Ulster v Leinster - Fri 29 November - 19.35

[Jetstream]

A bonus point win away to Ulster with well over 20 players unavailable. When you say it like that...WOW WEE!
But it was a fairly disjointed game all the same.
Ulster don't look up to much and they have very little coming back in for next week.

Thanks blockhead. We realise we are not very good but the team is trying its best.
Your words of wisdom will fortify us in the days ahead.

[arsebiscuits1]

First half was poor apart from Slimani’s master class in the scrum. Some very good performances in the second half.
Conan was class, as was Deegan. I’m like a broken record but he is, by some distance, the best lineout operator in the country, POM aside.
Penny had a huge impact. Terrible to see Connors injured again but hard to see how he got the nod for this.
Larmour was on fire, and JOB had a very good game.

I did not see anything from Gunne to suggest he’s ready for the big time. I thought the much maligned (including by me) Luke had a decent outing in the first half, when we gave him no platform. He’s never going to be a great passer but the rest of his game looked back to previous levels.

Great to see the waterboy.

Where was Nienaber though? It looked like only Leo and Blyendaal in the box.

Wasn't the "controversy" around Neinaber at the Boks that he was able to be pitchside as a waterboy due to his physio qualifications?

I presume he was pitchside again

[blockhead]

A bonus point win away to Ulster with well over 20 players unavailable. When you say it like that...WOW WEE!
But it was a fairly disjointed game all the same.
Ulster don't look up to much and they have very little coming back in for next week.

Thanks blockhead. We realise we are not very good but the team is trying its best.
Your words of wisdom will fortify us in the days ahead.

No worries Jetstream.

[blockhead]

First half was poor apart from Slimani’s master class in the scrum. Some very good performances in the second half.
Conan was class, as was Deegan. I’m like a broken record but he is, by some distance, the best lineout operator in the country, POM aside.
Penny had a huge impact. Terrible to see Connors injured again but hard to see how he got the nod for this.
Larmour was on fire, and JOB had a very good game.

I did not see anything from Gunne to suggest he’s ready for the big time. I thought the much maligned (including by me) Luke had a decent outing in the first half, when we gave him no platform. He’s never going to be a great passer but the rest of his game looked back to previous levels.

Great to see the waterboy.

Where was Nienaber though? It looked like only Leo and Blyendaal in the box.

Wasn't the "controversy" around Neinaber at the Boks that he was able to be pitchside as a waterboy due to his physio qualifications?

I presume he was pitchside again

He's never sitting down anyway. Always pacing up n down

[Dave Cahill]

Slimani played like a french prop. Strong in the scrum, Mr Floppy at the rucks. Once he gets used to the different style of play he'll be an even bigger asset than he already is at scrum time.

Conan was different class though. JOB got the official MOTM, others have been mentioned in dispatches, but for me, Conan was the best player on the park.

[the-goon2]

yeah. surprised after the 1st half we even won it. never mind the TBP. bench made a big diff.
Fintan Gunne impressed me a lot. he's 21 now. maybe a shout for 6N squad in jan?

Doubt it. He needs a good 6 month body of work get ahead of McGrath and then we can talk about the summer tour if he shows what he has and develops.

His boot looks massive, just needs to direct it better. It will come inshallah.

I think he has more potential than Casey, who was good against Fiji.

more potential maybe, but Casey is a good international already. Gunne needs to be 2nd choice at Leinster before we can even consider ireland selection. Doak was the best 9 out there tonight.

As for Luke, took his try well, passed ok, tempo ok, defence good, but his box kick exits were terrible, 13 points came directly from him kicking straight to their 15 to run the ball right back at us. Not a great performance.

MoM, Conan or Larmour.

[Blueberry]

Thought Conan was immense and nudged it for us....Jordan had a cracker in the 2nd half ...

A very very good result for us.

[naraic]

I did not see anything from Gunne to suggest he’s ready for the big time. I thought the much maligned (including by me) Luke had a decent outing in the first half, when we gave him no platform. He’s never going to be a great passer but the rest of his game looked back to previous levels.

I'm not the biggest Luke maligner but scrumhalf is the position where gametime is most important to a player's development in my opinion. Even more than prop.

Gunne wasn't massively impressive but Leo and his coaching team need to decide that they are investing in him imo. Thats needed so that he will be ready for the big time in a season or two.

Yes I'd still have McGrath as second choice for Europe and getting gametime to keep him fresh and ready but I'd be putting all the minutes I can into Gunne.

Wasn't the "controversy" around Neinaber at the Boks that he was able to be pitchside as a waterboy due to his physio qualifications?

I presume he was pitchside again

That was at Munster but yes its something Nienabar did and has mentioned in an interview at the start of the season as something he was considering doing at Leinster.

[Schumi]

Great to get a bonus point win with so many missing. Glasgow didn't get a bonus against Scarlets as well which is handy.

[pangurban1]

A bonus point win away to Ulster with well over 20 players unavailable. When you say it like that...WOW WEE!
But it was a fairly disjointed game all the same.
Ulster don't look up to much and they have very little coming back in for next week.

Thanks blockhead. We realise we are not very good but the team is trying its best.
Your words of wisdom will fortify us in the days ahead.

Would you prefer smoke blown up your nether regions?

[PeteIRL]

Saw Nienaber in the coaches box during the first half. He only appeared for a split second behind Bleyendaal.

[the spoofer]

Just getting to watch the game now. The commentators on Premier are w&%k.

[Observingprop123]

Find it odd how harshly Osborne Jr gets treated on forums. To my eye he had a good industrious game tonight, carried well, worked hard, showed some good kicking. There are mistakes in his game of course, the poor knock on and cutting in on their first try.

That said he has pace and power in abundance and looks a decent footballer, the coaches also seem to have liked what they've seen from him aswell.

[LeinsterLeader]

the coaches also seem to have liked what they've seen from him aswell.

This is a good point. I'd add Culhane and Deeney to the "I'm not sure what they see in them" group but most definitely the coaches think those 3 guys are 'the goods' based on the chances they are getting. I ain't gonna argue with them.

I did think young Osborne was mostly good tonight myself. He tried to be 'Garry Ringrose' for their first try buy it was a bad impression of him.

[Ray Donovan]

Anytime I look at Ulster recently, Roy Keane’s infamous comment about Spurs always springs to mind.

Their next 2 games are vs Toulouse and Bordeaux.

Ouch.

[Barry]

First half was poor apart from Slimani’s master class in the scrum. Some very good performances in the second half.
Conan was class, as was Deegan. I’m like a broken record but he is, by some distance, the best lineout operator in the country, POM aside.
Penny had a huge impact. Terrible to see Connors injured again but hard to see how he got the nod for this.
Larmour was on fire, and JOB had a very good game.

I did not see anything from Gunne to suggest he’s ready for the big time. I thought the much maligned (including by me) Luke had a decent outing in the first half, when we gave him no platform. He’s never going to be a great passer but the rest of his game looked back to previous levels.

Great to see the waterboy.

Where was Nienaber though? It looked like only Leo and Blyendaal in the box.

Was at the game in treviso where nienabar stood on the sideline barking at the players for the entire 80 minutes, assume it was the same tonight

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[the spoofer]

Ross Byrne had a fine game.

[Logorrhea]

Ross Byrne had a fine game.

Yep. Such a quality player to be able to call on.

[blockhead]

Ross Byrne had a fine game.

Yep. Such a quality player to be able to call on.

His goal kicking stats are down from what they used to be, his cross field kicks leading to tries have dried up. They were his value proposition.

[Capitán]

the coaches also seem to have liked what they've seen from him aswell.

This is a good point. I'd add Culhane and Deeney to the "I'm not sure what they see in them" group but most definitely the coaches think those 3 guys are 'the goods' based on the chances they are getting. I ain't gonna argue with them.

I did think young Osborne was mostly good tonight myself. He tried to be 'Garry Ringrose' for their first try buy it was a bad impression of him.

Wouldn’t have Culhane in that boat myself. Osborne has a physical profile that makes me give the coaches the benefit of the doubt. Deeny I just do not understand.