Friday 2nd December 2016
MATCH DAY 9 .........AGAIN
Ulster feel the Payne as full back sidelined
The Ireland international will miss the next three months through injury while Andrew Trimble is also out for a couple of weeks
Inpho
http://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/rugb ... k-12258872It was not the news they were hoping for when Jared Payne was withdrawn at half-time in Ireland's game against the Wallabies last weekend, but it was today confirmed that Ulster will be without their full-back for the next three months.
Payne was a doubt to face the Australians, but did play the first 40 minutes before failing to reappear for the second half, replaced by Kieran Marmion.
Today it was announced the New Zealand-born back is a major doubt to play any part in the Six Nations due to a kidney problem.
He is guaranteed to miss the opening three fixtures against Scotland, Italy and France and is in a race against time to make it back for the final two games away to Wales and home to England.
Ulster co-captain Andrew Trimble will also join him on the sidelines with a tendon injury in his foot, however he is only expected to be out of action for a couple of weeks.
That means he is more than likely to miss Ulster's European clash at home to French giants Clermont Auvergne next week, but could return for their trip to the Stade Marcel-Michelin a week later.
Ulster's Jared Payne out for three months with kidney injury
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 60261.htmlJared Payne will be out of action for both Ulster and Ireland for the next three months, the club have confirmed.
The centre suffered a kidney injury in the game against Australia at the weekend.
It had been thought Payne suffered a fractured rib after taking a heavy knock during the 27-24 victory at the Aviva.
He will miss Ulster's pivotal Champions Cup double header against Clermont Auvergne this month.
Payne recently signed a two year deal with Ireland and Ulster to keep him at the Kingspan until 2018.
However, Andrew Trimble looks set to return to action in the coming weeks after suffering a tendon injury.
He limped off the Aviva pitch in the first half of Saturday evening's game.
Jacob Stockdale confident Ulster can turn corner in Cardiff
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 61705.htmlIn the shambles of last month's visit to Edinburgh, when Ulster signed off for the break with a truly horrible third straight PRO12 defeat, Jacob Stockdale stood pretty much alone as someone who emerged largely untarnished by the affair.
Of course the versatile 20-year-old, who can play wing, centre or full-back, only experienced the second half at Murrayfield, after being sprung from the bench with Ulster already looking dead and buried, but he had still managed to inject some urgency into what was a grim evening's work by the squad.
His power and pace made their impact and helped put Ulster back on a slightly sounder-looking footing, and it was hardly surprising when the former Wallace High School pupil also bagged a try during the attempted, but ultimately forlorn, comeback which saw the vistors score 14 points towards the end of the game.
Stockdale was then picked to start against Zebre only for yet more misfortune befall Les Kiss's squad as the weather intervened to bring about the late cancellation of what was meant to be last week's return to action.
"Coming off the bench (in Edinburgh) I just said to myself 'I really need to go hard from the start'," says Stockdale of that attention-grabbing performance which was his first game since suffering a toe injury against Treviso in September.
"I think I did that well (coming off the bench) for the team but obviously it is quite hard to look back at a game you lost in a positive way.
"But on a personal note I thought I did well and made an impact when I came on."
Edinburgh was four weeks ago, and thanks to the Zebre situation Ulster haven't played since. Not only that but they simply have to get their season up and running again by doing it the hard way, namely dodging a potentially season-wrecking fourth straight league defeat while away at Cardiff tomorrow.
"It never really occurred to me the game might be off," Stockdale recalls of last Friday evening.
"It was unfortunate it was called off so late but we had to try and give it every chance because we wanted to play so badly," he adds.
"We had kind of looked at Zebre at home, after a three-week break, as a really good opportunity to kick-start our season and it's frustrating now that we have to go to a place that is much more of a challenge.
"Cardiff away is not an easy place to play but at the same time we knew this game was coming so there is no reason why we can't go out and do a good job."
It's an artificial surface, of course, but then Ulster had no issue with that against Glasgow back in late September when they won and produced what was actually their last consistent performance.
But the pressure is now very much on them to recover ahead of a massively challenging block of games in December which take in the back-to-back European clashes with Clermont and then two straight interpros at home to Connacht and away to Leinster on New Year's Eve.
Continue to trip up and Ulster's season - both in Europe and domestically - might well look shot to pieces before 2017 has dawned. Stockdale reacts to that worrying notion by playing it with as straight a bat as possible.
"We've lost three (league) games on the trot (but four from five if Europe is included) and for us that is not good enough.
"We have aspirations to win the Pro12 and Champions Cup, but we need to get a run of games where we're winning and that is incredibly important for us," says Stockdale
Stockdale admits he has a batle on his hands to tie down a regular slot in Ulster's starting line-up but has a clear determination to make an impact when those opportunities arise at Ulster.
"I need to make sure I am playing as much rugby as I can and that is what I intend to do," he added.
Ulster relishing battle with Cardiff after layoff
Oliver Mc Veigh
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugb ... 33291.htmlUlster bid to hit the ground running against Cardiff tomorrow after a longer than expected layoff.
The international window, and the late postponement of last Friday’s Guinness PRO12 clash with Zebre, means the northern province have been out of action for four weeks. But Ulster assistant coach Allen Clarke insists his side will not be caught cold on their trip to Cardiff Arms Park (5.15pm, Sky Sports).
“It’s been a month since we played, and the boys are professional in the way they go about things and they want to put the last game at Edinburgh behind us. I believe they can, there’s been a real energy about how they’ve prepared and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Cardiff’s attacking midfield threat and the quality of its back-row unit are the areas Ulster must counter according to Clarke.
“The Blues play with real tempo, they like to play with the ball, and they have Rey Lee-Lo and Willis Halaholo available and these are top players. I have no doubt we cannot just match them but provide and even sharper cutting edge in our back division.
“And no matter the combination in the back-row it’s always been a strength, so we have to be on top of our game at the breakdown, set the pace and if we can play anything close to our potential then we can get what would be a vital win and reset our season.”
Ulster will wait until midday today to make decisions on the fitness of flanker-gum-lock Iain Henderson, the Irish international released to his club but nursing a shoulder knock picked up in the win over Australia last weekend.
“He is really keen to play, but we’ll look at his situation carefully,” said Clarke, who is hopeful international centre Stuart McCloskey could return after a foot fracture, possibly to partner Luke Marshall in midfield.
Brett Herron will deputise for Paddy Jackson at out-half, and Rob Herring steps in for hooker Rory Best and skippers the side which will be without two other Ireland casualties, winger Andrew Trimble and centre Jared Payne. But with Louis Ludik, Tommy Bowe, Charles Piutau, Craig Gilroy and Jacob Stockdale ‘in the mix’ the Ulster backline has strength and quality in depth.
Up front Dan Tuohy’s imminent move to Bristol means Franco van der Merwe will partner Peter Browne or Alan O’Connor at lock, while Chris Henry’s long-awaited return to the back row offers new energy at the breakdown.