Ulster Rugby 2018-19

First topic message reminder :

https://www.606v2.com/t68145-ulster-rugby-2017-2018-part-2


Last thread was at risk of self combusting, so started a new one for you. 


Bye.

carpet baboon wrote:I have a strangely good feeling about tonight's match

That feeling has gone now

Bit of a joke yellow for Faddes. His opposite number slipped and there was nothing that could be done.

Have to say I went a bit of a 180 on that game maybe more than once during the watching. In the end, I’m quite positive about the performance from a thrown together team of mostly novices. To get a bonus point and be only 12 point behind is fairly surprising.

Who stood out for you guys?

Moore of this please.

https://mobile.twitter.com/UlsterRugby/status/1208371269944647680?s=19

Any news on Curtis?

Curtis is out with an ACL injury - Ulster seem to have almost a player per year who is out long term.

Team for Connacht:
(15-9) Will Addison, Robert Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Louis Ludik, Billy Burns, John Cooney;
(1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring (Capt), Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: Adam McBurney, Kyle McCall, Tom O’Toole, David O’Connor, Nick Timoney, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Craig Gilroy.

Neck roll there should have been a penalty to Ulster. Someone is going to have to explain to me why the hit on Coetzee earlier was not a penalty and minimum yellow card. It was very clearly a high hit and now the big man is off for an HIA

Looked like an accidental clash of heads to me. Paddy Mac had to leave the field shortly after as well.

Some great performances mixed with some mediocre stuff. Now Rory is gone, both the lineout and scrum are suffering. Matty Rea had his best game and Reidy deserved MOTM. Baloucoune really looking the part but hope Ludik isn't badly hurt.
Addison is some player when fit.

I'm impressed with Baloucoune. His defence is looking very good and he looks like he's put on some size without it effecting his pace.

When Lowery back?

The Great Aukster wrote:Looked like an accidental clash of heads to me. Paddy Mac had to leave the field shortly after as well.

The head clash was accidental but the tackle was high and no arms and I will be very surprised if he isn't banned for it

Given some of the recent bans, I wouldn't be surprised if Coetzee is banned as well!

To claim a mark, a player must:

Have at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line when catching the ball or when landing having caught it in the air; and
Catch a ball that has reached the plane of the 22-metre line directly from an opponent’s kick before it touches the ground or another player; and
Simultaneously call “mark”.

This referee must have a really different view of what the word simultaneously means than I do

This is a cracking match. Ulster on high testosterone hammering into Munster. Wildly partisan crowd, lots of booing for the oppo and every perceived slight and cheering for any Ulster pass and tackle that shows up Munster.

Bonus point for Ulster now 31-10. 20 minutes to go.

Ulster very impressive tonight, BP in the bag and Munster hardly in the game.

Second place in their conference is in the bag now, Munster going to have to scrap to win theirs!

And just to cap off the night, Stockdale intercepts and runs 50m to score.

This is a thorough spanking. 38-10.

Fair play. Munster take a lineout maul and drive over. Carbery converts.

38-17. 66 mins.

Like the look of Munster’s Shane Daly - lively lad. And O’Donoghue continues to impress in the back row.

And that’s it. A proper smacking by Ulster. Munster home with tail between legs.

Have Ulster fans abandoned 606?
This thread used to be a constant, ongoing conversation/debate.

WHERE IS EVERYONE?????

I mean there's a bit of a game on at the weekend.

Pete330v2 wrote:Have Ulster fans abandoned 606?
This thread used to be a constant, ongoing conversation/debate.

WHERE IS EVERYONE?????

I mean there's a bit of a game on at the weekend.

I'm here

carpet baboon wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:Have Ulster fans abandoned 606?
This thread used to be a constant, ongoing conversation/debate.

WHERE IS EVERYONE?????

I mean there's a bit of a game on at the weekend.

I'm here

Well here's for the both of us then

(15-9) Will Addison, Robert Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney.
(1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Sean Reidy, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Rea, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Matt Faddes.

Can't see Ulster getting anything here but don't have too much concerns about reaching the QF given how we are playing.

A bonus point, or two, would be good but as long as we continue to play good rugby that is the main thing.

Agreed, a try bonus point along with a losing bonus point isn't out of the question but it takes something very special to get anything else at the Marcel Michelin. A good performance would be enough for me, anything additional would be a great bonus.

Yeah I just don't want us to drop below the current high standards we are hitting recently, if we play as we have been we will give them a good game.

A win isn't out of the question but it is a big ask. A home QF would be fantastic but I wouldn't be too critical if we just miss out, clearly we have made good progress this season already from last year.

Clermont team:
(1-8)Falgoux, Ulugia, Slimani
Jedrasiak, Vahaamahina
itturia, Lapandry, Lee
(9-15) Parra, Lopez
Raka, Moala, Toeava, Penaud
Abendanon
Bench: Behergaray, Uhila, Falatea, Timani, Fischer, Laidlaw, McIntyre

Only 2 Clermentois in the French training squad- Fischer and Penaud. Means the rest of the Internationals have only club rugby to focus on. Should be a cracking game.

Alright, ya filthy Ulster animals.

Just re-watched the Munster game to get the juices going.

Some massively Ulster-centric observations:

1) McCloskey. Obviously. But his pass to Marshall from the ruck for Baloucoune's try... His dummy off-load - have I ever actually seen a dummy off-load followed by a real off-load...? Beautiful...
2) Reidy was markedly better than JOD. Given the season he's had, maybe Reidy should feel more aggrieved than JOD to be left out of the "stocktake"
3) worries about Jacob under the high ball. Great defence, did not deal well with the bombs
4) Marty Moore is mustard in the breakdown. Genuinely brilliant
5) Unless Jack McGrath has come up to Ulster specifically because he loves Matty Rea, he has bought into the team
6) speaking of which, Matty Rea is no tyro, but improving and improving... Might be as important as Henry in the future
7) Henderson is a really smart, fast player, and a good captain
8) Yay

I think we will sneak this game.

Balacoune will get the winning score

Good start

Very good start

Cooney has to be the starter for the 6 Nations. It may or may not work out but he is passing every test given him.

Need to get another score before halftime

Good half but we needed to convert More of our chances.
Some great scramble defence shown from the back 3

Marty Moore has been brilliant

Ulster made a very good start but have allowed Clermont to come back into the game and they finished the half the stronger team. It is going to take a huge effort to get the momentum back. Still I expect that Ulster would have taken a half time lead if had been offered to them prior to the match, still all to play for.

Raka is just devastating when he has the ball though, he leaves a trail of bodies behind him whenever he runs!

Good game. Clermont have come back into it strongly and Ulster defended well to prevent a try and the lead being conceeded.

Still have the impression that Ulster backline could do more damage if they more supply of ball.

Be good to see Ulster come away with the win, they’re looking very good this year.

Cooney being targeted big time to put him off his game. Another penalty. And the lead for Clermont. But he misses.

Ulster scrum got completely mashed there!

This one is close!

Just made it, by a blade of grass!

Most people gave Ulster no chance before the game so doing better than expected.

Ulster seem to have grit in them this year. If it's tight near the end Ulster could get it done.

Ulster have definitely upped their game the past few mins and are having a real go now, it is still there to be won this game

That was a hospital pass!

Good effort from Ulster, but Clermont is a tough place to play, not even a BP now. They should still qualify though, it is in their own hands

Well we didn't make our opportunities count in the first 30 mins. Clermont just upped it in the second half and didn't waste any chances they got.
Good game

Great defensive effort from Ulster but Clermont, unlike normal, were dominant in the second half . Their pack was immense, typified by Vahaamahinas last minute tackle on Bacaloune.
But great effort from Ulster to avoid giving away the bonus point.

Seen an article that referenced some criticism that Ulster turned down the three points on a few occasions.
I’ll be honest, I feel it’s the opposite. A team taking every chance at 3 points sends a message if ‘we are lucky to get any points we can’, whereas I feel this new Ulster is learning to be a team with belief that back themselves 100% and believes they can win games on rugby playing merit rather than by capitalising on the opposition giving away penalties.

No, for me I feel the error might have been in the first few minutes. Ulster were dominating and found themselves in the Clermont 22 with relative ease. Then given a penalty they opted to get the scoreboard going rather than going for the line out and drive.

These past few months we’ve seen Ulster back themselves, and on this occasion I felt they should have. A try at that point would have really cemented their initial dominance, put some fear into Clermont and really fired up the team.

I think Ulster got white line fever a few times early on, when one or 2 more passes would have got a try they took the contact and tried to go themselves, its a lesson in being more clinical and coaching that kind of problem out of the team.
However going to Clermont, one of the most vociferous stadiums in all of Europe and not being fazed by it is a great sign for the team.
Addison being replaced with Faddes didn't help, his hospital pass to Marshall was a pretty good sum up of his time at Ulster so far.