Scarlets v Ulster (SUFTUM) 29th October 2011 at Parc Y Scarlets KO 3.00pm

First topic message reminder :

Six of Ulster's World Cup players have gone straight into the starting XV to face Scarlets in the RaboDirect PRO12 tomorrow night at the Parc y Scarlets (kick off 3pm).
Head Coach Brian McLaughlin has made a total of seven personnel changes and two positional switches. Johann Muller returns to captain the side from the second row, where he is resumes his partnership with Dan Tuohy.

Ulster (15-9): S Danielli; A Trimble, N Spence, P Wallace, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, R Pienaar;
(1-8): T Court, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, M McComish, C Henry;
Replacements (16-23): N Brady, P McAllister, A Macklin, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, D Cave, A D'Arcy

Scarlets team just put up on the Scarlet Fever forum, not on the Scarlets web site though,


15 Evans, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Lamont, 12 Warren, 11 Fenby, 10 A Thomas, 9 R Williams,
1 R Jones, 2 Owens, 3 R Thomas, 4 Day, 5 Welch, 6 McCusker (c), 7 Edwards, 8 Morgan

REPS: 16 Rees, 17 John, 18 Gardiner, 19 Shingler, 20 Pugh, 21 Knoyle, 22 Newton, 23 S Williams

ah great news on Stodds then.

To be fair with the re-hash of the Ulster front row, I actually expected our scrums to be better. We only really got that part under controll when Phil John and Smiler came on.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:

I'm glad that Murphy will provide competition for Morgan as well, I hope Morgan can rediscover his form from last season

2nd season syndrome?

I don't think to Turkster. He's getting himself into the position to make the runs he did last year, but it's a combination of him being targetted and double tackled, and his lack of skill in carrying the ball into contact that is resulting in him having quieter games, and he had trouble in the contact area last season as well.

What we have to do is use him a bit more wisely, instaed of using him to make the runs, use him to suck the defenders in to allow others like Rob Gog to make the break when the gaps in the forwards are there.

Oh dear oh dear. At least the fine ladies of Ulster can take heart from Trimble's try.

rugbydreamer wrote:I don't think to Turkster. He's getting himself into the position to make the runs he did last year, but it's a combination of him being targetted and double tackled, and his lack of skill in carrying the ball into contact that is resulting in him having quieter games, and he had trouble in the contact area last season as well.

What we have to do is use him a bit more wisely, instaed of using him to make the runs, use him to suck the defenders in to allow others like Rob Gog to make the break when the gaps in the forwards are there.

the bolded bit is usually the cause of second season syndrome, teams will remember him from last season and target him more, the 2nd part of your post is the cure, in other words learn to use him differently from what other teams expect.

Does anybody actually know what the deal is with Faloon? He is obviously our best openside and he hasn't given any reason to be dropped so far off the radar. It is a bit odd.

No clue whatsoever Rory. I took a gander at the UAFC site where someone alluded to him being very unhappy and potentially moving but who knows. It is baffling to be honest that he hasnt got decent gametime. IMO our best backrow is Ferris, Faloon and Wannenburg

Could the Scarlets on here please take your positivity and optimism elsewhere it's cramping up my misery.

Faloon is an interesting enigma. I know a lot of Ulstermen who think that if Faloon had started against the saints we'd have had a better game. For me our best backrow is Fez-Henry-Faloon.

He has given away some silly penalties and im not convinced that he could be an option for international honours at any stage but for me he is far and away the best link man we have in the backrow. considering we dont have ferris that much the rest of our options are not pacy by any stretch of the imagination. Faloon is so much better in this regard.

He's Ballynahinch yeah?

He plays for Hinch yes Dave.

I don't think Faloon has had enough of a chance to fulfil his potential as an international standard openside. To me he is a key player in the Ulster backrow and one of the reasons why the backrow has been so poor recently. Ferris I think will help this of course, but we need Faloon also.

I would love to see Faloon progress into being an international prospect and I think it could happen if he was given the proper coaching and gametime.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Does anybody actually know what the deal is with Faloon? He is obviously our best openside and he hasn't given any reason to be dropped so far off the radar. It is a bit odd.

Baffles me as well. The lad is a 7. And WHAT do we NEED?

I dont have much confidence in the Ulster coaches Gibbo. Not so much McLaughlin but Doak specifically. When you look at how many ex players are involved in the coaching set up from top to bottom you have to wonder whether that is a good thing.

I would like for someone with a totally different perspective to come in and help McL with the backs.

As an aside i see there is a rumour that we have signed Stefan Terblanche for a few months from the Sharks as a full back.

I expect we have signed a fullback short-term Stand.

Faloon I don't rate that highly, but I rate him higher than McComish and he hasn't got a good run. He has untapped potential that is going missing because he only plays in dribs and drabs. He was a different player in his first season but has never recaptured that form.

I would like him to start next week. I don't think the coaches believe we need a traditional openside.

I think that recent performances show that we do need a traditional openside though. And about Faloon, do you think he has really had the chance to capture his form? His confidence is probably shaky atm.

From a Scarlets perspective I am really happy. Liam Williams in the first half was outstanding. Great breaks, great chasing, up in defence and took his try really well. Can feel hard done by to be subbed off for Scott Williams.

Liam Williams has amazing legs. One is longer than the other and they are so bowed he looks deformed, but boy can he shift. He also has that touch of 'chest' which makes good backs great.

Really gutted I missed this one. My brother went and had supper in the Sospan after, jammy git. I was offered a hospitality box and all! Blydi poncey AGM!

Glas a du wrote:

From a Scarlets perspective I am really happy. Liam Williams in the first half was outstanding. Great breaks, great chasing, up in defence and took his try really well. Can feel hard done by to be subbed off for Scott Williams.

Liam Williams has amazing legs. One is longer than the other and they are so bowed he looks deformed, but boy can he shift. He also has that touch of 'chest' which makes good backs great.

Really gutted I missed this one. My brother went and had supper in the Sospan after, jammy git. I was offered a hospitality box and all! Blydi poncey AGM!

I thought it was just me that noticed that!

You'll have to get yourself down to Y Parc for the Castres game now, no?

Yes. 3 o clock KO perfect for me. I'll have Miss G with me as well. May be tempted to the Library if Mrs G is willing. She's worked every Saturday for two months, but has next week off and it's our anniversary...

Take her out for a nice meal or something Glas, the Library is not exactly the best place to take her on her first day of in ages!

Am hoping we beat the 8,900 crowd we got against Peprignan last year for the Castres game, so hope more Scarlets fans come out of the woodwork.

Have you been to Y Sospan Dreamer? May take Mrs G there or the Cawdors, haven't decided yet. Although if Miss G has a say it will he Frankie and Benny's or Llandybie chip shop!

Aye I've been to Y Sospan. Lovely place, brilliant wine selection, some nice ales on tap and delicious food, highly recommend it

Is it a place you'd take the wife or a mistress?













Joke.

Bollix another defeat . Were there many positives from this one from an Ulster perspective? How did the returning players perform?

Excellently, Ulster did everything they could.

Niall O'Connor played very well at the weekend. Did Ulster make a mistake letting him go?

No

Rodders - your line out was good, your scrum was good first half, and you're a very aggressive side at the breakdown.

You had a lot of posession (especially in the first half) but could do nothing much other then kick and chase, and you discipline cost you at times. Your backs just don't seem to be clicking, and Piennar and Danielli's kicking out of hand was dreadful. Do not play Danielli at FB ever again if you can help it.

Notch

I actually agree with you re. Faloon and his form. I think he is a better backrow than Henry or McComish though. Diack is another that frustrates me. At this stage last season he was on fire and had brought a physicality that was missing previously from his game. Sadly he seems to have forgotten that. For a man of his size he is seriously underpowered imo. The fact is that our coaches dont have a notion who their best backrow is. (Only ferris is a cert)

What the flip has happened with Diack? Two seasons ago he was almost on par with Ferris in terms of his status in the backrow and team. Now he's just a bit part player.

We are really struggling for ball carriers right now so I can't understand why he has not featured more. Henry has been playing very well but is pretty limited as an attacking player and isn't physical enough IMO.

By my own admission I have only just noticed this on my weekly scan of the League's action. Danielli at full back? Really? Not exactly famed for his kicking ability or his skills under the high ball.

Car Crash Rugby? Or did he play ok?

Car Crash rugby Radge, us Scarlets fans loved it

To be fair, dfensively he was okay, but he didn't really see much ball and what he did get, he kicked....and badly.

See, that's what you get for picking wings for size and defensive ability, donkeys.

Danielli was playing fullback this match, not wing.

I'm still impressed at how well Evans played - I know he looked better by comparison to Danielli, but he's really finding a bit of form, shame he'll prob be on the bench in 2/3 weeks.

Danielli is not bad going forward with ball in hand. He is not a full back though or not even a close approximation.

He did score 50% of Scotland's tries in the RWC though.

There you go again, Mr Literal. If they went for skilful footballers with a good rugby brain as wingers they could cover full back, e.g. Halfpenny. Big donkies like Danielli or Walker haven't got the football to be that flexible.

At least with the Terblanche rumour gathering legs we wont see Danielli at 15 again. He may not even make the squads if Gilroy, Trimble and Spence are preferred.

Glas a du wrote:There you go again, Mr Literal. If they went for skilful footballers with a good rugby brain as wingers they could cover full back, e.g. Halfpenny. Big donkies like Danielli or Walker haven't got the football to be that flexible.

Are you calling me "Mr Literal"?

The point you are making here doesn't make sense though about defensive wingers when talking about Danielli.. since he was playing fullback this match and not wing! And as someone has said before Danielli actually scored a lot of Scotland's tries, he is an attack minded player.

Standulstermen wrote:At least with the Terblanche rumour gathering legs we wont see Danielli at 15 again. He may not even make the squads if Gilroy, Trimble and Spence are preferred.

Shouldn't we be playing Gaston at 15 though for the Pro 12 matches at least? He is getting zero gametime this year.

Ulster are surprising me at how bad we are doing this year, fullback is a problem (again) but unlike others I like D'arcy playing there, don't think a winger filling in there is the answer, not sure of the solution Gaston etc.

Could P Jackson play there?

If Payne had stayed fit, we wouldn't be worried, he was kinda key, I'm alreasy letting my mind drift to glories next year, as can't see them this year.

Danielli scored two tries against Romania but the one he butchered in the first half was criminal. I like the guy. He has given everything he could to Ulster, but its a season to long for him imo. I still think D'arcy is harshly dismissed by a lot of Ulster fans. He was involved in so much about what was positive with Ulster last year but all many fans remember is his dropped pass against saints.

Gaston IIRC was actually a fullback to begin with Kingshu. It seems to be his natural position.

I agree about D'arcy stand I think he's a class act. Gilroy too has experience playing 15 and is very good under the high ball.

I'm pretty disappointed to see we're looking to sign a foreign journey man like Terblanche rather than put our faith in some of the young guys.

roddersm wrote:I agree about D'arcy stand I think he's a class act. Gilroy too has experience playing 15 and is very good under the high ball.

I'm pretty disappointed to see we're looking to sign a foreign journey man like Terblanche rather than put our faith in some of the young guys.

+1

Stefan Terblanches Twitter post after the currie cup final the other night seems quite sentimental. Talking about fairtale endings not to be but how he was blessed.

Sounds like hes saying that was his last game for Sharks maybe?

Quite old though, 36 or something?

Rory_Gallagher wrote:

roddersm wrote:I agree about D'arcy stand I think he's a class act. Gilroy too has experience playing 15 and is very good under the high ball.

I'm pretty disappointed to see we're looking to sign a foreign journey man like Terblanche rather than put our faith in some of the young guys.

+1

+2

I don't know what D'arcy has done to earn this praise. He is not brilliant. He's generally quite worrying to watch. Theres a reason we signed Payne, and everyone was glad we did. We can't go back to sayin he's a 'class act'. We all know its not true (yet).

Better than Danielli, I will give you that. But it is a major blow.

For me, I think we are doing too much youngster worship. It has to be balanced.

Gilroy is quality, for certain. Spence, not done enough this season so far, and Cave is VERY unlucky to be dropped. Fair enough, Spence was the one being forced into 12, but we have to have the balls to say let the best form player play.

Unlike others though, i don't believe that Spence at 12 was the reason why we have been playing poorly. Look at how they linked up in the first few matches!

Its the supply thats the problem, and perhaps the tactics. Humph is the week link.

we have two options:
a) Keep faith in him
b) admit that the best 15 right now includes wallace spence and cave but not humph. and Paddy is adeqaute at 10.

Its the old argument where some say the player needs to know he has the faith of the coach versus some saying he needs to know he is droppable to give him a kick up the rear.

Trimble would be a good full back no?