From Bele Tele
Tom got carded because of others before him, it was the luck or lack of luck of the draw, Dawsons penalty just a couple of minutes before was harsh as even J Davies admitted.
Williams in Fortress Ravenhill battle cry
Monday, March 31, 2008
Coach Matt Williams has urged Ulster fans to turn Ravenhill into an intimidating atmosphere for Friday week's visit of Connacht.
Ulster are four points ahead of their provincial rivals at the foot of the Magners League and must finish above them to qualify for the Heineken Cup next year.
And while it may be seen as a season defining game, Williams knows the result isn't the be all and end all for his team.
"If Ulster supporters are going to go to one game this season I'd ask them to come to the Connacht one. We have got to make Ravenhill into a fortress," stated Williams.
"Even if we beat Connacht they could still finish in front of us. There are 25 points left to play for this season.
"We are under no illusion about the game but it's not a grand final and there are only five points on offer. We have four home games and one away game left and we're focusing on the next one.
"You have to give credit to their coach, Michael Bradley, though. Connacht play tough, hard rugby and it's going to be a real battle."
Ulster lost 32-7 at the Ospreys on Friday night and although the scoreline looks one-sided, Williams believes it flattered the Welsh side.
"With 50 minutes gone it was 15-7 but there were two 10 minute spells where we missed tackles and good teams will punish you in those situations.
"We didn't take our chances but it was a much improved performance and it was really encouraging," reasoned Williams.
"Three of our last five games have been against Heineken Cup quarter finalists and we've had two good performances but against Munster we never played well."
Ulster were holding their own in Swansea until prop Tom Court was sin-binned, allowing the Ospreys to score twice. Williams was upset by that decision and a few other tight calls that went against his side.
"Tom was caught in a headlock and couldn't roll away," rapped Williams. "And Paddy Wallace was away for an intercept try but he got called back even though Kieron Dawson wasn't offside."
Williams has won two and lost two since taking charge of the side but he is satisfied with the progress the team is making.
"Everything we are doing is geared towards next year," he stressed.
"We focusing on the home games and using the away games to blood the young guys.
"Niall O'Connor played well, Court and Caldwell are coming through and we also got Mark McCrea on the pitch."
The coach now has two weeks to prepare his troops for the game but they picked up a few injuries at the Ospreys.
Paddy Wallace took a bang on each knee and has two dead legs but is expected to be fit for the Connacht clash.
Prop Declan Fitzpatrick has a suspected cheekbone fracture and awaiting the result of a scan to assess the full extent of the damage.
“That made me feel very special and underlined to me that Ulster is more than a team, it is a community and a rugby family" Rory Best
aye, MW talks sense. Not sure if he should have said this:
Coach Matt Williams has urged Ulster fans to turn Ravenhill into an intimidating atmosphere for Friday week's visit of Connacht.
NiellF we won't have two International outhalfs if both sit on the bench for two years and Ian Humphries wouldn't survive in the ML behind the Ulster pack likes the physical side even less than RoG hes smart he has a good kick but never an outhalf for Ulster never mind Ireland
Every international back row would have him in their sights Munster would run over him you can not afford to give the opposition an obvious line of attack
We did it at Munster with the Marshall-o'Connor- Wallace mid-field and they ran PoC MoD Leamey and Foley at them all night with Ronan as first reserve a Marshall I Humpries-Wallace combination would scare the s--t out of me as an Ulster supporter
agree 100%. which is why i prefer to see PW on the bench and acting as an impact player after 50-60 mins. If he starts he's seen as a defensive weekness (although in fairness he has improved recently) and other teams target that. However, off the bench he can single handedly change a game. Mini humph I haven't really seen enough of to make fair comment. IN a good team he'd probably do well, but in a defensively suspect backline and a backward pack he would maybe struggle as would/does NOC. We need a fly half who can put so on the front foot again.
Climb up onto the top of your house and start screaming: 'stand up for the Ulstermen, stand.......'
Ian Humphreys could be as god as his older brother, he has all the attacking skills but just needs to sharpen up his defence and control and he will be a good 10. He hardly gets gametime at the tigers (with Goode ahead of him) and when he does he impresses me.
The only two on that list were ever possible International material McCullough and McMillan ( Bowe and N Best are)
McCullough like Wilson suffers from the Munster shadow ie PoC and DoC Leamy are more obvious Internationals and the fact that he is underweight for and International second row and even a Ml second row and whilst he is fast enough for a blindside wingforward at Ml he lacks the pace necessary at International level
McMillan unfortunately has never really recovered from injury long enough to make the Ulster team never mind Ireland
Wallace is an International by default -- there is /has been nobody to cover outhalf other than Wallace
KC was never going to break the Springer/RoG partnership and is even less robust than Springer
B Young I never really considered as an International because at 24-25 he has a couple of years to make the grade and gain upper body strength and a few more Kilos in weight ie at present he might not be up to the mark at International level most International props are 25 + very few make it before that
Of the Current group
Trimble should make it at centre
Ferris should make it
Pollock ??? a lot of competion
Marshall to soon to decide and alternatives may come on the scene
O Connor will face strong competion from Saxon and also aternatives could appear
( eg Patterson of Regent and Jackson of Methody come from families with strong Rugby roots) but both Saxon and O'Connor are coming into the frame at the right time ie RoG is ageing and I great doubts as to whether RoG will take the same length of time to hang up the boots as DH
McCrea as a Winger faces strong competion from Kearney Earls and Fitzgerald as well as Kearneys younger brother
Caldwell could make but may have to wait a while for age or injury to catch up with the current Munster trio
Not sure if he should have said this:
Coach Matt Williams has urged Ulster fans to turn Ravenhill into an intimidating atmosphere for Friday week's visit of Connacht.
I read the article in the BT and it would seem that MW may not have said that.
The actual quote of what Williams said was:
"If Ulster supporters are going to go to one game this season I'd ask them to come to the Connacht one. We have got to make Ravenhill into a fortress," stated Williams.
Like ATH said however, I also am not sure he should have said this.
It is not MW's job to encourage supporters to come to games by appeals in the press.
If he does attract supporters who 'are only going to go to one game this season' BUT the rest of us did not turn out, it would be a very small turnout I fear.
what i said was very much tongue in cheek, in light of the lamb incident... I see no problem with MW calling for support for this must-win game. We're at the bottom of the league and a lot of 'fair weather' supporters have probably had enough of this season. No harm in rallying the troops.
Climb up onto the top of your house and start screaming: 'stand up for the Ulstermen, stand.......'
Ravenhill should be a hostile atmosphere for the opposition players. That's part of what makes Kingsholm such a hard ground to win at with its 'Shed'. It should also be a welcoming place for opposition supporters and a great night out. Vociferous support and baiting the opposition are perfectly legitimate parts of the game at this level. Winding up Justin Marshall should be declared a national sport.
That’s what MW would want and there is nothing wrong with that. Is the hoarding still on the stand that says: ‘information for visitors – be afraid; very afraid’?
Ian H is half the player that Humph was at the same age. Humph was always mercurial, mixing genius with howlers. Ian is not touched with such genius.
If we do buy a 10, then he has to be in the mould of a Felipe. Granted we wont get anyone of his class, but we need a 10 who is capable of playing 12 outside NOC for the ML season. I firmly beleive that Sexton will develop quicker than NOC because his 12 is his mentor and takes a huge amount of pressure off him. Buying a Parks would mean that NOC would be watching his mentor from the bench.
From an IRFU point of view with NoC Wallace and Hallett Ulster would be seen to be covered at outhalf and anyone who thinks Ulster could horse trade for another outhalf is living in cuckcoo land
So dream on it's not going to happen that we can obtain a foreign import
We could add either Steenson or I H ---but an import is not on the cards
Think in terms of backrow second row and front row centre and full back and you will be closer to possiblities
We have for many years had the benefit of DH as an outhalf high risk adventurous and very experienced with a game plan built around a mobile pack quick ball and a free running backline
Those days are over
In 1999 we won the ERC playing a very low risk Rugby based on DH kicking for the corners and waiting for S Mason to kick the penalties
We face an immediate future of having an inexperienced half back partnership at times if both Marshall and O Connor play
This will lead to a game plan focused on the forwards not the backline
It was the need of a change of Focus lead Muckall to resign because he like Ashton prefers a game plan based on mobility and free running backlines to become fixated on a type of game spells doom
With experience at half back we should in a couple of years be able to focus again on that style of game but short term it really is a case of keep it simple for most matches
