Ulster 2023/2024 Season

First topic message reminder :

For the good, the bad and the ugly of Ulster rugby this season. Lets hope mostly good.

clivemcl wrote:Was going to say Cooney - but I see you said 'direct'. Fair play. Was Timony not full academy at Leinster? I must confess my knowledge of when exactly certain younger players arrived in our setup is not great!

Timoney played aged for Leinster and gained 8 caps for Ireland's U-20's.
Never offered a place in the full Leinster Academy

What I don't know is the sequence of events:

Either he didn't get a place in the Leinster Academy first and then Ulster/Queens snapped him up
or he choose Queens first and that dictated which Province signed him.

I was just listening to the Red Hand podcast and they were saying that Alan O'Connor is rumoured to be off at the end of the season. I think it would be a huge shame to lose one of our most solid, hard core players with more dog in him than Battersea dogs home.

Saving money for a big name signing?

Personally I would end the contracts of Rea x2, Jones, Curtis, Sexton, Moxham and (sadly) Addison who are stealing a living.
McGrath is only short term I believe and with Wilson bursting through is almost certain to leave.
That should save most of the money.

Re sign Lyttle while the're at it.
We have 4 young Academy players for the back three position who along with Lyttle, and McIlroy, could adequately
provide backup cover for Lowry, Moore, Stockdale and Baloucoune.
Postlewaite is no slouch on the wing either.

The loss of O'Connor would be immense. He isn't international level (as any "big name signing" would have to be) and so is available throughout the season (injuries permitting). In my view he provides a solidity and abrasiveness in the pack that is essential. Sheridan and Izuchukwu are prospects but need that older head to bring them through, and however good any new signing is will they have that "gravitas"?

Having said that who would begrudge him a big pay day to end his career?

I would also agree with your view on contracts Geoff. I particularly couldn't understand why Addison was kept and Lyttle let go.

Afternoon gents, any thoughts on Saturday's match? Any idea who will be winning hearts and minds at Scotstoun?

Afternoon Jimbo and welcome. Firstly I am considering changing my id to "Glass not even half full guy" but it's probably too long.

I am not convinced on the Ulster defence and fear it could be a long evening at Scotstoun. Some of our first up tackling has been poor and I think that could be a trifle embarrassing against Glasgow team that seems pretty good on the attack. That said we have seen some great performances from our youngsters and David McCann's development is very pleasing as last season I feared he had reached a plateau substantially below the hype he was saddled with.

I'm sure many others on here will be more positive about Ulster's chances, but you did ask

Thanks Cloudy Half. Glasgow are in good form and The General seems to plan his season in blocks, so the side will pretty much be what it was against Benneton.
It'll be a 6/2 split.
Hornito and Kennedy are our only fit 9's.
Tom Jordan will start at 10 and it's either Meatball or Thompson as back up. 10 seems to be a blind spot for The General; he hardly stated Miotti, Meatball gets about ten minutes after the hurly burly's done and Lord Lucan puts in more appearances than Ross Thompson. Tom Jordan is our third choice 12 but is holding onto the 10 jersey as if his life depends on it.
I think a home win is most likely but it'll be close either way.

Thanks Jimbo will definitely have to have a think about Cloudy Half, much more succinct

The season has started pretty well for Ulster, much better than I expected (not that my expectations were that high). Even in the loss to Connacht there were a lot of positives. There was a desire and an intensity, including from the youngsters, I was concerned wasn't part of the squads make-up any more.

The team isn't up yet, but there is the possibility of Kitshoff being in the squad which is pretty good news, and hopefully Academy prop Scott Wilson will get another out. He has been pretty good in his 2 short appearances, and while his hair isn't quite as good as Bradley Roberts during his time at Ulster, it could develop as well.

I'm hoping for an open game, the weather last week in Belfast was dreadful and didn't exactly add to the spectacle.

Unclear wrote:Thanks Jimbo will definitely have to have a think about Cloudy Half, much more succinct

The season has started pretty well for Ulster, much better than I expected (not that my expectations were that high).  Even in the loss to Connacht there were a lot of positives.  There was a desire and an intensity, including from the youngsters, I was concerned wasn't part of the squads make-up any more.

The team isn't up yet, but there is the possibility of Kitshoff being in the squad which is pretty good news, and hopefully Academy prop Scott Wilson will get another out.  He has been pretty good in his 2 short appearances, and while his hair isn't quite as good as Bradley Roberts during his time at Ulster, it could develop as well.

I'm hoping for an open game, the weather last week in Belfast was dreadful and didn't exactly add to the spectacle.  

Get out of here, Wilson's hair is far superior, it's a scrum cap mullet that makes Roberts' effort pale in comparison

Wilson does look to be a great prospect though, a name most of us were scratching our heads to only 2 weeks ago. Cult status already.

On the contract discussion, I'd have ejected Moxham and Sexton last year to make room for little Lyttle. I'd like Marcus Rea to be retained as I still see a lot of promise there if they can get him back to his best form but his bro could be gone now and we'd not notice. I do think O'Connor would be one to retain, he's just hard as nails, rarely gets injured and gives 120% every game. Addison can jog on to be honest, he's just a joke of a sick note, something that was known about him when we signed him.

The weather looks to be good for tomorrow so expect a fast paced game. It's Ulster's narrow defence that'll turn you over against Glasgows fast, wide ranging attack. If Ulster can slow Glasgow's ability to get wide they have a chance, if the defence doesn't front up it could get nasty. Tom Jordan will surely be targeted in an effort to interrupt his service.
Dan has to go fully loaded for this one, there are a few 1stXV players that need the game time in the run up to the Champ Cup. He's been rotating and may well send a squad similar to what he sent to Connacht but in my mind we need to be fully loaded for the next 4 games. Then rotate like a spinning top.

You need to manage a young player.

Its only this year McCann is physically and mentally up to playing week in week out.
I suspect Sheridan and Postlewaite wont be not ready for that till next year
Wilson and McLoughlin I suspect are two years away.

Playing Wilson week in week out now could do more harm than good.

Pete I suspect you are right about Marcus Rea - just my frustration at his poor performances so far this year.
Having said that he is 26 so I have to ask will he ever be more than a squad player - I suspect not.

One player I completely forgot about was Shea O'Brien.
He is 24 and needs to make a mark soon

Ulster team up
(15-9) Will Addison, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (C), Harry Sheridan, Reuben Crothers, James McNabney.

Who's McNabney?

That is a young backrow

What do we know about McNabney and Solomon?

Having Marty and Kitshoff will make an impact.

Good looking back line assuming Addison survives till kick off

The Glasgow team is up

Bhatti-Turner-Ragnar Kebble-Scouser-Sordoni
Peterson-Cummings Gray-Big Manjessie
Fagerson-Dempsey-Darge Big Shona

Kennedy-Jordan Afshar-Meatball

Lord Stafford Of MacDowall-Wee Shona
Rowe-McKay-Seba

It's a 6/2 and if Kennedy gets injured we have a very inexperienced 9 on the bench. Mind, he's brimfull of talent.

Looking at his stats McNabney is 6"5 and nearly 17 stone. So big lad started at 6 for the under 20s.
Interesting to see how he goes

McNabney looked good in a pretty handy U20s back row. The headlines went elsewhere, but he showed up well in the games I saw him play. But that looks a very inexperienced Ulster back row up against what could easily be the Scotland trio for the 6Ns, and Matty Rea offers little off the bench.

I hope Addison can complete the game, and it's great to see Marshall back. But there's little in that selection to improve the cloudy outlook.

It may not be Ulster's first choice XV (Dan and that rotation again) but it's far from Glasgow's as well so what our backrow lacks in experience may balance out elsewhere on the field.
Straws firmly clutched at and I'm not remotely ashamed.

Bench for Ulster (not listed above)
Replacements: Zac Solomon, Steven Kitshoff, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Matty Rea, Dave Shanahan, Jake Flannery, Ben Moxham.

McNabney like McLoughlin is very highly thought of young back rower.
We are, at long last, getting a quality stream of young forwards coming through.
Solomon getting a chance in front of McCormick is a strange one.

Delighted Addison is back - fingers crossed
Ditto Marshall
Good Doak not playing. He needs to reset.

Excellent impact off the bench in the front row - the rest not so much


Concerned the extent the new pitch appears to be taking a toll

Absolutely fired into this first 5 mins. Can we keep it up

After 60 odd minutes Balacoun got the ball and I was wondering when he had come on. Except he had started. Glasgow took Ulster on at the power game but also played through the backs whenever it was on: Ulster seemed to have one plan and stuck to it.
It was a cracking game though.

Balacoune really frustrates me. He just hasn't kicked on. Doesn't look for work enough for me.
By the way, what's happened to Lowry? Is he injured?

Yeah the Baloucoune enigma is really frustrating. How can a player with so much talent go missing for so long in matches unless it's in the gameplan for him not to come looking for work which I would find highly odd.
Still, a great start with a less so great ending, we've heard that one before with Ulster but for once I agree with the usual tagline "There's a lot of positives we can take from the performance". I'm nowhere near hitting the Ulster is in Crisis button just yet.

As much as it's gutting to not get the win, I found that game very positive.
Luke Marshall is a brick wall. Maybe not as great as he was as a young lad in attack, but great to have him back in the mix in the centres.
McNabney was fantastic to watch. I thought he looked a real prospect. Only one game, so not going to get ahead of myself. But I noted many many great things he did - some of which the commentators didn't even notice or give him credit for.
He effectively pulled a Glasgow player back from the try line when it looked a certain try.

The negatives - Balacoune and Addison.

We should never have let Little go. And Lowry should absolutely make the starting 15 when he's available.

Pete330v2 wrote:Yeah the Baloucoune enigma is really frustrating. How can a player with so much talent go missing for so long in matches unless it's in the gameplan for him not to come looking for work which I would find highly odd.

That was why Farrell stopped considering him - he simply doesn't go looking for work.

I am starting to wonder if Addison has lost too much and will never get back to his previous level.

The young forwards are a joy to watch.

Since Henderson (Ireland debut 2012) the quality of forwards coming through has been dire but now we have a veritable production line going on.

Timoney, Stewart, O'Toole and O'Sullivan have picked up caps

McCann, Sheridan showing up very well

There are high hopes of Crothers, Wilson, McLoughlin, McNabney

Izzy, Reid,Solomon and Hopes have turned out for the 1sy XV as well
There are also some others, notably props, with a decent chance to make a mark

After so many barren years great to see

The backrow on Saturday were outstanding considering their age and the oppositions backrow. Didn't look out of place at all.

And I think the injuries have caught up with Addison physically and mentally. He's just not the player he was and I will be amazed if he doesn't retire at the end.of.the season. Which is a huge shame as when he was fit he was outstanding. Hope he proves me wrong

But Stockdale seems to be getting better with each game, looking hungry for work, and has the confidence back you need as a winger to back yourself.

Definitely more positives so far this season than I was expecting

Team up:
Ulster: Addison, Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale, Burns, Cooney; Kitshoff, Stewart, O'Toole; O'Connor (capt), Treadwell; Matty Rea, Timoney, McNabney.

Replacements: Andrew, Warwick, Moore, Izuchukwu, Ewers, Doak, Moore, Moxham.

If Sheridan isn't injured then why is Matty Rea's name on that starting XV?
He's a weak link in an otherwise very solid side.

Also start Ewers over Rea. What's the word on Lowry?

Guess with Hcup next, Ewers and Sheridan are being held back a little as a injury in the Backrow and we may have to play Matty Rea in HCup game

Lets call as it is - that was a pile of crap.
No invention, no organisation and, criminally, no desire (reminded me of the QF against Connacht last year)
To make matters worse McFarland has the cheek to blame the training  from the previous week.

Remind me again who is in charge of training

I don't think I mentioned it before but I have come across McFarland once, after a European game.
How should I put it - I didn't take to the man or to put it another way I think he is self serving nasty piece of work.
I despair
Him and Petrie's cluelessness beggar belief.

That was my first game of the season, it will be my last till this bunch of wasters are away.

We have the best bunch of young forwards coming through in well over a decade.
They will come to nothing without a regime change

Just look at our next 6 fixtures.
A defeat against Connacht and we are staring down a barrel

This saving player for Europe is nonsense - if we don't buck our ideas up we will not be in Europe next year.
We have 4 Inter Provincials to come 2 v Leinster, away to Munster and Connacht - anything more than 1 win would be surprising
Two games in South Africa (where we will, almost certainly, be missing players who are in the 6N squad and the Saffers will be at full strength)
Treviso at home - Treviso could be 10 point+ ahead of us in the New year
Leave 3/4 wins against Welsh sides to save us.

If we get 6 more wins we will be doing well.
If its 5 we might not make the top 8.

The new pitch is proving, a I feared, a big mistake - injuries occurring at an unsustainable level.

As predicted at the start of the season 5th to 8th is our level - let hope we, at least, achieve that
There is a part of me that hopes we dont and this triggers the drastic overhaul required both
in terms of Administration and Coaching

My question is if he goes, who would be a reaistic target to bring in?
Would Payne come back, and would he want a head coaches.job?
Would Ruan make a.decent head coach.
Could we borrow O'Connell from Ireland for the season till we appoint someone next year?
Take a massive gamble and convince sexton to come.north?
Who's coaching the Ireland u20s they seem to be doing a good job.

carpet baboon wrote:   My question is if he goes, who would be a reaistic target to bring in?

 
If you pay the money thy will come. Get rid of 3 dead wood players - Jones, Curtis, Matty Rea and add their salaries to McFarlands  - that would get you a top coach

carpet baboon wrote: Would Payne come back, and would he want a head coaches.job?

 
Yes but only as Head Coach  - would be a quality appointment

carpet baboon wrote: Would Ruan make a.decent head coach.

Too early but as a Assistant Coach and a half back specialist. Him and Payne respect each other a lot.
 

carpet baboon wrote: Could we borrow O'Connell from Ireland for the season till we appoint someone next year?

Why would Farrell agree - non starter sadly
 

carpet baboon wrote: Take a massive gamble and convince sexton to come.north?

No way - no experience, Cooney would leave and there would be tension in the dressing room. We have that now we don't want to repeat the problem  

carpet baboon wrote: Who's coaching the Ireland u20s they seem to be doing a good job.

Richie Murphy.  A Leinster man don't know enough about him. They do have Faloon their as assistant coach, I'd get him.

Hard to argue with this post on UAFC

You literally couldn't make this up. All the excuses were dished out last season for sh!tgate in SA, travelgate (Sale) and pitch gate (La Rochelle). Dan gurning about being beaten (again) by the Ladyboyz and uses demographics as an excuse even though Munster won the whole thing and Connacht put us out?? Doesn't make sense. Last few weeks he's been blaming refs and now he's blaming the coaching even though he's the head coach?? Laughable and he's just thrown the rest of the useless coaching ticket under the bus. No way back from here. Let's start hearing some journalists, ex players and commentators asking the real hard questions for once.

Payne, Ruan and Faloon would be a quality set up. We can but dream

Faloon I thought was still Ulster academy as Elite Performance Development Officer with responsibility for coaching forwards, and also called up to coach Under 20s.

Payne I don't think would leave Scarlets, as he is only just there.

KOTH on the other forum metions we can't afford to remove DMcF.

If he has lost the dressing room, well then he has to go. If not I think he is ok, but his coaching team isnt up to it (which sounds like his responsibility tbf, though how much say he has we don't know).

Bell isnt up to it as a defence coach, needs replaced.
Soper has to much on plate, senior coach, specialising in attack, but also when Newby was hired as skills coach it sounded more like he was an apprentice skill Coach with Soper overviewing it.
Grant as forwards coach is doing a good job.

Said before season started that Ideally if we could add an attack coach it would remedy a number of these issues. Mike Blair was looking a move to focus on attack, and was missed, Rob Howley just left Canada rugby and would be ideal. It would take a lot of Soper and allow him to concentrate on what hes good at.

New defense coach would be nice but unlikely. If Ulster Rugby can't afford the changes to coaching ticket, then maybe we should see if we can take out a 1% loan from IRFU like Munster have?

Can't see coaching ticket being overhauled but most value for money for me would come from adding a specialist top attack coach to the ticket, someone like Howley, who would have the experience and respect to step into the top job if required, to ensure DMcF and Soper feel the need to improve performance who would have the authority to call out the lack of attack and return to reliance of rolling maul like on Saturday.

When Leo first struggled IRFU got Hansenbin to advise and then Lancaster (it was not a Cullen appointment) when Foley struggled at Munster Erasmus was brought in a DoR, much to Foleys surprise. So maybe IRFU can help bring in a Howley or someone of equal standing as Attack coach, maybe a defense coach as well.

I would post my true feelings about the match at the weekend but the wording would result in a lifetime ban from the forum and rightfully so.

Pete330v2 wrote:I would post my true feelings about the match at the weekend but the wording would result in a lifetime ban from the forum and rightfully so.

I would say fine sentiments Pete, but after Saturday I can't even work up the enthusiasm to be that annoyed. I have been disappointed in the coaching for quite a while. Most coaches have a limited life span at any team, and I believe McFarland reached the end of his more than a season ago. He did a great job dragging the team back to some form of respectability after the debacle of the previous coaching appointments and the distractions of the Jackson/Olding case. But he reached a plateau and stalled to mix a couple of metaphors.

He has to take some of the blame for the current lack lustre performance of his assistants, but so should the rest of the team management. I have no idea about how the finances might stand or whether or not the IRFU would step in to provide "assistance" in any form. My worry is that neither do the team higher management nor do they have the imagination to come up with a cogent forward plan.

Some of the younger players such as Sheridan, McNabney, McCann, Postlethwaite have shown there is deal of potential that needs to realised, but even with the help of the seasoned veterans they still need the guidance and abilities of a good coaching ticket to ensure that happens.

Definitely a cloudy half (thanks to Jimbo).

\" wrote: Kingshu"]Faloon I thought was still Ulster academy as Elite Performance Development Officer with responsibility for coaching forwards, and also called up to coach Under 20s.  

Even better promotion from within

\" wrote: Payne I don't think would leave Scarlets, as he is only just there.  

I do Head coach at Ulster as opposed to Assistant at Scarlets - no brainer both personally and professionally

\" wrote:  on the other forum metions we can't afford to remove DMcF.

If he has lost the dressing room, well then he has to go. If not I think he is ok, but his coaching team isnt up to it (which sounds like his responsibility tbf, though how much say he has we don't know).  

Bell isnt up to it as a defence coach, needs replaced.
Soper has to much on plate, senior coach, specialising in attack, but also when Newby was hired as skills coach it sounded more like he was an apprentice skill Coach with Soper overviewing it.
Grant as forwards coach is doing a good job.



Said before season started that Ideally if we could add an attack coach it would remedy a number of these issues. Mike Blair was looking a move to focus on attack, and was missed, Rob Howley just left Canada rugby and would be ideal. It would take a lot of Soper and allow him to concentrate on what hes good at.

New defense coach would be nice but unlikely. If Ulster Rugby can't afford the changes to coaching ticket, then maybe we should see if we can take out a 1% loan from IRFU like Munster have?

Can't see coaching ticket being overhauled but most value for money for me would come from adding a specialist top attack coach to the ticket, someone like Howley, who would have the experience and respect to step into the top job if required, to ensure DMcF and Soper feel the need to improve performance who would have the authority to call out the lack of attack and return to reliance of rolling maul like on Saturday.

When Leo first struggled IRFU got Hansenbin to advise and then Lancaster (it was not a Cullen appointment) when Foley struggled at Munster Erasmus was brought in a DoR, much to Foleys surprise. So maybe IRFU can help bring in a Howley or someone of equal standing as Attack coach, maybe a defense coach as well.  

We cant afford not to ditch the coaching ticket.
Regular support is declining - ST's nowhere near close to pre Covid level and lower this year than last
Both ground and shirt sponsorship up for grabs next summer - we will get less for the ground sponsorship

He has lost the dressing room.
Grant apart they are all under performing
A extra attack or defense coach isn't gong to cut it.
it needs a near complete clear out.

It almost certainly wont.

Because we have real talent coming through in the forwards it would be criminal to let this shower be in charge of their development.

The signing of Kitshoff was a terrible waste of the money - top player though he is.

Soper's promotion from skills coach leading to the loss of Payne was the first of many cluster*%$£s committed by the Ulster Rugby establishment. Soper was doing a sterling job at skills and Payne was knocking it out of the park as defence coach. To shake that up in the way they did was utterly brainless, unfortunately as we now know it was just the beginning. The 'jobs for the boys' appointment of Bell who'd proved himself as somewhere between mediocre and ineffective as a coach was the point at which I realised that we were reverting to type and the days of Logan. The performances have now followed and we'll not be long returning to the pre DMF days. The basket case version of Ulster Rugby hasn't gone away you know.
How long can this be maintained before there's a nosedive and we're set in stone as by far the weakest Irish province? That being said, the win v Munster being an anomaly, a game Munster should perhaps have won, maybe we're already there.

I'm seething at the moment, can you tell?

P.S. The only thing that would cheer me up is if the plastic pitch froze solid on saturday week for the Racing game. I would be ROFLing for days.

P.P.S. I just realised that we have a 6 from 6 win record against Bath, 100% win percentage about to fall to 86%

Yer man KOTH on t'other forum has named

Kitshoff, Stewart, Moore, Henderson, Treadwell, Ewers, Timoney, McNabney, Cooney, Burns, Stockdale, McCloskey, Hume, Baloucoune, Moore
Subs - Herring, Warwick, O'Toole, O’Connor, Sheridan, Doak, Flannery, Lowry

As he is usually in the know, that must mean all those guys are fit. It'd be a decent side as long as training has gone well this week.
Let's see if KOTH is right.

He was close. O'Toole O'Connor and Doak are starting

And its Matty Rea on the bench not Sheridan

(15-9) Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (C), Dave Ewers, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Andrew Warwick, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, John Cooney, Jake Flannery, Mike Lowry.

Yeah KOTH wasn't too far off.
I'm surprised we've not started with Herring and Moore but TOT and Stewart with Al and Hendo shoving from behind may do better than they did against Edinburgh. I would have liked to see what a front row of SK, RH and MM would be like but it's not to be just yet.
Cooney must be on the naughty step for showing his frustration at the coaches last week because starting Doak makes no sense to me whatsoever. Unless the training sessions have been so terrific this week and Doak has found out that speed is key

Sheridan must be injured, having Matty Rea on the squad would suggest so.

Otherwise well please with that squad's abilities, I hope beyond hope there is a reaction to last week's no-show and we at least see a performance.

Bath Team:
Bath Rugby: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Elliott Stooke, 5 Charlie Ewels (150), 6 Miles Reid, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Matt Gallagher

Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 GJ van Velze, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22, Orlando Bailey, 23 Will Butt

With Annett on the bench at least there's a chance of an Ulsterman  being on the winning side

Well despite the decent first half, second half pretty much sums up Ulster this year,

I thought Henderson,Hume and Moore had decent games the rest were pretty awful.

The so called International props were totally destroyed - Moore weak, Kitshoff second best, O'Toole utterly useless.
O'Connor, sadly, is looking past his sell buy date.
Timoney has been poor since his come back, McNabney anonymous.
Ewers looked like a busted flush from about 5 mins.

The difference in class at halfback was an embarresment.
McCloskey largely anonymous (all Word Cup attendees bar Hendo have been poor since returning)
Baloucoune- I'm starting to think he doesn't have a rugby brain - slow of thought

Depressing

Please no one come out with trope that we were only 18-15 down with 15 mins to go.
We were second best throughout the match bar 5 mins when we scored two tries (one of which was very good)

For me the Connacht game is huge - loss that and 7/8 defeats in a row are staring us in the face.
Providing our European opponents take the match seriously I simply cannot see us
winning at home to Racing or away to Quins
plus the away game to Leinster in the URC in between

Toulouse at home will not be easy either

Can we call it a crisis yet?

Unclear wrote:Can we call it a crisis yet?

.you weren't already???

I was very critical of our pack in my last post but having considered in the cool light of day it is
probably more of a 2nd row problem than a front row one.

Henderson apart our 2nd rowers are simply not good enough.
O'Connor has gone physically.
Treadwell has proven incapable of stepping up to the mark.
Izzy looks short of sheer power to me.

We have a big problem - we need a 18 1/2 to 19st big beast
Leinster have Baird and McCarthy under 25
Munster have Ahern and Edogbo under 25

We have Izzy who is not developing as he should
He has the skills whats the problem?
The player, the environment, the coaching???
Given the inadequacies of O'Connor and Treadwell he should be getting a lot more game time.
Why not more games at lock for Sheridan?

I also note that for all the improvements of player standards in the Academies - locks (and fly halves) are thin on the ground

Line-ups
Ulster: Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale, Burns, Cooney; Kitshoff, Herring, O'Toole; O'Connor, Henderson (capt); Ewers, Timoney, Matty Rea.

Replacements: Stewart, O'Sullivan, M Moore, Treadwell, Sheridan, Doak, Flannery, S Moore

Racing 92: Spring, Arundell, Fickou, Chavancy, Imhoff, Gibert, Le Garrec; Kolingar, Tarrit, Nyakane; Chouzenoux, Rowlands; Woki, Kolisi, Lauret.

Replacements: Ben Arous, Gogichashvili, Kharaishvili, Sanconnie, Diallo, Baudonne, Tedder, Tabuavou.

Thats is a very good Racing side and the mismatch the in the backrow is frightening

This could get ugly