Ulster v Dragons 28th feb

First topic message reminder :

Have not seen a match thread for tonight's game so decided to post one myself.
Match kicks off at 19.05 from Ravenhill and is on the BBC Sport website and BBC NI.
Quite looking forward to the game myself and will be good to see big Tommy Bowe back in the white.

Teams
Ulster: J Payne, T Bowe, D Cave, L Marshall, R Scholes, P Jackson, R Pienaar; C Black, R Herring, R Lutton, J Muller (capt), I Henderson, R Diack, S Doyle, R Wilson.
Replacements: N Annett, T Court, A Macklin, L Stevenson, M McComish, P Marshall, S McCloskey, D McIlwaine.

Newport Gwent Dragons: R hys Jones; Matthew Pewtner, Pat Leach, Ashley Smith (capt), Ross Wardle; Steffan Jones, Richie Rees; Owen Evans, T Rhys Thomas, Bruce Douglas, Matthew Screech, Cory Hill, Jevon Groves, Lewis Evans, Nic Cudd.
Replacements: Nathan Williams, Hugh Gustafson, Duncan Bell, Rob Sidoli, Ieuan Jones, Wayne Evans, Jason Tovey, Jack Dixon.

Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll, John Carvill (both IRFU)

Citing Commissioner: Gordon Black (IRFU)
TMO: Peter Ferguson (IRFU)

I hadn't heard anything about Darren Edwards leaving, MrsP, but I don't know how out of the blue it was for the players. It seems like it was an amicable departure.

Nice finish for Tommy's first try...copying Shane Williams...   

I thought things were looking better for the Dragons?

Looking better on or off the field?

On.

Just spotted one of the lads who runs/trains with my wee lad.

I still want to punch Sparky...that big oversized, over exicted squirrel-bear thingy.

They've taken Tommy off?!   

That's the frustrating thing about tonight so far, MrsP. Our defence was really good against Glasgow.

Bowe off. Is there another round of pro12 before the French game?

Tommy Bowe is off sssh if we don't tell Cari maybe she won't notice it's McIlwaine is on that wing now

Too late Nelly!   Still, he hasn't done bad for 40 minutes work.

Diack could be in the running for player of the season at this rate!

yes 2 tries in 40 minutes he must have had something to get home for lol ah poor Scholes so close but Doyle in for try 5

FFS. Great driving maul, then a woeful pass.

Rory Scholes, he finds holes!  

Scholes day is over, has had a good game, lots of potential there

Clive, as a great philosopher once said "that's what she said".

McCluskey having a thoroughly decent game. Encouraging to have found another centre.

Is it just me or does he look a bit like Stuart Olding?

Unlucky for McIlwaine was a great finish

Oh, so now he's looking for a forward pass!

Would you rather he had awarded the try Lucky?

Just saying we could have done with him going to the TMO for the first try, MrsP. Not that it would have affected the result. You're not a bad side, you Ulsters.

This week maybe Lucky.

Last week though?

  

Ah, but we've already beaten you once this season, so you knew you had to raise your game tonight.

The comeback is on!

Good try Dragons.

Scholes does look like olding. Theres years of confusion in store for Neilly!

Mcilwaine is doing his best to get dropped in the summer. Sad, but sometimes players just dont make the grade.

Who is playing OH just now?

We have a backrow on one wing. 2 SHs ?

He called him Paul a few weeks ago when according to Jim we also played the dragon (It was Ospreys but them Welsh they all wear the same colour) so add in confussion about Olding and we are flying

Gusher is a gas alright!

I knew we woud hear the,

"McCommish played OH for CCB" story!

Did McComish take his scrum cap off so his blondle locks could flow in the wind on his searing runs up the touchline???

He's probably one of those forwards who give the backs a hard time if they wear head gear!

Full time. Thank chuff for that.

Well done, Ulsters. That Iain Henderson looks half decent.

Henderson is fantastically strong and always makes ground.

Still so young too.

Great prospect. I admit I didn't know anything about him until a month or so ago.

Really?

He played a fair bit last season. At least now he looks like he is allowed to stay up late enough to see the end of the matches.

Last season he looked like he was about 14 years old.

Excellant job tonight, could/should have been more in the second half but nice to get back to a bit of free flowing rugby

He's looked good off the bench for Ireland too.

Some folks would say he could be better than Fez!

Stephen Ferris? He'll be a hell of a player if he even comes close.

I know. Have to wait and see. He just turned 22 last weekend though so still getting stronger.

I'll definitely keep an eye on him.

Anyway, well done tonight, and good luck for the rest of the season.

Cheers Lucky, same to yourself. That Ulster back line tonight was very good in the first half- Rory Scholes, very good. McCloskey had a good game off the bench.

Second half? We finished lining up as;

9. Marshall
10. Payne
11. McComish
12. McCloskey
13. Cave
14. Diack/Sean Doyle
15. McIlwaine

Er.... thank god the game was over as a contest!   

It was a very flat second half, but then the game was won by half time. I don't think it suits either side when that happens - although obviously it's better being the side that's won it.

The biggest negative is Luke Marshall- at the ground it looked like a knock to the head, if I'm not incorrect in saying that I wouldn't have him near a rugby pitch next weekend in white or green with the way it was handled last season. You'd want to take every precaution. Gutted for him.

It was a good night for Paddy Jackson to be 100% with his place kicking, I thought Jackson and Henderson advanced their cases for a game against Italy. I couldn't see them being anything other than on the bench in a first choice Ireland side but if Schmidt chooses to rotate a bit then yeah, they've helped their chances. Henderson is very good, he's going to be a star.

Sounds like Edinburgh did us a nice wee favour too.

That Rabo Direct site is going to the dogs. It's not the first time that it says one score in one section and then a completely different score in another.
Pulling out early are we Rabo?

Maybe they just want to last longer. They'll put it back in soon.

To ease the pain...


Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus yn!

Didn't expect anything from that. It's no shock Edwards leaving either. Suspect Lyn wants more input into the backs. All the best to him though.

Tommy Bowe only plays well against the Drags until he faces Brewy, the big scaredy cat.

We all know game was won by half time but feared a much bigger defeat even before the kick off.

Any chance we can have Shane Howarth in now as backs coach.