The UAFC

boyg wrote:Unlike many on this forum I was prepared to go and support our team in Thomond on Saturday despite the team selection which would suggest a very long night – which it was.
However, I think we need to put the game in perspective, starting with a 5 day turnaround after a 6 hour bus drive and 2 ten hour flights back from Johannesburg. Undoubtedly this took its toll on many of the players in the latter part of the game. We then have an endless list of injuries forcing the promotion of very young inexperienced academy players and a selection which looked more like an A team against a fully loaded Munster side on the rebound from a defeat against Cardiff. We then were certainly not helped by a very inexperienced and totally inept person with a whistle. If that wasn’t enough stacked against us, Munster get a very fortuitous bounce of the ball following a ricochet to open the scoring followed by our most experienced player on the pitch getting bounced by Tommy O’Donnell. Within 8 minutes we are chasing the game.
We didn’t lose the game because of the referee but he did nothing to rein in Peter O’Mahony at the breakdown evidenced by the penalty conceded at the very next breakdown. Injuries to Henderson and Cooney in short order simply added to the inevitable. As a footnote, why master Jones felt the need to yellow card John Andrew at that stage of the match for a very innocuous and marginal late tackle to which he was committed is beyond me. Needless to say with 14 very tired players the floodgates opened. I can tell you it was hard viewing those last 10 minutes. Even then our misfortune did not end. Andy Conway’s foot was clearly in touch in the lead up to the last try and it would not have been allowed had it been referred to the TMO.
I spoke to a couple of the players after the game and I can assure you that they were hurting. They were aware they had let the fans down but the suggestion by some posters that it was through lack of effort or ‘pride in the shirt’ is simply insulting.
We have to face up to the fact that with our current injury list the next few weeks is going to be very tough. Like Cockatrice says we have to see this as a work in progress. I for one will continue to support our players through these tough times. I am amazed that some are already calling for JP’s head 4 matches in. With the injuries and changes I am not sure what people expect. Next they will be calling for Cavey’s head for missing a tackle!

BR wrote:

boyg wrote:Unlike many on this forum I was prepared to go and support our team in Thomond on Saturday despite the team selection which would suggest a very long night – which it was.
However, I think we need to put the game in perspective, starting with a 5 day turnaround after a 6 hour bus drive and 2 ten hour flights back from Johannesburg. Undoubtedly this took its toll on many of the players in the latter part of the game. We then have an endless list of injuries forcing the promotion of very young inexperienced academy players and a selection which looked more like an A team against a fully loaded Munster side on the rebound from a defeat against Cardiff. We then were certainly not helped by a very inexperienced and totally inept person with a whistle. If that wasn’t enough stacked against us, Munster get a very fortuitous bounce of the ball following a ricochet to open the scoring followed by our most experienced player on the pitch getting bounced by Tommy O’Donnell. Within 8 minutes we are chasing the game.
We didn’t lose the game because of the referee but he did nothing to rein in Peter O’Mahony at the breakdown evidenced by the penalty conceded at the very next breakdown. Injuries to Henderson and Cooney in short order simply added to the inevitable. As a footnote, why master Jones felt the need to yellow card John Andrew at that stage of the match for a very innocuous and marginal late tackle to which he was committed is beyond me. Needless to say with 14 very tired players the floodgates opened. I can tell you it was hard viewing those last 10 minutes. Even then our misfortune did not end. Andy Conway’s foot was clearly in touch in the lead up to the last try and it would not have been allowed had it been referred to the TMO.
I spoke to a couple of the players after the game and I can assure you that they were hurting. They were aware they had let the fans down but the suggestion by some posters that it was through lack of effort or ‘pride in the shirt’ is simply insulting.
We have to face up to the fact that with our current injury list the next few weeks is going to be very tough. Like Cockatrice says we have to see this as a work in progress. I for one will continue to support our players through these tough times. I am amazed that some are already calling for JP’s head 4 matches in. With the injuries and changes I am not sure what people expect. Next they will be calling for Cavey’s head for missing a tackle!

All fair enough, but did you enjoy the game?

loosehead1984 wrote:As far as I can see this is Ulster’s largest defeat ever. Previous biggest appears to have been 56 to 3 against Wasps in 1997.