Ulster 2017 - 2018

[simonokeeffe]

Cooney and Deysel start for Ulster tomorrow
Coetzee on bench which is great news

Have Ulster any injuries going into the season?

Schalk van der Merwe, Ross Kane are carrying injuries, Darren Cave and Rob Lyttle haven't appeared at all in pre-season, so they mustn't be fit either - also Sean Reidy.

Not as dire a roster as recent seasons, touch wood..

Is Reidy on Ireland rest with Marshall?

Cave would be handy to have at this stage of season
As an aside Id prefer Ludik to Bowe at 13

SVDM most significant

[rooster]

Cooney and Deysel start for Ulster tomorrow
Coetzee on bench which is great news

Have Ulster any injuries going into the season?

Schalk van der Merwe, Ross Kane are carrying injuries, Darren Cave and Rob Lyttle haven't appeared at all in pre-season, so they mustn't be fit either - also Sean Reidy.

Not as dire a roster as recent seasons, touch wood..

Is Reidy on Ireland rest with Marshall?

Cave would be handy to have at this stage of season
As an aside Id prefer Ludik to Bowe at 13

SVDM most significant

Reidy and Marshall on Ireland rest
Cave late back to training as he was still suffering dizzy spells from his concussion end of last season
Looking at the press it appears that Ireland now fancy Bowe as a 13, he needs to seriously tighten up his defence from last week if he is to be an option.
We have Piutau at 15 and Ludik 14 this week so it appears no lessons from last year have been learned, always was better other way around, and yes I would prefer Ludik instead of Bowe at 13.

[simonokeeffe]

I suspect Bowe at 13 for Ireland is kite flying based on Ulster missing 4 centres preseason

Bowe isnt even in the top 5 for options for Ireland at 13

[rooster]

I suspect Bowe at 13 for Ireland is kite flying based on Ulster missing 4 centres preseason

Bowe isnt even in the top 5 for options for Ireland at 13

Only thing I can think is give him some time in centre then he can cover centre or wing on the bench, I seriously doubt he is a starter this season.

[rooster]

55-15 away to Saints, enough said, hope our new 10 is a magician

[jimbobjoe]

55-15 away to Saints, enough said, hope our new 10 is a magician

He'd need to be a wizard in defence to solve that!!!

I don't think Ulster's results will be as bad as that for the rest of the season but I really can't see them doing well. No depth in the pack is the obvious issue.

[rooster]

An obvious issue is the daft decision to only have 2 preseason matches and play 30 players in each match, no continuity and time to settle and player combination at all.
The pack is not as much an issue as our half backs
Also our defence is abysmal and was last season as well.

[blockhead]

And we're off, 1st team sheet of the season.

Ulster Rugby team to play Toyota Cheetahs, Friday 1st September at Kingspan Stadium, kick-off 7.35pm:

(1-8): Kyle McCall, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Robbie Diack, Alan O'Connor, Jean Deysel, Chris Henry (captain), Marcell Coetzee;
(9-15): John Cooney, Christian Lealiifano, Louis Ludik, Stuart McCloskey, Tommy Bowe, Andrew Trimble, Charles Piutau.

Replacements (16-23): John Andrew, Callum Black, Rodney Ah You, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Peter Nelson, Darren Cave.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Not great is it? Ulster really do have a poor squad. There are some extremely talented players but the majority are distinctly average and there's no depth. Gibbes is going to have to perform miracles.

[simonokeeffe]

No sir it is not
Looks to be some injuries at lock too

By my count only 4 of the 13 forwards came through their academy. 5 South African born forwards starting

[blockhead]

and the opposition

Cheetahs team:

15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Clayton Blommetjies, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Niell Jordaan (captain), 7 Henco Venter, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Charles Marais

Substitutes: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Gerhard Olivier, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Cecil Afrika, 23 Rayno Benjamin

[kermischocolate]

and the opposition

Cheetahs team:

15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Clayton Blommetjies, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Niell Jordaan (captain), 7 Henco Venter, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Charles Marais

Substitutes: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Gerhard Olivier, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Cecil Afrika, 23 Rayno Benjamin

Rosko Specman and Cecil Afrika are predominantly 7s players. Serious gas, step and eye for a gap.
I'd almost go to ravenhill myself just to see them.

[simonokeeffe]

Bernado washed out of the Ospreys. Other than that I recognise 4 names. That said Cheetahs were top of Currie Cup standings

[rooster]

No sir it is not
Looks to be some injuries at lock too

By my count only 4 of the 13 forwards came through their academy. 5 South African born forwards starting

Nope we have Pete Brown who is fit but not in squad and we also have Treadwell who is still on Ireland tour rest, also Henderson on Lions rest.
Our Academy has been pretty dire in my eyes, a young hopefuls squad from the clubs played and beat the academy players last week.

Ludik is a better 15 than Piutau and vice versa for wing but Les is trying what failed last year this year yet again. Bowe was atrocious in the centre v Wasps though I hear he was better against Wasps but he and McCloskey have only played 40 mins in the centre partnership.
Cooney was also pretty poor last week but has a different 10 this week though probably only for a half.

For any betting men among you I would put a few euro on Cheetahs winning this.

[rooster]

and the opposition

Cheetahs team:

15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Clayton Blommetjies, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Niell Jordaan (captain), 7 Henco Venter, 6 Paul Schoeman, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Jacques du Toit, 1 Charles Marais

Substitutes: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Rynier Bernardo, 20 Gerhard Olivier, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Cecil Afrika, 23 Rayno Benjamin

Rosko Specman and Cecil Afrika are predominantly 7s players. Serious gas, step and eye for a gap.
I'd almost go to ravenhill myself just to see them.

Mapimpi is also a bit of a try machine, could well make for a good match for a neutral so you will be more than welcome, tickets still available right round the ground.

[kermischocolate]

Mapimpi is also a bit of a try machine, could well make for a good match for a neutral so you will be more than welcome, tickets still available right round the ground.

Thanks for the offer but I'm missing all the games this weekend as I'm camping in Aviemore.

I agree it should be an entertaining game.

[simonokeeffe]

Mapimpi arrived from the clearout from The Kings which is semi odd

Cooney was good for Connacht when fit so hopefully one leads to the other there

Ludik also went well at 13 from what I saw, and Bowe would be solid at fullback

[Ruckedtobits]

An obvious issue is the daft decision to only have 2 preseason matches and play 30 players in each match, no continuity and time to settle and player combination at all.
The pack is not as much an issue as our half backs
Also our defence is abysmal and was last season as well.

Your selected half-backs will do fine with any decent supply of ball. Met one of Connacht Coaches during summer who indicated Lam had tried to stop Cooney going to Ulster as he rated him highly (remember he played him as out-half and kicker before he got injured). Reckons he will be an excellent leader although a late developer.

Aussie out-half is a quality player who specialises in getting backlines working for each other.

Its all about what your pack can deliver.

[TerenureJim]

Cracking game on here, if this is anything to go by the new additions are definitely going to bring some excitement to a league that was already the best in Europe for tries, passing and running rugby

[blockhead]

Cracking game on here, if this is anything to go by the new additions are definitely going to bring some excitement to a league that was already the best in Europe for tries, passing and running rugby

+1 If this is what we're in for then bring it on!