Ulster v Edinburgh Friday April 21 7:35pm - Viaplay Sports 1 / URC TV / Super Sport

[jean valjean]

What changed for Stockdale, was it attending Ireland camp?

I think he has just had a consistent period of time to train, improving his strength and speed. With that comes the confidence as he sees things starting to happen for him on the pitch. Him and Bobby should be the most potent wingers in the league and we need to play to their strengths.

[Dave]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

Treaders was a man possessed last night. Why can’t he play like that every game?

He has shown more of that this season. He impressed at the Ireland camp.

[BR]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

I assumed they had spotted a knickon/forward pass earlier in the move, as the resulting scrum was nowhere near the Ulster line where the juggling had occured

[StandUp]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

Treaders was a man possessed last night. Why can’t he play like that every game?

He has shown more of that this season. He impressed at the Ireland camp.

Agreed, but then in some games he was totally anonymous. Very frustrating. If he played all (or even most) games like that, he would be starting when fit.
We have seen that since he arrived here. Most games he is average, then some games he has a real bee in his bonnet and plays out of his skin.

[jacothelad]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

The try was disallowed because Ritchie juggled the ball forward and then slapped it back. The laws state that if you juggle the ball forward you must actually catch it before passing it to a team mate. Seems rather arbitrary but that is the law. Agree on Treadwell and a shout out to Burns who consistently puts his body on the line even though he is always 'outgunned' by much bigger opponents. I think he is a much better player than shown by the general consensus on here.

[BR]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

The try was disallowed because Ritchie juggled the ball forward and then slapped it back. The laws state that if you juggle the ball forward you must actually catch it before passing it to a team mate. Seems rather arbitrary but that is the law. Agree on Treadwell and a shout out to Burns who consistently puts his body on the line even though he is always 'outgunned' by much bigger opponents. I think he is a much better player than shown by the general consensus on here.

So why was it not a 5m scrum?

[rumncoke]

The first 20 minutes until Stockdale scored, Ulster looked like a team who realised the game could be a banana skin -- when all that was needed was a win , but it had to be a win . I think Ulster missed more tackles -- got turned over - knocked on more often in that 20 minute period than the rest of the match. Nerves

Considering the fact that Lowry and Hume were both subbed early in the match and the misfield of Moore and Hume ,as a pair , was not normal to start with that the backline seem disjointed was to be expected .

In my opinion the fact that Moore was not relocated at full back seem odd a more natural midfield might have been Marshall at 12 and Stockdale to 13 and Moore to 15. consider the backline that finished the Game

--15 Stockdale
11/14 Timoney/ Doak
12/13 Moore/Gilroy
10/9 Burns/Cooney
How anyone can consider assessing whether a player is a 12 or not given the early and continuing disruption of the back line is unfair in my opinion -- but I will admit when I saw the selection I thought Moore would be better suited to 13 rather than 12 -- I think he has a more natural ability to know when to pass --timing . That opinion is not based on last nights performance -- when I thought he played well

Treadwell showed last night why is part of the Irish sqaud and the benefits of a couple of weeks in the Ireland camp--- taking the ball at pace when acting as a carrier-- and not giving up in the chase and tackle back -- in some respects he deserved MOTM more than Cooney
--- I fail to see why, Point and TRY scorers ,seem to get the reward in what is a team sport the reward should be based on effort but that is a personal opinion.

Back row the Edinburgh back row are the experienced and are natural turnover seekers -- In my opinion Ulster seldom went for the turnover -- having tried that type of game earlier in the season and being penalised . Ulster seemed to only contest the ball inside their own 22.

[justinr73]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

The try was disallowed because Ritchie juggled the ball forward and then slapped it back. The laws state that if you juggle the ball forward you must actually catch it before passing it to a team mate. Seems rather arbitrary but that is the law. Agree on Treadwell and a shout out to Burns who consistently puts his body on the line even though he is always 'outgunned' by much bigger opponents. I think he is a much better player than shown by the general consensus on here.

What confused me was why the ref had to review it. It was perfectly plain what had happened and, ironically, it was quite a nice bit of skill by Ritchie.

Similar obvious has been Jacob’s slow and steady return to fitness, confidence and form. Tredders seems to play within himself more often than not. Great to see him charging around like a rhino.

Billy got as many turnovers as Hamish Watson, didn’t he?

[Big-al]

What changed for Stockdale, was it attending Ireland camp?

I think he has just had a consistent period of time to train, improving his strength and speed. With that comes the confidence as he sees things starting to happen for him on the pitch. Him and Bobby should be the most potent wingers in the league and we need to play to their strengths.

No runners showing for the ball to the inside of Burns most of the match yesterday (This is mostly down to Burns not directing enough), meaning Embra could push up and out and close down the space of the Ulster wide men.

The set-up of the Ulster attack isn't great ATM.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Did anyone watching at home see why the try Edinburgh scored after Ritchie did a bit of juggling was disallowed? From where I was standing I couldn't even understand why it was checked.

Should have said as well, thought Treadwell was our best player, having the legs for that covering tackle so late in the game after all the work he'd done...

The try was disallowed because Ritchie juggled the ball forward and then slapped it back. The laws state that if you juggle the ball forward you must actually catch it before passing it to a team mate. Seems rather arbitrary but that is the law. Agree on Treadwell and a shout out to Burns who consistently puts his body on the line even though he is always 'outgunned' by much bigger opponents. I think he is a much better player than shown by the general consensus on here.

So why was it not a 5m scrum?

Cos ref wasn't entirely sure what had happened, me thinks. The reason given above was correct, but ref seemed to indicate there was a knock-on by both teams in the build up to the non-try, so maybe he split the difference on where the scrum should be? He was prepared to play advantage on the alleged Ulster one, but then then juggling act meant he had to come up with some sort of decision. That's the best I can offer anyway.

All in all, not a little baffling.

[Bart S]

The 2nd half saw a marked improvement in a number of players, notably Tredwell, Timoney and McCann. 2nd half was the best I have seen from Tredders in an ulster jersey when starting since the qf vs leinster in 2019 I think. The fact that he hasn't pushed ahead of a limited player like AOC is quite honestly a poor reflection on him and use of his ability. All his decent games have been off the bench. I really thought he'd kick on post the new Zealand tour but he hasn't.

Great to see some physicality from McCann in the 2nd half. He's clearly skilful and this us the weakest area of his fame so that was encouraging.

Whilst not so prominent in the 2nd half DV basically kept ulster in the game singlehandedly in the 1st half with a few huge plays.

[rumncoke]

I knock- on is not a knock-on provided the person who knocked-on catches the ball before it hits the ground ie the player must catch the ball. The knock -on is then considered a readjustment not a knock -on .Prior to the rule change any failure to catch the ball cleanly was considered a knock-on -- endless scrums in the days of the wet leather ball.

[rumncoke]

That it took several visits to the Ireland camp to improve Treadwell and Stockdale --says something --- I think

[Cap'n Grumpy]

I I thought Ritchie and Watson were possibly the two best players on the park .....

Hamish Watson certainly self-identified as the best referee on the park. Thankfully the duly appointed ref - the one in the yellow shirt - didn't understand Scootish and didn't hand over his whistle to let him get on with it.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

That it took several visits to the Ireland camp to improve Treadwell and Stockdale --says something --- I think

They had to go through their mandatory (for Ulster players) apprenticeship, tackle-bag holding before they were permitted to join in actual coaching sessions with the bigger boys.