jean valjean wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:53 am
Was surprised that timoney got motm, as I thought in the 2nd half Rea made some crucial turnovers. Looks more impressive each week and not out of place at this level.
Marcus has been brilliant lately. Fingers crossed for a good run of injury free games, but Timoney is pure class.
This is one of the most beautifully balanced back rows we have ever had.
Power and pace.
Youth and experience.
A great ability in the line out.
Great vision to read the game.
Unbelievable tackling and poaching ability from all three.
I may have had many too many tonight but I think I will stand over that statement tomorrow.
HammerTime wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:31 am
P!sh poor tbh. After being sensational last week. The boyz in blue would have put 50 on that lot. A 5 pointer so can't complain too much.
The boyz in blue had their opportunity a few weeks back and never managed to put 50 on us.
A 5 pointer indeed so indeed we can't complain too much.
P!sh poor..... where do we go from here?
Leinster, Clermont and now Northampton, if we win our next two inter pros at home Dan has to go!
Was at match & must say very flat atmosphere particularly on European night .
Few wee peaks now & then but otherwise crap.
On side note ref family stand activities ..told online kids getting Ulster flags ..where were they ? Autoline signed mini balls threw into crowd . Well I think maybe 10 were three in 1st 10m leaving a lot disappointed ?? That was poor show esp as advertised heavily .. tightsr$es
Anyway points in the bag & move on
HammerTime wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:31 am
P!sh poor tbh. After being sensational last week. The boyz in blue would have put 50 on that lot. A 5 pointer so can't complain too much.
The boyz in blue had their opportunity a few weeks back and never managed to put 50 on us.
A 5 pointer indeed so indeed we can't complain too much.
P!sh poor..... where do we go from here?
Leinster, Clermont and now Northampton, if we win our next two inter pros at home Dan has to go!
well played sir
As in p!as poor that they were so dominant against a plucky but limited team yet said team could have nabbed it at the end. Regarding Leinster and Clermont … very good wins but let’s not kid ourselves it was Leinster ‘A’ and a Clermont team that aren’t a patch on previous years. Yet we still could well have lost both. Again, good wins and we are going in the right direction but still lacking the killer instinct of the top sides. If Hume hasn’t disposed Ringrose (most overrated player in recent Irish history) In the 6N it’ll be yet another, in a long line of disgraceful bias’s towards the boyz in blue.
armalig wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:13 am
Was at match & must say very flat atmosphere particularly on European night .
Few wee peaks now & then but otherwise crap.
On side note ref family stand activities ..told online kids getting Ulster flags ..where were they ? Autoline signed mini balls threw into crowd . Well I think maybe 10 were three in 1st 10m leaving a lot disappointed ?? That was poor show esp as advertised heavily .. tightsr$es
Anyway points in the bag & move on
It did seem like a flat atmosphere on the telly. Possibly some crowds on a Christmas jolly that might not normally go to the matches?
The first 25 minutes Ulster were well on top before McCloskey pulled a muscle and went off with a limp continue to play a comfortable game until Henderson joined McCloskey on the sidelines and worryingly McCloskey was visible at the end of the game were as Henderson wasn't .
But after Henderson went off the line out failed to secure the ball and Ulster started to look uncomfortable without the ball.
Referee was blind to Saints blocking and crossing backline treated them as dummy runs when they were actual not being accepted as dummy runs by Ulster but the play was blocking cross field cover defence or hindering a tackling run .
The Saints were using an out half and a close boxed 3 outside him -- 2 of which were dummy runner /blockers ie the carrier was coming in between the two runners The carrier if he made the break then had support on either side.
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
Came home late and attempted to watch the game back. Fell asleep after the great start. Woke up and the score was surprisingly close. I'm trying to piece it together by reading this thread. We seem to have been a mixture of brill and shyte. A few injuries of course. Worryingly Hendy was invisible at the end??
Hendy had a bad ankle twist from a clear out in which he won a penalty. The fact he was able to walk off was a good sign but he'll miss a few weeks most likely.
The sloppy pens in the first half kept them in it. The breakdown work improved in the second half although both tries were maybe a little bit too easy. Skosan has been doing that all season tbf.
The scoreboard was close but we were never under any serious threat. The most challenging thing on the night was, as usual, getting served at the bar.
Great to see Duane and Andy Warwick laughing and joking on the lap after the match. Not really something I ever expected to witness.
The injuries were the only downside of any note. We’re used to managing without Hendy but we’re not the same team without Stu.
Can't argue with a 5 point win but...
I'm not convinced the penalty try was really worth it. The pass wasn't great and there was a potentially covering defender.
If the full back had caught the cross kick that led to Gilroy's try...
Some weak tackling.
The lineout still isn't functioning well, to say the least.
We could have lost this!
But, a 5 point win is a 5 point win.
Fair point, SU but I still think 'star' is pathetic. Why does everything have to be monetised? Squeeze the last bit of advertising out of it.
[/quote]
They can kiss my star. It’s still motm to me.
As an aside, I would like the IRB to consider the outcomes of dangerous tackles when deciding sanctions. As an example, the clear out of Henderson from the ruck was dangerous as the cleaner came in from the side and wrecked his ankle. We lost one of our most important players but the offending team just gave away a penalty.
Perhaps a mandatory substitution for the offending player might work?
StandUp wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:21 pm
As an aside, I would like the IRB to consider the outcomes of dangerous tackles when deciding sanctions. As an example, the clear out of Henderson from the ruck was dangerous as the cleaner came in from the side and wrecked his ankle. We lost one of our most important players but the offending team just gave away a penalty.
Perhaps a mandatory substitution for the offending player might work?
Clearing out rucks is inherently dangerous and is already illegal by the laws of the game. The sooner the IRB admit this, the better.
StandUp wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:21 pm
As an aside, I would like the IRB to consider the outcomes of dangerous tackles when deciding sanctions. As an example, the clear out of Henderson from the ruck was dangerous as the cleaner came in from the side and wrecked his ankle. We lost one of our most important players but the offending team just gave away a penalty.
Perhaps a mandatory substitution for the offending player might work?
Clearing out rucks is inherently dangerous and is already illegal by the laws of the game. The sooner the IRB admit this, the better.
I get your point but that would reduce the game to a ridiculously boring procession.
I must admit, I absolutely love to see a successful counter-ruck, where the defending team regains possession.
but I think I will stand over that statement tomorrow.
well played sir
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