Ulster 2016/2017

by marty2086 Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:43 am

First topic message reminder :

And it's been confirmed

Ulster Rugby has today announced that Jono Gibbes will join the Province as Head Coach ahead of the 2017/18 season, having signed a two-year contract.

The former New Zealand player is currently Forwards Coach at French giants ASM Clermont Auvergne and he previously held a similar position at Leinster Rugby.

Gibbes joined Leinster in 2008, helping the squad to win three Heineken Cup titles during a six-year spell in Dublin. The first of those successes came under the stewardship of Michael Cheika in 2009, before he assisted Joe Schmidt in the 2011 and 2012 triumphs.

He moved to France in 2014 and was part of a coaching set-up that guided Clermont to the Top 14 and Champions Cup finals in his debut season.

In addition to his expertise in forward play, the 40-year-old has also gained valuable experience in coaching other aspects of the game, such as attack, during his stints at Leinster and Clermont.

Gibbes said that there were many contributing factors in his move back to Ireland:

"The respect that I have for Les (Kiss), as a coach and as a person, was one of my main reasons for making this decision. He really sold his vision of where he wants to take Ulster over the next few years.

"Ulster is a team that I know well, having come up against them on a number of occasions. The Clermont-Ulster games this season gave me an insight into the strengths of the squad and it's exciting to think that I'll be part of that environment from next season.

"With 6 years at Leinster and 3 years at Clermont in the Top 14, I've been afforded many different experiences, working with some very talented coaches and players. I hope to apply what I've learned to the role at Ulster and my family and I are looking forward to integrating into a strong community in Belfast."

Welcoming the news, Director of Rugby Les Kiss, added:

"Jono's CV speaks for itself and I know that he's looking forward to joining Ulster and working with the team. Jono has vast experience on both the playing and coaching fronts, having worked in many different environments such as Super Rugby, PRO12, the French Top 14 and European competitions.

"Since his retirement from playing, Jono has had an integral role in the coaching teams of two of European rugby's most successful sides. He was a key part of the Leinster set-up that won three Heineken Cups in four years and he has continued to be hugely successful during his time in France.

"Jono's expertise as a Forwards Coach is obvious, however his wealth of knowledge in other areas of the game will be really important for us."

"A review of the coaching structure is ongoing ahead of next season and the appointment of Jono as Head Coach is the first part of that process. A further announcement will be made in the coming weeks, which will focus on getting the right balance in our coaching team."

by carpet baboon Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:01 pm

Well quite a simple try in the end

by Pete330v2 Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:21 pm

How many illegal tackles does it take before this clampit Jones does anything.
Oh there it is, seemingly about 6

by carpet baboon Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:23 pm

I didn't think Wilson could get any slower. Apparently he can.
This is quite painful to watch if I'm honest

by marty2086 Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:28 pm

carpet baboon wrote:I didn't think Wilson could get any slower. Apparently he can.
This is quite painful to watch if I'm honest

There was one point he looked like a headless chicken not sure what he was meant to be doing or where he was meant to be

by Guest Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:39 pm

Is this being played at Rodney Parade?!

by marty2086 Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:35 pm

Was always going to be hard to get a BP with the conditions but really should have got it, some real brain farts at times from Ulster

The last knock on in Trevisos half seemed like hands in the ruck

by True Raven Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:41 pm

Just seen Ulsters last theee games.....Munster, Ospreys and Leinster. Fair play if you make it in the playoffs you'll have earned

by Guest Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:53 pm

Even though the conditions were horrible, we should have made the 5 points. Very disappointing.

We are really brainless, sometimes. We should just have let them score the try near the end, which they eventually did anyway, instead of wasting more than 5 minutes defending. The bonus point was far more important than conceding a try to them.

P Marshall kicks after the ref called last play .... Baffling that it wasn't actually the last play, but that misses the point.

Lineouts were a complete horlicks.

by Redman Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:03 pm

Munchkin wrote:Even though the conditions were horrible, we should have made the 5 points. Very disappointing.

We are really brainless, sometimes. We should just have let them score the try near the end, which they eventually did anyway, instead of wasting more than 5 minutes defending. The bonus point was far more important than conceding a try to them.

P Marshall kicks after the ref called last play .... Baffling that it wasn't actually the last play, but that misses the point.

Lineouts were a complete horlicks.

This. There's been more than a few games where we should just concede, boot the ball long from the kick off and get on with the task at hand.

Plenty to discuss but can anyone explain what's happened to Warrick? 2 knockon's in 2 minutes. He did seem like he had some potential when he burst onto the scene.

Treadwell I thought was excellent. He could be some player if he pushes on.

by The Great Aukster Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:58 pm

Munchkin wrote:Even though the conditions were horrible, we should have made the 5 points. Very disappointing.

We are really brainless, sometimes. We should just have let them score the try near the end, which they eventually did anyway, instead of wasting more than 5 minutes defending. The bonus point was far more important than conceding a try to them.

P Marshall kicks after the ref called last play .... Baffling that it wasn't actually the last play, but that misses the point.

Lineouts were a complete horlicks.

There is no rugby nous in the side. Ulster should have built a score in the conditions in the first half and took all thoughts from Treviso of getting anything from the game. They didn't and with that significantly reduced the chance of getting 5 match points.

BTW it wasn't Paul (who played well) but Luke who made the incomprehensible decision to kick the ball away in overtime. I like Luke and have defended him in the past but that was an unpardonable career clanger.

Roger Wilson is getting flak, but if he hadn't started there wouldn't have been any indigenous Ulsterman in the pack. When the limited Ross came on there was a significant improvement, highlighting just how ineffective the dodger has become.

I can't speak for Rodders, but for me the preamble discussion was NOT about scrapping NIQ players, but rather about not having enough homegrown players to fill the majority of the squad. Tonight Ulster had 5 in the starting XV with only Wilson in the pack. Ulster have become a province that recruits IQ players from the globe rather than from Ulster. Filling the team by scouring the globe is all well and good but when the chips are down in tough conditions Ulster need more options over the season

by Guest Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:04 pm

I'm very impressed with Treadwell. He just keeps improving, and has to be a starter. When we get a forwards coach Treadwell will be a star for Ulster. Until then, more of the same dross from the pack that we were served tonight. It's not their fault. That's down to Clarke. Can't get rid soon enough.

I believe Warwick is another example of the poor coaching of Clarke. Our props haven't really progressed, and some have went backwards. Herbst had an issue at scrum when he first joined us (poor positioning - legs too far back). Everyone could see it, including the opposition, and it took an age for the issue to get fixed. That's what we are dealing with.

by Guest Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:21 pm

The Great Aukster wrote:
Munchkin wrote:Even though the conditions were horrible, we should have made the 5 points. Very disappointing.

We are really brainless, sometimes. We should just have let them score the try near the end, which they eventually did anyway, instead of wasting more than 5 minutes defending. The bonus point was far more important than conceding a try to them.

P Marshall kicks after the ref called last play .... Baffling that it wasn't actually the last play, but that misses the point.

Lineouts were a complete horlicks.

There is no rugby nous in the side. Ulster should have built a score in the conditions in the first half and took all thoughts from Treviso of getting anything from the game. They didn't and with that significantly reduced the chance of getting 5 match points.

BTW it wasn't Paul (who played well) but Luke who made the incomprehensible decision to kick the ball away in overtime. I like Luke and have defended him in the past but that was an unpardonable career clanger.

Roger Wilson is getting flak, but if he hadn't started there wouldn't have been any indigenous Ulsterman in the pack. When the limited Ross came on there was a significant improvement, highlighting just how ineffective the dodger has become.

I can't speak for Rodders, but for me the preamble discussion was NOT about scrapping NIQ players, but rather about not having enough homegrown players to fill the majority of the squad. Tonight Ulster had 5 in the starting XV with only Wilson in the pack. Ulster have become a province that recruits IQ players from the globe rather than from Ulster. Filling the team by scouring the globe is all well and good but when the chips are down in tough conditions Ulster need more options over the season

Apologies to P Marshall. Brain didn't make the connection that Luke would do something that stupid, while expecting it from P Marshall.

I agree on Wilson, and it is poor that we have little home-grown talent in the forwards. Maybe we would have if we had a decent forwards coach? There's guys waiting in the wings and they need to be given a chance, rather than flog an old warhorse. Wilson has been a great servant to Ulster, but he should have retired the end of season before last. It isn't fair on the young prospects we have, and it isn't good for Ulster.

I agree with you on the lack of homegrown talent, and I'm not a fan of project players. We have been producing enough backs, bar at 9 and 10, but hopefully a couple of scrum half prospects come good for us. Producing forwards has been a real issue for us and, although there are different reasons for this, I have to think that Clarke's lack of eye for talent has to be a main contributor. With a genuine quality forwards coach next season, I'm expecting a positive change on that front.

by Redman Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:19 pm

Poor old Roge. As the old saying goes - "It's not the years honey, it's the mileage". And Roger has really run up the miles in his career. He's neck and neck with Trimble as Uster's most capped player and then he has another 117 appearances for Northampton on top of that.

It's time for management to call it a day for him though.

by Don Alfonso Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:18 pm

So next season we will have three NIE - Piutau, Coetzee and Arno and this project LH - is that right?

by Guest Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:35 pm

Yep, Ludik an Herbst will be IQ by then. Pienaar and VdM will be gone.

by marty2086 Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:22 pm

Anybody see the Munster Cardiff game? Big Nick has really learned to tackle, something coaches at Ulster couldnt do in 4 years

by Guest Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:33 pm

I did watch it. Great to see big Nick really enjoying himself, and still winding up the opposition Smile

by Pete330v2 Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:39 am

Big Nick certainly looked on form, I do hope he's not in the lineup for their visit here.

On other news, Trimble, big loss or not? Discuss

I reckon we're well covered on the wings, Stockdale, Piutau, Gilroy and Ludik etc seem capable enough Wink

by marty2086 Mon Mar 06, 2017 9:44 am

How long is Trimble out for? Only thing I can find is saying he'll miss the last two 6 Nations games, so will just be the Zebre game he misses?

by Pete330v2 Mon Mar 06, 2017 10:59 am

There seems to be a default injury setting of 4 - 6 weeks although Ulster players can sometimes have superhuman regenerative powers.
Bones in the hand can be tricky to heal depending on where the break is. Fingers crossed......or bandaged.

by clivemcl Mon Mar 06, 2017 7:32 pm

Just seen Leinster have signed James Lowe. Makes the re-signing of the rather old Nacewa even more strange. I thought we were Meantimes to be helping IQ players in positions get game time to develop them?

by Don Alfonso Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:11 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1T1gCEBVpY

Jonno Gibbes features towards the end - even if he impresses on our forwards what he says in two minuses of TV there, there will be dramatic improvements...

by Pete330v2 Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:52 am

Don Alfonso wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1T1gCEBVpY

Jonno Gibbes features towards the end - even if he impresses on our forwards what he says in two minuses of TV there, there will be dramatic improvements...

What time on that video does he appear Don?? I can't watch it all, I'll be caught skiving

by marty2086 Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:56 am

No Cave this weekend, he pulled a Tommy O'Donnell and arranged his wedding at the wrong time Rolling Eyes

by Don Alfonso Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:34 pm

Pete330v2 wrote:
Don Alfonso wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1T1gCEBVpY

Jonno Gibbes features towards the end - even if he impresses on our forwards what he says in two minuses of TV there, there will be dramatic improvements...
What time on that video does he appear Don?? I can't watch it all, I'll be caught skiving

Last five minutes. Showing yer man a bit of breakdown work and telling him not to run into contact upright. How badly do we need him...?

by Pete330v2 Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:09 pm

Don Alfonso wrote:
Pete330v2 wrote:
Don Alfonso wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1T1gCEBVpY

Jonno Gibbes features towards the end - even if he impresses on our forwards what he says in two minuses of TV there, there will be dramatic improvements...
What time on that video does he appear Don?? I can't watch it all, I'll be caught skiving

Last five minutes. Showing yer man a bit of breakdown work and telling him not to run into contact upright. How badly do we need him...?

Cheers Don.

by SecretFly Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:40 pm

Michael Murphy.................. hmmm.....

I must ring the IRFU

by SecretFly Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:42 pm

I can't find that Jonno section though.

by marty2086 Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:03 pm

SecretFly wrote:Michael Murphy.................. hmmm.....

I must ring the IRFU

Hes IQ no room in the Leinster backline for him these days

Run

by SecretFly Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:16 pm

by Pete330v2 Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:27 pm

SecretFly wrote:I can't find that Jonno section though.

Jonno from 36:30 on Fly

by Pete330v2 Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:24 am

So the first semi-official announcement for what we all knew anyway.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/ulster-rugby/prop-van-der-merwe-the-latest-to-sign-up-for-kiss-revolution-35511426.html

Is it just me or is this guy coming to Ireland because his Mum told him that his Dad was a touring Irish rugby player. All she knew is he was called The Claw.

by marty2086 Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:17 am

Official announcement

Ulster Rugby has today confirmed that powerful front rower Schalk van der Merwe will join the Province this summer on a two-year deal.

The 26-year-old will make the move following the conclusion of the 2017 Super Rugby season, in which he is representing the Southern Kings franchise.

The loosehead prop had a recent stint in France with Jake White's Montpellier and prior to that he played provincial rugby in his homeland. He earned 25 Super Rugby caps for the Lions in 2014 and 2015 as they produced a number of dominant scrum displays against much-vaunted opposition.

Commenting on the arrival of van der Merwe, Director of Rugby Les Kiss said:

"Schalk is a talented player who I've been really impressed by - he was the cornerstone of the Lions scrum that dominated for a couple of Super Rugby seasons.

"In addition to his excellent scrummaging, he will give us some much-needed physicality in the loose, and this will be a major plus for us in the seasons ahead. He has a hard edge and he's determined to work hard to nail down a starting place here at Ulster.

"His arrival will give us much improved depth at loosehead, with Kyle McCall, Andy Warwick and Callum Black also on the books. As we've seen this season, injuries, particularly in the front row, mean that at times we're required to delve deep into our pool of resources.

"With the impending arrivals of Arno Botha and Schalk, the return to fitness of Marcell Coetzee, and the ongoing development of Academy players like Ross Kane, Aaron Hall, Tommy O'Hagan and Marcus Rea, we will have a much stronger roster of forwards to select from next season."

Great to see that Les is name dropping some of he young forwards that he says will add depth next season, including two back rows. If they get some game time next season then times really are changing

by Don Alfonso Wed Mar 08, 2017 1:00 pm

So Black is being kept on? Weren't there noises that he would be dumped?

by marty2086 Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:03 pm

Don Alfonso wrote:So Black is being kept on? Weren't there noises that he would be dumped?

Think I read he's got another year left on his contract but if not like Les said keeping him round with the injuries we have a history of in the front row is a must, we should have some decent depth at prop next season and hopefully developing it at hooker and in the back row too Fingers Crossed

by geoff999rugby Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:53 pm

Don Alfonso wrote:So Black is being kept on? Weren't there noises that he would be dumped?

He is.

Some fool (probably me Whistle

) thought his contract was up in 2017 - it is in fact 2018.

He wont get an extension

by geoff999rugby Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:58 pm

The Great Aukster wrote:
Roger Wilson is getting flak, but if he hadn't started there wouldn't have been any indigenous Ulsterman in the pack.

We could have started with Rea or Dow we chose not to.
Picking Wilson in preference was bordering on the idiotic

The Great Aukster wrote:
I can't speak for Rodders, but for me the preamble discussion was NOT about scrapping NIQ players, but rather about not having enough homegrown players to fill the majority of the squad. Tonight Ulster had 5 in the starting XV with only Wilson in the pack. Ulster have become a province that recruits IQ players from the globe rather than from Ulster. Filling the team by scouring the globe is all well and good but when the chips are down in tough conditions Ulster need more options over the season

Nothing will change until we fix our totally dysfunctional school and club system.
Nothing will change until going to Methody or Inst means you only have to be mediocre to get in the Academy but you have to be World Class if you are west of the Bann
Nothing will change until we have blazaars and coaches who have are happy to reinforce this broken system

by marty2086 Wed Mar 08, 2017 3:45 pm

geoff999rugby wrote:
The Great Aukster wrote:
Roger Wilson is getting flak, but if he hadn't started there wouldn't have been any indigenous Ulsterman in the pack.

We could have started with Rea or Dow we chose not to.
Picking Wilson in preference was bordering on the idiotic

The Great Aukster wrote:
I can't speak for Rodders, but for me the preamble discussion was NOT about scrapping NIQ players, but rather about not having enough homegrown players to fill the majority of the squad. Tonight Ulster had 5 in the starting XV with only Wilson in the pack. Ulster have become a province that recruits IQ players from the globe rather than from Ulster. Filling the team by scouring the globe is all well and good but when the chips are down in tough conditions Ulster need more options over the season

Nothing will change until we fix our totally dysfunctional school and club system.
Nothing will change until going to Methody or Inst means you only have to be mediocre to get in the Academy but you have to be World Class if you are west of the Bann
Nothing will change until we have blazaars and coaches who have are happy to reinforce this broken system

The whole farce over the Friends and BRA match highlighted some of the stupidity around the schools cup Rolling Eyes

by Don Alfonso Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:39 am

In fairness, if there's a farce around that game, it's Friends arranging to be in another country for it. I certainly don't disagree with your wider point, but that debacle proves nowt.

by marty2086 Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:51 pm

Don Alfonso wrote:In fairness, if there's a farce around that game, it's Friends arranging to be in another country for it. I certainly don't disagree with your wider point, but that debacle proves nowt.

The trip was planned 18 months in advance but the farce is that BRA were happy to rearrange the game but the committee said no

by marty2086 Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:10 pm

On the subject Ulster have done a piece on Tommy O'Hagan and him not coming through the schools system

Tommy O'Hagan is one of a number of young Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy players who have rose to prominence in recent times due to their performances with the Ulster A team, helping the squad qualify for the knockout stages of the British & Irish Cup for the first time in five years.

The 23-year-old prop featured heavily in the back-to-back wins over Cardiff Blues Premiership Select, then put in a Man of the Match performance in the victory over London Scottish at Kingspan Stadium.

O'Hagan is somewhat of a late developer, having primarily played Gaelic games during his youth, before taking up rugby in his late teens, as he explains:

"I mostly played Gaelic football and hurling for my local club in Swatragh and in school at St Patrick's Maghera. A couple of friends from Magherafelt invited me over to Rainey to play rugby one Saturday for a bit of craic and it sort of took off from there. At that stage I just thought it would help with my fitness during the GAA off-season."

It was at Rainey Old Boys that O'Hagan honed his skills under the tutelage of club coaches, before his strong ball carrying and robust scrummaging caught the eye of the Kingspan Stadium coaching personnel.

"When I first started at Rainey, Damian Campbell and Seamie Higgins helped me out a lot. Because I was transferring from Gaelic games to rugby it was hard to get the scrummaging technique going, so Damian in particular always gave me a lot of advice. It wasn't until senior rugby over the past couple of years that I've got really focused and that's when John Andrews pushed me on and tested me. He drove me on a bit more."

While schools' rugby would've been perceived as the traditional route for a young player to join the provincial Academy setup, O'Hagan is one of three current Ulster Academy players who have entered the programme via club rugby. As Provincial Talent Coach Michael Black states, the increase in players joining the Academy from club and youth rugby is no coincidence, and it is a trend that he expects to continue:

"As part of our talent identification process, we are keen to explore all avenues for players to join our development programme. It is no longer just about looking at players involved in Schools' Cup rugby or within the greater Belfast area.

"The development of indigenous talent throughout the Province is a critical element of our long term succession planning model so we are delighted to see the likes of Tommy, Adam McBurney and Aaron Hall progressing well within the Academy structure after making their initial impression at club level.

"John McCusker is another example of the talent that is developing from Club Youth Rugby. The second row forward is still only 18 and eligible for club U18 rugby, but has played most of this year in the Ulster Bank All-Ireland League with Rainey 1st XV, and already been capped at 'A' level in the B&I Cup this season."

This sentiment is echoed by Ulster Carpets, sponsors of youth rugby within the Province, as Managing Director Nick Coburn comments:

"We are extremely proud of our sponsorship of Ulster Youth Rugby where the focus is on progression and improvement, and this fits well with Ulster Carpets' culture of innovation and pursuit of excellence. We have seen substantial progress in the Ulster Youth programme during our partnership and are delighted to see the development of youth players into the Academy setup."

As for O'Hagan, he's intent on making the most of his opportunities and enjoying the experiences along the way.

"This time last year I never thought that I'd be starting for the A's never mind getting man of the match in a British & Irish Cup game. That was unbelievable for me.

"I'm still relatively new to this game but I'm learning every day. The support staff here are excellent. Every session I get feedback from them, then I take that into the next training session, which is brilliant for me because I have a lot of things to work on and it's going to help me big time.

"For now, the focus is making sure I'm in the squad for the B&I Cup quarter-final against Munster and going into that game like a man possessed, make a big statement, try to win the game, then push on as far as we can in the competition."

by geoff999rugby Thu Mar 09, 2017 3:26 pm

O'Hagan is a case of the exception that proves the rule

by Don Alfonso Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:18 pm

marty2086 wrote:
Don Alfonso wrote:In fairness, if there's a farce around that game, it's Friends arranging to be in another country for it. I certainly don't disagree with your wider point, but that debacle proves nowt.

The trip was planned 18 months in advance but the farce is that BRA were happy to rearrange the game but the committee said no

I know. And I feel for them, but if the committee had allowed it, and set a precedent, it'd happen constantly.

by marty2086 Fri Mar 10, 2017 10:56 am

geoff999rugby wrote:O'Hagan is a case of the exception that proves the rule

Hopefully as the article says they are moving away from the schools centric recruitment approach

by marty2086 Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:00 am

Don Alfonso wrote:
marty2086 wrote:
Don Alfonso wrote:In fairness, if there's a farce around that game, it's Friends arranging to be in another country for it. I certainly don't disagree with your wider point, but that debacle proves nowt.

The trip was planned 18 months in advance but the farce is that BRA were happy to rearrange the game but the committee said no

I know. And I feel for them, but if the committee had allowed it, and set a precedent, it'd happen constantly.

Im surprised it doesn't happen more often, schools are limited by the times they can arrange these things and the bigger schools sure can do it a bit earlier because they don't come into the competition until the later rounds.

by marty2086 Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:13 pm

(15-9): J Payne, C Gilroy, J Stockdale, L Marshall, C Piutau, S Olding, R Pienaar;
(1-8): C Black, R Herring (captain), W Herbst, K Treadwell, A O'Connor, R Diack, C Henry, M Coetzee;
Replacements (16-23): J Andrew, A Warwick, R Ah You, F van der Merwe, C Ross, P Marshall, P Nelson, D Busby

Interesting side named for tomorrow, Payne at 15, Stockdale at 13 and Olding at 10. Maybe a side with a view on some options for next season?

Also Pete Browne in the A side to play Munster this weekend and think John Andrew is hard done by not getting a start

by Pete330v2 Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:25 pm

Yesss!!!!!
Jared at 15, some smooth defence ghosting to be watched I hope, Stockdale hopefully doing a bit of that too.
Good to see Big Rodney back, lets hope he can kick on and step up etc etc for next season.
The Treadwell and O'Connor pairing could be interesting too, two aggressive, dynamic players who have impressed me more and more.
Stu Olding was always an option at 10 but the injuries just keep coming. Lets hope they remain in the past.

Definitely a view to next season Marty.

Bonus point pre 30 minute mark Wink

by marty2086 Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:26 pm

Busby is pulling double duty as well as he's down to start at 15 in Cork on Sunday

by Pete330v2 Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:17 pm

For those who like to do the handicap bets in the games, Ulster are -42 in this game.
Perhaps the bookies didn't see last week's rain sodden effort and they're definitely forgetting our utter lack of killer instinct. That being said I'd be disappointed at anything less. With the pack selected and that backline we should be looking to carve Zebre into slices.

by marty2086 Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:21 pm

BaaBaas are coming back to play Ulster on June 1st, they are saying its a last chance to see departing players Ruan Pienaar and Roger Wilson, what a way to announce your most capped player is leaving Rolling Eyes

by Sponsored content