Ulster 2021/22

[riocard911]

JJ playing well. A break from him set up the second Penaud try. And now just another one. Ulster on the rack. 17-19

[riocard911]

With a JJ peno Clermont take the lead for the first time in the game - 20-19 after 62 mins.

[riocard911]

Brillliant reffing by Wayne Barnes. Try Ulster under the posts and yellow card for Clermont back three player. 20-26 after 70 mins.

[riocard911]

Cooney lands a peno from 55 metres out. 20-29 with seven mins to go.

[ronk]

Cmon Ulster. Keep them out for a bonus.

[ronk]

Ah well. Still a great result for Ulster.

[riocard911]

JJ scores a peno in extra time securing a LBP for Clermont. Great result and performance by Ulster all the same - 23-29. Fair play!!!

[Hippo]

Terrific performance from Ulster, they really turned it on at times

[Ruckedtobits]

That was a classic match which Ulster had to win twice although Clermont clearly look as if they have got old together and can no longer play for 80 minutes (with the exception being Damien Penaud who was superb throughout).

Very impressed with Lowry, Hume, McCloskey, Cooney, Herring, O'Toole, Treadwell, Rea, Timony and Vermullion. Hanrahan for them was a revelation in his running and distribution and looks like a player reborn. Jack McGrath is a shadow of his past standard but I keep hoping that he just lacks match practice rather than appetite. (As an aside, the standard of Leinster and Ulster scrummaging was ropey in both games and certainly sloppy compared to that displayed by Ireland in the Autumn).

Ultimately the game was determined by two decisions by Barnes, fortunately one for each side. The initial try awarded to Penaud, from a beautiful cross-kick by Hanrahan, was dubious at best, whilst Timoney's winning try was touched down milliseconds after Barnes blew his whistle, mistakenly, for an Ulster knock-on which subsequently proved to be an illegal knock-down which cost Clermont 7 points and a man in the bin. Both instances were key to the flow and vibrancy of the game but both were incorrect and awarded because of the strength of personality and reputation of the referee over the opinion of the TMO.

Cooney's kicking was superb and he once again emphasised the range of vital skills he could bring to an Irish Squad concerned with the durability of Sexton and Murray. However, for me the two stars of this Ulster performance were Lowry and Hume who showed great flair and presence in a high quality European encounter.

Overall, this was a top quality European game and Ulster, with perhaps a lesser cast than Leinster available to them, gave a performance in one of the true citadel's of European rugby, to delight the critics and set themselves up for further progress in this competition.

[wixfjord]

Treadwell is a player that I think could kick on a bit more.

He has had some big performances in Europe over the years, still only 26 and looks comfortable coming up against big packs.

[wixfjord]

The initial try awarded to Penaud, from a beautiful cross-kick by Hanrahan, was dubious at best,

Why do you say that?

Grounding was perfect and they didn't have an angle to show if he was offside right?

[ronk]

And the Timoney tie is a penalty try if the whistle blew. Certainly wasn't conclusive that the game had stopped when he grounded.

[riocard911]

Both decisions were 50-50, IMO; 1. Did Penaud have the ball under control? Was their separation? Did he ground the ball more with his chest than his hand? Was it a knock-on? I found it hard to make up my own mind. 2. Was the whistle blown before, simultaneous with or after the Timoney grounding? No idea. There wasn't any sound on the slo-mos. The one angle showed the whistle near Barnes mouth as Timoney crosses the white wash essentially at ground level. Had the ref exhaled into it? I haven't a breeze (if that's a pun, pardon it). Still and all I think Barnes made the right decision on each occasion.

[paddyor]

I thought Penaud knocked it forward for his try. I wasn't sure of the question asked though.

[Flash Gordon]

That was a classic match which Ulster had to win twice although Clermont clearly look as if they have got old together and can no longer play for 80 minutes (with the exception being Damien Penaud who was superb throughout).

Very impressed with Lowry, Hume, McCloskey, Cooney, Herring, O'Toole, Treadwell, Rea, Timony and Vermullion. Hanrahan for them was a revelation in his running and distribution and looks like a player reborn. Jack McGrath is a shadow of his past standard but I keep hoping that he just lacks match practice rather than appetite. (As an aside, the standard of Leinster and Ulster scrummaging was ropey in both games and certainly sloppy compared to that displayed by Ireland in the Autumn).

Ultimately the game was determined by two decisions by Barnes, fortunately one for each side. The initial try awarded to Penaud, from a beautiful cross-kick by Hanrahan, was dubious at best, whilst Timoney's winning try was touched down milliseconds after Barnes blew his whistle, mistakenly, for an Ulster knock-on which subsequently proved to be an illegal knock-down which cost Clermont 7 points and a man in the bin. Both instances were key to the flow and vibrancy of the game but both were incorrect and awarded because of the strength of personality and reputation of the referee over the opinion of the TMO.

Cooney's kicking was superb and he once again emphasised the range of vital skills he could bring to an Irish Squad concerned with the durability of Sexton and Murray. However, for me the two stars of this Ulster performance were Lowry and Hume who showed great flair and presence in a high quality European encounter.

Overall, this was a top quality European game and Ulster, with perhaps a lesser cast than Leinster available to them, gave a performance in one of the true citadel's of European rugby, to delight the critics and set themselves up for further progress in this competition.

Performance of the weekend from an Irish team. Clermont is probably the toughest place in Europe to go and get a result as we well know. Feels like there's a bit of momentum building up there.

[sunshiner1]

by Flash Gordon

Performance of the weekend from an Irish team. Clermont is probably the toughest place in Europe to go and get a result as we well know. Feels like there's a bit of momentum building up there.

It's a great result but they got to back it up. Too many times Ulster have one a big game and then crashed the week after. They got to have some consistency.

[Flash Gordon]

by Flash Gordon

Performance of the weekend from an Irish team. Clermont is probably the toughest place in Europe to go and get a result as we well know. Feels like there's a bit of momentum building up there.

It's a great result but they got to back it up. Too many times Ulster have one a big game and then crashed the week after. They got to have some consistency.

Absolutely but they deservedly beat us at the RDS and went to Clermont and beat ASM. As you say they need to do this consistently but they seem to be on the right trajectory.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

by Flash Gordon

Performance of the weekend from an Irish team. Clermont is probably the toughest place in Europe to go and get a result as we well know. Feels like there's a bit of momentum building up there.

It's a great result but they got to back it up. Too many times Ulster have one a big game and then crashed the week after. They got to have some consistency.

Absolutely but they deservedly beat us at the RDS and went to Clermont and beat ASM. As you say they need to do this consistently but they seem to be on the right trajectory.

I was thinking about this after the Clermont game. I don’t think they’re capable of doing it consistently with the squad they have, but they are capable of big performances and I think the Leinster and Clermont games will give them huge belief, especially the way they withstood the comebacks. A very dangerous side in any knockout game now.

They’ve issues up front but if they could just get a better outhalf they’d improve so much. McCloskey and Hume ran the show on Saturday in a way that I haven’t seen centres do since Darce and Bod about 15 years ago.

[sunshiner1]

by LeRouxIsPHat

They’ve issues up front but if they could just get a better outhalf they’d improve so much. McCloskey and Hume ran the show on Saturday in a way that I haven’t seen centres do since Darce and Bod about 15 years ago.

I think those two compliment each other well. Hume is becoming a serious player and one with a bright future. I hope McCloskey doesn't get fed up not been called into the Irish teams and goes to France but he's been pretty faithful so far.

[mildlyinterested]

Ringrose could learn a thing or two from Hume..