Leinster v Ulster. Sat 28th December

While I wasn't certain about our selection of the past two games at least if we follow through with a good team it will provide some spectacle over the Christmas interpros.   

I think the consensus is amongst Ulster fans that we are looking at 

Court, Herring, Fitz, Tuohy, Stevenson, Diack, Doyle, Wilson, Marshall, Jackson, Allen, Marshall, Cave, Trimble, Gilroy

With the bench depending on fitness of those coming back from injury. 

Any Leinster types lurking about to post a likely team?

LEINSTER:
15: Zane Kirchner
14: Dave Kearney
13: Brendan Macken
12: Noel Reid
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jimmy Gopperth
9: Isaac Boss

1: Michael Bent
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Martin Moore
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Mike McCarthy
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jordi Murphy

REPLACEMENTS:
16: James Tracy
17: Mike Ross
18: Jack O'Connell
19: Tom Denton
20: Dominic Ryan
21: Luke McGrath
22: Ian Madigan
23: Darragh Fanning

Strongish Ulster team:

(15-9): R Andrew, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy, P Jackson, P Marshall;
(1-8): C Black, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, R Diack (Captain), S Doyle, R Wilson;
(16-23): N Annett, T Court, R Lutton, N McComb, M McComish, R Pienaar, J Payne, M Allen.

REFEREE: John Lacey (IRFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Peter Fitzgibbon, Eddie Hagan-O'Connell (both IRFU) CITING COMMISSIONER: Eugene Ryan (IRFU) TMO: S

I have banged in all the internationals that missed out last week. They may not all feature. O'Brien is injured I think but they keep saying he will be available next week so he could feature

So are you gracing us with your presence Stand?

McGrath
Cronin
Ross
Toner
McCarthy
Ruddock
Jennings
Heaslip

Reddan
Madigan
Kirchner
D'Arcy
Macken
D Kearney
R Kearney

Dundon
Bent
Moore
Cullen
Murphy
Boss
Gopperth
Hudson

Looks weak

(I love the smell of the RDS on the Saturday after Christmas)

Would love to Jen but I can't this year. Mate of mine got married in England and is having his doo back here on the 28th. Needless to say I won't be attending until after the game mind you.

could be a good game although if O'Brien plays I give you lads a massive advantage in the backrow

Story, Stand mo chara?  Hows the form?   
I'm there roysh. I'll bring the flask of hot toddy Jen. I owe Decco.

No way the team will be that strong btw. It's only Ulster FFS.

Peace and Love amongst all rugby men and wimmin.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

You coming fo real? And have you got a ticket?

Yes. No.

Any danger bud?

Gibbo, bout ye? 

All good here. I'm hoping for a great game but worried about Leinster, Munster, Montpellier, Leicester all in a row. Hopefully the likes of Henry, Henderson and Williams will all be back to ease the worries.

What's the story with Gopperth lads. Did he sh1t in someone's cornflakes in November?

I'm grand big man. Hows de pub going dude? Busy now Id say. Im heading to Dublin in the morn. Just in time to feel the buzz.
On Madigan, I reckon Joe had a word, Stand. Maddser starts  coming into the 6-N?  

But Gopperth was handmade to start in the Edinburgh game, in those conditions. For sure. He's a controller. Madigan has lots to learn yet in that respect. Lets be honest, Jackson is ahead of him there. And he's only a lad. Good times coming for both. And JJ.

See the 10's we have now lads? I'm well happy. I remember when we only had one. And he was a bollix.

agree totally Gibbo. I had Madigan comfortably ahead coming into this season but I think Jackson has him now. That said Joe will do his thing and hopefully it pays off. Pubs going well doing trips to Munster and Montpellier in the new year then depending on ulsters Heineken run will try and get to limerick for the last game. 


Heres hoping you get a ticket next sat chief. Some good matchups in there. Ireland trials you would think

I would think so also mo chara. These games matter. We are both European powerhouses now. Feic de begrudgers. Love to see us both put out decent teams for this one. We used to. What better chance for Joe to see his main men in real action, coming into the 6-N?

Jen' s team may be spot on in that case. Feicer is close to the source. Or is that sauce? Cant remember now.

Nice one on the Pub trips man. They must be a blast. We still do ours, albeit a virtual pub that moves around in real time...

Same ting.

I'm heading to Tigers v Ulster in the HC with me Ballymoney mate, in Jan, for the decider. I shall mostly be wearing an Ulster shirt with Gibson on the back.

I really feel this may be your year. Your time has been duly served.

Believe.

Gibson wrote:I'm grand big man. Hows de pub going dude? Busy now Id say. Im heading to Dublin in the morn. Just in time to feel the buzz.
On Madigan, I reckon Joe had a word, Stand. Maddser starts  coming into the 6-N?  

But Gopperth was handmade to start in the Edinburgh game, in those conditions. For sure. He's a controller. Madigan has lots to learn yet in that respect. Lets be honest, Jackson is ahead of him there. And he's only a lad. Good times coming for both. And JJ.

See the 10's we have now lads? I'm well happy. I remember when we only had one. And he was a bollix.

   

I shall be referring to you as Prophet Gibbo if we win it this year chief!  

LEINSTER:
15: Zane Kirchner
14: Dave Kearney
13: Brendan Macken
12: Noel Reid
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jimmy Gopperth
9: Isaac Boss

1: Michael Bent
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Martin Moore
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Mike McCarthy
6: Rhys Ruddock
7: Sean O'Brien
8: Jordi Murphy

REPLACEMENTS:
16: James Tracy
17: Mike Ross
18: Jack O'Connell
19: Tom Denton
20: Dominic Ryan
21: Luke McGrath
22: Ian Madigan
23: Darragh Fanning

REFEREE: John Lacey (IRFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: Peter Fitzgibbon, Eddie Hagan-O'Connell (both IRFU) CITING COMMISSIONER: Eugene Ryan (IRFU) TMO: Sean Flannery (IRFU)

That's one powerfull back row   

Strongish Ulster team:

(15-9): R Andrew, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy, P Jackson, P Marshall;
(1-8): C Black, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, R Diack (Captain), S Doyle, R Wilson;
(16-23): N Annett, T Court, R Lutton, N McComb, M McComish, R Pienaar, J Payne, M Allen.

Not impressed with a lot of those calls.

VinceWLB wrote:That's one powerfull back row   

Yeah but look at the centres. big green light through there.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:That's one powerfull back row   

Yeah but look at the centres. big green light through there.

Yep, D'arcy and particularly BOD omissions are baffling arent' they. Ulster's centres are licking their lips as we type.

Forwards could certainly have done with McGrath and Cronin too.

VinceWLB wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:That's one powerfull back row   

Yeah but look at the centres. big green light through there.

Yep, D'arcy and particularly BOD omissions are baffling arent' they. Ulster's centres are licking their lips as we type.

Forwards could certainly have done with McGrath and Cronin too.

Yes on McGrath and Cronin. Darce and Macken would have been fine in the centre, not Reid and Macken though.

Good chance for ulster but I wouldn't right off Leinster. OP updated with the teams. Ulster beat a better team than that down there last year. They had Muller, Henry and Best iirc then though

Great opportunity for us here, should be a close game.

We really need our backrow to front up! If we had Henderson, Henry and Williams back I would be very confident. The absence of Muller, Best and Afoa is also pretty key but that Leinster pack is beatable and the centres are fairly average.

Our weakness is at fullback, really. With Gopperth in they may go try and make us play from deep and put the ball in the air a fair bit. Only Kirchener, Gopperth, Pienaar and Payne out of the 46 players selected are not eligible for Ireland in the Six Nations. Pretty good.

Did someone give Niall Crozier a job at Planet Rugby? Some classic Belfast Telegraph style journalism here! Joe Schmidt is still the Leinster coach and Dan Tuohy is captaining Ulster (pictured; Neil McComb)

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_9090057,00.html

Eek thought we would have put out some more of the big guns for this game I gotta say. Was expecting to see Luke in the centre somewhere too.....

Nowhere near as confident about this game as before

Notch wrote:Our weakness is at fullback, really. With Gopperth in they may go try and make us play from deep and put the ball in the air a fair bit.

The forecast looks fair so it could be a game for the kick/chase and Marshall/Jackson play that pretty well. Andrew is a weakness at 15 but is maybe slightly more suited to running return that tactical kicking so if he doesn't get himself isolated, he could be OK.

Hopefully Schmidt will finally realise that Tuohy, Cave, and P Marshall should have got game time in the AI's.

gleesonisgod wrote:Hopefully Schmidt will finally realise that Tuohy, Cave, and P Marshall should have got game time in the AI's.

They need to turn up. Tuohy is competing directly with a competitor as is Marshall (although Marmion for me was the obvious omission from the AIs)

Cave needs to show why he is better than the young Leinster pretenders

I think we may see Madigan brought in at 12, if things go wrong there, but Id hope we dont have to, unless its a positive tactical move. Macken and Reid need to stand up defensively in games like this.  

Our pack (Bent needs a decent game), has enough to give us a platform to enable Boss & Gopperth to do their stuff.  

Im wrapping up in a duvet coat. At the top of the open South Stand... Brrrrr.  

We need a win badly, so Leinster by 8.

Believe.

Gibson wrote:I think we may see Madigan brought in at 12, if things go wrong there, but Id hope we dont have to, unless its a positive tactical move. Macken and Reid need to stand up defensively in games like this.  

Our pack (Bent needs a decent game), has enough to give us a platform to enable Boss & Gopperth to do their stuff.  

Im wrapping up in a duvet coat. At the top of the open South Stand... Brrrrr.  

We need a win badly, so Leinster by 8.

Believe.

You are going down Gibson  

Ulster mid field is terrible it's like a leaky tap! Leinster bringing huge intensity it's only a matter of time

Boss is really really average by Leinster's standards.

Cannot believe Ulster are ahead.

Could be the definition of a hold up.

Good try, great conversion given the wind direction.

Fitzgerald having an eye catching performance.

Maybe someone should tell Darren that the reason his face doesn't fit is that no one will recognize him if he stays anonymous for big games.

Ulsters forwards have been a disgrace. Complacent.

It really has been disgraceful from 1-8 and we've got very little in reserve on the bench. Time to wake up.

Are ulster saving themselves for Munster next week? Cause they are utter tripe tonight

Not a bad couple of players to spring from the bench.

Instant impact as well.

Ahh bugger O'Brien probably out of the 6N, that looks like a break.

Dislocated shoulder for Sean O'Brien. How long does that normally keep someone out for?

Feckless Rogue wrote:Dislocated shoulder for Sean O'Brien. How long  does that normally keep someone out for?

I would say 4 weeks if lucky.

Disappointing game. I was hoping for better

Any wor on marshalls injury?

I'm absolutely disgusted by this display.

Very poor game! I think ulster will be a different team next week!

Is it just me or is leinsters attack as blunt as a rusty knife this year? Last year they were scoring for fun and running great lines but this year they can't seem to buy a try?

Ulster poor compsure near the line in the second half.

First time in the rabo since 30th November there is no losing bonus point.