Ulster v Connacht, Fri 5th May, URC QF

[blockhead]

All Ireland knockout game. Deserves its own thread. Season over for the losers

Teams
Ulster: Mike Lowry; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Rory Sutherland, Rob Herring, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; Dave McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Jordi Murphy, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Craig Gilroy.

Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Josh Murphy, Niall Murray; Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast.

Replacments: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Jarrad Butler, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Byron Ralston.

[jezzer]

2 very evenly matched squads. Home advantage worth about 5 pts id say.

Connacht like quick starts and Ulster can be prone to letting opponents get away from them. So it'll be a fascinating one. Ireland places also a dream for some of the guys.

[berliner]

2 very evenly matched squads. Home advantage worth about 5 pts id say.

Connacht like quick starts and Ulster can be prone to letting opponents get away from them. So it'll be a fascinating one. Ireland places also a dream for some of the guys.

Might get my hand bitten off here, but am feeling quietly confident Connacht can turn Ulster over.

Leinster's victory with fourteen in December remains branded on my brain - I just don't feel Ulster's mental strength is reliable when faced with the right type of opponent. This is not a prediction I would have made at the start of the season, where I expected to watch Ulster's backs finally activate as a formidable machine, but this has not happened, they've remained reliant on Cooney to boss things and their maul to score tries.

UIster's 10-15 need to get their sh!t together because either they're underachieving or overrated. Maybe tonight they'll show it's the former, but I fancy Connacht.

[cormac]

Watching the coverage on Premier Sports. Dan Leavy in the studio along with motormouth Luke Fitzgerald.

[Keith]

One of the worst butchered tries I've ever seen... What was Tom Farrell doing???

[desperado]

when did Brace become an Ulsterman.... giving Connacht nothing

[cormac]

Tom Farrell.

[desperado]

Yeah. Is Farrell blind? Criminal

[desperado]

So typical unfortunately of Connacht. Play all the rugby; should be at least 7 if not 10 ahead; and end up going behind 3-0 after 21 mins. They have the winning of this game if they use their collective top 4 inches. Carty's drop attempt??? was sooo bad

[desperado]

Watching the coverage on Premier Sports. Dan Leavy in the studio along with motormouth Luke Fitzgerald.

Had to switch to TG4 when Fitz started talking.... He's eating alot of pies these days....

[Keith]

It's the same old nonsense from Connacht. . Already had a butchered try, A ridiculous drop goal attempt (in a promising position), a kick to nowhere on pen advantage on the Ulster line and a comical tap and go attempt on the 5m line. All in 20mins. Maybe I take Leinster doing the "simple things" so well for granted

[cormac]

braindead from Cooney after a rare break out from Ulster

Connacht's handling letting them down

[wixfjord]

30 minutes in and my main feeling is how incredibly lucky we are to follow a team that's coached so well.

Such basic errors and poor play from both sides.

[desperado]

Carty having a mare. Missed tackle on Cooney could have led to a try; knocks on in midfield soon after same thing. Cross field kicks when not on....

[desperado]

30 minutes in and my main feeling is how incredibly lucky we are to follow a team that's coached so well.

Such basic errors and poor play from both sides.

a team that also places a premium on skills and execution under pressure. Some of the handling is comical (from both sides) - even not under pressure.

[Dave Cahill]

Did someone slather the ball in butter?

[wixfjord]

30 minutes in and my main feeling is how incredibly lucky we are to follow a team that's coached so well.

Such basic errors and poor play from both sides.

a team that also places a premium on skills and execution under pressure. Some of the handling is comical (from both sides) - even not under pressure.

The backline alignment from both sides is awful too.

Connacht have totally lost that attacking verve they had for 3-4 years.

[Keith]

Shamus Hurley-Langton looks really good I have to say. Haven't seen much of him before this but impressed so far.

[wixfjord]

Carty

[desperado]

Carty again... no look no chance pass; followed by a high tackle giving U access.