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Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:01 pm
by Dave
Ulster Rugby is delighted to confirm that Gloucester's Irish-qualified outhalf Billy Burns will join the Province this summer on a two-year contract.

 

 

Burns made his Gloucester debut as a 17-year-old in an LV= Cup fixture at London Irish in 2012, before making his Aviva Premiership bow against Worcester Warriors in 2014.

The 24-year-old has now made over 100 senior appearances for the Cherry and Whites. He played 29 times last season, including 24 starts.

Billy, who visited Kingspan Stadium on Monday to finalise the deal, said:

"This is a great opportunity for me to take the next step in my career and I'm very grateful to Gloucester for supporting me in this decision.

"The Ulster squad is brimming with established and developing talent, and it will be exciting for me to challenge myself in a different environment.

"I'm really looking forward to linking up with the squad next week and getting stuck into pre-season training. Hopefully I can show the Ulster supporters what I'm all about and contribute to the team in what is a hugely important season."

Commenting on the capture, Bryn Cunningham, Ulster's Operations Director said:

"We're delighted that Billy has signed with us for the next two seasons. It has not been an easy process to find someone with the requisite abilities to add real value to our squad for this season, but thankfully we've come to an agreement with Gloucester and have been able to bring Billy across.

"Johnny McPhillips has developed brilliantly and Michael Lowry has shown that he's a serious talent, but it was critical that we had another recognised 10 with a good level of experience, otherwise we simply would've been short of numbers in that area. The addition of Billy now gives us an exciting array of young talent to call upon in the coming years.

"Billy has an impressive range of skills and has gained a considerable amount of experience for an outhalf of his age. Importantly, being Irish-qualified, we have no doubt that Billy has the potential to represent Ireland in the near future."

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:09 pm
by hugothemasterofdisaster
Unsure about this

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:10 pm
by damianmcr
hugothemasterofdisaster wrote:Unsure about this
Awooga

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:10 pm
by Kanbei
For a break glass option a pretty good signing. Good enough to start but not good enough to block McPhillips and Lowry developing.

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Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:13 pm
by Cornerfleg
Happy enough with this. No old hasbeen fart or an overhyped pointless NIQ.

Im not moving on but i like the direction we're at least trying to take with youth going forward.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:28 pm
by thecrouch
Good signing. Better than almost all the other names we’ve heard these past months.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:33 pm
by LegsLikeSausages
Started 24 games for Gloucester last season behind a pack going backwards (so he’s already used to that) and gave a good account of himself. He’s only 24.

Goodish signing I think.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:47 pm
by Cracker
No doubts an excellent signing . Have a good season and the World Cup Squad awaits when the great Munster hope fails.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:49 pm
by TopPoster
He’s about as Irish as a Lamb Tikka Bhuna- but a good signing nonetheless so actually quite pleased UR have found a quality 10 who can see opportunities beyond the omnishytefest at UR-FIRFU. Now just need a LH, back up 9, another back three, Medical joker back row for Marcel when he limps off in Sept, and a CEO who isn’t a lying cowardly walter Mitty Cnut.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:54 pm
by tigerburnie
A useful lad who is ambitious, could do well with you guys

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:58 pm
by MightyRearranger
Not sure about how I feel about this to be honest.

On one hand, from what little I've seen of him, we've got a reasonably young and talented Irish qualified player to cover a position where we only had two youngers on the books for next season. He was highly enough thought of as a youngster that he made his Gloucester debut as a 17 year old and if he were to kick on and live up to that promise we'd have ourselves a great wee player.

On the other hand though, while he has turned into a solid enough Premiership player he never seems to quite have kicked on and by the looks of it stood to be third in line for Gloucester next season. The fact that Gloucester looked to bring in Cipriani with both him and Owen Williams (who was possibly also ahead of him) on the books isn't the biggest vote of confidence.

I worry about a situation where he doesn't kick on, but due to experience is viewed as the safe pair of hands as a starting ten next season. If comes here and sets the world alight (a la Cooney) fair play to him, but if not then I want Lowry and McPhilips to get as many minutes as possible as I've high hopes for both.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:58 pm
by LegsLikeSausages
tigerburnie wrote:A useful lad who is ambitious, could do well with you guys
The more I think about it, the more I like it.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:05 pm
by BaggyTrousers
I would not recognise Willard Burns if he appeared in my soup bowl. A wait and see signing in my book, I don't generally watch Lionel rugby so am unaware of ever having watched the bloke play.

I wish him well as back up to M'Phillips.

Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:05 pm
by Jackie Brown
Yaya, someone who is here because of a long lost Granny rather than being good at Rugby. Wonder how much we're paying him.

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Re: Billy Burns

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:08 pm
by caledoniancelt
Better signing than Barbara Windsor.