Ulster Thread 2012-13

[mikerob]

Conor Carey who was a TH prop in Ulster's academy has just left and joined Ealing (who will be in the Championship next season) so because this is a one year development deal, it just looks like a replacement for him.

But I'd agree with you that all the other THs in the Ulster squad are a step-down from Afoa and I can't see Ulster getting another NIQ TH after Afoa goes.

[Oldschool]

Commiserations but well fought and perhaps a tad unlucky to boot.
The scoreline was tight and so was the game.
Also by and large a game played in good spirit with very little hand bagging involved.

[Lar]

Have to say I agreed with Anscombe after the game. Ulster proved they are equal in standard to Leinster this season in terms of the general standard of play. However there is one crucial difference and it proved to be the difference between the sides on Saturday, and that is Leinster's ability to win tight matches when the chips are down. When Ulster learn that they will start to win trophies.

[Logorrhea]

Have to say I agreed with Anscombe after the game. Ulster proved they are equal in standard to Leinster this season in terms of the general standard of play. However there is one crucial difference and it proved to be the difference between the sides on Saturday, and that is Leinster's ability to win tight matches when the chips are down. When Ulster learn that they will start to win trophies.

They are indeed equal to a Leinster team missing Darcy, O'Brien, Fitzgerald, Kearney and Reddan.

Agree though, they need to cultivate the mental strength that separates the good form the very good, but hopefully that'll come for them.

[simonokeeffe]

they have to stop being totally reliant on Pienaar too

and swap Bowe and Trimble back to their usual wings

[hugonaut]

they have to stop being totally reliant on Pienaar too

and swap Bowe and Trimble back to their usual wings

I think that will come in time ... or sooner if Pienaar isn't allowed a third contract and a fifth year after the end of next season!

I thought Jackson had a good game in terms of providing an individual running threat and taking the ball closer to the Leinster defensive line, and just playing flatter and with more pace in general. A big improvement in his game there from the Saracens quarter-final and the Italian match. That was the best I've seen him play, certainly as an attacking threat. I'm not too pushed about the place-kicking. I think that it'll come in time and that it's more used as a stick to beat him with than a legitimate gripe when people are talking about Ulster [rather than Ireland], because obviously Pienaar's a good kicker. I'm far more concerned with his propensity to lose confidence and stand deeper and deeper in games that are going against him.

A lot of people [Munster fans in general, it should be said] were saying that Madigan couldn't place-kick last season, when Sexton, McFadden and Nacewa were all taking kicks ahead of him for Leinster; Leinster fans proclaimed that he was being eased into it and were proved right in spectacular fashion this season, when he bagged the trifecta of the highest kicking percentage, the most successful kicks and the most points in the Pro12. I'm not saying that Jackson is going to do the same next season, but we saw against France in Lansdowne Road that the lad can kick the ball well on his good days.

If I were in Mark Anscombe's position, I'd seriously look at trying Tommy Bowe as a No13 next season for a good few reasons:
a] get him the ball more often and make him a more central figure in the Ulster team
b] add years on to his career: Rougerie was exclusively a winger for France until the end of the 2009-10 season, and when he turned 30 at the beginning of the next season, he was picked – with one exception in nineteen test starts over the next three seasons – exclusively as a centre
c] get as many weapons as possible on the pitch [i.e. have Gilroy and Trimble on the wings]

I'm not going to labour the point, because I've said it here a couple of times before, but I don't particularly rate Darren Cave at the top end of competition. I think he's a good footballer and a nice chap [from pretty much every interview I've seen or read from him], but he struggles to make an impact in big games, and I don't see how that's going to change if it hasn't already. He wasn't a factor at all on Saturday and he was absolutely AWOL in the Saracens QF.

[simonokeeffe]

they have to take the training wheels off Jackson at some point

kicking becomes less of an issue with him assuredly behind Sexton and Madigan for Ireland. Anscombe said they wanted Pienaar kicking as the more he kicked the better his rhythm got and success rate which was important to their tactic of taking 60m penalties

I like the Bowe to 13 as well as its position vacant for Ireland for RWC 15 plus Ulster and indeed us plush for good wingers. Cave is great defensively but IMO doesnt have the pace or offloading game to trouble teams at sharp end of HC/Internationals

[Oldschool]

The issue about Jackson is not his kicking. Dekko managed to divert attention onto his kicking and away from the rest of his game.
The rest of his game at the time he was capped was not of international standard and until it is, it doesn't matter how good or bad his kicking is.
He was capped too soon and now he should be allowed to develop his game properly under primarily Anscombe with some input from Joe.
Anscombe himself said he wasn't ready and that should have been enough for Dekko and the rest of us.
Against us he had a solid game, showed some flashes of creativity and is definitely moving in the right direction but Dekko and his faux pauxs should be left firmly in the past. Ultimately Joe will decide if and when he's ready and Joe usually gets this sort of thing right.
Tommy Bowe is probably capable of playing any of the back positions bar SH and OH and a run in the 13 jersey is something Joe should request from Anscombe.
Jared Payne is another super footballer and over the next year he should be looked at for both centre positions with Ulster before he becomes Irish qualified.
The potential in the Ulster backline is awesome and if Jackson continues to improve then they are going to be a real hand full next season.

[simonokeeffe]

love Payne as fullback, not sure if he has the wheels for 13 though at international level

[blockhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG3ci5pYE8o

Great little vid. Any chance we did something like this?

[UlsterMan]

Haven't been on here in a while (maybe sulking after the Pro12 final but I've slowly got over that ) but I thought I'd answer a few questions you've brought up.

Jackson goal-kicking - will happen more often next season I would expect. He'll probably do most of it in pre-season (sharing with McKinney depending who's on the pitch) and expect him to do it in lesser Rabo games. In big games though I would still expect Pienaar to be kicking. As for him playing too deep, that only happened under Kidney for Ireland, he's always played attacking the line for Ulster. Unfortunately, Kidders has messed with his head and it's affected him for Ulster too. MA likes Jacko attacking the line, which is what he does for us.

Bowe to 13 - won't happen. Instead, you'll get Payne at 13 more often, he's being lined up as BOD's direct replacement for Ireland. His main position will still be full-back, but expect to see Jared playing centre a lot next season under IRFU directive. Young Peter Nelson is a great talent at full-back so he'll get a bit of experience there. Cave is one of the most underrated centres in Ireland though, he does great work in the defensive line and does make the occasional break. However you're all correct, he does go AWOL in big matches and that will have to change. But next season, Bowe will definitely stay on the wing and Payne will play 13 instead.

[Oldschool]

Haven't been on here in a while (maybe sulking after the Pro12 final but I've slowly got over that ) but I thought I'd answer a few questions you've brought up.

Jackson goal-kicking - will happen more often next season I would expect. He'll probably do most of it in pre-season (sharing with McKinney depending who's on the pitch) and expect him to do it in lesser Rabo games. In big games though I would still expect Pienaar to be kicking. As for him playing too deep, that only happened under Kidney for Ireland, he's always played attacking the line for Ulster. Unfortunately, Kidders has messed with his head and it's affected him for Ulster too. MA likes Jacko attacking the line, which is what he does for us.

Bowe to 13 - won't happen. Instead, you'll get Payne at 13 more often, he's being lined up as BOD's direct replacement for Ireland. His main position will still be full-back, but expect to see Jared playing centre a lot next season under IRFU directive. Young Peter Nelson is a great talent at full-back so he'll get a bit of experience there. Cave is one of the most underrated centres in Ireland though, he does great work in the defensive line and does make the occasional break. However you're all correct, he does go AWOL in big matches and that will have to change. But next season, Bowe will definitely stay on the wing and Payne will play 13 instead.

Pretty on the ball assessment UM, hard to argue with any of it TBH.

[simonokeeffe]

Haven't been on here in a while (maybe sulking after the Pro12 final but I've slowly got over that ) but I thought I'd answer a few questions you've brought up.

Jackson goal-kicking - will happen more often next season I would expect. He'll probably do most of it in pre-season (sharing with McKinney depending who's on the pitch) and expect him to do it in lesser Rabo games. In big games though I would still expect Pienaar to be kicking. As for him playing too deep, that only happened under Kidney for Ireland, he's always played attacking the line for Ulster. Unfortunately, Kidders has messed with his head and it's affected him for Ulster too. MA likes Jacko attacking the line, which is what he does for us.

Bowe to 13 - won't happen. Instead, you'll get Payne at 13 more often, he's being lined up as BOD's direct replacement for Ireland. His main position will still be full-back, but expect to see Jared playing centre a lot next season under IRFU directive. Young Peter Nelson is a great talent at full-back so he'll get a bit of experience there. Cave is one of the most underrated centres in Ireland though, he does great work in the defensive line and does make the occasional break. However you're all correct, he does go AWOL in big matches and that will have to change. But next season, Bowe will definitely stay on the wing and Payne will play 13 instead.

has Payne got the wheels for 13 though (since the injury)?
impression I got from our friends in the North was he went much better at FB

Payne vacates 15 shirt then youve the problem of filling it, unless Olding can cover there too
love Gilroy but dont think he has kicking game for it and Adam darcy is clanger prone

seems to be more top class wing cover to me

[ceemec]

I think we'll see him at 13 a bit. He's the only one that's impressed me as a potential replacement for BOD. That's not a slur on Cave and EOM, just that he's the only one with the requisite level of class and he has significant experience in the role. It also allows us get our best players on the field in himself and RK. So, I think we'll see him at 13 a bit, alright.

Olding can play 15, alright. He lined out there in the U20 6N. I would like to see a back line at some point of: Pienaar, Jackson, Gilroy, Marshall, Payne, Bowe, Olding. Harsh on Trimble and Cave (extremely harsh on Trimble, actually) but would be an intriguing line.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I see Pienaar is on the bench for the Italy game, when is this guy going to get a proper break? Surely they could spare him until the championship starts?

[simonokeeffe]

I see Pienaar is on the bench for the Italy game, when is this guy going to get a proper break? Surely they could spare him until the championship starts?

he must be tired from carrying Paddy Jackson

[Windeos]

Just thought i'd make a quick post to show anyone interested in the progress of the Ravenhill rebuild.

The two end stands are looking great, should be a cracking stadium once the new main stand is rebuilt. Can't wait to see the stadium completely finished.

Here's the Aquinas end stand starting to look more like the finished product below. You can see the terrace getting redone on the big stand at the bottom on the image and the terrace in front of the Aquinas being put in as well. I love the fact we are putting terrace right around the pitch, nice and close for maximum noise with all seated stands behind:

[hugonaut]

Looks great! Are you working on this?

[Oldschool]

Looks great! Are you working on this?

And what will the new capacity be, if you know?

[Alternative Ulster]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=new+capacity+of+ravenhill