Ulster sides in UBL

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dublane
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by dublane »

Kofi Annan wrote:
dublane wrote:reasonably good for the ulster sides yesterday:

BALLYNAHINCH 33 ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 13,
GALWEGIANS 22 BALLYMENA 23,
MALONE 23 UL BOHEMIANS 10,
SHANNON 21 BELFAST HARLEQUINS 26,
Banbridge 3 Blackrock College 3,
Dungannon 35 Seapoint 6,
Armagh 20 Greystones 7,
Queen’s University 23 Cashel 12,
Rainey Old Boys 7 Old Wesley 24,
Thomond 33 City of Derry 6,
Ards 3 Navan 11.

please excuse the excessive use of capitals, copied from the intouch website (home of hyperbole!!!!!!WOW)

Hinch making a good fist of life in div 1 this year, while mena leading the promotion charge. Armagh likely to go up and Queen's lurking near the top, 3 wins in a row. Good result for Bann in light of injury problems. Dungannon with a bonus point win, quite the change of fortunes!

City of Derry finding things tough so far this season, is this the year that Ards become a junior club (about time?) and will instonians pass them on the way back up?

Anyone watch a game yesterday?
Dub, with the new structures in place next season what's the chances of isn't going up
sorry, what do you mean?
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Kofi Annan
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Kofi Annan »

Have they not changed the league structures for next year and done away with the round robin
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dublane
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by dublane »

I must confess i'm not completely sure but if they finish top, they'll get a crack at it, and they seem to be pretty strong this year.
RuPi
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by RuPi »

Interesting to see Connor Young has returned from Durham and is playing for Queens.
dublane
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by dublane »

yes he had his first game vs seapoint, played 80mins and went well. think he, jack owens, jacob stockdale, lorcan dow and possibly zack mccall look like they will make the irish 20s squad
ormondlad
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by ormondlad »

Kofi Annan wrote:Have they not changed the league structures for next year and done away with the round robin
The league structures are totally changing.
Instead of current 4 divisions with 2 of 10 teams and 2 of 16, there will be 5 divisions of 10. 2 teams automatically relegated to junior at end of season and 3rd faces off against round robin winner
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Kofi Annan
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Kofi Annan »

Only the outright winner of round robin goes up ??
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damianmcr
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by damianmcr »

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Kofi Annan
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Kofi Annan »

Thanks Damian,some more digging for you, so now only one Q 1 team will have a chance to go up instead of two, Damian do you know if the play off is over two games home and away , or is it only one game, if so who has home advantage or is it a neutral venue. Some Q1/J1 teams have far better venues than the bottom 2b clubs.

Many thanks
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ormondlad
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by ormondlad »

Kofi Annan wrote:
Thanks Damian,some more digging for you, so now only one Q 1 team will have a chance to go up instead of two, Damian do you know if the play off is over two games home and away , or is it only one game, if so who has home advantage or is it a neutral venue. Some Q1/J1 teams have far better venues than the bottom 2b clubs.

Many thanks
Playoff is AFAIK over 1 leg and will, I imagine, follow most playoffs of this nature and team in the higher division is at home to team in lower division.
BuckRogers
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by BuckRogers »

No interest in the Red Socks/Hinch game at Fortress Kingspan tonight?

Should have been a decent game between two fairly evenly matched sides but that weather could scratch that theory. 10 man rugby ahoy.
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Kofi Annan
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Kofi Annan »

BuckRogers wrote:No interest in the Red Socks/Hinch game at Fortress Kingspan tonight?

Should have been a decent game between two fairly evenly matched sides but that weather could scratch that theory. 10 man rugby ahoy.
G'Wan the Red Sox #anyonebuthinch
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Moiraman
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Moiraman »

What has happened to Dungannon? Hammered by over 50 points at home to Banbridge last Saturday and in real danger of being relegated for a second successive season.
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Russ
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Russ »

Moiraman wrote:What has happened to Dungannon? Hammered by over 50 points at home to Banbridge last Saturday and in real danger of being relegated for a second successive season.
Banbridge a team on the up
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Columbo
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Re: Ulster sides in UBL

Post by Columbo »

In the last couple of months I've caught a good few games - pretty evenly split between Hinch and Malone, and I've watched Queens once and Quins once. On the basis of what I've seen (as someone who only started watching AIL games last season) I'd say the following:

First, the standard of rugby is actually very good, much better than I was expecting, especially in 1A and 1B - there's a noticeable drop off in 2A (which is a bit concerning given the number of our academy boys playing there). But it's a world away from back when I was a kid, going to Ards and Bangor with my old man

In terms of Ulster academy/fringe players (or former academy players) I've seen, tbh probably the most consistently impressive ones have been Paul Pritchard, John Donnan and Kyle McCall at Hinch. Priotchrd is a cracking natural openside, good footballer too, and niggly with it (could do with fewer yellows mind you) and McCall is great in the open and over the ball, with such a low centre of gravity. Donnan has got a lot bigger, and looks like he'll be a smashing athletic second row in the mould of POC.

In terms of other back rowers (given Ulster's problems there this season) Joyce is an excellent grafting 6, but doesn't offer a lot of carrying, Butterworth likewise. Lorcan Dow is a good big carrier, probably needs to concentrate on the nuts and bolts a bit. I really like Josh Atkinson as a player, another good natural 7, potential drawback again might be size, he is solid, but doesn't look very tall. From what I've seen the pick of the bunch is Taggart - he was good with the Irish U20s last year, and in the one Quins match I saw, where they were terrible and battered at home by a big Buccs side, he was the only Quins forward who looked up to speed. He looks pretty big too, and his instincts are good.

In the backs O'Hagan had a good outing the day I watched them (against Seapoint) outside Young - he reminds me a bit of PJ tbh, he has nice touch, and a good break, achilles heel (in this match as in the U20s) was goal-kicking.. Josh Bingham at Malone has looked good when he's been on the pitch, but very small (I see he has been playing in the Ireland U20 warm-ups) - similar story for John Creighton, who is a smashing footballer, but who is just probably too slight, which I'm guessing is why he wasn't offered an academy slot a couple of years ago.

Which if any could potentially break through to the senior squad in the next season or two? I'd put good money on John Donnan and Frankie Taggart, and Dow a bit later. I think O'Hagan is a good prospect, particularly if he can nail his kicks. And I haven't seen enough of Stockdale, Owens, Arnold to say for sure, but they certainly looked the part in the U20 games I saw.

I'd be interested to hear thoughts from anyone who has seen more of these teams than me? I'm aware that they're just my impressions, from a pretty small sample of games!
..one more thing
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