The Rabo Pro12 Final - RDS - 25th May - Leinster V Ulster

Well, there's been little chat on here for Ulster fans lately, so I decided to create a thread to try an encourage some build up!

My wifes birthday is on friday, and I long ago booked myself to do some work in Galway that day. Naughty naughty Clive! To make up for it, I booked a long weekend for the missus and the wee man to come.

Then I realise when the Rabo Final is. Long story short, I've rearranged hotels, Travelling from Galway to Dublin hotel for the weekend, and got two tickets through the supporters club!

I'll be in the North Stand, and we are going to attempt to bring little Ruan in the baby carrier! Is that mad???

Anyways, I'll put team info in here when it becomes available.

I have this weird fantasy that keeps coming to me, that Ferris will surprisingly be fit and named after having been kept top secret! There has been no timescale on his current injury since February when they stated he would probably miss the season.

Will Luke Marshall be allowed to play?

Any injury worries?

Will Leinster care more about this game than they did the Amlin final? (Honestly, barely a smile at final whistle!)

Ferris, L. Marshall, Gilroy- you won't be seeing them at all.

Pretty much same team as semi Notch plus Afoa?

I'd say so yes.

The big injury decisions are probably for Leinster, especially BOD and McFadden. I think both are meant to be fit? Maybe a Leinster fan can comment on that.

I believe McFadden is grand, as is Strauss, Jen McLadyboy saw them after the game on Friday and they said they were fine.

I expect BOD was being given every chance to be fit for this game. We want this cup far more than the one last week. Think you could see that from the team that was picked and the defensive line speed.

I'd expect a team of:

Healy - Strauss - Ross
Cullen - Toner
O'Brien - Heaslip - McLaughlin
Boss - Sexton
Nacewa - Madigan - Drico - McFadden
Kearney

Cronin - McGrath - Hagan - Roux - Jennings - Cooney - Goodman - Conway

Changes from last years Heineken Final clash likely to be

Leinster:
Boss for Redden
Toner for Thorn

Ulster:
Payne for Terblance
Bowe for Gilroy
Olding for Wallace
Williams for Wannenburg
Diack? for Ferris

Madigan for D'Arcy obviously.

If Leinster played against us like they played against Stade I would be very confident of winning but it would be a surprise if that were the case. I expect them to step it up a gear so it's hard to call. We do have an undeniably better pack of forwards but Leinster are clincial and superb in defence which makes me think even dominating up front might not necessarily be enough.

I see us winning if our pack does dominate but you can never call Leinster underdogs due to their handy knack of winning games most sides would have absolutely no right to win based on the stats by absorbing unbelievable pressure and then breaking out a brilliant set move that cuts you open and changes the game. We've beaten them twice this season by outmuscling them up front and we have the tools to outmuscle them again- in terms of physicality we have their number from 1 to 8. We have to back that up by not letting them catch us out like they catch out so many teams and our best chance of nullifying them comes from familiarity. Stade were cut up by some fairly old Leinster moves they hadn't seen before whereas this will be our ninth meeting with Leinster in three years.

Hopefully the homework is done and the coaching staff has been working very, very hard for the last two weeks. Because no coach in Europe does the preparation and analysis better than Joe Schmidt. More than any individual match-up on the pitch thats what will win or lose this final.

Surley Clive you got the title wrong, Should be Ulster V Leinster.

Ulster are at home, in the RDS.

Though Leinster appeared to be resting some players last week, this will be Leinsters toughest game of the 3.

For Ulster we've had a extra weeks rest, but Leinster are on a roll, winning at a canter.

This ones the big one, glad Leinster won last week to get Connacht in H-cup, but now its the Leauge, with an Ulster V Leinster final, the league may have been forgottten about in Wales and Scotland, but over here its building up to it.

One last game of the season, winner takes all. I expect both teams to go out and give it everything.

I think we can really get an edge in the scrum. Leinster's lineout functioned very well against stade though.

Payne, Bowe and Trimble can cause that Leinster midfield problems, especially if BOD is out.

Olding against Madigan should be a great contest, two exceptionally gifted footballers with a turn of pace.

Ulster are a much stronger side than last year, particularly out wide where we have a lot more strike threat and Williams gives us an extra dimension in attack.

Leinster looked very, very good against Stad though, in complete control of a side who where dominating them physically. They look hungry and confident and there is a swagger about them again.

Leinster are undoubted fabourites but I do believe that we are good enough to win. We mustn't tighen up like we did against Sarries, only our very best will be good enough to have a chance here.

Best and Pienaar are key. The lineout needs to function and Pienaar must nail his kicks. They both fell apart against Saracens and can't afford to do so here.

Why Ulster didn't choose Thomond Park instead of the RDS?

Surely that would have made more sense with Munster out and Leinster likely to feature in the final.

Leinster have the players and pedigree to win this one, but if Ulster play to the top of their game and Ruan has his kicking boots on we might just nick it.
I presume it's live on BBC Norn Iron for those of us on the wrong side of the water?

Vince, wee bit of hike compared to going to Dublin - personally I'd have gone for Cardiff!

VinceWLB wrote:Why Ulster didn't choose Thomond Park instead of the RDS?

Surely that would have made more sense with Munster out and Leinster likely to feature in the final.

An IRFU precondititon for keeping Muller.

As Philip Brown likes to say - Never give fruit washer an even break.

Tickets just went on general sale by the way, if anyone is still without a ticket!

Tickets from the Ulster allocation...

Supposedly 200 left over but there were none available at 12:00:30

You know, the tickets are through Ticketmaster and not the Ulster Rugby Ticket site Aukster?

Yes - none available... there must have been some eejit who broadcast that they were going on sale that tipped the world off!

Apparently Ulster's strategy of choosing the RDS has paid off in extra season ticket sales. That wouldn't have happened if they had chosen a different venue.

Rumours on Uafc that Afoa is struggling. O'Brien a doubt for Leinster too allegedly?

The Great Aukster wrote:Apparently Ulster's strategy of choosing the RDS has paid off in extra season ticket sales. That wouldn't have happened if they had chosen a different venue.

Like I said before, there are some smart feckers running Ulster these days. I shudder at the memories of 1999 when all tickets were on general sale and some people who had been to every game of the Cup run missed out for some attending their first rugby match! We never capitalised on 1999 because we never tapped into to that temporary surge in support.

Now, year on year, reaching these big games is used to get more fans through the gates and more season tickets sold. Now we just need a trophy, any trophy, to start the silverware ball rolling.

Notch wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:Apparently Ulster's strategy of choosing the RDS has paid off in extra season ticket sales. That wouldn't have happened if they had chosen a different venue.

Like I said before, there are some smart feckers running Ulster these days. I shudder at the memories of 1999 when all tickets were on general sale and some people who had been to every game of the Cup run missed out for some attending their first rugby match! We never capitalised on 1999 because we never tapped into to that temporary surge in support.

Now, year on year, reaching these big games is used to get more fans through the gates and more season tickets sold. Now we just need a trophy, any trophy, to start the silverware ball rolling.

I missed out then, but I disagree that UR handled it badly because they didn't have many Season Ticket holders then (no Celtic League). I know that some of those first time rugby goers in 1999 actually stuck with the game afterwards, and the fact I didn't get a ticket didn't stop me going to Ravenhill, so 1999 did boost Ulster Rugby at the turnstiles.

The dilemma now is that if Ulster are winning things the only way to get a final ticket is to buy a ST! A big premium for someone like me who can only attend about half the games and needs two tickets (sometimes three or four) seated together.

The Great Aukster wrote:
The dilemma now is that if Ulster are winning things the only way to get a final ticket is to buy a ST! A big premium for someone like me who can only attend about half the games and needs two tickets (sometimes three or four) seated together.

If I might be so bold as to suggest that it's a hurdle Ulster need to overcome if they want to grow the game province wide. Munster can get around this by having two stadiums and two season tickets. For most in the west of the province a season ticket isn't really a viable option due to the 3rd world road and transport infrastructure.

Regarding the surge in demand for tickets, I don't think that this is only down to the increased success but the publicity generated by last years cup run and also the much improved marketing by the club this year. Bringing Bowe back would also have helped given he's one of the few genuine household names in Irish rugby.

*yawn and stretch* Right, who are we playing next?

Ulster?

Right so, let the A team get a run out against them......


Only kidding of course.... another pummelling of epic proportions awaits the poor boys in black'n'blue. Once more unto the breach, dear friends. Will they have enough left? And away too!

SecretFly wrote: And away too!

Ya shoitehawk!

IF...and it's only an IF...but IF Leinster were to win? Would they be the first rugby team in history to win at home whilst playing away?

Sin or some of the other stat guys here help me out on that one.

Because I'd love the Win Away at Home Cup to add to the one suggested on another thread, The Last Real HC Cup. That'd be four cups in the one season!!!!!! Enough for a tea party!!!

The Leinster squad trained in UCD on Monday afternoon ahead of Saturday's RaboDirect PRO12 final in the RDS against Ulster (KO: 4.45pm) with several injury concerns for the management to contend with arising from Friday night's Amlin Challenge Cup victory...
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Sean O'Brien (bruised knee) and Fergus McFadden (neck) are injury concerns for the province as they prepare for the final game of the season.

Ireland hooker Richardt Strauss (shoulder) was replaced late on having previously come on for Sean Cronin - who incidentally scored his second successive try in European finals - but the medical team are hopeful that he will be available.

Aside from the usual bumps and bruises, the province expect to be in a position to call on Brian O'Driscoll (back) for Saturday's final, while a number of players who were rested after a rigorous last few weeks - including the likes of wing forward Kevin McLaughlin - could also come back into the frame.

Isa Nacewa and Jonathan Sexton will play their final games for Leinster ahead of their summer departures while Sexton passed the 1,000 point milestone following his 14 point haul against Stade Français at the weekend.

Friday's game also saw Dave Kearney successfully return following his five week absence.

It was a successful weekend for Leinster on several fronts with the 'A' team securing a last gasp victory over in Newcastle Falcons to secure the province's inaugural British & Irish Cup.

The Leinster team to face Ulster will be named at lunchtime on Friday.

The Great Aukster wrote:The dilemma now is that if Ulster are winning things the only way to get a final ticket is to buy a ST!

Thats not true, there were a number of tickets on sale via the Ulster Rugby Supporters Club and they were only released on the proviso you could prove that you don't have a season ticket and so are unable to get a ticket in other ways.

Spare a thought for the Leinster fans- a season ticket is no guarantee of getting a final ticket! Thats what we should aspire to in terms of creating demand. The problem with the Rabo playoffs is that there are some clubs with massive fanbases and some clubs with very low demand- neither Leinster or Ulster was willing to take the risk of a half-empty Aviva for a game against Scarlets or Glasgow- and also the tickets have to be sold at very short notice.

Anyway, I'm in Block L of the Grandstand- hopefully surrounded by like-minded Ulster fans screaming their heads off!

I'll be in the sunny south stand.

Must meet you for a 99 pre match Notch.

Notch, what do you make of the fact that for this game and the semi, tickets were not expected to go general sale. But they did in the end. This shows that a substantial amount of STHs either arn't going, or at least are taking very few of the tickets thy are entitled to.

I'd love to know some exact figures.

Is it the case that a fair few season ticket holders have plenty of cash, and buy one without fully using it?

I'm glad I listened to you guys this time last year and signed up with the Supporters Club at least. A tenner for the year or something stupid, and I( won a prize in the ballot and got tickets to the final. Can't be bad to that!

The tickets from the semi that went on general release were returns from the Scarlets AFAIK.

And they sold.

Rumour is that SOB is out. Him and Afoa out would be about evens.

The Nordies are starting to get notions about themselves. We have to slap them down again and keep them in their box. :-)

MrsP wrote:The tickets from the semi that went on general release were returns from the Scarlets AFAIK.

And they sold.

Oh yea, sorry, forgot that.

So for RDS, it was 9,250 tickets each.

Anyone know how many STHs we have this year and next?

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Rumour is that SOB is out. Him and Afoa out would be about evens.

The Nordies are starting to get notions about themselves. We have to slap them down again and keep them in their box. :-)

This is the equivalent of 2008. You popped Munsters bubble of complacenct dominance then in the semi-final and now in 2013 a new rising power needs to pop your bubble. Sounds rude. And won't be easy.

But I don't think there's anyone involved who doesn't think we can win. I think we think we should win. Otherwise the season will be deemed a failure.

clivemcl wrote:Notch, what do you make of the fact that for this game and the semi, tickets were not expected to go general sale. But they did in the end. This shows that a substantial amount of STHs either arn't going, or at least are taking very few of the tickets thy are entitled to.

I'd love to know some exact figures.

Gotta disagree with your maths there clive- We have less season tickets than the allocation for the Final and the Ulster allocation for the semi-final sold out. If we sold roughly 8800 tickets for the Final to season ticket holders, including new ones, thats more than our number of STs not less. So I wouldn't read very much into 200 tickets going on general sale.

Keep meaning to ask - what's the 3 stars on the Leinster shirt?

My guess is it's Heineken Cups, league championships or the number of times Cian Healey has eaten salad.

George Carlin wrote:Keep meaning to ask - what's the 3 stars on the Leinster shirt?

My guess is it's Heineken Cups, league championships or the number of times Cian Healey has eaten salad.

Heineken Cups George. We've only 2 league championships and Cian Healy has never touched the stuff. Quoted as saying "that's not food, that's what food eats..."

Mickado wrote:

George Carlin wrote:Keep meaning to ask - what's the 3 stars on the Leinster shirt?

My guess is it's Heineken Cups, league championships or the number of times Cian Healey has eaten salad.

Heineken Cups George. We've only 2 league championships and Cian Healy has never touched the stuff. Quoted as saying "that's not food, that's what food eats..."

I suspected as much.

My last remaining guess was it's the number of bones that Brian O'Driscoll hasn't broken yet.

Coincidentally, it's the same figure. The anvil, the hammer and the stirrup i think...

What are you going to put on the shirts for the Amlin?

Maybe a wee outline of a star only? Empty, unfulfilled, etc?



PS. I am fully aware that the Amlin is more than Ulster have won for quite some time! Yet!

Notch wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Rumour is that SOB is out. Him and Afoa out would be about evens.

The Nordies are starting to get notions about themselves. We have to slap them down again and keep them in their box. :-)

This is the equivalent of 2008. You popped Munsters bubble of complacenct dominance then in the semi-final and now in 2013 a new rising power needs to pop your bubble. Sounds rude. And won't be easy.

But I don't think there's anyone involved who doesn't think we can win. I think we think we should win. Otherwise the season will be deemed a failure.

You get one win in Dublin every quarter century. You just wasted one on a league win that resulted in you finishing first in the league and getting a home...... Oh wait....

MrsP wrote:What are you going to put on the shirts for the Amlin?

Maybe a wee outline of a star only? Empty, unfulfilled, etc?

Fock all. we only won it to keep our hand in.

Someone needs to get Connacht into the HC every year, and when it became clear that neither our Northern nor Southern brethren could oblige, we had to roll up our sleeves, send out Jack McGrath and the rest of the dirt trackers and have a training match.

Just read there that neither Sexton nor Drico have faced Ulster this year... Nice one.

The other thing I will say is. We need this win more as otherwise we will have lost 4 Magners/Rabo finals in a row!

Mickado wrote:Someone needs to get Connacht into the HC every year, and when it became clear that neither our Northern nor Southern brethren could oblige, we had to roll up our sleeves, send out Jack McGrath and the rest of the dirt trackers and have a training match.

Just read there that neither Sexton nor Drico have faced Ulster this year... Nice one.

I had wondered why it semed so long since Trimble and BOD had come to blows. That explains it! Let the fists fly!

Mickado wrote:Coincidentally, it's the same figure. The anvil, the hammer and the stirrup i think...

No no. He broke those bones too. Coach tells him to come off due to concussion and a broken leg............... he never hears the instructions.

clivemcl wrote:

Mickado wrote:Someone needs to get Connacht into the HC every year, and when it became clear that neither our Northern nor Southern brethren could oblige, we had to roll up our sleeves, send out Jack McGrath and the rest of the dirt trackers and have a training match.

Just read there that neither Sexton nor Drico have faced Ulster this year... Nice one.

I had wondered why it semed so long since Trimble and BOD had come to blows. That explains it! Let the fists fly!

They love a good dust up alright. As does our Leo, and your Chris. Ah it's going to be a feisty one!!

Well dare your thug Leo "Plug" Cullen lay as much as an ear lob on our Chris!

He'll have me to deal with!!!!

Leo always looks so innocent when he starts a fight though.... years of training field practice to perfect that.

That man has never looked innocent since the moment he was born!!!