Ulster 2015/2016

First topic message reminder :

Thought i would give ol' GC a helping hand and try and get Ulster types looking inward at what has been a tricky season and looking forward to next season and how we should improve. Dont have time to put down all my own theories but will do so later. This thread is a matawalu free zone btw!

Anybody seen the new kits? Can't say I'm a fan.

Here it is:

http://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/pic-ulster-fans-will-be-happy-with-their-new-kit-for-next-season/34078

Don't like them- still not a fan of the light blue or purple for away kit either. Favourite away kits have been red or black. Suppose I'll get used to them.

I suppose with the changing of the kit every year they are limited with what they can do with the home kit but going black every year they wouldn't last long supplying kits to the team

I don't understand the marketing of these shirts. For those with the... er... slightly fuller figure they look ridiculous, and let's face it everybody gets there sooner or later...

Why don't they market a range of various clothing done in the same colours but with a more forgiving tailoring and styling that supporters could wear not just to matches but elsewhere.

In fact I prefer a jacket to a shirt because given the weather situation a shirt is usually mostly covered up anyway. If the focus on the main purchase was a jacket then there could be a match specific 'T' shirt to wear under with the actual fixture printed on it. These shirts are now cheap as chips and would add to the sense of occasion, especially "on tour" at away games.

They already do a lot of stuff like that; jackets, t-shirts, hats, coats etc. You see loads of people at Ulster games in the Ulster branded coats. One thing you can't criticise them for is having a diverse range of other branded clothes...

Darren Cave lining out in the 12 jersey with Bowe and Trimble wearing 11 and 14 respectively. To what can we read into this?....

I'd never let myself down to try and go out in public wearing a shirt either Aukster, the figure just doesn't work these days but as Notch says they do a wide range of kit to wear. I've a couple of Ulster hoodies and a jacket for the winter months or July as they are now known.
Is it just me or does Andy Trimbs look flippin huge in those photos. I mean I know he's a big unit as my last picture with him will attest to (my 6'3 frame looking like a 6 year old girl next to him) but he's dwarfing Ian Henderson.

Pete330v2 wrote:I'd never let myself down to try and go out in public wearing a shirt either Aukster, the figure just doesn't work these days but as Notch says they do a wide range of kit to wear. I've a couple of Ulster hoodies and a jacket for the winter months or July as they are now known.
Is it just me or does Andy Trimbs look flippin huge in those photos. I mean I know he's a big unit as my last picture with him will attest to (my 6'3 frame looking like a 6 year old girl next to him) but he's dwarfing Ian Henderson.

I thought you looked like he was sucking it in to fit into his shirt

Notch wrote:They already do a lot of stuff like that; jackets, t-shirts, hats, coats etc. You see loads of people at Ulster games in the Ulster branded coats. One thing you can't criticise them for is having a diverse range of other branded clothes...

Sorry I didn't realise that more than the first team shirts changed every season - haven't changed the jacket since Kukri took over.

Well some bits of the range do and some don't. I steer clear of it myself.

So... which players do we think may just miss out on Irish selection, having us initially outraged, but eventually quite happy once the season starts?

Tuohy? Henry? Gilroy? Jackson?


Please Joe, not Herring, don't take Herring away from us!!!

Gilroy, Herring, Cave I would bet on being back with Ulster.

Tuohy and Trimble I am not sure- both very close calls with other players in their positions. Will be looking forward to seeing how Donnacha Ryan gets on on Saturday.

Jackson, Henry, Best, Henderson and Payne are all definites for Ireland in my view. Bowe I also think is a definite but I'd rather Trimble in green than him these days. No harm to him.

I'll be interested to see who gets game time in the friendlies later this month.

I'm hoping that Taggart, Browne and Windsor surprise a few of us this coming season.

Retaining Gilroy and Cave would keep out backline pretty decent during world cup (hopefully Windsor is better than Humph!)

Tuohy and Herring would keep our forwards pretty solid. Hopefully the big eejit Williams has the mindset to redeem himself this season. Some performances akin to a few seasons ago, a bit of head rocking, and better discipline, and he could be valuable to us again. Here's hoping!

So... the Leinster "friendly".

Thought I'd be able to go, turns out I now can't. Anyone any strong preferences for the team?

I'd like to see Luke Marshall being reintegrated - possibly with him at 12 and McCloskey at 13.

Also, we need to start working out exactly what we have in way of backrow resources. Faloon will be a capable understudy to Henry, but we need to get the measure of Reidy and Taggart, and see if Ross and Joyce are as underwhelming as previously, or if they can up their game.

Windsor and Rowley will be important as well.

There's the added complication that Schmidt may request some players from the Ireland squad get game time. Gilroy, Cave, Tuohy and maybe even Tommy Bowe may be requested to get a run-out ahead of the squad reconvening next week. You can't even rule out cameo roles for any player who is with the Ireland squad if the coaches decide they need just 20 or 30 minutes to get match sharp. I expect Gilroy and Tuohy are basically out of the running for the squad at this stage but they would be amongst the back-ups and the Irish coaches will surely be keen to make sure all 40+ players are fit and ready by the time the RWC starts, not just the final 31 in case injury or anything else strikes.

I think the first pre-season game of the new season is important for integrating new players into the team, as they have the most learning of new systems and so on to do. Everyone who was here last season will be familiar with many of the calls; although Barakat will have changed some things around the contact area Doak is still responsible for most of the game plan.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a mix of new signings and returning internationals in a game where we use many subs and then the game against Edinburgh used to try out our side for the season opener.

Ulster team & replacements to play Leinster, Kingspan Stadium, Friday 21st August (19:30 kick off):

(15-9): J Owens, C Gilroy, D Cave, L Marshall, P Nelson, I Humphreys, P Marshall;
(1-8): R Murphy, R Herring (Captain) W Herbst, P Browne, F Van der Merwe, C Ross, S Reidy, R Diack. Replacements: A Warwick, J Andrew, R Lutton, B Ross, A O’Connor, D Tuohy, C Joyce, F Taggart, W Faloon, S Mullholland, P Rowley, D Shanahan, S Windsor, J Stockdale, S McCloskey, S Arnold, L Ludik, M Best.

Mulholland? Best?

Think Mulholland is a back row. Mark Best is a centre, as far as I know.

Any thoughts on the game?

Well, the new players first of all. I was quite impressed with Peter Browne in the second row offering himself as an effective carrier in a lot of play for the first half team. Paul Rowley in the second half gave the opposite impression; very slow service, several turnovers from him just not getting the ball away quickly enough- not that we were giving any kind of ball presentation for him to work with but the signs aren't good. He made me miss Paul Marshall, who did his usual trick of cutting a team open and then blowing the chance with a wild pass seconds later. Sam Windsor looked to have a nice, flat pass but kicked pretty poorly from hand. Not impressed with either of the new halfbacks at first glance- but Sam Windsor may merit some game time if Jackson is away based solely on the number of yards made down Humphreys channel. His defence is still ridiculously bad, nobody will be surprised to hear. A shame because he does know how to run a game- our opponents also know to target him and Te'o and Reid had a bit of a field day. Willie Faloon had little to no impact and was part of a second-half pack that was dominated by Leinsters third-string.

When we get the quick ball to release our back line we look dangerous both in structured and broken play. Luke Marshall, Peter Nelson, Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy all shone in the first half. The backs, and the coaching of the backs, are not the problem. Set piece isn't either despite an indifferent scrummaging performance. We just are so poor at the breakdown and it breaks the continuity game we are trying to play. We conceded multiple penalties due to holding on- the high-width, high tempo game plan we are trying to play under Doak does work, it does stretch defences and create holes where our talented back line can damage teams IF we secure our own ball at the breakdown But we just are not good enough at clearing out and keeping the ball coming back cleanly and quickly. We want to commit few players to the ruck and stretch the game but for that to work we need players 1 to 15 to be able to clear out as efficiently and quickly as possible and we don't look well coached at doing that. And we don't have the personnel in that area to mask that failure of coaching- Reidy, Ross, Joyce, Taggart, Faloon all uninspiring. We know that our first choices, bar Henry, are nothing special but alarm bells are ringing because the back-up looks so poor.

Basically not much has changed regarding our strengths and weaknesses. I can't fathom why we want to spend big on another talented back when the poverty of talent in the forward pack is so extreme. Our back line is not the issue at all.

Sorry to ask on the Ulster thread but what did you think of Leinster,I heard reports that said we looked pretty decent with our defense especially standing out.Do you think we look like things could be improving from last years shambles?

Leinster played some good rugby, some powerful carries and good tempo in their play, but it's so hard to tell from this kind of game. Leo Cullens fingerprints were all over the maul defence though; Ulster had a succession of driving line outs which Leinster managed to deal with by sacking the jumper very quickly, even when we got the ball transfer right we still have to navigate the mess of bodies before we start going forward. Right on the edge, just like your new head coach.

Scrum was good for Leinster I thought. They look like a solid team.

Is O Hagan injured or just Windsor favoured ahead of him? Thought he was highly rated at Connacht before moving north.

Thanks,sounds promising but it's early days so I won't get too excited.Still it's nice to be going into the season with hope.

O'Hagan doesn't seem to be rated as being ready for professional rugby and from what I've seen I agree.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:Thanks,sounds promising but it's early days so I won't get too excited.Still it's nice to be going into the season with hope.

Yes, I'm sure Leinster fans have forgotten what that is like in the one long year since they won a major trophy!

I's been a long dark road alright,I hope we never see it's like again.

At last we get to see Tim Boys do something, all be it not for us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0njIVhVYa0

Stephen Ferris is releasing his autobiography next month, called Man and Ball

He was also on the receiving end of a Nick Williams style challenge at the end of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q41qkW_s6Yk

Ulster team & replacements to play Edinburgh, Pre-season friendly, Goldenacre, Friday 28th August (18:30 kick off): (15-9) C Gilroy, T Bowe, L Marshall, S McCloskey, A Trimble, I Humphreys, P Marshall; (1-8): A Warwick, R Herring (Captain) W Herbst, D Tuohy, F Van der Merwe, C Ross, S Reidy, R Diack. Replacements: P Jackson, R Murphy, R Lutton, P Browne, W Faloon, D Shanahan, S Windsor, S Arnold, L Ludik, P Nelson, C Joyce.

That's a good team, apart from a poor back row. Honestly, why is Faloon on the bench with Reidy and Ross starting? Browne can apparently play blindside - why not give him a go there and have O'Connor as bench second row? Our next game is a competitive one against the Ospreys, at home. We need to win it.

Couple of things:

1. That back five
2. Anyone else surprised at the inclusion of a few irish international faces? Just to get some more game time?
3 . Ruaidhri Murphy is alive (and still plays for Ulster)!
4. paul Jackson is Paddys brother? Or did I make that up?
5. I assume its not on telly anywhere?

1. Yep!
2. A few days ago maybe, but Schmidt announced it this afternoon at the press conference
3. Aye, he played last week. He wasn't that great. Callum Black and Roger Wilson are major losses for us, both injured atm.
4. Yes, he is. He looks freakishly like him.
5. I'm afraid not!

1. Is this going to be shown on periscope?
2. What the flip is periscope?

It's on periscope now, if you go to the Edinburgh site. Not the best of feeds, but very decent of whoever the Embra fan is to provide it. It's off air now until the start of the second half.
17 - 5 to Embra. As difficult as it is to make out play, I think Ulster are playing rubbish

I'm at the match, out backhrow are shocking at at the breakdown, they are defending it terribly! Rob herring has been fantastic! Luke marshal is back to his best, or at least getting there. Our lifters in the lineout are not looking after the jumpers, twice they have been dropped.

Dan touhy didn't look to pleased when he came off. Had a good moan about something.

Also small Paul's size is letting him down today, it looks like men bullying a toddler at times!

Edinburgh also love a good choke tackle.

Another Try for Embra. This is woeful from Ulster. defence a shambles.

Small Paul to 10, who does he think he is, Ruan?

Munchkin wrote:Another Try for Embra. This is woeful from Ulster. defence a shambles.

Ulster put up that they scored a try through Trimble, not Edinburgh, 17-10 according to their twitter?

That is the current score, Trimble went over about 5 min ago

Nope they got a penalty at the scrum, 20-10

Also, why is Luke Marshall taking the kicks at goal?

There is no other kicker, Paul marshal is at 10

Well thats not what you want to see. Bad enough to start without any kind of back row worth a damn without losing your 10 too!

There is no other kicker, Paul marshal is at 10

Notch wrote:

Munchkin wrote:Another Try for Embra. This is woeful from Ulster. defence a shambles.

Ulster put up that they scored a try through Trimble, not Edinburgh, 17-10 according to their twitter?

Yes, Ulster scored after that.

Munchkin wrote:

Notch wrote:

Munchkin wrote:Another Try for Embra. This is woeful from Ulster. defence a shambles.

Ulster put up that they scored a try through Trimble, not Edinburgh, 17-10 according to their twitter?

Yes, Ulster scored after that.

But it was 17-5 at half-time...

That was terrible, we need to sort this out fast or the start of the season could be a little rough.