Leinster vs Ulster - the annual thrashing

[Peat]

Team sheets have been named

LEINSTER:

15: Luke Fitzgerald
14: David Kearney
13: Fergus McFadden
12: Gordon D'Arcy
11: Fionn Carr
10: Ian Madigan
9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy
2: Sean Cronin
3: Mike Ross
4: Damian Browne
5: Devin Toner
6: Kevin McLaughlin
7: Shane Jennings CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Richardt Strauss
17: Jack McGrath
18: Jamie Hagan
19: Steven Sykes
20: Rhys Ruddock
21: Isaac Boss
22: Eoin O'Malley
23: Andrew Conway

Ulster Raven Chicks

15 Peter Nelson
14 Chris Cochrane
13 Michael Allen
12 Chris Farrell
11 Simon Danielli
10 James McKinney
9 Paul Marshall
1 Callum Black
2 Nigel Brady (c)
3 Adam Macklin
4 Tim Barker
5 Lewis Stevenson
6 Neil McComb
7 Ali Birch
8 Robbie Diack

Replacements (16-23): Niall Annett, Jerry Cronin, Tom Court, James Simpson, Conor Joyce, Ian Porter, Stuart Olding, Conor Gaston

Ulster by 30, natch.

4 of the Ulster team are eligble to play U20 rugby this season. 3 will NEXT season. Roughly half the team sheet is made up of academy or development players.

Oh, sorry. I meant to say MINUS 30. My mistake... and that is wildly optimistic.

 

[Gavin]

What is Ulster thinking? They might as well just decline the match.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Well Ulster are really just bending over and asking for it with that team

 

[Peat]

What is Ulster thinking? They might as well just decline the match.

The Ulster thought process probably runs something like this:

"We've just given the first team a good flogging and now have two games in five days. One is against Leinster away. The other is Munster at home. The second game is far, far more winnable*. Let's keep our powder dry for Munster and send the Ravens down to Leinster for an educational beating. Sort the men from the boys type thing... the men will be wearing blue and the boys white, doesn't get easier to sort then that."

I am fairly ok with that logic. Its a bit shitty, and probably not great for the league, but its a fairly sensible reaction to a shitty situation.

*Before anyone says anything, I'm not terribly confident about that one either.

 

[Conal]

well we have sent these poor guys down to lenister for a good bumming

ackwellthis better pay off i want a win next week

 

[Seaton]

Si Dazzle, nuff said.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Ulster are taking a short term hit for longer term gain. I've absolutely no problem with the decision their management have taken to send out a weaker team here. In truth, one point from this fixture with a full strength team is probably the best Ulster could have hoped for. By effectively throwing this game, the first XV will have a better chance of pulling off victories with a fresher team against Munster and more importantly both Leicester and Clermont.

It'll be good seeing how Nelson, Allen, Farrell, McKinney and Macklin fare. Macklin in particular should now have a less clouded path to regular rugby due to the IRFU's new NIE policy.

 

[Jayatron]

In the long run this will be good for Ulster rugby and the younger players. I use to play with James Simpson and Jerry Cronin back in my Hinch days and they are quality-and this will really help. However, there are better ways to bleed the youngsters through. What can one really learn from getting a hammering? Ulster are suppose to be representing us, and the only thing worse that taking a hammering from Leinster is taking one from Munster!

In Wales everyone is gearing up for the derby matches while here we'll get watered down derbies. Further to this bull **** the IRFU are probably going to enforce player manager and not allow any of our boys play against Munster.

I am annoyed.

 

[coonor]

Ulster are taking a short term hit for longer term gain. I've absolutely no problem with the decision their management have taken to send out a weaker team here. In truth, one point from this fixture with a full strength team is probably the best Ulster could have hoped for. By effectively throwing this game, the first XV will have a better chance of pulling off victories with a fresher team against Munster and more importantly both Leicester and Clermont.

It'll be good seeing how Nelson, Allen, Farrell, McKinney and Macklin fare. Macklin in particular should now have a less clouded path to regular rugby due to the IRFU's new NIE policy.

That's a good point, Ulster would have had very little chance of getting anything even with their strongest team apart from a few injuries and if this team gets beat badly then fair enough Ulster were not expected to do well but if they play well or even come within 20 points then that would be considered quite a success with the team they are playing.

Leinster need to be ruthless here and they should be looking to get a bonus point win even before half time. Once the game is done (hopefully soon) I would to see Fitzgerald taken off and Conway brought on giving him good game time. I'd like to see Hagan brought on early to give Ross a break and see how far Hagan has improved. I'd also like to see Ruddock and Mcrath given good game time but that may be saved to the Connacht match.

Also I am very happy to see Jennings as captain

 

[TRF_Olyy]

In Wales everyone is gearing up for the derby matches while here we'll get watered down derbies. Further to this bull **** the IRFU are probably going to enforce player manager and not allow any of our boys play against Munster.

I am annoyed.

Was thinking the same - this is a Christmas Ireland-Derby match, yet they put out pretty crappy teams
I understand that they'd want to rest some players after the HEC rounds, but come on...

 

[big ginger 8]

Hope McGrath get a good run no point keeping Healy and Ross on too long in a match where we should thrash the opposition was supprised to see him captain the A team. Of course I hope the others get on but they've all gotten decent game time while McGrath is usually given less then 10 minutes max usually he's simply left on the bench or out of the 22.

 

[lucky number 7]

In the long run this will be good for Ulster rugby and the younger players. I use to play with James Simpson and Jerry Cronin back in my Hinch days and they are quality-and this will really help. However, there are better ways to bleed the youngsters through. What can one really learn from getting a hammering? Ulster are suppose to be representing us, and the only thing worse that taking a hammering from Leinster is taking one from Munster!

In Wales everyone is gearing up for the derby matches while here we'll get watered down derbies. Further to this bull **** the IRFU are probably going to enforce player manager and not allow any of our boys play against Munster.

I am annoyed.

You always seem annoyed , chill out bro... Ulster are on the up.

 

[Peat]

Well the Ulster pups are certainly being pretty yappy and fighting their corner here... feel its going to end badly though...

edit: Try for Carr, 17 minutes in, just found the space...

 

[Gavin]

Lovely run by Fitzgerald

 

[Peat]

21-6 at half-time, good defensive performance with some nice attacking moments from Ulster, but Leinster have had most of the possession and territory and made it count. Very disappointed to concede the one at the end, if we hadn't things would look almost hopeful.

 

[Peat]

Ended 42-13, late flurry of tries from Leinster as Ulster just ran out of steam.

I'll see this much for the wee Ravens, they like tackling!

 

[Feicarsinn]

BBC NI has to have the most biased commentary team I've ever heard. Still, a win is a win is a win.

 

[coonor]

BBC NI has to have the most biased commentary team I've ever heard. Still, a win is a win is a win.

They made out Tom Court as the best thing since sliced bread

 

[Feicarsinn]

As part of an Ulster scrum that got repeatedly dicked towards the end of that game.

 

[coonor]

I swear when Healy went of he said "must be from all that pressure from Court"

Yeah Court really had pressure on Healy during that penalty try