Ulster Rugby 2017-2018 Part 2

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Part 2

neilthom7 wrote:Also we won 5 out of 6 matches and picked up 2 bonus points along the way and still finished second in the group by 4 points, that's kind of crazy.  

It is a crazy position to be in. While obviously Tigers and Scarlets are good teams in their own right, there results on made the group look like the days Aironi were playing in the competition. In fairness it really didn't tell the tale of the group, there were a lot of very tight games.

Ulster won 5 games and had a pts difference of +3. That says it all

Lovely stat Stand.

Hendo out for several weeks after an unrelated finger injury. Thats just plain unlucky https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46952652

KOTH says we are getting a utility back and he has good contacts

Don't know if IQ or NIE, if the later then at least one of LH and Lock will have to be IQ.
Paddy Mc not signed for the simple reason not good enough - we need better than him to make a difference
A LH injury cover signing is a must - you cant play half a season with 2 LHs
Things have gone very quiet about Gilroy

"Things have gone very quiet about Gilroy"
Hopefully not for anything other than media avoidance, a fully fit Gilroy is a powerful weapon, I hope the next piece of news we hear about him is positive.

KOTH also said the announcement should be made in January so hopefully not long to wait on that one. Any names floating about Geoff?
I was reading his comments on another UAFC thread and he'd been asking a player / players about who was standing out in preseason. He was told Addison and Moore were on a different level. It's a shame we've not seen anything of Moore, he sounds like an exciting prospect but has had concussion problems this season from what they were saying over there.

geoff999rugby wrote:KOTH says we are getting a utility back and he has good contacts

My money is on Fergus McFadden.

If its not Ben Smith or Israel Dagg I will be OUTRAGED!

Actually scratch that my suspicion is Conor O'Brien.

Then either Marcel will resign or we'll get an NIE replacement that can cover backrow and lock.

McFadden is just coming back from long term injury. He'll need to work his way upto fitness, he won't want to do that away from his S&C coaches who have managed him back to health.

O'Brien is a good shout. You have to fancy it'll be from Leinster if it's IQ.

It's worth saying you have to think they'll be IQ AND as a result of the quarter final place.

Otherwise why not try and keep Speight for the rest of the season. I'm sure a deal could have been done if this was on the cards November/December.

there were three areas identified for new signings iirc and Geoff alluded to one of them being IQ. Might depend on whether or not we could poach a LH from Leinster

I'm sure I heard Gilroy say he was back training a few weeks ago on the TV. And that he was hoping to be back for selection in a "few "weeks.
Now I know few is a bit vague but would hope by the end of January

Gilroy will be itching to get back you imagine as Stockdale has obviously passed him and Balacoune is in the process. Kernohan has shown enough in his few appearances not to discount him and Sexton is coming through. Its one area where we could have real competition.

Redman wrote:McFadden is just coming back from long term injury.  He'll need to work his way upto fitness, he won't want to do that away from his S&C coaches who have managed him back to health.  

O'Brien is a good shout.  You have to fancy it'll be from Leinster if it's IQ.  

Leinster won't get rid of a hot prospect like Conor O'Brien, they're far more likely to shift Rory O'Loughlin to make way for him.

Ulster fan banned for life after investigations into Zebo-gate.

Saw that. Makes sense.

Excellent. Shows how seriously we take this; that it is utterly intolerable. Delighted also that other Ulster supporters made it possible to identify him and that letters of apology went up Zebo and his club. Once it happened, think it was handled well by management.

Don Alfonso wrote:Excellent. Shows how seriously we take this; that it is utterly intolerable. Delighted also that other Ulster supporters made it possible to identify him and that letters of apology went up Zebo and his club. Once it happened, think it was handled well by management.

Agreed. Very well handled. Nothing said in public - identify the idiot, ban him. End of story.

The Great Aukster wrote:

Redman wrote:McFadden is just coming back from long term injury.  He'll need to work his way upto fitness, he won't want to do that away from his S&C coaches who have managed him back to health.  

O'Brien is a good shout.  You have to fancy it'll be from Leinster if it's IQ.  

Leinster won't get rid of a hot prospect like Conor O'Brien, they're far more likely to shift Rory O'Loughlin to make way for him.

O’Loughlin, Reid, Dave Kearney and McFadden are possibilities for moving on, the latter two particularly since Cian Kelleher is moving back to Leinster from Connacht for next season.   Tom Daly has gone the other direction on loan to give them another midfield option.  It may turn permanent.  However, Kearney or McFadden are not useful utility backs in my experience, albeit McFadden has played midfield in the past.  O’Loughlin plays wing and midfield.  Reid plays 10, 12, 13.
Munster has the biggest squad - could one of their backs be surplus?  Wootton plays wing/full-back for example and his father is from Ulster.

I wouldn't mind Arnold coming back from Munster. If not him, O'Loughlin would be my next choice.

No actual idea as to names but of those mentioned O'Laughlin or McFadden would be my guess.
Wootton has an Ulster connection but not many Munster men here, Kearney was talked to a year or so back but doesn't fit the
utility label.

Neither does Arnold and wouldn't want him anyway blocking Hume and Moore with his poor skills set.
Said on an International folder I reckon there are 8 IQ centres in Ireland better than him, I'd like to revise that I reckon their are 10 better.

It being an IQ player fits the pressure being put on provinces to keep NIQs to an absolute minimum.
If it were a NIQ then zero chance of an NIQ LH and Lock.
If it is then we must surely have an IQ LH or Lock lined up

Pot Hale wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Excellent. Shows how seriously we take this; that it is utterly intolerable. Delighted also that other Ulster supporters made it possible to identify him and that letters of apology went up Zebo and his club. Once it happened, think it was handled well by management.

Agreed.  Very well handled.  Nothing said in public - identify the idiot, ban him.  End of story.

Handled with class and quiet efficiency

Would not have happen under Logan - would have been a mishandled mess and no one banned

geoff999rugby wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Excellent. Shows how seriously we take this; that it is utterly intolerable. Delighted also that other Ulster supporters made it possible to identify him and that letters of apology went up Zebo and his club. Once it happened, think it was handled well by management.

Agreed.  Very well handled.  Nothing said in public - identify the idiot, ban him.  End of story.

Handled with class and quiet efficiency

Would not have happen under Logan - would have been a mishandled mess and no one banned

Things is looking up.

Wooten is an interesting shout although I presume by Utility back they want extra cover at 10 and 12? McPhillips doesn't seem to be rated too highly for whatever reason,so we are very limited at fly-half.

In which case O'Brien and Reid seem plausible candidates, although Reid does seem to be getting regular game time at Leinster.

Any word on Luke Marshall?

There's a rumour that Reid is going to Leciester next season, so probably more money and first team games than he would get at Ulster.

I don't think Reid is a good fit anyway

The young LH?

Edit: Noel Reid is that who you mean?

That was my assumption

My guess at the team

O'Sullivan, Herring, Moore, Treadwell, O'Connor, Jones, Coetzee/Ross, Timoney
Shanahan, Burns, Ludik, McCloskey, Cave, Balaucone, Lowry
Bench: Warwick, McBurney, Kane, Nagle, Montgomery, Stewart, McPhillips, Nelson

Coetzee fitness is key

We are hearing that Roddy Grant is heading over to Ulster, presumably to be forwards coach for next season. A promising young coach, who is clearly rated by Petrie and McFarland from their time with Scottish Rugby.

He has done well with Edinburgh this season as assistant forward coach and will have learnt a lot from the man, Cockers. You have probably got a good one there.

Interesting news if true. Would spell the end for Dundon. I suppose if McFarland is in charge of the set piece Grant would focus around the breakdown.

Would not surprise me - as I said neither Dundon or Peel safe.

In the end a new coach is going to build his own team, not use assistance from a previous regime

Geoff, the boys on the Ulster Rugby Roundup podcast seem to think Burns and Coetzee unavailable/rested this week.

Lowry at ten maybe? Nelson/Lyttle to start in the backs?

Ulster's most important game this season was Racing at the Kingspan in terms of profile. Second on the list of importance is the game this Friday against Benetton.
If McFarland loses this game he will suffer a major setback to his long term credibility. He simply cannot afford to miss out on the Pro14 playoffs.

Agreed Auk.

Is Rea Sr. injured? I’d imagine him to be on the bench at least, if not. He certainly seemed to have leapfrogged Ross.

geoff999rugby wrote:Would not surprise me - as I said neither Dundon or Peel safe.

In the end a new coach is going to build his own team, not use assistance from a previous regime

Apparently Roddy Grant is on his way as forwards coach

The Great Aukster wrote:Ulster's most important game this season was Racing at the Kingspan in terms of profile. Second on the list of importance is the game this Friday against Benetton.
If McFarland loses this game he will suffer a major setback to his long term credibility. He simply cannot afford to miss out on the Pro14 playoffs.

Would you take it if you won Europe? Not saying it should be an either/or - but if you won Europe (which is of course is doable) then I think the playoff falloff would be put down to a blip in the resetting of Ulster from the mucho drama of recent years. Indeed, if Ulster got to the European final, I think the Pro14 fall off would be downsized too.

clivemcl wrote:Geoff, the boys on the Ulster Rugby Roundup podcast seem to think Burns and Coetzee unavailable/rested this week.

Lowry at ten maybe? Nelson/Lyttle to start in the backs?

Also suggested it looks like we'll be needing a replacement for Marcel

As I said depends on Coetzee fitness - not heard the results of Mondays scan - would not surprise me if he is out.
Forgot about Rea Snr, he is playing for Ballymena, so must be in the mix
I was told Burns should make it, but only a rumour.
Otherwise I reckon Lowry 10, Ludik 15, Lyttle 11

The Great Aukster wrote:Ulster's most important game this season was Racing at the Kingspan in terms of profile. Second on the list of importance is the game this Friday against Benetton.
If McFarland loses this game he will suffer a major setback to his long term credibility. He simply cannot afford to miss out on the Pro14 playoffs.

If we lose the QF and fail to qualify for the Championship Cup the one racing certainty is McFarland will be as firmly in place next season as he is this.
The days of quick fixes are gone, this is a long term rebuilding project and he is the man for the job

The Great Aukster wrote:There's a rumour that Reid is going to Leciester next season, so probably more money and first team games than he would get at Ulster.

Te Leicester move fell through no?

rodders wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:There's a rumour that Reid is going to Leciester next season, so probably more money and first team games than he would get at Ulster.

Te Leicester move fell through no?

The rumours Leicester way are that we are going to announce some signings in the next couple of weeks before the season ticket renewal and that Reid, Taute and Green are likely to be amongst those.

Given we expect Toomua, Tait, Owen and maybe two others to leave in the summer we need a centre or two.

KOTH dropping a very unsubtle hint the new utility back is indeed Irish

This fits in with what I have been told, that we will be signing no NIQ backs this year

2 euros on O'Brien.

McFadden

Ian Madigan or Zebo trying to get into the RWC squad

Whitten?

Addison's rise into the Ireland squad has been pretty unreal hasn't it? He was pretty much a journey man in the English premiership.

(15-9): M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, L Ludik; B Burns, D Shanahan;
(1-8): A Warwick, R Herring, M Moore, A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell, I Nagle, N Timoney, G Jones;
Replacements (16-23): J Andrew, W Herbst, T O'Toole, M Dalton, C Ross, J Stewart, D Cave, R Lyttle.

Hume instead of Cave
Nagle in the backrow - should have thought of that
Glad O'Sullivan getting a rest
Tom O'Toole covering LH - interesting and to be honest desperate

Collapse2005 wrote:Addison's rise into the Ireland squad has been pretty unreal hasn't it? He was pretty much a journey man in the English premiership.

He was never a journey man.
Had some injure issues but was a class act at Sale, at least to those who understand the game