Ulster v Cardiff Friday April 19, 7:35pm - BBC2 NI / BBC2 Wales / TG4 / Premier Sports (UK) 2 / Premier Sports (Ireland)

[solidarity]

By the way, what's the logic behind showing the match on BBC NI? Would it not make more sense to make away matches available? I suppose Premier/Viaplay would veto that so why don't they veto these home games?

[justinr73]

Tbf to Stockdale, he made a couple of big carries at the death there.

[big mervyn]

As good as Izzys effort and endeavour was for the try saving tackle - it should have been a penalty try - you can't kick the ball out of someone's hands.

Totally missed by officials, commentators and pundits

I don't think it was a deliberate kick as he couldn't see where his feet were at the time. He swung his body around to get underneath the grounding and the Cardiff player lost the ball off his foot when trying to place it down. Correct call and a superb piece of defending if a little lucky.

It looked kind of deliberate to me. Probably enough doubt to save him in any case, but it should have been checked. The laws seem to be a lot looser around the try line!

[big mervyn]

We have a free run to audition everyone, if we fail to reach Champs trophy so be it. We need to be 100% certain of the future for the start of pre season.

We missed out on the revenue of ONE champions cup game this season and it put a 750k hole in our finances. Missing out on ALL of the champions Cup games would be disastrous from a financial point of view.

A part of that alleged £750K would have been putting in place alternative arrangements and refunding tickets sold, including season ticket holders.

Missing all the Champions Cup games would not be so bad as they would be replaced by Challenge Cup games. True the calibre of opponent
may make a difference to the attendance, but If it looked like we could be somewhat successful in that competition, that would draw in some extra fans anyway. There's nothing like winning matches to encourage fans through the turnstiles.

All that said, I still want to be in the Champions Cup next season (and every season), even though it's unlikely I will be renewing my own season ticket, but that's for personal health reasons more than being pi$$ed off with Ulster - albeit the latter doesn't exactly help.

Really sorry to hear that. Is a seat in the stand not an option?

[CIMANFOREVER]

Not sure where the Lowry grief is coming from, thought he was very good last night. Other standouts where Sheridan and McCann, as has been said. Cormac brilliant off the bench, with the try saving tackle. I'm starting to think Andrew should be above Tom Stewart in the pecking order at hooker.

James McCormick should be ahead of both

He certainly deserves his chance. Did Leinster back the right hooker in McKee who looks more likely to be next in line after Herring

[mid ulster maestro]

The third Cardiff try (all be it disallowed), was the point at which I needed a new TV.

[UlsterNo9]

Not sure where the Lowry grief is coming from, thought he was very good last night. Other standouts where Sheridan and McCann, as has been said. Cormac brilliant off the bench, with the try saving tackle. I'm starting to think Andrew should be above Tom Stewart in the pecking order at hooker.

James McCormick should be ahead of both

He certainly deserves his chance. Did Leinster back the right hooker in McKee who looks more likely to be next in line after Herring

I think the shoot out for the academy spot was between McKee and Stewart? McKee was offered an academy spot if he would convert to prop. Theres a couple of years between McKee and McCormick.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

I'm in favour of getting Jared back.
Also would love to see Ruan back as a skills coach - we really need to improve our skills on tonight's performance

We need someone to get our backline going. All they seem to do is throw 50/50 passes and offloads and hope it comes off, which they usually don’t.

The structure of the Ulster attack/backs is very poor.

I actually think the Ulster clean out has improved since Murphy took over.

Not sure if you mean the offloads are 50/50, but the 50/50 passes certainly come off as often as they don't, so I don't think the word "usually" is accurate.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

As good as Izzys effort and endeavour was for the try saving tackle - it should have been a penalty try - you can't kick the ball out of someone's hands.

Totally missed by officials, commentators and pundits

He didn't "kick" it out of his hands. His momentum brought his legs round in front of him and the player in trying to ground the ball brought it down against his knee which dislodged the ball.

No kick, no deliberate act of foul play, just good defending.

I think it was Chad (but it might have been Tommy) whoi said after the game that it was a brilliant bit of skill to tackle like that and bring his legs round to prevent the grounding. I said it at the time, and I stand by it, that there was nothing brilliant about that - it was pure fluke and he got lucky.

Where |I will give credit was in getting there in the first place, and even for not giving up, but believing he could effect the tackle. Of course he was just fresh onto the pitch which meant he wasn't knackered, but credit to him still for geting there and saving the try.

[Dharper]

Absolutely love Sheridan Wilson and McCann. There will be good and bad days at the office, but every game minute is an investment in their development. Thought postlewaite had good moments too, raw but very talented, and worth the game time. Hopefully theres a few more back row boys close to getting a chance.

Stewart is a quality operator as is Doak. There’s a hint of 2nd season syndrome with the pair, but we must be patient with their development-as long as they are parking the ego, and working hard to get better we must back them.

As an aside loved AOC backing Sheridan for MOM. When you get a smile and a well done from an abrasive old school warhorse like AOC it’s some accolade. Love the fact whenever there’s niggle Sheridan is usually involved. If we are to change the narrative of UR packs being soft, it’s guys like sheridan that’ll change it. Great to see he is an effective close qtr carrier.

As an aside re Izzy: Great defensive effort but far more importantly for me, great attitude - that is pure hunger and kept us in the game. Hopefully they all feed off it, and Izzy goes from strength to strength he’s some athlete. SUFTUM.

We are seriously misfiring but there are some good young players there.

[TheBoat]

In Wilson, Stewart, Sheridan, Izzy, McCann, Doak, Postlethwaite, Hume, Baloucoune, Lowry we have a core of solid youngsters. Just need a great coaching ticket to get the best out of them. Also an out half and a few gnarly, experienced backrowers to get the best out of them

I was pleased to see O'Sullivan involved. He was fantastic a few seasons back and his form seems to have been destroyed by the previous administration. Definitely potential there as well.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[jacothelad]

As good as Izzys effort and endeavour was for the try saving tackle - it should have been a penalty try - you can't kick the ball out of someone's hands.

Totally missed by officials, commentators and pundits

He didn't. The Welsh guy lost the ball in the tackle
and it then hit Izzy's lower leg. In order for Izzy to 'kick' the ball away as you claimed, he would have needed eyes in his feet.

[Columbo]

I wouldn't write off Murphy after 5 games. Lucky tonight but let's see if they can build some confidence from this.

He walked into a total mess. CEO going, star player going and unlikely to be replaced and a squad where all was not well.

When you see what Sheridan is delivering it's a mystery as to what Dan was doing with him this season.

I think Murphy has a lot of leverage - I’d imagine the IRFU desperately want to be able to give him the job (quicker, easier and cheaper than going to market). Hopefully he can parlay that leverage into more signings (he has already said that Ulster need to recruit a 10, as did Hugh in his latest video) and perhaps as important some new coaches.. if Grant is in charge of our set piece and breakdown, questions need to be asked IMO - lineout consistently poor, and a big deterioration in breakdown over the last 18 mths. Defence too. And maybe Soper? Popular but our attack has been dreadful since he became attack coach, and Richie covers skills, so maybe hard to find a role for him..

As for Izzy’s tackle it was superb, and swinging legs around is textbook, in fact one of this weekends highlights clips doing the rounds on social media is Penauds coast to coast which starts off with Bielle-Biarrey doing exactly that to prevent a grounding! There’s no way he was ‘kicking’ the ball

[Cockatrice]

Out of interest do we still employ the Sports Psychologist

[justinr73]

Out of interest do we still employ the Sports Psychologist

Nah, I think he lost confidence in his abilities.