Ulster 2018-2019

[wixfjord]

Really impressed with Speight.

[dropkick]

Ulster look the better team. They just need to stop giving away penalties and fix their lineout.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Yeah probably the best I've seen Speight play for Ulster.

Addison is a brilliant runner but he makes an awful lot of errors.

Two poor sides, if Ulster could just stretch the lead out to ten then Scarlets might lose heart. I said Burns might be the key and he's having a poor game, reckon Scarlets will kick on and win.

[artaneboy]

Ulster doing their best to throw this away.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[artaneboy]

They just about do it. But 5 points away to Scarlets. Not bad at all overall.

What do I mean- that was excellent!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wixfjord]

Fair f%~ks Ulster, that was brilliant!

Addison was fantastic. Marty Moore looks back to form as well.

[blockhead]

Would you adamaneve it?
5pts away to Scarlets! Brilliant.
Scarlets are out now.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Brilliant win. Aside from the two tries Ulster defended really well in that second half and they looked far more clinical than earlier in the season. Addison's try was brilliant, had no right to score it. He made a lot of errors but came up with lots of big moments as well, he's a really important player for them already.

I thought their discipline was shocking at times recently but they were much improved in that regard tonight and it made a big difference.

I was really surprised at how bad Scarlets were. They didn't seem to be putting in much of an effort in defence and their handling was so sloppy, thought they would get a kick up the arse at half time and improve but it didn't happen. Only McNicholl and Evans seemed to be able to make things happen.

[Peg Leg]

Brilliant win. Aside from the two tries Ulster defended really well in that second half and they looked far more clinical than earlier in the season. Addison's try was brilliant, had no right to score it. He made a lot of errors but came up with lots of big moments as well, he's a really important player for them already.

I thought their discipline was shocking at times recently but they were much improved in that regard tonight and it made a big difference.

I was really surprised at how bad Scarlets were. They didn't seem to be putting in much of an effort in defence and their handling was so sloppy, thought they would get a kick up the arse at half time and improve but it didn't happen. Only McNicholl and Evans seemed to be able to make things happen.

A lot of this but Ulster could have had 15 lads in the defensive line for the match and Pivac's lads would not have kicked. That's funny because they had hands like tits tonight. Delighted for the red hand but and McFarland.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Yeah and Patchell is great at chipping it in behind too. Parkes' long pass that was nearly intercepted really summed up that they were crumbling under pressure, he's usually really smart and wouldn't force things like that.

[Oldschool]

How did Nordi and the Leinster boys do?

[artaneboy]

How did Nordi and the Leinster boys do?

Nordic was generally excellent. A couple of uncharacteristic handling errors- but otherwise great.
Cooney was his usual self: snappy accurate passes, a few poor box kicks in the first half. But the wind was so unpredictable then, these are forgivable. Bad choice to take a long distance kick at goal from a penalty in the first half. Still overall, gave good direction to the team.
Timoney was excellent in his time in the pitch. Great break that eventually led to the forth try.
Marty looked back to his best in both the scrum and loose- finally...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ruckedtobits]

Brilliant win. Aside from the two tries Ulster defended really well in that second half and they looked far more clinical than earlier in the season. Addison's try was brilliant, had no right to score it. He made a lot of errors but came up with lots of big moments as well, he's a really important player for them already.

I thought their discipline was shocking at times recently but they were much improved in that regard tonight and it made a big difference.

I was really surprised at how bad Scarlets were. They didn't seem to be putting in much of an effort in defence and their handling was so sloppy, thought they would get a kick up the arse at half time and improve but it didn't happen. Only McNicholl and Evans seemed to be able to make things happen.

Excellent win, but the defensive performance was what made Scarlets look so ordinary, particularly in the second-half. Was pleased that Marty Moore looked like he's on the way back to the standards he held when he departed Leinster originally. Murphy was also excellent on both sides of the ball and part of a back-row that was, as a unit all evening, key to McFarland's tactical plan. I was surprised Timoney was omitted and his arrival after Reidy's departure provided Ulster with real pace in their forwards armoury. This was a vital factor in their 3rd try.

Cooney, IMO, did not look as complete as he had before his Irish Squad experience. Box-kicking and ball-carrying did not look as automatic as previously but more ponderous or pre-planned. His tackling was also a bit iffy, particularly on JJG Davies, although in fairness he was in great positions to attempt those covering tackles.

Rory Best, Henderson and Jacob Stockdale were simply magnificent and true leaders of this Ulster win.

The corner has been turned. Now lets see how far they can go.

[Ruckedtobits]

That's another cracking performance and 5 points for Ulster. All three of their BIG men turned up. Stockdale with a super 55 minutes, Hendo with two hard-driving tries and Rory with another inspirational display.

But the back-up from some of the lesser lights was what made this an excellent night for the Ulster Men. Ludik, Addison, Burns, Coetzee, Murphy, Moore & O'Sullivan supported their stars with top class performances which will have ensured continued interest from the National Coach for some and renewed fanatical support for the team overall.

10 points against Scarlets looked very unlikely a week ago. But now qualification could be within their control, depending how Racing 92 & Leicester windup in their encounter.

Well done the Ulster men.

[blockhead]

Ulster 30-15 Scarlets.
BP for Ulster, they are back in this group big time. Burns MOTM.
Scarlets look like a team who's head coach has announced that he is leaving at the end of the season. That last 5% is just missing.
Stockdale, 7 tries in 12 Heino apps. Add that to his ludicrous international strikerate and we are looking at an incredible player. Maybe the best winger we have ever had on this island, early days though but one helluvah player.

[Barry]

Ulster and Ireland forward Iain Henderson has been ruled out for 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on a thumb injury on Monday.

The 26-year-old will miss most of Ireland's Six Nations campaign, plus Ulster's final two Champions Cup Pool Four games, and several Pro14 matches.

[hugonaut]

Ulster and Ireland forward Iain Henderson has been ruled out for 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on a thumb injury on Monday.

The 26-year-old will miss most of Ireland's Six Nations campaign, plus Ulster's final two Champions Cup Pool Four games, and several Pro14 matches.

That's dreadful news for Hendo, Ulster and Ireland. He has been in great form for his province and has assumed a big leadership role, so will be badly missed. Ulster are really light at second row, it's not a position where they can afford to take any casualties.

[paddyor]

It is but, they're only gonna miss him for maybe 2 league games given his schminutes are managed over the Christmas period and they'll have him back for the run in. He wasn't gonna feature for them between the HEC pools being wrapped up and the end of the 6n. Which leaves the 2 HEC games. I'm not convinced they're actually good enough to go much further in Europe as is with Henderson involved but if they manage to qualify they get him back for the QFs.

[Ruckedtobits]

Here's a piece that all of the Red Hand supporters, and even @rooster of this forum, may enjoy. A decent, no excellent, analysis of how McFarland has turned the ship around in double-quick time. Great bit of writing and even better analysis:

https://dementedmole.com/2018/12/18/sho ... ent-156422

[rooster]

Here's a piece that all of the Red Hand supporters, and even @rooster of this forum, may enjoy. A decent, no excellent, analysis of how McFarland has turned the ship around in double-quick time. Great bit of writing and even better analysis:

https://dementedmole.com/2018/12/18/sho ... ent-156422

Pretty decent read though didn't like the threw in the towel comment about the Munster match, they fought on right to the end that night.
Anyway the clear out was not just Dan McFarlands idea but between been counters and A.N. Other decisions on a cull for financial reasons had to be made and I think there will be even more come end of the season with contracts not renewed.