Ulster v Leinster Friday 21st December

First topic message reminder :

Back to Rabo Pro 12 action this weekend at Ravenhill when we host our nearest and dearest neighbours, the Boys in Blue.

Ulster's unbeaten run has ended but they are still in prime position in both league and Cup competitions...for now. Leinster have had a more mixed bag in both competitions so far but have by far the better record in this head to head battle.

Both teams have fresh injuries from their HEC matches at the weekend as well as longer term absences of significant personel.

Who is coming up to Belfast for the game? What kind of teams will the coaches put out? Who will be available?

The match has been sold out for quite a while so if you don't have your mitts on a ticket you'd better be near a telly come 7pm.

The Teams

Ulster

J Payne;
A Trimble,
D Cave,
L Marshall,
C Gilroy;
P Jackson,
R Pienaar;
------------
(1-8):
T Court,
R Best,
J Afoa,
I Henderson,
N McComb,
R Diack,
C Henry (c)
N Williams;
------------
Replacements (16-23):
R Herring,
C Black,
A Macklin,
A O'Connor,
R Wilson,
P Marshall,
P Wallace,
A D'Arcy.



LEINSTER:

15:Noel Reid
14: Andrew Conway
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fergus McFadden
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Michael Bent
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Aaron Dundon
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Tom Denton
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Adam Byrne

toml wrote:Read on the Ulster fan board (from one of the more reliable posters) that an Australian lock has been sighted in Belfast for possible short term injury cover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kane_Douglas

This post by 'Cascade' made me laugh

Doesn't work that way lads.

We need to have a lock on an IRFU contract that isn't performing and only got a contract coz we'd all too much money. We don't have that, but lets hypothectically say we have one of those. We'll call him Bevan Boner. Unofrtunately Bevan is fully fit and available for every game. We'd also need an ageing international lock and master of getting away with fuppin' murder, but can't carry the second row on his own. Again, we don't have one, but if we did, we'd proabably call him something like Reo Sullen. Anyway, if Reo were to be injured in what the medics reckoned would keep him out for the rest of the season we could sign a short term replacement. That could be any available, probably southern hemisphere. Lets say we signed that hypothetical lock, call him Bad Horn.

Here's the genius, ater Bad & Bevan play a couple of Pro12 games, Reo comes back from injury 3 months earlier than expected, and we can play him and Bad to European domination. We then take that prize money and invest it in an ISA, even though the ISA deadline has past - but that's totally hypothetical, isn't it.

Would we not usually have had a squad published by now for a Friday game?

Yeah it has been unusually silent hasn't it maybe they are waiting on someone to see if they can be included.

It never rains lads- it pours.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/gilroy-and-cave-latest-to-join-long-injury-list-as-bug-bites-for-ulster-3332425.html

It would be astonishing if we beat Leinster now.

Please do.

So.

No Paddy McAllister, Declan Fitzpatrick, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Lewis Stevenson, possibly no Chris Henry, no Craig Gilroy, Tommy Bowe, Darren Cave or Chris Farrell.

Allen to 13, Cochrane to 14, Birch possibly at seven?

Maybe something like;

1. Tom Court/Callum Black
2. Nigel Brady/Rory Best
3. John Afoa/Adam Macklin
4. Neil McComb/James Simpson
5. Iain Henderson
6. Robbie Diack
7. Ali Birch
8. Roger Wilson (c)/Nick Williams
9. Paul Marshall/Ruan Pienaar
10. Paddy Jackson/Paddy Wallace
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Luke Marshall
13. Michael Allen
14. Chris Cochrane
15. Jared Payne/Peter Nelson

Starters/Substitutes

Thats how i would go. Rest those who have had viruses or bereavements for the trip to Munster. Poor Chris Henry too- he's lost a lot over the past few years. My sympathies go to him.

Yeah. Gotta feel for Chris.

That's the exact team I'd go for, including starting Marshall over Pienaar. We're going to snap Ruan in two if we're not careful.

Same with John Afoa and Jared Payne. Ruan definitely needs a rest and I would be tempted to bring in Michael Heaney.

Does there come a tipping point at which we just decide that this is the game to rest most of the tired bodies? I would imagine that we would have preferred to do that the following week but with so many not training...
?

Not under Mark Anscombe.

Can you see him telling the players we're not going to win this game? The mentality of whoever is selected will be to win.

He may well rest players, but the 15 he sends out will have a bee in their bonnet after last week I'd say...

Of course he will want who ever takes the field to play to win, but surely there comes a time were you have to marshall your resources?

Is Adam D'Arcy officially the least involved full contract player in a season ever? Not a sniff?

2 tries in the last 2 games for the ravens. Does that count?

toml wrote:2 tries in the last 2 games for the ravens. Does that count?

No, not considering he was first choice full back for a season, and a regular (and potent) bench option last year.

I'd say he won't have his contract renewed. Which is sad, because it seems he has made Belfast his home.

Payne to 13, Darcy and Nelson, for wing and Fullback, not sure which one where.

D'arcy I think has been injuried a lot this year when he would normally be getting bench, sub time.

I think that hasn't be looked at because he missed pre season and so on, that he wasn't considered for first team untill be got his fitness back with the Ravens. Hes done that now and should be back as an option, for the first time this season.

Covers wing and full back, and is now an experienced enough player.

9. Paul Marshall
10. Paddy Jackson
11. Nelson
12. Wallace
13. Jared Payne
14. Andrew Trimble
15. D'arcy

I like the look of that backline Kingshu!

Think me and you clivemcl, are the D'arcy fanclub, a very good back up to fullback and wing, IMO he'll be an important squad player.

Everyone says you need 3 palyers for each position, Starter, good back up, and up and coming player. For me fullback we have this in Payne, D'arcy and Nelson.

Also outside Bowe and Trimble the other wingers are all very young D'acry and his experience and will be important when Bowe, Trimble and Gilroy are called up to training camps etc.

LEINSTER:

15: Noel Reid
14: Andrew Conway
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fergus McFadden
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Michael Bent
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Aaron Dundon
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Tom Denton
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Adam Byrne

Strong in the pack. weak in the backs.

New youngfellah Adam Byrne is one to watch. Scored a few tries in the B&I.

Hope he gets on the pitch

Ulster team is almost guaranteed to be:
15. Jared Payne, 14. Andrew Trimble, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Luke Marshall, 11. Craig Gilroy, 10. Paddy Jackson, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Tom Court, Rory Best, 3. John Afoa, 4. Iain Henderson, 5. Neil McComb, 6. Nick Williams, 7. Chris Henry (c), 8. Roger Wilson.

16. Rob Herring, 17. Callum Black, 18. Ricky Lutton, 19. Robbie Diack, 20. Mike McComish, 21. Paul Marshall, 22. Paddy Wallace, 23. Mike Allen.

Pulled this from another message board thinking it was official. Sorry.

I thought Cave and Gilroy were out?

Pulled this from another message board thinking it was official. Sorry

Just announced

(15-9):
J Payne;
A Trimble,
D Cave,
L Marshall,
C Gilroy;
P Jackson,
R Pienaar;
------------
(1-8):
T Court,
R Best,
J Afoa,
I Henderson,
N McComb,
R Diack,
C Henry (c)
N Williams;
------------
Replacements (16-23):
R Herring,
C Black,
A Macklin,
A O'Connor,
R Wilson,
P Marshall,
P Wallace,
A D'Arcy.

That backline will tear Leinster apart.

D'arcy is in the bench. Are you getting palpitations Clive?

We are going to Ruin RUAN soon if he doesn't get a holiday

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:LEINSTER:

15: Noel Reid
14: Andrew Conway
13: Brendan Macken
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fergus McFadden
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Michael Bent
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jamie Heaslip

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Aaron Dundon
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Tom Denton
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Andrew Goodman
23: Adam Byrne

Strong in the pack. weak in the backs.

New youngfellah Adam Byrne is one to watch. Scored a few tries in the B&I.

Hope he gets on the pitch

Absolutley delighted to see Byrne on the bench. I hope he gets his debut tommorow. Surely this means Carr will be gone next season.

This is, by far and away, the toughest stretch of Ulster's season. Scarlets (A), Northampton (A), Northampton (H), Leinster (H), Munster (A) and then straight into HEC rounds 5 and 6. Every year we play some permutation of Leinster and Munster over Christmas. It's a tough ask, espcially with our injury list. But once we get through the far end of the HEC pool stages, it's mostly home games in the Rabo, hopefully some home games in the HEC, and time to consolidate.

Oh and also Byrne's rise is astonishing. He's not even in the academy yet! Very excited about this player.

Good to see youse lads are taking the game seriously. No whinging about sick tummys now when we give yis the lash.

Delighted with the quality of the Ulater team.

Game on!

SUFTUM!

Cant wait to see Byrne. Hes a fullback is he?

Kearney pick up a knock? Thought he would have been needing the game time

Golden wrote:Cant wait to see Byrne. Hes a fullback is he?

Kearney pick up a knock? Thought he would have been needing the game time

He can play anywhere from 11-15.. He played at 13 against Ulster in the u19 inter pros and has been playing on wing for the As. Very handy player to have.

This may be one of those rare times, when Leinster have the advantage at lock.

Expect that the Munster game is when Internationals will be rested.

Think Ulster have put out the strongest team to win here.

This is a challange match for the unofficial Celtic (Ranfurly) Shield.

(Ospreys started with it, and we beat them at home to claim it)

Tight 5s are give and take. Ulster have it in the backs.

Back row....Om nom nom nom nom.

Yikes our backs look very poor.
Hope our tight5 come out on top otherwise this could get ugly for leinster

There is a real chance most of the fans won't be able to get to the game with the proposed protests starting one hour beforehand. If that does happen will the game be postponed?

Bad news all Tommy Bowe will be out for around 4 months according to the ulster rugby facebook page, now I am going to hide from Cari for breaking that news.

I read it on Facebook Neilly.

Seriously gutted for him. No Six Nations, and probably no Lions.

Cari wrote:I read it on Facebook Neilly.

Seriously gutted for him. No Six Nations, and probably no Lions.

So I can go to the game this friday without worrying about you lurking waiting on me lol
It is a pit for Bowe and big loss for Ulster too.

The Great Aukster wrote:There is a real chance most of the fans won't be able to get to the game with the proposed protests starting one hour beforehand. If that does happen will the game be postponed?

Don't say that. We are staying up in Bangor and getting a pub bus down and back.

Yeah you're safe Neilly...I'll be at Ravenhill next month for the Heino Glasgae game though...so look out!

Meanwhile...I'll just wallow in sorrow...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnQekVULGBQ

With some tentative caring I'm sure he could be back a little quicker, any volunteers?

Kingshu wrote:With some tentative caring I'm sure he could be back a little quicker, any volunteers?

No, really I couldn't...

The Great Aukster wrote:There is a real chance most of the fans won't be able to get to the game with the proposed protests starting one hour beforehand. If that does happen will the game be postponed?

Flip! Where are the protests Aukster?

Haven't read the thread but I presume most people agree with me that it will be Ulster by 20 points.....

Merry Xmas all! SUFTUM!

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:There is a real chance most of the fans won't be able to get to the game with the proposed protests starting one hour beforehand. If that does happen will the game be postponed?

Don't say that. We are staying up in Bangor and getting a pub bus down and back.

These protestors won't stop until they've ruined everyone elses lives. Incredibly spiteful and ignorant. Why the hell should we have to plan around them?

I don't care if they are protesting on the pitch I will be there to watch the match lol

Rodders,

Did you encounter any problems last weekend?

And have you found a ladder or a boat?

Notch wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:There is a real chance most of the fans won't be able to get to the game with the proposed protests starting one hour beforehand. If that does happen will the game be postponed?

Don't say that. We are staying up in Bangor and getting a pub bus down and back.

These protestors won't stop until they've ruined everyone elses lives. Incredibly spiteful and ignorant. Why the hell should we have to plan around them?

Absolutely agree, its getting well beyond pathetic. Apparently certain Loyalists are planning "civil rights marches" in January as well. If it wasn't so disrupting to everything going on in Northern Ireland it would be laughable.

Civil Right Marches. Civil. Rights. Marches.

Irony is truly dead.