The mighty Glasgow Warriors vs Ulster boo-boys, Friday 17th May

But they were chanting Boo-urns!

While the game is still two weeks away, there’s a nice rivalry between these two sides (partially because our supposed rival Edinburgh are complete pish. It’s like arguing there’s a rivalry between Leeds United and Guiseley) so a good opportunity to get in some light-hearted abuse discussion.

Fine print: in the unlikely event that Glasgow don’t sweep Ulster aside and fail to go onto their coronation as two time champions in that dump in the East end, I do hope you pump Leinster or Munster in the final.

No problem though, Glasgow by 27 again for the second time in a month. Niko to do his best Tom Daley impression again and bravely win the penalty that leads to the first try.

Why: Pro14 Semi-final 1
Where: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
When: Friday 17th May, 19:35 KO

Boooooooooooooooooooooooo

Booooooooooooo as well

I watched the Ulster game yesterday and thought they were thought the Red hand Gang were pretty much in control for most of the match. However, the constant smash it up the middle may not be as successful against Glasgow's defence. Also, the Craggy Islanders struggled to get round your rush defence; I think Glasgow are capable of doing that. See Sam Johnson's try against the Luvvies.


Marshall had a decent game at 12 but looked in a bad way when he came off, while Cave looked to have "tweaked" his knee shortly after coming on. Who would play 12 at Scotstoun if they are both cream crackered?


I think it'll be a good match. I remember the last semi; I was on the Feckless Rogue's Stag weekend to Bournemouth and made everyone watch it in a pub which had Sky Sports. By the end there were a lot of Essex accents chanting, "We Ah Wawwiahs, We ahh Wawwiahs" much to the bemusement of the locals.

I also, thought a lot of Ulster's go forward momentum stemmed from Henderson at 4. I think Ickle Jonny may have him in his back pocket by half time.

Love me Ulster brothers - should be an excellent game.

Are you lads confident going into this one?

I think this is going to be a tricky old game for Glasgow. There are a few players in that Ulster side and more than a few fans who will want to settle the score from the semi a few years back.

It is also your turn to stop us from playing in a home final, which these days, may well become a once in a career opporunity.

I think Glasgow have the stronger team on paper but in a one off knockout game, that kind of form really does not count for that much. The pressure will all be on Glasgow this time. Ulster have had a good season, a lot better than was predicted for them, not least of all by their own fans at the begining of the year and really don't have all that much to lose.

It should be a great game.

BigGee hitting the conciliatory notes early as we’re two weeks out but he’ll be spitting venom on match day

Jimbo, Marshall played at 13.

This season was supposed to be all about rebuilding. New head coach, ten academy players getting their debuts, players deemed not good enough simply shipped on mid-season, new CEO. Didn't expect anything at this end of the season. So all this is just Brucey bonus territory.

Not confident - just delighted and amazed we're here. But we actually look like we're being coached, which we didn't under Kiss.

If we play like we did in the Euro quarterfinal, I'd say we'll win.

Don Alfonso wrote:Jimbo, Marshall played at 13.

This season was supposed to be all about rebuilding. New head coach, ten academy players getting their debuts, players deemed not good enough simply shipped on mid-season, new CEO. Didn't expect anything at this end of the season. So all this is just Brucey bonus territory.

Not confident - just delighted and amazed we're here. But we actually look like we're being coached, which we didn't under Kiss.

If we play like we did in the Euro quarterfinal, I'd say we'll win.

I think that probably sums up nicely where Ulster are. If they are just happy to have made it this far, then they won't win, if they truely believe that they can beat Glasgow, then they could win!

Luckily for us, I think that is where that big defeat a few weeks ago may just help us as it may have seeded some doubts in the Ulster minds.

Like all Scottish fans though, i always worry when we are favourites to win!

BigGee wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Jimbo, Marshall played at 13.

This season was supposed to be all about rebuilding. New head coach, ten academy players getting their debuts, players deemed not good enough simply shipped on mid-season, new CEO. Didn't expect anything at this end of the season. So all this is just Brucey bonus territory.

Not confident - just delighted and amazed we're here. But we actually look like we're being coached, which we didn't under Kiss.

If we play like we did in the Euro quarterfinal, I'd say we'll win.

I think that probably sums up nicely where Ulster are. If they are just happy to have made it this far, then they won't win, if they truely believe that they can beat Glasgow, then they could win!

Luckily for us, I think that is where that big defeat a few weeks ago may just help us as it may have seeded some doubts in the Ulster minds.

Like all Scottish fans though, i always worry when we are favourites to win!

I think that's the fans' attitude. I don't think that's the attitude of the coaches or the players.

Don Alfonso wrote:

BigGee wrote:

Don Alfonso wrote:Jimbo, Marshall played at 13.

This season was supposed to be all about rebuilding. New head coach, ten academy players getting their debuts, players deemed not good enough simply shipped on mid-season, new CEO. Didn't expect anything at this end of the season. So all this is just Brucey bonus territory.

Not confident - just delighted and amazed we're here. But we actually look like we're being coached, which we didn't under Kiss.

If we play like we did in the Euro quarterfinal, I'd say we'll win.

I think that probably sums up nicely where Ulster are. If they are just happy to have made it this far, then they won't win, if they truely believe that they can beat Glasgow, then they could win!

Luckily for us, I think that is where that big defeat a few weeks ago may just help us as it may have seeded some doubts in the Ulster minds.

Like all Scottish fans though, i always worry when we are favourites to win!

I think that's the fans' attitude. I don't think that's the attitude of the coaches or the players.

Agreed, they would love to put one over us! Especially the coach!

Thanks for enlightening me, Don A.

But do you think either Marshall or Cave looked like they'd be fit for the semi? Personally, I didn't think Cave looked fit when he came on yesterday; shades of Mark Bennett in the last game of the season: a bad knee ligament injury that hadn't recuperated fully and "ping" it went.

I have a feeling we may see BigBadBob wearing 4 for the Warriors, in order to squeeze Batman and Cully in as flankers, and him against Henderson would be worth the price of admission on its own.

Marshall looked like he'd taken a kicking. Cave will have to start if Marshall's out. Addison, Ludik and Hume are all injured.

So we'll have Seaman running hard at One-legged Cave for 50 minutes or so and then Not A Pony running round him.

Has to be said, there's no fans more "try hard" with the aul' nicknames than Glesga fans...

Ah see, but already you've been dragged into the demotic authentic blarney-speak to try and keep your end up. By the time two weeks have passed your thought process will be a state of chassis, utter chassis.

And we all know that by a process of osmosis the Ulster players will be so confused that we'll beat them. Probably by about 27 points. Again.

If Stockdale is fit we could move him to 13. Him and big stu would be a handful

Might be necessary...

Think he's the only fit back who has played 13

Can't see a huge amount of changes from a Glasgow perspective.

A wild stab at a 23:
1. B-Hat*
2. Scotland's #2
3. Ragnar
4. Jonny
5. The Ginger Tackle Monster
6. Batman
7. The Mullet (deserves his place. Absolutely smashed Edinburgh's so called world class backrow last week)
8. Ragnar's brother
9. Aldi
10. Haircut
11. Tennessee
12. Sam-Sam the Hotstepping Man
13. Seaman Steyn
14. Niko
15. Hoggy

16. Grant Stewart
17. Alec
18. Mr Darcy
19. Scott Cummings, Heir to Jonny
20. Cully
21. Horne the Better
22. Horne the Sh*tter
23. Pony

*If the Durban Penalty Machine is fit he may get a look in on the bench, but Bhatti is playing pretty well. Could also see Gibbins take the 7 jersey with Tom Gordon going on the bench but it would be pretty harsh on the lad

Eejit, hush now. Hush. You'll just make Don Alfonso well jell on account of their so impoverished out there in the provinces that they can't afford nicknames.

Here, did we ever come up with one for Grant Stewart, I was racking what's left of my brains to think of it.

Eejit wrote:Here, did we ever come up with one for Grant Stewart, I was racking what's left of my brains to think of it.

He's only 24, so I was going to plump for Student Grant.

George Carlin wrote:

Eejit wrote:Here, did we ever come up with one for Grant Stewart, I was racking what's left of my brains to think of it.

He's only 24, so I was going to plump for Student Grant.

Mind George, you're showing your age if you can remember those halcyon days when students actually received grants.

jimbopip wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

Eejit wrote:Here, did we ever come up with one for Grant Stewart, I was racking what's left of my brains to think of it.

He's only 24, so I was going to plump for Student Grant.

Mind George, you're showing your age if you can remember those halcyon days when students actually received grants.

Turned 42 yesterday. Jaysus on a Vespa, that's old.

A very merry unbirthday to you.

What's the capacity at Scotstoun?

Don, it's about 7,800 but they increase it to 10,000 for big games.

Not sure this counts as a big game as it should be an easy win, eh.

jimbopip wrote:Don, it's about 7,800 but they increase it to 10,000 for big games.

Cool. All you need is eight and a half thousand Ulster fans and it's a sell-out.

I’m sure we’ll be able to hear all their booing clearly enough from across the Irish Sea.

Eejit wash your mouth out. We're not playing the Luvvies.

Though, in all fairness I do think we have an excellent chance of making the final.

Obviously Ulster are a bigger challenge than the perfumed ones from the east as they are a rugby club rather than an interpretive dance team.

Eejit wrote:I’m sure we’ll be able to hear all their booing clearly enough from across the Irish Sea.

True. And also probably a pin drop. Or someone clearing their throat in Bathgate.

Eejit wrote:Obviously Ulster are a bigger challenge than the perfumed ones from the east as they are a rugby club rather than an interpretive dance team.

This is genuinely the post of the month for me.

George Carlin wrote:

Eejit wrote:Obviously Ulster are a bigger challenge than the perfumed ones from the east as they are a rugby club rather than an interpretive dance team.

This is genuinely the post of the month for me.

Do I win a prize?

Eejit wrote:

George Carlin wrote:

Eejit wrote:Obviously Ulster are a bigger challenge than the perfumed ones from the east as they are a rugby club rather than an interpretive dance team.

This is genuinely the post of the month for me.

Do I win a prize?

An annual subscription to Interpretive dance monthly, some face cream, fake tan, hair gel and a blow drier (all donated by Ali Price and Adam Hastings)

Sounds like the practice hit out with Ospreys has fallen through.

DR says they are still looking for a game, but not sure who with?

That is a shame as I think they could do with a hit out!

Glasgow fans seem pretty confident and I guess have home advantage but this could easily go the way of Ulster, seeing how they performed against Edinburgh, who seem to generally outplay Glasgow apart from the recent debacle when it was just not Edinburgh's night. Could not really see more than 4 from Glasgow getting in the combined team even now.

bico wrote:Glasgow fans seem pretty confident and I guess have home advantage but this could easily go the way of Ulster, seeing how they performed against Edinburgh, who seem to generally outplay Glasgow apart from the recent debacle when it was just not Edinburgh's night. Could not really see more than 4 from Glasgow getting in the combined team even now.

It was not Edinburgh night Bico, as Glasgow turned up this time and gave it their full focus!

Still in terms of games against Edinburgh, this is not going to give us to much of a clue as to how the result might pan out as both Ulster and Glasgow gave you a good kicking. Hard to say really who kicked you the hardest!

Unfortunately probably ourselves.

I wouldn't say that all Glasgow fans are confident - I'm not, really.

Glasgow had to beat Edinburgh and they did so comfortably because they were able to establish momentum and Glasgow are a momentum team. If they can get in front and have time on the ball, they are hard to stop. However, as Saracens showed, if you can stop Glasgow having time on the ball, they will struggle, particularly on heavy pitches and in bad weather.

Ulster have far too much quality to not compete throughout. Glasgow just needs to keep its collective head. It might be the last game for one of Glasgow's favourite sons (Stuart Hogg) and the players are desperate to atone for tanking in Europe yet again. That emotion is well and good and can certainly be used but if the whole team is not patient, they will make mistakes. We need Mr Gibbons on the pitch to calm everyone down and not Mrs Gibbons, who will rile everyone up.

George, I hate to disagree without you, but you are ever so slightly completely wrong here.

In the play-offs if all other things are equal then home advantage usually tips the balance. All other things are not equal. Glasgow came out top of the Pro-14 this season because they won more games and collected more WBP's than anyone else.Leinster's form dropped through the floor once they had secured a home semi, probably because they are more focussed on Europe then the 1922 committee, but Ulster have not performed at Glasgow's level of consistency over the whole season.

Glasgow's recent performances have shown that they don't need to "get in front and have time on the ball". Against the Ladyboys and the Luvvies we had the minority of possession and territory but won. Glasgow's defensive systems, and the player's faith in them, are immeasurably better than last season.
Similarly, in attack there is nowhere near as much "running around with their hair on fire". DR has argued that Haircut is potentially a better 10 than Dancer because he is able to be patient and keep applying pressure rather than trying the miracle ball after three phases (or looking to pull a rabbit out of his backside, in Renniespeak). Haircut has put more linebreaking passes to his teammates (14) than any other 10 in the league.
In short, Glasgow can, and will, stand up to Ulster's attack. Glasgow will be a lot more clinical and smart in attack than previously.

We are the form team, actually ....as I was composing this sentence I remembered being in the scout hut before a match against Ulster and the DJ type person was interviewing The Legend That Is Simone Favaro,

"What should we fear about this Ulster side then Simone?"

" Fear! Fear! We are at home. We are Glasgow. We fear no-one. WE ARE WARRIORS!"

The place went ballistic when he said that.

Ulster will compete till the end. But I think we are too strong from 1-15. Glasgow to win, just.

BigGee wrote:Sounds like the practice hit out with Ospreys has fallen through.

DR says they are still looking for a game, but not sure who with?

That is a shame as I think they could do with a hit out!

Are the Edinburgh boys away on holiday? Would the SRU think about deploying them against Glasgow to give yo ua bit of a warm up?

It would do you good unless we do an Edinburgh and beat you (for the 9th time out of 12 games)

I think the Edinburgh boys were away on holiday even before the last time they played the mighty warriors!

No disrespect, but we were looking for a serious hit out!

BigGee wrote:I think the Edinburgh boys were away on holiday even before the last time they played the mighty warriors!

No disrespect, but we were looking for a serious hit out!

Touché

another game against the property rugby team of Scotland would set you up nicely. It's also currently 2 -1 to Edinburgh for the season. Wouldn’t you like a chance to even things up? Or are you too frightened it would go 3 - 1 to Edinburgh and dent your confidence going into the semi?

tigertattie wrote:

BigGee wrote:I think the Edinburgh boys were away on holiday even before the last time they played the mighty warriors!

No disrespect, but we were looking for a serious hit out!

Touché

another game against the property rugby team of Scotland would set you up nicely. It's also currently 2 -1 to Edinburgh for the season. Wouldn’t you like a chance to even things up? Or are you too frightened it would go 3 - 1 to Edinburgh and dent your confidence going into the semi?

Would the property team of Scottish rugby bet their mortgages on it?

Edinburgh's main team was shattered by the time they got to the Glasgow game. A team that could do with some gametime

Sutherland - Cherry/Ford - McCallum (Marfo - ? - Ceccarelli)
McKenzie - Hunter-Hill (loan them Sykes?)
Crosbie - Bradbury - Hamilton (Miller)

Kennedy - Baggott (Fowles - Hickey)
Socino - Scott (Taylor)
Fife - Brown - Hoyland

BigGee wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

BigGee wrote:I think the Edinburgh boys were away on holiday even before the last time they played the mighty warriors!

No disrespect, but we were looking for a serious hit out!

Touché

another game against the property rugby team of Scotland would set you up nicely. It's also currently 2 -1 to Edinburgh for the season. Wouldn’t you like a chance to even things up? Or are you too frightened it would go 3 - 1 to Edinburgh and dent your confidence going into the semi?

Would the property team of Scottish rugby bet their mortgages on it?

Hazel Sapling wrote:

BigGee wrote:

tigertattie wrote:

BigGee wrote:I think the Edinburgh boys were away on holiday even before the last time they played the mighty warriors!

No disrespect, but we were looking for a serious hit out!

Touché

another game against the property rugby team of Scotland would set you up nicely. It's also currently 2 -1 to Edinburgh for the season. Wouldn’t you like a chance to even things up? Or are you too frightened it would go 3 - 1 to Edinburgh and dent your confidence going into the semi?

Would the property team of Scottish rugby bet their mortgages on it?

typo. But yet true. Edinburgh Rugby live in a stadium owned by the SRU and we're moving into our own little SRU owned stadium one day.

Glasgow just rent thier home. Well I say rent, you're probably on housing benefit which covers things