Ulster v Connacht Saturday September 17 7.35pm UK Time Premier Sports / BBC2NI / TG4

[Neill_M]

I take it neither team will have any their internationals back?

Round 2 apparently if fit, timed in conjunction with the players going off to South Africa on this dog and pony show tour.

[Dave]

I take it we're having a minute's silence, and maybe even a rare Ravenhill rendition of GSTK?, On Sat?

It will take the loyalist 6 months to learn the new words.

What about Unionists?

Equally as dumb. Rugby in Ulster and Ireland pretty much ignores the union.

[Big-al]

I take it we're having a minute's silence, and maybe even a rare Ravenhill rendition of GSTK?, On Sat?

It will take the loyalist 6 months to learn the new words.

What about Unionists?

Equally as dumb. Rugby in Ulster and Ireland pretty much ignores the union.

Only in your republican head.

Your statement doesn’t correlate with the messages of sympathy from ulster rugby last weekend, the cancellation of all rugby in the province as a mark of respect to the head of the Union and the highly likely event of a minutes silence on Saturday night.

[SUFTUM_19]

I take it neither team will have any their internationals back?

Round 2 apparently if fit, timed in conjunction with the players going off to South Africa on this dog and pony show tour.

These first 4 rounds it looks like we’ll be quite stretched then… it’s going to be an interesting team selection - we just go and put out our traditionally ‘strongest’ players even if they have seen little/no game time over pre season or will we mix it up? Wouldn’t be surprised to see a McDonald & Flannery half back combo to start and then Doak/Cooney & Burns given more game time off the bench.
Still a lot of unknowns in terms of injuries (ie Warwick, Jones, Marcus rea, Postlethwaite, Addison, Sexton, Moxham) as well as people who haven’t seen any game time over pre season (McCann, Cooney, Baloucoune, McIlroy), so 12pm on Friday afternoon is going to make for some interesting reading! Hopefully Hendy, Big Stu, Hume, Addison and Lowry will be back soon as well as the rest of the Irish contingent who they didn’t manage to break!

[Neill_M]

I take it neither team will have any their internationals back?

Round 2 apparently if fit, timed in conjunction with the players going off to South Africa on this dog and pony show tour.

These first 4 rounds it looks like we’ll be quite stretched then… it’s going to be an interesting team selection - we just go and put out our traditionally ‘strongest’ players even if they have seen little/no game time over pre season or will we mix it up? Wouldn’t be surprised to see a McDonald & Flannery half back combo to start and then Doak/Cooney & Burns given more game time off the bench.
Still a lot of unknowns in terms of injuries (ie Warwick, Jones, Marcus rea, Postlethwaite, Addison, Sexton, Moxham) as well as people who haven’t seen any game time over pre season (McCann, Cooney, Baloucoune, McIlroy), so 12pm on Friday afternoon is going to make for some interesting reading! Hopefully Hendy, Big Stu, Hume, Addison and Lowry will be back soon as well as the rest of the Irish contingent who they didn’t manage to break!

Read the target for Hendo is Round 5 v Lions in South Africa.

[justinr73]

Wonder if Carter will get picked ahead of Big Frank?

Gotta be the tallest set of locks Ulster have ever had!

[UlsterNo9]

Wonder if Carter will get picked ahead of Big Frank?

Gotta be the tallest set of locks Ulster have ever had!

Is Carter our 6th choice lock?

1 Henderson 2 Strangler 3 Treadz 4 Izzy 5 Big bad Bradshaw 6 Carts?

[SUFTUM_19]

I take it neither team will have any their internationals back?

Round 2 apparently if fit, timed in conjunction with the players going off to South Africa on this dog and pony show tour.

These first 4 rounds it looks like we’ll be quite stretched then… it’s going to be an interesting team selection - we just go and put out our traditionally ‘strongest’ players even if they have seen little/no game time over pre season or will we mix it up? Wouldn’t be surprised to see a McDonald & Flannery half back combo to start and then Doak/Cooney & Burns given more game time off the bench.
Still a lot of unknowns in terms of injuries (ie Warwick, Jones, Marcus rea, Postlethwaite, Addison, Sexton, Moxham) as well as people who haven’t seen any game time over pre season (McCann, Cooney, Baloucoune, McIlroy), so 12pm on Friday afternoon is going to make for some interesting reading! Hopefully Hendy, Big Stu, Hume, Addison and Lowry will be back soon as well as the rest of the Irish contingent who they didn’t manage to break!

Read the target for Hendo is Round 5 v Lions in South Africa.

I wonder if the emerging Ireland players will just stay in SA and link up with Ulster there

[SUFTUM_19]

Wonder if Carter will get picked ahead of Big Frank?

Gotta be the tallest set of locks Ulster have ever had!

Is Carter our 6th choice lock?

1 Henderson 2 Strangler 3 Treadz 4 Izzy 5 Big bad Bradshaw 6 Carts?

IMO yes, I would say McF sees him as 4th choice atm tho

[Neill_M]

I take it neither team will have any their internationals back?

Round 2 apparently if fit, timed in conjunction with the players going off to South Africa on this dog and pony show tour.

These first 4 rounds it looks like we’ll be quite stretched then… it’s going to be an interesting team selection - we just go and put out our traditionally ‘strongest’ players even if they have seen little/no game time over pre season or will we mix it up? Wouldn’t be surprised to see a McDonald & Flannery half back combo to start and then Doak/Cooney & Burns given more game time off the bench.
Still a lot of unknowns in terms of injuries (ie Warwick, Jones, Marcus rea, Postlethwaite, Addison, Sexton, Moxham) as well as people who haven’t seen any game time over pre season (McCann, Cooney, Baloucoune, McIlroy), so 12pm on Friday afternoon is going to make for some interesting reading! Hopefully Hendy, Big Stu, Hume, Addison and Lowry will be back soon as well as the rest of the Irish contingent who they didn’t manage to break!

Read the target for Hendo is Round 5 v Lions in South Africa.

I wonder if the emerging Ireland players will just stay in SA and link up with Ulster there

That would seem a sensible plan. Ulster play the Ospreys on Saturday 8th and game v Lions is on the 15th.

Final game of Emerging Ireland tour is on the 9th v the Cheetahs. All three games of the tour are in Bloemfontein relatively close to Joburg.

[Dave]

I take it we're having a minute's silence, and maybe even a rare Ravenhill rendition of GSTK?, On Sat?

It will take the loyalist 6 months to learn the new words.

What about Unionists?

Equally as dumb. Rugby in Ulster and Ireland pretty much ignores the union.

Only in your republican head.

Your statement doesn’t correlate with the messages of sympathy from ulster rugby last weekend, the cancellation of all rugby in the province as a mark of respect to the head of the Union and the highly likely event of a minutes silence on Saturday night.

FFS Al, this is not a politics thread. Please take this elsewhere. I'm not a republican either ffs, not that type at least. Shirley, you can see the all ireland model is the antithesis of unionism. That's what I mean by ignore the union. Now pi$h off to the politics thread.

[StandUp]

Wonder if Carter will get picked ahead of Big Frank?

Gotta be the tallest set of locks Ulster have ever had!

Is Carter our 6th choice lock?

1 Henderson 2 Strangler 3 Treadz 4 Izzy 5 Big bad Bradshaw 6 Carts?

[Big-al]

It will take the loyalist 6 months to learn the new words.

What about Unionists?

Equally as dumb. Rugby in Ulster and Ireland pretty much ignores the union.

Only in your republican head.

Your statement doesn’t correlate with the messages of sympathy from ulster rugby last weekend, the cancellation of all rugby in the province as a mark of respect to the head of the Union and the highly likely event of a minutes silence on Saturday night.

FFS Al, this is not a politics thread. Please take this elsewhere. I'm not a republican either ffs, not that type at least. Shirley, you can see the all ireland model is the antithesis of unionism. That's what I mean by ignore the union. Now pi$h off to the politics thread.

You brought politics into it.

[Dave]

You brought politics into it.

Love to the family.

[Cornerfleg]

BIG FIGHT ... BIG FIGHT ... BIG FLEG FIGHT!