Ulster V Leinster 20/4/12

First topic message reminder :

And perhaps for the 1st time of 3 in 4 weeks.

ULSTER

15-9): S Terblanche; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar;
(1-8): T Court, N Brady, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), L Stevenson, C Henry, W Faloon, P Wannenburg;
Replacements (16-23): A Kyricaou, P McAllister, A Macklin, N McComb, R Diack, I Porter, I Humphreys, A D'Arcy

LEINSTER:

15: Rob Kearney
14: David Kearney
13: Brian O'Driscoll
12: Fergus McFadden
11: Luke Fitzgerald
10: Jonathan Sexton
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Richardt Strauss
3: Mike Ross
4: Leo Cullen CAPTAIN
5: Brad Thorn
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Dominic Ryan
8: Sean O'Brien

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin
17: Heinke van der Merwe
18: Nathan White
19: Devin Toner
20: Shane Jennings
21: Isaac Boss
22: Ian Madigan
23: Fionn Carr

Ulster try?

What was Fitz on about there?

try

Don't think the ball ever left contact with his hand - try the correct decision I think.

Ulster regain the ball from the drop out and begin another, better series of attacks, and Muller attacks the blindside wing and gets over - or does he?

Might be a knock on as he rolls over. Does he get downward pressure?

The TMO says Yes after lots of replays. There might be a dispute about that one, but I suspect it won't matter in this match in deciding the outcome. Piennar kicks the ball towards the posts but it swerves wide at last second.

5-7.

KickAndChase wrote:Anyone got a link? Apparently the internet thinks that Ospreys v Dragons is more interesting.

Kick,
Check your PM man. Sent you a link.

Good try Paddy Wallaces hands were great. Fitzgerald was acting the plank too

Ryan Jones gets over and Biggar converts in the other match.

10-6 to the Welsh team against the other Welsh team.

Meanwhile the other Irish team get a penalty and Sexton sails it over.

5-10.

Lots of lovely rain in the evening sunshine in Ravehill is making the ball a bar of soap. Another knock on.

And another scrum as the cameraman gets arty with a star filter on his camera to show off Ravenhill at its best.

Doesn't help Ulster who concede a penalty and Sexton takes play up to 10 metre mark in the Ukster half.

Leinster take but the ball stutters in the back line, and the forwards grind it up slowly up the left. Ball back out and McFadden looking lively again in the midfield. He's tackled but Leinster hold on and Reddan kicks for touch.

Paddy Wallace has taken a knock and has to depart. Adam Darcy comes on.

Leinster attack again and kick a bomb. Kearney collects but is taken to the ground by Trimlr who forces a holding on penalty. Kearney not happy - Rob that is.

Sun is out at Ravenhill! Frame it!

Anyone else watching this on RTÉ? George Hamilton is no rugby commentator.

His commentary so far has gone along the lines of..."Healy, Reddan, McFadden now, Kearney, Fitzgerald, Reddan again, now McLaughin...". There's been little mention of what the players are actually doing!

Well done for knowing their names George, very insightful.

</rant>

McFadden playing really well at 12 tonight, making good ground in contact and varying his attack from inside shoulders to outside breaks

Reddan too.

Paddy off with a jaw injury

Hope Paddy is OK. Precautionary I feel. It will be the same for any player on the field. They will be taken off even for a niggle.

Trimble in at centre now and Adam Darcy on the wing.....interesting

Paddy does not look happy

Was just about to type that. Looks disconsolate. Sure if he was that bad, he would be in the treatment room surely?

Maybe just groggy.

And with the rain teeming down, keeping possession is now 50/50.

Leinster concede another penalty through Ross and Piennar steps up.

And he gets it. 8-10.

One minute to go to the halftime mark.

Good drives from Leinster power play from guys like Healy and thorn

This kind of wet weather game is suiting Ulster more. Playing at the pace they want. Leinster grinding with the forwards in the 22. And they win another penalty. In front of the posts.

Do they take the kick? They do.

Sexton lines it up and makes it 27 kicks out of 30 in the Pro 12.

Ulster 8-13 Leinster at half time.

Ratcheting it up for ASM. BOD has been annonymous. McFadden has been excellent. Dom Ryan having a great game.

Really can't listen to George Hamilton any more. I thought the commentators were suppose to be impartial?

George Hamilton is an awful gobshoite to listen to. Me heart bleeds for ya.

Try BBC Norn Iron.

Gibson wrote:Ratcheting it up for ASM. BOD has been annonymous. McFadden has been excellent. Dom Ryan having a great game.

Agree with you on that score Gibson. Ryan and Mcfadden have looked really hungry for it so far this evening.

Gibson wrote:George Hamilton is an awful gobshoite to listen to. Me heart bleeds for ya.

Try BBC Norn Iron.

+1

Gretgael1 wrote:

Gibson wrote:George Hamilton is an awful gobshoite to listen to. Me heart bleeds for ya.

Try BBC Norn Iron.

+1

+another. Tuning into BBC NI now instead.

Also agree with you about Dom Ryan Gibbo. Super player.

Hi MMC mate. Hows tricks?

Hoping Ryan will eventually replace Jenno and SOB gets back to 6. Or 8. Mclaughlin is coming back to his best though. Something has to give.

Ahaa. There's Rory Mac. Ulsters main benefactor...

From a Leinster perspective:

Healy: Some trouble in the scrums but good in the loose and doing well at ruck time.

Strauss: Missed a few lineouts. Good turnover at one point

Ross: Looking very uneffective and looks lazy at pillar defence if Marshall was playing Ross would be much more scared.

Cullen: Doing ok I got say. getting loose ball a lot and doing well.

Thorn: Some serious rucking I must say very strong there

McL: Playing well but needs to cut out some errors. Good carrying.

Ryan: Very aggressive and quick to either ball or breakdown.

SOB: Playing very well sucking in defenders. Tough defence

Reddan: having a great day I think. Slick service and good decision making

Sexton: Directing traffic really well. Only one kicking well from hand.

Fitz: Playing poor I think. Silly mistakes and not very effective in attack

McFadden: having a good game in carrying terms and his defence has been solid. Good showing so far.

BOD: Very quiet I think. Defence looks solid but poor kicks

Kearney Jr.: Playing well looks dangerous joining the line and getting involved regularly

kearney: Doing well but not huge game

Man Pete, how do you type so fast? Some of the big boys holding back, one feels. I think Ulster will tire. Maybe see more of em then.

Haha I have an awful job!
Kearney Jr, mcFadden and reddan playing some great stuff

And the game restarts with a knock on. Ulster scrum.

Rain has stopped. Leinster wheel the scrum and win the put in.

Steady scrum from the Blues and the ball fires out the backs. MCFadden and runs hard. Ball recycles and ball comes to O'Driscoll who tries a grubbed and makes a hash of it.

Ball recycled again and ball goes out backline and O'Driscoll receives and fumbles. He's all jitters.

Ulster high kick and O'Driscoll goes to catch and concedes a penalty.

Oh dear.

Great steal O'Brien!

Ulster have their tails up after that. And they're in the Leinster 22. Ball keeps coming back for them. They're getting closer to the line with Piennar sniping and passing.

But Ulster stuff it up at the tackle. Penalty to Leinster to let them escape.

BOD having a poor game but McFadden should have fed him earlier they crossed wires, BOD wanted to use hands where as McFadden wanted BOD to cut an angle

More great stuff by Reddan and McFadden and now SOB

Bloody injuries!

And that might be Wannenburgs last game for Ulster, never mind Ravenhill.

Done something to his knee and has to go off.

A couple of late hits going on in Leinster players eyes. Mild handbags. R Kearney narked. And they'll keep narking him.

Ulster win another scrum penalty. Clermont wil be watching with interest.

Piennar lines it up. Long way out on the right.

And it is wide.

8-13 it remains.

Great touch finder by Jackson as they get the ball right in the corner.

Try chance coming up.

Yeah I worry for our scrum, I thought we were going to dominate that facet of play to be honest, fair play Ulster

Reddan makes a complete horlix of the clearing kick and lineout to Ulster almost in the same spot.

But they are penalised for crossing. Oh dear.

Sexton clears nearly to the halfway. That's a chance gone begging.

Fitzpatrick comes off for Ulster to a round of applause and Macklin comes on.

BOD makes a break sees the space and makes a bad pass to mcFadden who could have been in with that

Reddan, Healy off and Jenno looks like he will be coming on soon too

Reddan is off and Boss comes on to a rousing cheer from the home crowd.

Well make that a rousing boo. Charming.

Dragons behind by five after a penalty

- 17-12

Jenno and Cronin on now too

McLaughlin in at 8......interesting

Ulster fighting for their Rabo playoff spot now

Leinster with a lineout on the Ulster line. Ulster spoil but knock it on. Scrum Leinster ten metres out.

That makes it tougher for them

what's the score guys??