Ulster vs Ospreys

First topic message reminder :

Game on Friday, another sell-out crowd, but like everyone else we're scrabbling around with the Six Nations and injuries, trying to make ends meet. Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Chris Henry, Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson and Craig Gilroy are all with the national side. John Afoa and Jared Payne are on leave to ensure they stay fresh on the home straight of the season. And Adam Macklin, Paddy McAllister, Stephen Ferris, Nick Williams, Roger Wilson, Tommy Bowe, Chris Farrell, Peter Nelson and Adam D'Arcy are all still injured.

Selection is further complicated by the news that Darren Cave and Andrew Trimble have been called into the Ireland squad as cover for Earls and D'Arcy- they are included here but aren't likely to be released from tacklebag duty until Thursday.

Forwards (14)

Nigel Brady, Rob Herring, Niall Annett, Callum Black, Ricky Lutton, Andrew Warwick, Tom Court, Lewis Stevenson, Dan Tuohy, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Mike McComish Robbie Diack, Ali Birch.

Backs (11)

Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Niall O’Connor, Stuart Olding, Paddy Wallace, Luke Marshall, Darren Cave, Michael Allen, Andrew Trimble, Chris Cochrane, Ricky Andrew.

There is some good news- Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy and Luke Marshall are back and available for selection. But it's a squad with no recognised tighthead, only 3 recognised backrows and only one recognised fullback. Of the props, it is to be hoped Tom Court stays at loosehead- the joke of trying him at 3 is testament to how we will fail to get the best out of him in that position and would further damage his international chances. Of the 4 looseheads in the squad the burden will probably fall on Richard Lutton to wear the 3 shirt with 21 year-old Prop/Hooker Andrew Warwick covering for him on the bench.

I would move the hard-grafting Neil McComb to the blindside flanker as a lineout option and a ball carrier, given how light we are in the backrow. With Jackson missing at 10, it's a good opportunity to look at Stuart Olding outside Ruan Pienaar and Luke Marshall to come off the bench.

Notchs XV;

1. Tom Court
2. Nigel Brady
3. Richard Lutton
4. Johann Muller (c)
5. Dan Tuohy
6. Neil McComb
7. Mike McComish
8. Robbie Diack
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Stuart Olding
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Paddy Wallace
13. Darren Cave
14. Michael Allen
15. Ricky Andrew

16. Rob Herring 17. Andrew Warwick 18. Callum Black 19. Lewis Stevenson 20. Ali Birch 21. Paul Marshall 22. Luke Marshall 23. Chris Cochrane.

Also, can I raise the question again, last night wasn't the time for a discussion on it, but refs have seriously started to become slack on the tackler releasing law. I counted umpteen times last night when one of the players involved in the tackle did not release before challenging for the ball.

Did nobody else notice? I remember a time when I thought refs were being too harsh over it. When a player who simply had his hand on the tackled player going down was labelled a tackler and not allowed to immediately compete.

Now its gone almost the opposite. I noticed it in the Six Nations too, so i'm not pinpointing last nights ref out for ridicule.

Was at the game and haven't watched it back yet but no real complaints from me. Ospreys were better team, didn't think it was a great game and neither side really looked like scoring until that breakaway try which fittingly won the game. Ulster just never got a proper platform and once Ruan and johann went of I just didn't feel there was enough leadership to get us over line. Must say though I thought Luke Marshall was Our best player, He always seems to make ground!

If Pienaar is out for any period. you are down to Marshall and Jackson as your best halfback pairing.
season is not over but there's no way you will win the HC. wouldn't fancy them in a rabo final either. even at home.

Sorry. should have added. in my opinion. not offering it a fact.

Not sure, they may surprise you- I'd be more concerned about our injury list.

Of course Pienaars kicking from hand and tee is crucial.

Maybe it would help Jackson become a more complete 10 though, off course it would be a big blow though. If we can reduce our injury list so he was the only one we would be ok I think. Bowe said last night on the BBC NI coverage he expects to be back April, he also said at the time he heard 2 snaps and thought tha was the end of his season. Ferris apparently is closing in on a return so that would be great if we can keep him fit.

neilthom7 wrote:...Bowe said last night on the BBC NI coverage he expects to be back April, he also said at the time he heard 2 snaps and thought tha was the end of his season...

Neilly! I'm suddenly looking forward to April...and not because of my new Council Tax bill!

Cari wrote:

neilthom7 wrote:...Bowe said last night on the BBC NI coverage he expects to be back April, he also said at the time he heard 2 snaps and thought tha was the end of his season...

Neilly! I'm suddenly looking forward to April...and not because of my new Council Tax bill!

Hahaha in the meantime our 'boyband' backline as you have called them will have to do Cari unless John Afoa is your kind of man

Well Trimby was there last night wasn't he? So there was one member of the boyband about.

haha yes he was so who is this boyband's members exactly?

Andrew Trimble, NOC, Payne and Tommy are your Boyband Backline

Apparently this match has been postponed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/pro12/fixtures

MrsP wrote:Apparently this match has been postponed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/pro12/fixtures

They have had that for a lot of games? I guess it's because the days have moved, don't know why they are down as postponed though

We should probably replay the game just to be on the safe side

Yeah, it kind of looks like that published with every game on the Saturday of any given weekend and then just but "postponed" beside any game that isn't being played on a Saturday.

Weird or lazy?

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:If Pienaar is out for any period. you are down to Marshall and Jackson as your best halfback pairing.
season is not over but there's no way you will win the HC. wouldn't fancy them in a rabo final either. even at home.

...the mcLadyboy doth protest too much me thinks.......

Hope he's back for the 30th of March so as yiz will have no excuses.

Looks like I will see Ulster live 2 weeks in a row.

MrsP sent me a saucy video...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21396207

Not keen on the beginning, mind

Seriously, he'll do really well to come back in April from that. The injury and subsequent operation sounded much worse than I thought. His Nornirish twang is coming back nicely too...he went a bit Welshy for a while

Anyone seen Paddy McAllister's beard of late? Certainly lost the baby face! Rather impressive, but probably counts himself out of any possible boyband line-up for Cari...

Tough watching on Friday night.

Ospreys were much more spirited and focussed – really deserved their win. We looked like a team of individuals – rusty and without any real coherence. It’s frustrating and disappointing, but I’m not overly concerned. Johann back from a considerable, injury-enforced absence, ditto Tuohy, a nineteen-year-old making his first start at OH, no tightheads in the squad, third choice back-row across the board. It shouldn’t be a shock that we were fairly bitty. We made linebreaks, but players didn’t have anyone on their shoulder. Individual skills were there, we just didn’t seem organised to capitalise. I know Ospreys had far from their best team, but they put in a performance.

Ospreys are tougher opposition than we will have at home for the rest of the season, so hopefully the loss will rattle our cage and we can move on and starting racking up some wins. We really need a five-pointer against Zebre, I think, to get back on track.

Some silver linings, though. Birch did some great digging in the rucks and tackles, although he seemed to run out of steam. Annett was busy, and his lineout good where Herring’s had been very shaky. Allen put in some great. Committed tackles and ran some good lines but didn’t get the passes or offloads. Andrews looked surprisingly dangerous and composed – fair play to him, he’s stepped up with a bit of gametime.

Olding again this week, please – he wasn’t fantastic but I saw more potential than O’Connor has ever possessed.

No 6 nations this week right so it's likely we will get Jackson, Henderson back because they weren't playing last week too. They my even allow us Fitzpatrick and Henry for the Bench as they didn't start at the weekend.

clivemcl wrote:Anyone seen Paddy McAllister's beard of late? Certainly lost the baby face! Rather impressive, but probably counts himself out of any possible boyband line-up for Cari...

Not boyband material exactly but if a vacancy for a drummer comes up in a Heavy Metal band...

Jesus-esque!

He looks like Grizzly Adams.

Spoiler:

clivemcl wrote:Anyone seen Paddy McAllister's beard of late? Certainly lost the baby face! Rather impressive, but probably counts himself out of any possible boyband line-up for Cari...

That beard makes his hair look like a wig!

Cari wrote:

clivemcl wrote:Anyone seen Paddy McAllister's beard of late? Certainly lost the baby face! Rather impressive, but probably counts himself out of any possible boyband line-up for Cari...

That beard makes his hair look like a wig!

Is that a laugh of approval Cari? Thats what a real man looks like. None of your metrosexual, backline lingering, sandwich salesman nonsense