The UAFC

therealspratt wrote:

Kofi Annan wrote:INSTONIANS: any word on what's going on , two defeats in two weeks, has their foreign legion left ? And why ?

There have been a couple of key players who have left on gap years or some such but that was a while ago, in fact they had their best game of the season the week before. It seems to be more a case that they went into that cup match with a bad mindset and that has carried through to that last match, I expect them to pick themselves up and finish the job!

Missing both Whitten brothers due to injury.

Instonians bonus point win against Donaghadee today - Italian second row eventually taken off in an ambulance (took nearly 20 mins to get there and another 10 mins to get him on stretcher). 4th try comes in the last play of the match.

The Boo Radleys wrote:Instonians bonus point win against Donaghadee today - Italian second row eventually taken off in an ambulance (took nearly 20 mins to get there and another 10 mins to get him on stretcher). 4th try comes in the last play of the match.

Jesus what happened to Folla?

therealspratt wrote:

The Boo Radleys wrote:Instonians bonus point win against Donaghadee today - Italian second row eventually taken off in an ambulance (took nearly 20 mins to get there and another 10 mins to get him on stretcher). 4th try comes in the last play of the match.

Jesus what happened to Folla?

Just saw this. I was playing on the next pitch at the time so didn't see the incident, but speaking with some of the Inst guys in the bar later on in the day apparently the ambulance was a precaution and he was ok.

Edit - He'd taken a big hit to the head/neck somehow or other and the time taken to get him onto a stretcher was again as a precaution incase there was a spinal injury or similar.

There we go, Inst beat Dromore to win the league.

Was looking at the league structure for qualifying 1 and 2 for 15/16. What's the reason for bringing in the 2nd XVs sides into 1 and 2? These teams don't appear to have any fixtures post Christmas. Do the games v the likes of Queens 2nd count in the final standing of Qualifying 2 or are they friendlies, i.e. league decided over 18 games home/away or the 18 + 4 games?

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/Portals/1/Do ... 015-16.pdf

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/domestic/New ... -info.aspx

I presume the thinking is to ensure the matches are played and provide more competitive fixtures for some of the 2nd XV sides, if a team doesn't fulfil a fixture then they will lose points from their league as well as the conference league, whereas previously it was just the conference league they would lose points from. The 6 2nd XV teams involved in the two conference leagues will then play home and away in a 2nd XV League after Christmas.

Not unsound thinking there however whilst teams may not 'scrub' the fixture they will quite possibly do their best to throw it via resting players for the games that 'count'. Tough issue to deal with all the same.

Basically most Snr clubs don't give a rats asš about their 2ndXVs and have forced their way into qualifying and junior leagues. To get games as the 2ndXV league was a shambles, I think the only club that really put the effort in was Hinch, teams like Dungannon , Quins, Malone, Ards did not compete fully and cried games off. So now forced them selves onto Q and J clubs. I don't see how playing Lisburn will help prepare players from a senior club get ready for AIL. Other than throwing out some surreal scores I don't see the point.

I believe not long ago last season maybe, one Snr club could not put a 2ndxv out when no other team in the club had a game that Saturday, I can't remember who it was but Rupi may be able to help.

Neill_M wrote:Was looking at the league structure for qualifying 1 and 2 for 15/16. What's the reason for bringing in the 2nd XVs sides into 1 and 2? These teams don't appear to have any fixtures post Christmas. Do the games v the likes of Queens 2nd count in the final standing of Qualifying 2 or are they friendlies, i.e. league decided over 18 games home/away or the 18 + 4 games?

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/Portals/1/Do ... 015-16.pdf

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/domestic/New ... -info.aspx

4 Snr clubs 2nds play in Junior 1

Having watched every game played by a young Instonians2s (captain 20 years old) last season were they finished a credible 4th , I think all the qualifying teams competing against the senior AIL teams in Junior 1 will find wins very hard to come by. I just hope that the qualifinG teams do not lose heart by christmas

Don't know about all of this now, would it not be better to encourage these lads so starved for action to join smaller clubs? It would help build up depth in the junior leagues and try to get more Ulster teams into the AIL rather than letting the big clubs stockpile talent.

therealspratt wrote:Don't know about all of this now, would it not be better to encourage these lads so starved for action to join smaller clubs? It would help build up depth in the junior leagues and try to get more Ulster teams into the AIL rather than letting the big clubs stockpile talent.

Whilst I understand the angle you're coming from its far too simplistic and probably quite insulting to clubs who actually look after teams below their 1st XV and work hard to develop a collegiate club atmosphere.

It is not up to a club with a good player base, that is well organised and structured to feed poorly coached, organised etc sides their 'squad' players.

It's a criminal indictment of how some clubs are currently run that some have had to push for this sort of inclusion into the Qualifying leagues and that some 'senior' clubs struggle to field, or scratch, 2nd XV games at will.

BuckRogers wrote:

therealspratt wrote:Don't know about all of this now, would it not be better to encourage these lads so starved for action to join smaller clubs? It would help build up depth in the junior leagues and try to get more Ulster teams into the AIL rather than letting the big clubs stockpile talent.

Whilst I understand the angle you're coming from its far too simplistic and probably quite insulting to clubs who actually look after teams below their 1st XV and work hard to develop a collegiate club atmosphere.

It is not up to a club with a good player base, that is well organised and structured to feed poorly coached, organised etc sides their 'squad' players.

It's a criminal indictment of how some clubs are currently run that some have had to push for this sort of inclusion into the Qualifying leagues and that some 'senior' clubs struggle to field, or scratch, 2nd XV games at will.

Ah fair points Buck, just something doesn't quite feel right about the whole thing.

What isn't right spratty is that UR have, until recently, turned blind eyes to an ever increasing number of scratched fixtures.

Rugby clubs are meant to cater for every and all abilities hence 1sts, 2nds, 3rds etc.

In my experience anyone playing below seconds probably isn't that interested in quality coaching or really much coaching at all. Rugby is for a run out with mates and to keep the lungs functioning. Nothing wrong with that I might add though there will be players on the 3's or 4's who will want to train and should be accommodated in whatever way possible.

The problem seems to be arising that some clubs cater for the 20/25 players in the 1XV extended squad and to hell with the rest of the guys who turn up week in week out. This results in players becoming disenchanted and either leaving the club or even leaving rugby.

Another major problem is, of course, finance.

Back maybe ten years ago clubs like Quins were running at over half a mil in the red as they tried to buy themselves to being the best club in Ulster/Ireland.

Junior clubs, ie Qually 1/2 clubs, were paying players £150 a win, others were getting cars or other perks from sponsors.

If you take an average player across the AIL/Q1-2 getting on average £100 a match, regardless of result, that's £1500 per match X 18 matches a season=£27,000 per season on 'wages' alone.

That's about 20,000 pints needing to be sold just to break even on wages never mind paying coaching staff, covering costs of away travel, covering general costs of running a clubhouse and pitches etc.

I made a big deal about Logan's vow to visit every club in Ulster and was told his presence is largely
Immaterial. To a point I agree in that he's not going to make or break a club by visiting. My tuppence worth would be a visit by the UR CEO would A-Be a draw to any clubs pre-match lunch and B-would put some sort of credibility behind his BS about making the club game strong again C-perhaps highlights the problems facing some clubs, the success of others and perhaps a basic understanding why that is and how UR might work to make other clubs better.

For what it's worth Schmidt vowed to visit every club in Ireland before he left as Irish coach and I believe he is well on his way in that regard. I don't believe Shane has darkened the door of any Ulster club since his appointment.