Ulster 2017 - 2018

[johng]

Just noticed the huge advantage Ulster have over us in the fixtures.

Not only do they have 11 home games and 10 away while we have the opposite, but they have Glasgow, Ospreys and Cheetahs at HOME and Cardiff and Zebre away while we also have the opposite.

That has already bitten us as we lost to the Cheetahs while they won.

Bastids. We better beat them home and away for that.

[johng]

Scarlets have Munster, Cheetahs and Zebre away. Connacht and Glasgow at home.

[rooster]

Any word on Jared Payne?

Was supposed to be fit last week

supposed to have been available for selection or just training fully again? (sorry for all the questions)

or was that just the scheduled return? which makes it more worrying

Here is our latest according to BBC, I had heard at the start of the season Payne would be close to European games befre he would play so that info is now looking right and not the "next week" stuff Kiss has been spouting for last 3 weeks.

Jean Deysel, Christian Lealiifano and John Cooney could feature for Ulster against Zebre on Saturday but Marcell Coetzee will again miss out.

Deysel missed last weekend's hammering of the Dragons because of an eye injury while half-backs Lealiifano and Cooney were rested for the game.

Coetzee hasn't played since the opening win over the Cheetahs on 1 September.

The flanker has had two bad knee injuries in recent years but Ulster say his current knee issue is not serious.

Coetzee's first Ulster campaign saw him playing only four games as he suffered two knee injuries in an 11-month period.

British & Irish Lions player Jared Payne will also have to wait at least another week to make his first appearance of the season.

Ulster and Ireland captain Rory Best is expected to be ruled out for another five weeks because of a hamstring injury while Craig Gilroy is likely to play no rugby until around Christmas after suffering a stress fracture in his lower back.

[blockhead]

Cotzee gone back to SA for treatment.

Ulster scrum coach Aaron Dundon told reporters last week that he hoped Cotzee would be available this week, but the province has issued a statement with the latest developments after suffering a set-back in training.

"Marcell Coetzee suffered a recurrence of left knee pain and swelling in training," it read.

"Due to the ongoing problems with this knee, he is travelling back to South Africa to seek the opinion of the surgeon who performed his original ACL repair. Ulster Rugby will provide a further update following this consultation."

They really need him back ASAP.

[rooster]

Cotzee gone back to SA for treatment.

Ulster scrum coach Aaron Dundon told reporters last week that he hoped Cotzee would be available this week, but the province has issued a statement with the latest developments after suffering a set-back in training.

"Marcell Coetzee suffered a recurrence of left knee pain and swelling in training," it read.

"Due to the ongoing problems with this knee, he is travelling back to South Africa to seek the opinion of the surgeon who performed his original ACL repair. Ulster Rugby will provide a further update following this consultation."

They really need him back ASAP.

I seriously doubt that he will be back, he was having a consultation here according to earlier report and this seems like second opinion time or else the first report was lies.
Rumour has it that the first ACL is gone again.
Sadly I think his career is over but just hope for his sake that it is not.

[dropkick]

He has the same problem as Ferris. He is an explosive athlete and that puts great strain on the joints.


Knowing his troubles knee history, it was a surprise to me that he never slimmed down a bit. I saw him against Cheetahs a few weeks ago and he looked about 18st or more.

[blockhead]

Teams for tomorrow.

Ulster: C Piutau; T Bowe, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; C Leali'ifano, J Cooney; K McCall, R Herring, W Herbst; A O'Connor, K Treadwell; I Henderson, C Henry, J Deysel.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, R Ah You, R Diack, S Reidy, P Marshall, P Nelson, L Ludik.

Connacht: T O'Halloran; C Kelleher, B Aki, T Farell, M Healy; J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, Q Roux; E McKeon, J Butler, J Muldoon.

Replacements: D Heffernan, D Coulson, C Carey, J Cannon, E Masterson, C Blade, S Crosbie, E Griffin.

[simonokeeffe]

Teams for tomorrow.

Ulster: C Piutau; T Bowe, L Marshall, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; C Leali'ifano, J Cooney; K McCall, R Herring, W Herbst; A O'Connor, K Treadwell; I Henderson, C Henry, J Deysel.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, R Ah You, R Diack, S Reidy, P Marshall, P Nelson, L Ludik.

Connacht: T O'Halloran; C Kelleher, B Aki, T Farell, M Healy; J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, Q Roux; E McKeon, J Butler, J Muldoon.

Replacements: D Heffernan, D Coulson, C Carey, J Cannon, E Masterson, C Blade, S Crosbie, E Griffin.

Hard to see Ulster fupping this up, some interesting battles/opportunities for guys to impress with Ireland in mind

Hendo & Treadwell v Dillane & Roux
Herbst v Bealham
Cooney v Marmion
Marshall v Aki
Stockdale and McCartney dark horses too

[paddyor]

Just noticed the huge advantage Ulster have over us in the fixtures.

Not only do they have 11 home games and 10 away while we have the opposite, but they have Glasgow, Ospreys and Cheetahs at HOME and Cardiff and Zebre away while we also have the opposite.

That has already bitten us as we lost to the Cheetahs while they won.

Bastids. We better beat them home and away for that.

This whinge didn't really age well.

[rooster]

We have coach though who changes around 10 players each week and either no defensive system or one which no one understands

[blockhead]

We have coach though who changes around 10 players each week and either no defensive system or one which no one understands

Worked well until Ulster got skinned by Zebre last week. Scarlets was a big scalp, no? Kiss/Gibbs is a good ticket, they'll get it right.
The extended Pienarr exit huff is colouring everyones view up North still, me thinks.

[rooster]

We have coach though who changes around 10 players each week and either no defensive system or one which no one understands

Worked well until Ulster got skinned by Zebre last week. Scarlets was a big scalp, no? Kiss/Gibbs is a good ticket, they'll get it right.
The extended Pienarr exit huff is colouring everyones view up North still, me thinks.

No the lack of confidence in Kiss has nothing to do with Ruan, Gibbes is good but Kiss has final say in team and is defence coach.
He frequently changes team around during training and will even change it after Captains run , we don't have any coordination in defence and it was only a matter of time till the wheels fell off the winning run.
The man consistently waffles in press conferences and also in the team talks, punters and players alike are confused a what he is trying to achieve.
My own view and also many others is we would be better off with Gibbes being boss and a proper defence coach brought in.

[Oldschool]

We have coach though who changes around 10 players each week and either no defensive system or one which no one understands

Worked well until Ulster got skinned by Zebre last week. Scarlets was a big scalp, no? Kiss/Gibbs is a good ticket, they'll get it right.
The extended Pienarr exit huff is colouring everyones view up North still, me thinks.

No the lack of confidence in Kiss has nothing to do with Ruan, Gibbes is good but Kiss has final say in team and is defence coach.
He frequently changes team around during training and will even change it after Captains run , we don't have any coordination in defence and it was only a matter of time till the wheels fell off the winning run.
The man consistently waffles in press conferences and also in the team talks, punters and players alike are confused a what he is trying to achieve.
My own view and also many others is we would be better off with Gibbes being boss and a proper defence coach brought in.

Maybe that's the plan, you hope.

[rooster]

Worked well until Ulster got skinned by Zebre last week. Scarlets was a big scalp, no? Kiss/Gibbs is a good ticket, they'll get it right.
The extended Pienarr exit huff is colouring everyones view up North still, me thinks.

No the lack of confidence in Kiss has nothing to do with Ruan, Gibbes is good but Kiss has final say in team and is defence coach.
He frequently changes team around during training and will even change it after Captains run , we don't have any coordination in defence and it was only a matter of time till the wheels fell off the winning run.
The man consistently waffles in press conferences and also in the team talks, punters and players alike are confused a what he is trying to achieve.
My own view and also many others is we would be better off with Gibbes being boss and a proper defence coach brought in.

Maybe that's the plan, you hope.

As far as I can gather Kiss contact runs until 20/21 season

[cormac]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[rooster]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The booooing was because of the refusal of the ref to look at a replay of a dangerous collision where Piutau got a shoulder to the upper chest/neck region.
Officials were dire last night right from the start when Stockdale got taken out in the air right in front of an assistant
Match was dire as well, seen more excitement at a wake.

[Oldschool]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Phewwewweewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwew.
If you were an Ulster fan.

[Oldschool]

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The booooing was because of the refusal of the ref to look at a replay of a dangerous collision where Piutau got a shoulder to the upper chest/neck region.
Officials were dire last night right from the start when Stockdale got taken out in the air right in front of an assistant
Match was dire as well, seen more excitement at a wake.

Think it was a peno but nothing more.
Piutau milked it a bit afterwards.
Fitzmonkee was TMO enough said.

[simonokeeffe]

Ref was brutal to both teams

Stockdale has to start at 11 against Fiji

[Ruckedtobits]

Ref was brutal to both teams

Stockdale has to start at 11 against Fiji

Not unless he learns:
a) to pass to players in support; and,
b) how to cut inward against weak shoulders and use his pace and power.

No question, he's got pace, power and decent footballing instincts but he doesn't use what he has effectively