The Ulster Thread

[Groundhog]

Yeah Marshall was always very one dimensional. Excited in his youth because of his pace, but never a very good passer. Shanahan might be handy over time, and I rate Cooney quite highly, but I'm a tad surprised it looks like we'll be getting Hart and not Ulster, where he could probably try compete for the starting spot.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Coetzee, Botha, Henry and Reidy is a decent set of backrowers. Won't make much difference though if their tight five is still powder puff. A new loosehead and tough ******* in the second row beside Henderson would go a long way towards fixing that. I'd furiously bat my eyelids at Peter Dooley if I were in charge of Ulster's recruitment.

 

[Groundhog]

I would transfer my affections onto Porter if I was them. The lad is ****ing huge, and scrummages well even if it does need to be refined a good bit. Also Ulster seriously lack carriers in the pack. Exeter could afford to double mark Hendy all day because they know he's one of the few big busters they have.
That said Dooley is another very good option and has a decent amount of rugby under his belt for a guy only out of the academy. Honestly there's no shortage of hungry IQ players warming benches in other provinces that Ulster could look toward and if they recruit intelligently they could be back to being a very good side next year. Back row as Snoop said is not bad on paper with the addition of Coetzee, but may lack balance and definitely lacks depth. Serious upgrading needed in front 5 though.

 

[Peat]

Front five looked fine until Barakat left. Not amazing, but fine, and with plenty of youngish lads about. Treadwell in particular looks like he could have a decent future. The new coach is the main thing which is just as well because, much as I'd like Porter or Dooley, you'd still think there machine guns on the border when it came to persuading serious quality to move north.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ulster's record of keeping lads (especially forwards) fit is awful too.

 

[Amiga500]

Aniga I think issue more they much higher hopes for Marshall but as time went on it was shown he's just good in last 10mins upping tempo

WHAT?

He was dung 5 years ago... after having had a couple of years to "develop". Should have been cut then IMO.

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Front five looked fine until Barakat left.

No surprise. Allen Clarke and Neil Doak are by all accounts f**king useless. Don't know why they haven't been chased long before now.

 

[munstermuffin]

WHAT?

He was dung 5 years ago... after having had a couple of years to "develop". Should have been cut then IMO.

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No surprise. Allen Clarke and Neil Doak are by all accounts f**king useless. Don't know why they haven't been chased long before now.

Don't disagree but guess so much was invested and it hurts pride to cut him

 

[Amiga500]

Don't disagree but guess so much was invested and it hurts pride to cut him

Well in that case, their pride has probably cost us Pienaar. If Ulster could have been able to point at the development of young 9s under his tutelage, then the IRFU may have been more likely to make an exception. They couldn't, and from an Irish perspective I completely understand the IRFU saying RP won't get a new contract.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well in that case, their pride has probably cost us Pienaar. If Ulster could have been able to point at the development of young 9s under his tutelage, then the IRFU may have been more likely to make an exception. They couldn't, and from an Irish perspective I completely understand the IRFU saying RP won't get a new contract.

Possibly but I've seen it happen here in Munster in past.
In saying that I think Cooney will be huge success up their although shocked Hart wasn't signed up by ye

 

[Peat]

Its not like a huge amount was invested in Wee P tbh. He was one of a herd of mediocre scrum-halfs until, what, 25/26? Then he clicked a bit and the others effed off and now here we are. Its not like admitting a coronation like Paddy Jackson was wrong and, well, as pointed out, given the ages no amount of investment come ever make him the answer to a post-Pienaar era.

Not that producing young Irish scrum-halves would have saved us as a guess.

 

[munstermuffin]

Its not like a huge amount was invested in Wee P tbh. He was one of a herd of mediocre scrum-halfs until, what, 25/26? Then he clicked a bit and the others effed off and now here we are. Its not like admitting a coronation like Paddy Jackson was wrong and, well, as pointed out, given the ages no amount of investment come ever make him the answer to a post-Pienaar era.

Not that producing young Irish scrum-halves would have saved us as a guess.

No but he was heavily backed as RP back up. It tends to happen to all us provinces. Like I'd ask why ye don't rate Lloyd. He's doing supwrb for us down here. Looks good

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Anthony Foley wasn't getting the job done with Munster so Rassie Erasmus was brought in in a a higher role. It worked.

Leo Cullen and Girvan Dempsey were struggling with Leinster so Graham Henry and Stuart Lancaster were brought in to help. It worked.

Les Kiss, Neil Doak and Allen Clarke have Ulster performing below their talent level. Will the IRFU and David Nucifora take similar action to the other provinces?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Guess difference is that Foley and Cullen are both young and inexperiance coaches where as Kiss isn't.

 

[Peat]

Contracts for Doak and Clarke expire at the end of this season and if they're renewed I'll be pretty irked.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Contracts for Doak and Clarke expire at the end of this season and if they're renewed I'll be pretty irked.

If they don't make the pro12 playoffs they'll be out. Coaches don't survive missing the playoffs if they're not out wesht.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Guess difference is that Foley and Cullen are both young and inexperiance coaches where as Kiss isn't.

It could be that Kiss, while a high quality defence coach, isn't a head coach.

It's rumoured that Dave Hewett is being brought in as forwards coach to replace Allen Clarke.

 

[Groundhog]

It could be that Kiss, while a high quality defence coach, isn't a head coach.

It's rumoured that Dave Hewett is being brought in as forwards coach to replace Allen Clarke.

Also ala Foley with his pack.
Could do a lot worse than Hewett as a forwards coach, but they need to make some good signings and look to younger IQ guys who could really add something. There's no room in Leinster for all those backrows and if they were offered relatively short deals, they'd jump at the chance to play first team rugby. Looseheads we have plenty of in Ireland too, it's second row they may struggle to find guys.

 

[Peat]

If they don't make the pro12 playoffs they'll be out. Coaches don't survive missing the playoffs if they're not out wesht.

Neither should have survived anything as long as they have so I'll believe it when I see it.

Speaking of believe it when I see it, I wish people would stop going on about raiding Leinster for quality. Yes, its an obviously good thing. So's winning the lottery and based on the past, winning the lottery is more likely. In any case, bringing in more quality doesn't achieve too much without getting the coaching right. This squad's good enough to manage play-offs comfortably with decent coaching and Dooley/Conan/whoever aren't changing it with poor coaching.

The only real question at the moment is whether Kiss is up to the job as front of house but I think letting him have a go with better support than Clark and Doak is necessary to answer that. The drop off from Barakat going has been pretty pronounced.

 

[Amiga500]

There's no room in Leinster for all those backrows and if they were offered relatively short deals, they'd jump at the chance to play first team rugby.

Apparently many of them were offered the chance, all refused it - hence the IRFU allowing the signing of Arno Botha.

 

[munstermuffin]

Apparently many of them were offered the chance, all refused it - hence the IRFU allowing the signing of Arno Botha.

Silly from some if true because they won't progress filling in and out.
Like fully fit
VDF
SOB
Heaslip
Conan
Leavy
Jordi
Ruddock

All youngish guys bar Heaslip so Leinster won't keep them all on as they've prospects coming through too