe. He'll be leaving because he wants to play at centre though.

George Carlin wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Michael Allen away to Edinburgh - bit of a shame, but understandable, and I wish him well.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/guinness-pro12/ulster-wing-allen-set-to-make-switch-to-scotland-31139820.html

There's the guts of a decent ex-Ulster backline out there - Whitten, Farrell, Seymour and now Allen.

If he's half a Tommy Seymour, then that's money well spent and he's still young enough to become SQ.

By the sounds of it, Ulster fans rate him? There is definitely a Visser-shaped gap in Edinburgh at the moment and Dougie Fife is Pro 12 quality at best.

Yeah I rate him as a decent squad player at least, rather than someone who'll light the place up. He's got decent pace and skills, not the biggest but deceptively strong and tenacious, can play wing or center - young enough to still have scope for improvement.

Not a signing to get too excited about as an Edinburgh fan but a disappointing loss from an Ulster perspective.