Ospreys vs Ulster

First topic message reminder :

Ulster name extended squad;

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/10723.php

Rory Best and Chris Henry are still unavailable because of the IRFU’s player management scheme but are expected to make a return in the coming weeks. Roger Wilson (hamstring) and Paddy Wallace (shoulder) come back into the action in October, but Adam D’Arcy and Ali Birch should be available in the next week or two. Nevin Spence has returned to full training after injury but will not be considered for this weekend.

ULSTER SQUAD FORWARDS (16)
Rob Herring, Niall Annett, Nigel Brady, Adam Macklin, Declan Fitzpatrick, Callum Black, Tom Court, John Afoa, Lewis Stevenson, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Mike McComish, Stephen Ferris, Robbie Diack, Sean Doyle, Nick Williams

ULSTER SQUAD BACKS (12)
Paul Marshall, Michael Heaney, Niall O’Connor, Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Chris Farrell, Darren Cave, Michael Allen, Craig Gilroy, Andrew Trimble, Peter Nelson, Jared Payne

Good to see Trimby and Ferris back- this will be a tough game but if we nail ALL our kicks (ahem, Niall) and stay organised Treviso have shown they can be beaten. A lot depends on how productive they are this week, how much rust they shake off. We have some early season ring-rustiness of our own to shake judging by the Glasgow performance.

I would say it's the exact opposite clive. If we have Paddy Wallace all season long, Paddy Wallace is the most natural and obvious candidate to be 10 cover. Not Marshall who is developing very nicely at 12.

Ulster and Ireland made mistakes with Paddy Wallace, moving him from one position to the other. Nobody talked about him at U20s level when he had a lad called Brian O'Driscoll outside him who took a lot of the attention. But he was a majorly promising talent, every bit as promising as Hanrahan or Jackson is now.

Leave Marshall where he is. Wallace is still our best 12, I think. Absolutely. But I know he can play 10 to a much higher standard than Niall O'Connor is playing.

For me my first choice backline would be;

9. Pienaar
10. Jackson
11. Form call between Trimble and Gilroy
12. Wallace (Marshall?)
13. Cave
14. Bowe
15. Payne

20. P. Marshall 21. L. Marshall/Wallace 22. Gilroy/Trimble

I think we very nearly have two positions there where we'd lose very little if we switched. Marshall I believe can break through if he continues to improve.

I can't believe how happy I am with our squad these days. Heres two different backlines which are roughly equal.

9 Marshall
10 Jackson
11 Gilroy
12 Wallace
13 Spence
14 Bowe
15 Darcy

9 Pienaar
10 NOC
11 Trimble
12 Marshall
13 Cave
14 Allen
15 Payne

Could almost get a third string with the likes of Heaney Olding McIlroy Farrell Nelson Cochrane Gaston

Ohhh I could crush a grape!!

Notch PM.

agree re Marshall I cannot see him going to 10.

Paddy Wallace has his work cut out getting back i nthe team.

My guess is Marshall-Pienaer remains the second choice HB combination

I have to say the impact of Ferris, Trimble and Marshall won us that game. I think if we win anything this year it will be on the back of our forward pack. Really made the difference.
Williams has been a great signing and Diack has returned to great form. Real depth now.

However our attack was average at best. Not impressed at all with the return of NOC and PJ has been "what a prospect" player. Which means we will have to wait even longer, and who knows how long 1F has left?? Or how long the team can stay in this great form. Luke Marshall was average as well, but he did have two very poor fly halves inside him.
I was always big fan for Ian Humphrey's and loosing him has been a big big loss. Defensively he was weak but he could get a back line moving and his kicking was top notch.

Rava wrote:Notch PM.

Hopefully get everything sorted soon. Got the small matter of a Masters to get done now

Jay, I actually thought Jackson was very good indeed when he came on. Certainly we could never have ever scored the try we did with O'Connor on the pitch. The fact Jackson was running onto the ball and taking it on the gain line made a big difference to us when we did get on the front foot.

Certainly O'Connor was standing ridiculously deep and then dithering when he got the ball. Most of the criticism has been about his placekicking. But he positioned himself in a way which neutered all attacking options, took wrong options at times, took a long time to make his mind up when he did get the ball, and his kicking from hand was inconsistent and often poor.

What was I doing before I wrote that? Oh, right. Masters. Last week of my Masters. Righto.

9. Pienaar
10. Jackson
11. Gilroy
12. Cave/Wallace
13. Bowe
14. Trimble
15. Payne

.....

rodders wrote:9. Pienaar
10. Jackson
11. Gilroy Trimble
12. Cave/Wallace
13. Cave
14. Bowe
15. Payne

.....

You are right to run Rodders, just wait until I catch you

rodders wrote:9. Pienaar
10. Jackson
11. Gilroy
12. Cave/Wallace
13. Bowe
14. Trimble
15. Payne

.....

Oh I like this idea please and thank you! That looks a tasty backline

Good man Pete, great minds think alike sir but fools (cough cough ) often differ...... ...

Tuohy and Henry return to the squad this week. Will they see first team rugby?

New thread here.

https://www.606v2.com/t34769-ulster-v-munster-friday-14th-sept-discussion-thread#1537682

I know its a long time ago now, but i just remembered. Did anybody else think there was call for a TMO on Dirksen's try? I remember finding it odd that the commentators didnt even suggest it. I reckon the ref was too far away to know it was a close call.

I reckon he was over the deadball line before he grounded it. Check the replays of the try roughly around 28minutes in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2z1pL9Kn9E&feature=g-user-u

Or indeed, feel free to ignore it and continue on with this weekends excitement...

I dodn't think it was over the dead ball line, but it did look like a knock on that Driksen regathered.

We should lobby the Rabo to take the Os LBP away...