Ulster v Leinster thread **team pg 4**

[suisse]

Healy
Cronin
Bent
Browne
Toner
Ruddock
O'Brien
Heaslip

Boss/Reddan
Sexton
Conway
D'Arcy
McFadden
Kearney D
Madigan

Interesting development in today's IT.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/spo ... 58637.html

Meanwhile, the versatile Fergus McFadden revealed yesterday, at the Ulster Bank Rugby Force club initiative, he asked Leinster coach Joe Schmidt to consider him in one position this season, with a view to enhancing his international prospects.

“I just said at the start of the year to Joe I’m just looking for consistent play, whether it’s on the wing or in the centre.”

Schmidt obliged by selecting him on the wing, more often than not, with Ireland also utilising him out wide during the November internationals.

Lesson to Keith Earls.

“My favourite position is 12, it’s in the centre, but the way things have panned out with Leinster over the last couple of years I’ve been mixed and matched and moved in and around.

“I don’t mind that because of the squad of players that we have and the standard of players, naturally it’s going to be tough to get into the team so if I have to adjust for other reasons then I’m happy to do that, as long as I’m playing rugby.

“But I just said to Joe could I get some consistent (rugby), whether it’s on the wing or in the centre, for a few weeks in a row because that’s when you play your best rugby.

In other words, I like 12 the most, but I recognise that there is a lot of talent in the squad, and I'm just happy to play anywhere.

[Donny B.]

Interesting that his favourite position is now 12, where I think he's best personally. I think last year he said he was happiest at 13, but this was the time Drico was out and he was vying to be his replacement with O'Malley.

[fourthirtythree]

Interesting that his favourite position is now 12, where I think he's best personally. I think last year he said he was happiest at 13, but this was the time Drico was out and he was vying to be his replacement with O'Malley.

I thought he saw himself as a 13 the year before that rather than last year. Schmidt definitely seemed to see him initially as better at 12.

[Aussiedub]

Would like to see the following team -

Healy, Cronin, Bent, Toner, Marshall, McLaughlin, Murphy, SOB, Boss, Goodman, Kearney, Darcy, EOM, McFadden, Nacewa - McGrath, Dundon, Moore, Denton, Ruddock, Reddan, Sexton, Conway

[lummix]

I worry about his physicality at 12 and his hands at 13. I think winger actually suits his skill set. It's worth rembering that drico and darce have been freaks for years where despite their size they been able to deal with larger centre combinations. I wouldn't expect to see their likes again; especially at 12 where it is becoming land of the giants.
Ps Marshall in the second row might not be a bad call, we need to try something new there

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm a bit torn as to how much I'd use the upcoming games as preparation for the HC. I think I'd play EOM at 13 and Conway at 14 for the next two games and then whoever is playing well keeps their spot and McFadden fills in the other position with Isa moving to full back and Kearney on the other wing.

We need to give Dundon a lot of gametime as well. Those are things I'd definitely do, the question after that is how much do we need to rotate elsewhere? We looked wrecked on Saturday so I wouldn't have a problem with us making a whole heap of changes but obviously it's impossible for us to know how tired/fresh the players are this week.

[Offiah]

Ulster are in a similar situation to us, a few injuries and some bodies need a rest. Plus they will feel a win is needed to regain motentum. They are now v light in the second row and not much options in the backrow. If PJ out then also light at half back.
I think this is where we'll beat them if we can field a strong side.
So for me:
Healy, Cronin, Bent, Toner, Cullen, McLaughlin, SOB, Heaslip, Boss, Sexton, Kearney, Darcy, EOM, McFadden, Nacewa (if fit otherwise Mads) - VDM, Dundon, Moore, Denton, Ruddock, Reddan, Sexton, Conway

Could also live with Conway on wing and Kearney at 15 and Mads either at 10 or on bench.

Also need for a strong team (and revenge) v Connacht

[Dave Cahill]

The Rabo is now the only competition we can realistically win without relying on others to do us favours, and its also the only competition where we can get a big payday in the form of a home semi final as a home quarter in the HEC is now not an option. That means a certain shift in emphasis is required in terms of selection. It is vitally important that we finish the league stage in at least second place

[simonokeeffe]

McFadden is one of the best tacklers in the team, North incident aside, he's worked on his passing, we just need to work on his jackaling to make him a proper Leinster centre

We looking at Ulster team of the following?

Payne
Trimble
Cave
Wallace/Marshall
Gilroy
Jackson
Pienaar

Court
Best
Afoa
McComb
Henderson
Wulliams
Henry
Wilson

Black, herring, Lutton, Diack, McComish, Marshall/Wallace, Allen

[rooster]

McFadden is one of the best tacklers in the team, North incident aside, he's worked on his passing, we just need to work on his jackaling to make him a proper Leinster centre

We looking at Ulster team of the following?

Payne
Trimble
Cave
Wallace/Marshall
Gilroy
Jackson
Pienaar

Court
Best
Afoa
McComb
Henderson
Wulliams
Henry
Wilson

Black, herring, Lutton, Diack, McComish, Marshall/Wallace, Allen

I will be surprised if that team turns out, some of those need a week off

[sarah_lennon]

Hmm, are you guys expecting O'Brien to be able to play on Friday after the incident on Saturday?

Don't think he'll play anyway whether he's banned or not.

I thought if the incident was seen and dealt with by the ref,

In soccer. In rugby nope

[cormac]

I would be disappointed if we took that attitude to be honest.
The Amlin is 3 games that would be fairly winable. The final is in the RDS.

Yes I would prefer the league, but would prefer the double to that.

If the management wrote the comp off "because we're too good for that comp" I would be surprised and as I said disappointed.

Yeah well that's human nature I'm afraid.

They won't publicly say it of course, but I guarantee that's what most on the squad will be feeling.

But in any case let's just we win our last two games by as high a score as possible and see what happens. Hell Exeter could beat us in the last game and take the spot anyway.

If we beat the Scarlets with a bp, we'd almost certainly be guaranteed second place unless Exeter can pull off a massive upset in Clermont.

[[Jackass]]

Honestly wouldn't give two f**ks about the Amlin.

You sound like a Munster fan now. It's a cup. Let's win it if we're in it.

You suggesting we should try and lose our remaining games to avoid competing in it?

Totally agree (about the cup part).

Hopefully we wont get many opportunities, or ever! get the opportunity to win that cup, but if we did end up in it we should play it like Heineken Cup and go all out. Although, I would definitely prefer to win the league over the Amlin, but if worst comes to worst and we were in it, I'd really hope we'd win it.

[TerraceRegular]

Always enjoy the trip to Ravenhill. Hopefully the stone throwers are not around City Hall after

Ulster will surley want to bouch back after last week against Saints so can't see them making many changes. Hopefully we go with our best available but would like to see a change in the second row

[LeRouxIsPHat]

There are also extra ranking points available for the Amlin, up to 6 if you win it. That would be the equivalent of losing in a semi-final of the HEC. Our place amongst the top seeds won't be in jeopardy for a couple of seasons, but 6 points could be quite useful further down the line.

Personally I'd say that the benefit we'd get from making certain changes (maybe McGrath for VDM, Toner starting, Ruddock/Ryan starting and the other on the bench, Macken starting) for pretty high quality knock out games would outweigh those ranking points in the long run.

When I was worried about the fact (If I can call it a fact) that Kidney's contract isn't being renewed could mean that there was a really flat atmosphere in camp which would contribute to poor performances, someone said that the Lions will be a big motivator for players anyway. The same could apply here.

[Xanthippe]

Hmm, are you guys expecting O'Brien to be able to play on Friday after the incident on Saturday?

We'll see. Citings must be less than 50 hours after the game, so if we hear nothing by morning.........

I reckoned about 9pm last night was the cut off for citings for our match and so far the only one mentioned by the ERC is Ibrahim Diarra of Castres for stamping.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Not sure if this makes sense but I don't think he deserved any kind of ban but wouldn't have had any complaints if he'd been shown red.

[simonokeeffe]

McFadden is one of the best tacklers in the team, North incident aside, he's worked on his passing, we just need to work on his jackaling to make him a proper Leinster centre

We looking at Ulster team of the following?

Payne
Trimble
Cave
Wallace/Marshall
Gilroy
Jackson
Pienaar

Court
Best
Afoa
McComb
Henderson
Wulliams
Henry
Wilson

Black, herring, Lutton, Diack, McComish, Marshall/Wallace, Allen

I will be surprised if that team turns out, some of those need a week off

my guess is theyll get the week off after Christmas due to Ireland training

[Vamos los azules]

Your points have some merit. But if you are in a competition you should be doing your best to win it, especially if you have the talent otherwise don't go out on the field.

Would I be unhappy if we were dumped out in the quarters? No. But I would be shocked and dismayed if we went out and played like chyte because we "thought we were above the amlin"

If the lads give it their best shot and lose, I have no issue with that.

I agree. I don't think it reflected particularly well on some of the Munster players who looked like they thought playing in the Amlin was beneath them when they ended up in it.

I also don't think it's particularly fair on the teams that start in the competition that the runners-up from the Heineken Cup drop down. Mind you, this year if you ended up with Munster, Leinster and Toulouse in the Amlin, which is far from impossible with the current standings, the Amlin could end up getting a lot more attention. Wasps would probably be in the mix as well. That would be the last decade's worth of Heineken Cup winners in the Amlin.

[Peg Leg]

So, are Ulster going to throw the kids out to play us again, this year?