Ulster 2017 - 2018

[Ruckedtobits]

Ulster's best half of rugby in this calendar year. Eddie O'S analysis at H-T on the money. They need more points for all the pressure. Cooney excellent and partnership with Leiefanu looks very assured.

[paddyor]

Ulster's best half of rugby in this calendar year. Eddie O'S analysis at H-T on the money. They need more points for all the pressure. Cooney excellent and partnership with Leiefanu looks very assured.

The decision to move on Pienaar looking good so far (even if it still rankles).

[blockhead]

Ulster's best half of rugby in this calendar year. Eddie O'S analysis at H-T on the money. They need more points for all the pressure. Cooney excellent and partnership with Leiefanu looks very assured.

The decision to move on Pienaar looking good so far (even if it still rankles).

Pienaar, who's he?
Cracking 2nd half from both teams.
Bierne looks really good.

[Ruckedtobits]

The impact of Gibbes' coaching very evident across the pack with all their forwards looking better players. Two hallmarks of his stamp were particularly evident:
a) Players must cherish possession and fight to retain it; and
b) Presentation of ball to scrum half is responsibility of player in possession.

Both were so much improved and did not diminish as players got tired.

McCluskey's offloads were sublime and the selection of backrow and of Diack on bench to give impetus when he came on were all great decisions by Ulster management.

@Rooster should be a happy Red Hand this evening. The Provincial team look like this could have a future this season and the Pro14 has burst into life with Ulster and Treviso both claiming unlikely victories.

[blockhead]

Best is facing a six-week lay-off after sustaining a hamstring injury on Thursday. Oh dear.

[paddyor]

Massive result for the Nordies. Beating a Scarlets side only missing 1/2 players while they were missing half a pack is impressive. The drop-off from Pienaar-Jackson to Cooney-Lealifano not as precipitous as feared. Granted with the latter it wasn't as big a fear.

[rooster]

The impact of Gibbes' coaching very evident across the pack with all their forwards looking better players. Two hallmarks of his stamp were particularly evident:
a) Players must cherish possession and fight to retain it; and
b) Presentation of ball to scrum half is responsibility of player in possession.

Both were so much improved and did not diminish as players got tired.

McCluskey's offloads were sublime and the selection of backrow and of Diack on bench to give impetus when he came on were all great decisions by Ulster management.

@Rooster should be a happy Red Hand this evening. The Provincial team look like this could have a future this season and the Pro14 has burst into life with Ulster and Treviso both claiming unlikely victories.

Very happy with the result and the notable thing to me was when we went behind we got gathered together and won the match, in previous years we would have capitulated in those circumstances and given them a 4 try bonus win. Trimble was bloody stupid though taking that fast throw in at the end which resulted in their try to go into the lead.
Happier yes, totally satisfaction, not yet but I'm a hard bugger to please.

[rooster]

Best is facing a six-week lay-off after sustaining a hamstring injury on Thursday. Oh dear.

6 to 8 weeks after injury doing his start of training speed trial, not convinced this resting from training is a great thing all together.
I have heard all the Irish Lions will not get game time to the week before euro matches anyway so it does actually minimise his missed matches.

[Fan with smartphone]

The impact of Gibbes' coaching very evident across the pack with all their forwards looking better players. Two hallmarks of his stamp were particularly evident:
a) Players must cherish possession and fight to retain it; and
b) Presentation of ball to scrum half is responsibility of player in possession.

Both were so much improved and did not diminish as players got tired.

McCluskey's offloads were sublime and the selection of backrow and of Diack on bench to give impetus when he came on were all great decisions by Ulster management.

@Rooster should be a happy Red Hand this evening. The Provincial team look like this could have a future this season and the Pro14 has burst into life with Ulster and Treviso both claiming unlikely victories.

Very happy with the result and the notable thing to me was when we went behind we got gathered together and won the match, in previous years we would have capitulated in those circumstances and given them a 4 try bonus win. Trimble was bloody stupid though taking that fast throw in at the end which resulted in their try to go into the lead.
Happier yes, totally satisfaction, not yet but I'm a hard bugger to please.

Think you are right to not be totally satisfied to be honest. Great fight back, but based on 2 brilliant offloads by McCloskey. He was able to take out McNicholl, Parkes and Halfpenny. It was brilliant, but am not sure you could rely on 2 pieces of play like that in the last 15 every time. Still, he did do it, so: happy days. It's a win over a very, very good team bringing on a hell of a bench.

Cooney-Lealifano is an interesting comparison in relation to pienaar-Jackson. That's a very high standard Cooney has set for himself. Kicking, passing, tackling, tidying up, tempo, sniping. Can he maintain that? Lealifano looks a fine replacement for Jackson.

Scarlets look impressive though. They'll really fancy their European group. I think they can get out of it.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I definitely think Ulster look better coached, especially up front where you can see the forwards picking good lines at pace off the half backs and just generally carrying directly and with good support. But individually the players still aren't great overall. They'd be in the right position but drop the all or have it ripped, and a lot of the clear outs were very very weak. That said, throw Henderson, Deysel and Coetzee into the side and the power and class improves massively.

Still a huge question mark at half back because of the lack of depth and with CL only being here on a short term deal, hope they can keep him for longer or have someone else lined up for when he leaves. Hadnt heard about Paul Marshall's son, hope he gets better soon.

Tadgh Beirne was outstanding again, his work at the breakdown is exceptional (even acknowledging Ulster's weak clear outs).

[Oldschool]

Ulster's best half of rugby in this calendar year. Eddie O'S analysis at H-T on the money. They need more points for all the pressure. Cooney excellent and partnership with Leiefanu looks very assured.

The one thing missing from Cooney last night was a break.
On a couple of occasions the door opened but he wasn't looking for it - great game otherwise.

[Fan with smartphone]

Yeah, would like to see him snipe a bit more alright, but last night he did do a bit. First half he made a great break from well inside the Ulster half. Tried a few times to dummy and go himself too, and whilst it didn't come off, it served to narrow narrow the Scarlets defence a bit for the next time. Would definitely like to see him take a few more on as you say though. Exhibit A would be the scrum in the first half where they went blindside. I thought he could have fixed the defender a bit better. He passed early to Lealifano, who dropped it. It was a poor drop as the pass was ok, but I think Lealifano was probably not expecting the pass just as early. They had another crossed wire when Lealifano fired one at Cooney too. On both occasions, had they linked up better Ulster were away, but overall I really liked their partnership.

[rooster]

I
Hadnt heard about Paul Marshall's son, hope he gets better soon.

Yes while we may complain about players at times, results of matches, referees etc things like this bring it all back to perspective and I hope the wee guy recovers fully.
At the end of the season if we were bottom the table but the wee guy was fully recovered I would count it a good year.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Exhibit A would be the scrum in the first half where they went blindside. I thought he could have fixed the defender a bit better. He passed early to Lealifano, who dropped it. It was a poor drop as the pass was ok, but I think Lealifano was probably not expecting the pass just as early.

I agree that Cooney should have executed better but thought they weren't helped by Trimble getting in the way too.

[rooster]

Exhibit A would be the scrum in the first half where they went blindside. I thought he could have fixed the defender a bit better. He passed early to Lealifano, who dropped it. It was a poor drop as the pass was ok, but I think Lealifano was probably not expecting the pass just as early.

I agree that Cooney should have executed better but thought they weren't helped by Trimble getting in the way too.

Trimble was an absolute b*%&!cks

[simonokeeffe]

Any word on Jared Payne?

[rooster]

Any word on Jared Payne?

Was supposed to be fit last week

[simonokeeffe]

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

[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

No idea to be honest, Kiss press interviews are notoriously full of lies and misinformation so it is hard to interpret anything.

[simonokeeffe]

cheers, would really like to see him back for on and off pitch reasons