Ulster 2017 - 2018

[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.

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

It was certainly a penalty and a possible yellow depending on full replays, instead it went to penalty and 3 points to Connacht for a later offside by Ulster while play continued near a prone player with both the Ulster and Connacht physios attending the player with possible neck injury on the pitch, very poor refereeing indeed if not actually negligence.

[rooster]

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

He has things to work on but needs consistent gametime ahead of Bowe who sadly has had his day and while he can still make the occasional break is a defensive liability due to non tackles

[simonokeeffe]

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

He has things to work on but needs consistent gametime ahead of Bowe who sadly has had his day and while he can still make the occasional break is a defensive liability due to non tackles

Earls for big boys
Stockdale for midweek

With Zebo and Trimble injured left wing is between first two for me

[rooster]

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

He has things to work on but needs consistent gametime ahead of Bowe who sadly has had his day and while he can still make the occasional break is a defensive liability due to non tackles

Earls for big boys
Stockdale for midweek

With Zebo and Trimble injured left wing is between first two for me

Is Trimble injured ? First I heard of it

[simonokeeffe]

Thought he was and that was why he wasnt playing

[rooster]

Thought he was and that was why he wasnt playing

No just another change in the side for the sake of change.
He was not great in Parma but he was better than Bowe this week.
The Wasps match will be interesting as it is normally the side who starts previous week who continue but no doubt there will be yet more changes. On form Stockdale and Piutau should start on the wings with Ludik at fullback but I will be amazed if it happens

[simonokeeffe]

Thought he was and that was why he wasnt playing

No just another change in the side for the sake of change.
He was not great in Parma but he was better than Bowe this week.
The Wasps match will be interesting as it is normally the side who starts previous week who continue but no doubt there will be yet more changes. On form Stockdale and Piutau should start on the wings with Ludik at fullback but I will be amazed if it happens

Piatu at fullback seems like a white whale

[simonokeeffe]

Ulster Rugby team to play Wasps, European Rugby Champions Cup (Friday 13th October, Kingspan Stadium, 7.45pm):
(1-8): K McCall, R Herring, W Herbst, K Treadwell, I Henderson (captain), R Diack, S Reidy, J Deysel;
(9-15): J Cooney, C Lealiifano, J Stockdale, S McCloskey, L Marshall, L Ludik, C Piutau;
Replacements (16-23): J Andrew, C Black, R Ah You, M Rea, C Ross, P Marshall, P Nelson, T Bowe.

Henderson skippering for first time ever fits with what Rooster has been saying about Kiss tinkering for sake of it. Herring is vc and hes starting

15. Willie Le Roux
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Brendan Macken
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Dan Robson
1. Matt Mullan
2. Tom Cruse
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Joe Launchbury ©
5. Will Rowlands
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes

16. Ashley Johnson
17. Simon McIntyre
18. Marty Moore
19. James Gaskell
20. Jack Willis
21. Joe Simpson
22. Rob Miller
23. Marcus Watson

[Oldschool]

Ulster Rugby team to play Wasps, European Rugby Champions Cup (Friday 13th October, Kingspan Stadium, 7.45pm):
(1-8): K McCall, R Herring, W Herbst, K Treadwell, I Henderson (captain), R Diack, S Reidy, J Deysel;
(9-15): J Cooney, C Lealiifano, J Stockdale, S McCloskey, L Marshall, L Ludik, C Piutau;
Replacements (16-23): J Andrew, C Black, R Ah You, M Rea, C Ross, P Marshall, P Nelson, T Bowe.

Henderson skippering for first time ever fits with what Rooster has been saying about Kiss tinkering for sake of it. Herring is vc and hes starting

15. Willie Le Roux
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Brendan Macken
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Dan Robson
1. Matt Mullan
2. Tom Cruse
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Joe Launchbury ©
5. Will Rowlands
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes

16. Ashley Johnson
17. Simon McIntyre
18. Marty Moore
19. James Gaskell
20. Jack Willis
21. Joe Simpson
22. Rob Miller
23. Marcus Watson

Friday 13th - Any theories on how this will affect the outcome?

[simonokeeffe]

Friday 13th has to favour team in Black

Trimble's international career looks over. Central contracts looking cursed right now

[rooster]

Ulster Rugby team to play Wasps, European Rugby Champions Cup (Friday 13th October, Kingspan Stadium, 7.45pm):
(1-8): K McCall, R Herring, W Herbst, K Treadwell, I Henderson (captain), R Diack, S Reidy, J Deysel;
(9-15): J Cooney, C Lealiifano, J Stockdale, S McCloskey, L Marshall, L Ludik, C Piutau;
Replacements (16-23): J Andrew, C Black, R Ah You, M Rea, C Ross, P Marshall, P Nelson, T Bowe.

Henderson skippering for first time ever fits with what Rooster has been saying about Kiss tinkering for sake of it. Herring is vc and hes starting

15. Willie Le Roux
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Brendan Macken
11. Josh Bassett
10. Jimmy Gopperth
9. Dan Robson
1. Matt Mullan
2. Tom Cruse
3. Jake Cooper-Woolley
4. Joe Launchbury [COPYRIGHT SIGN]
5. Will Rowlands
6. James Haskell
7. Thomas Young
8. Nathan Hughes

16. Ashley Johnson
17. Simon McIntyre
18. Marty Moore
19. James Gaskell
20. Jack Willis
21. Joe Simpson
22. Rob Miller
23. Marcus Watson

Friday 13th - Any theories on how this will affect the outcome?

Not a clue, but unless Wasps are terrible I think they will win easily, our defence is OK near the line but anywhere outside the 22 I am still trying to figure out what system they are using and unfortunately I think the players are still trying to figure it out as well.
Watch out for our substitutions, it's like watching a game of musical chairs.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

McCloskey and Stockdale running at Macken could be interesting! This could be very high scoring.

[rooster]

McCloskey and Stockdale running at Macken could be interesting! This could be very high scoring.

Only if the ball gets out to Stockdale, Marshall has got the fans nickname No Hands Luke for a good reason, he has been very poor in attack and while when he hits a player he takes him down but he has shot the line several times each match and missed leaving a gap for the opposition to make yards and we have been fortunate that their move has self destructed

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I was thinking more of Stockdale running off the halfbacks into the 10/12 channel.

[rooster]

I was thinking more of Stockdale running off the halfbacks into the 10/12 channel.

That could be good but we have not done a lot of that type of play yet this season.
I'm in doom and gloom form as then will be better if we win but not be gloomy if we lose.

[Peg Leg]

I was thinking more of Stockdale running off the halfbacks into the 10/12 channel.

That could be good but we have not done a lot of that type of play yet this season.
I'm in doom and gloom form as then will be better if we win but not be gloomy if we lose.

Hopefully ulster find their groove soon, because the injuries and coaching team are not good bedfellows.
We had the aMOCalypse, bad and all as it was. The aKissalypse looks inevitable but sounds a bit sexy.

[rooster]

I was thinking more of Stockdale running off the halfbacks into the 10/12 channel.

That could be good but we have not done a lot of that type of play yet this season.
I'm in doom and gloom form as then will be better if we win but not be gloomy if we lose.

Hopefully ulster find their groove soon, because the injuries and coaching team are not good bedfellows.
We had the aMOCalypse, bad and all as it was. The aKissalypse looks inevitable but sounds a bit sexy.

At least you didn't sign MOC up for 5 years !

[Dave Cahill]

and he won something.

[simonokeeffe]

and he won something.

When he had Jonno Gibbes

[blockhead]

Ulster have confirmed that Springbok back-row Marcell Coetzee's latest injury setback will keep him on the sidelines for nine months.
Very bad luck for the lad.
Best of luck tonight against Wasps.
SUFTUM!