Team for Connacht and Rationale

[againstthehead]

Okay, MW has had time for experimentation, now it's time to get down to business. With a home crowd and 2 weeks to prepare we should be in decent shape to take on Connacht. However, given their spirited performance against Munster and the possibility of European rugby I imagine that they'll be throwing the kitchen sink at us. I think if we can get points on the board earlier on we could run out comfortable winners. However, if connacht can keep in touch until half time, it could be a very nervous and close final 40!
My team:

1 YOUNG
2 BEST (who else?)
3 Court Nothing between the props so don;t mind who starts.
4 DEL FAVA Caldwell if Del still not fit
5 McCULLOUGH: I've had enough of Harrison. Connacht will be brutal, we need work horses throughout the pack. Harrison is a passenger these days. In addition, I prefer a more mobile back row.
6 BEST I know we was attrocious against Munster, but he's still Ulster through and through. I'm confident he'll give everything this time out at Ravers. More mobile than Mat
7 DAWSON experience will count and has been mr consistant recently. specialised 7.
8 FERRIS one of the 1st names on the sheet

9 BOSS: offers the kicking option and happy to take that responsibility and provides experience alongside NOC
10 NOC: Should feel more confident at Ravers
12 is a really really hard call. Ideally Dewey if 100% fit. If not, I'd start Steiner. defensively sound and can assist NOC with the boot. PW to come on at half time or on 50 mins when more space.
13 Trimble (who else?)
11 Danielli if fit. Otherwise Bart
14 Bowe (who else?)
15 Cunningham Bit more dependable at the back - could be a few high balls coming down

Bench: Dec F, Brady, Caldwell, Wilson, Marshall, PW, Bart/McRea (very tempted to put the Humph on the bench but not sure how to squeeze him in!!)
Bench needs to be used a bit earlier, Dec F, Caldwell, and PW to come on after 50, Wilson on 65.

Team I think MW will pick:
1 YOUNG
2 BEST
3 Court
4 DEL FAVA
5 HARRISON
6 McCULLOUGH:
7 Dawson
8 FERRIS

9 BOSS:
10 NOC:
12 PW
13 Trimble
11 Danielli (bart)
14 Bowe
15 Bart (cunningham)

Bench: Dec F, Brady, Caldwell, Best, Marshall, Dewey, McCrea

PS wonder who is handing out the shirts for this one?

[rosetintedgoggles]

Agree with your forward selection. Spot on.

9&10 no choice here. We are stuck with the pair of them!

Trimble...Someone he respects needs to take him to one side and explain that he also has attacking responsibilities and to play it as he sees it. He needs to start exciting the crowd again. When he first came on the scene he was fantastic. He seemed to play off the cuff. Now every natural tendency appears to have been coached out of him. Otherwise on the bench.

Stick with PW. At least he is capable of making decisve breaks.

[Big-al]

Hi, i'm new to thsi forum so don't be too harsh

Herers my team
1)Young
2)Best
3)Fitzepatrick
4)Del Fava
5)Cadlwell
6)Best
7)McMillen (is he fit)/Dawson
8)Ferris
9)Boss
10)Humphreys (if fit)/ NOC
11)McCrea
12)Wallace
13)Trimble
14)Bowe
15)Cunningham
16)Brady
17)Fitzepatrick
18)McCullagh
19)Wilson
20)Marshell
21)Steinmetze
22)Dewey

[Neil F]

Al, new or not, I think much of your team makes sense, although I'd disagree with a few of your selections:

7: Don't get me wrong here, I am a huge McMillan fan and I'm sure he'll do well in the GP but this is a guy that hasn't made the Ulster side for large parts of the past season. More importantly, since he's leaving at the end of the season, we're not going to be getting a future out of him. I'd stick with either Dawson or Pollock for this game. Dawson had a good game on Friday, when he wasn't being refereed out of it and Pollock was excellent against Munster. Bringing Neil in at this stage doesn't make sense to me.

9: I would go with Marshall; Boss has been very negative in his playing style for a season now. Against Connacht, we need someone to get those arounf him going, so I think Marshall should get the start - snappier pass and quicker to the breakdown than Boss. Exactly what we need.

10: I think David deserves a HUGE send off, when / if he retires at the end of this season but games like the upcoming one against Connacht are the ones in which Niall needs to cut his teeth, so to speak. It's a pressure game that Ulster MUST win, so the weight on any 10 in the game will be huge; Niall seems to be in the right place mentally, so I think he'll cope with that. It will also be a game with more open space, so I think that will also suit Niall's natural game. The time has come when we need to stop relying on David Humphreys to pull us out of a hole.

Rose Tinted: I've noticed a few of your posts re: Trimble in the past couple of days and I think that you're being massively unfair on him; Trimble has had his space closed down massively in the past season or so. He is now seen as Ulster's main threat, rather than an unknown quantity - the chances for him to make clean linebreaks, especially given the way Ulster play, have been minimised by opposition teams. Despite this, his defensive play has come along massively and his ability to make ground in the contact situation is superb. Like all Ulster fans, I'd live to see Trimble make a searing break from Ulster's 22 but I'm more than content with the progress he's made in other areas of his game, given the lack of space available to him and also the Ulster game plan. Trimble has improved massively as a centre in the past two seasons, even if his game hasn't been as'flashy' as it previously was.

ATH:

- I agree with you about Best coming in at 6. Connacht aren't exactly strong out wide and I'd hope that Williams goes for the same gameplan he had against the Dragons and this would require Best in at 6. I don't think McCullough has the pace or stamina to play blindside in a fast moving, offloading game.

- I wouldn't have McCullough in the secondrow ahead of Caldwell, though - I think the partnership of Caldwell and Del Fava has huge potential and I'd like to see Ulster sticking with that. I'd be happy to see Matt back in the engine room but I think Caldwell would excel against Connacht, and, not to seem OTT but after his Six Nations performances, Del Fava is too good not to have in the starting team.

- Agree with Dawson at openside. I think that both Pollock and Dawson had good games in the last two weeks but I think Dawson showed more that would be of benefit to Ulster against Connacht - his support play and ground work were better than Pollock's and while I think Pollock's breakdown work was better than Dawson's in the last couple of outings, the other members of the backrow should have a good day at the breakdown agaisnt Connacht.

- I don't think there should be another other option than Wallace at 12 for this game. In broken field play, I'd take Wallace over any other 12 in Ireland and the one thing you can bank on against Connacht is broken field play. Wallace on good form should have a field-day against Connacht and I'd stick with him. Dewey really showed that he isn't still match fit on Friday, so I'd replace him on the bench with Stiner, although let's hope Steiner wouldn't come onto the park in a hooker's jersey with a conjoined twin 4 randomly attached. What on earth was going on with that jersey?

- Cunningham at fullback - solid under the highball and in defence and you can bet that Connacht will be going at Ulster full throtle. Given their limitations, certainly out wide, I'd expect a lot of high balls. Who better than Bryn to deal with those?

My 22:

15. Cunningham
14. Bowe
13. Trimble
12. Wallace
11. McCrea
10. O'Connor
9. Marshall

1. Young
2. R. Best
3. Court
4. Del Fava
5. Caldwell
6. N. Best
7. Dawson
8. Ferris

16. Brady
17. D. Fitzpatricl
18. McCullough
19. Wilson
20. Boss
21. Steinmetz
22. Dewey / Bartholomeusz

[GerryO']

I'd prefer:

1. Young
2. R. Best
3. Court
4. Del Fava
5. Caldwell
6. McCullough
7. Dawson
8. Ferris
9. Boss
10. O'Connor
11. McCrea
12. Dewey if fit or Steinmetz if not
13. Trimble
14. Bowe
15. Cunningham

[Rooster]

I'd prefer:

1. Young
2. R. Best
3. Court
4. Del Fava
5. Caldwell
6. McCullough
7. Dawson
8. Ferris
9. Boss
10. O'Connor
11. McCrea
12. Dewey if fit or Steinmetz if not
13. Trimble
14. Bowe
15. Cunningham

Saved me a lot of typing there Gerry

[fuzzylogic]

Yeh against Connacht we need to play a little Welsh! Its got to be a pacy fast flowing game and so my selection is,

1. Young
2. Best
3. Court
4. Del Fava
5. Caldwell
6. N Best
7. Pollock
8. Ferris

9. Marshall
10. O'Connor
11. Danielli/McCrea
12. Wallace
13. Trimble
14. Bowe
15. Cunningham

16. Brady
17. J Fitz
18. McCullough
19. Henry/Wilson
20. Boss
21. Dewey
22. Danielli/McCrea

3. Id like to see more of Decky Fitzpatrick but the guy needs to do some serious gym work, hes to small and will never be the size of Hayes so he needs to pack on some serious muscle, when he came on against the O's on friday he looked like a marshmallow man toddling across the pitch! Hes far to "chubby".

4&5. Caldwell and Del Fava are the future in the 2nd row and Harrison just doesn't cut the mustard anymore, i think he was summed up by one of the comentators on Friday night one said "Harrisons lasted the pace tonight" and the other remarked "Yeh his own pace" or something along those lines, im sure anyone who watched the match will know what im talking about.

6&7 Besty and Pollock are alot more mobile than Matt and Dawson and that is really going to be needed as there hasnt been to much structure to the Connacht game of late. It was hard to leave Dawson out since hes ben possibly our most consistant performers this season but Pollock has youth and pace on his side. Matt McCullough on the bench, can cover 2nd row or 6 and Besty could move to 7.

9. Marshall for all the same reasons as Pollock young and just that half step quicker! Im a big fan of Boss but i think he could do alot breaking from the base when Connacht are tired after 60mins.

12. Wallace is one of our most creative and under valued backs and he seems to be firing alot better at 12 than he was at 10. For the type of game I would like to see us playing hes got the 12 shirt nailed down, Dewey is a typical big 12 battering ram and thats perfect for a wet horrible night were the game needs to be kept tight, not for releasing the firepower we actually do have at 11/13/14

14. A fit Danielli pushes Bowe very close as to whos the best winger in the squad and a great finisher when 1 on 1 with a full back (fingers crossed thats Duffy ha) but if not 100% start with McCrea either or neither will let us down. Please god MW dont start Bart again.

15. Cunniingham is the safer more reliable option and if Connacht are under the cosh all night I expect anytime they do get the ball it will be hoofed high and long into the Ulster half.

Ive also gone with either Henry or Wilson on the bench, we do miss Wilsons grunt power and all the unseen dog work he does in rucks etc but as hes leaving and Henry isnt it really is time we start using him or get rid, hes also physically not as big and bulky as Webb or Wilson and could fit in with a running/offloading game plan. This could also be a great game to use D Cave, playing for Quins when he gets space the boy is dynamite!!!


as an extra note, were has Paul Makenzie disappeared latley, he was a big powerful winger but seems to have slipped right down the pecking order.

I had actually came on here to take a breat from the essay i was writing for uni, seems ive just started another 1 aghhh feck!!!!

[GerryO']

I'd prefer:

1. Young
2. R. Best
3. Court
4. Del Fava
5. Caldwell
6. McCullough
7. Dawson
8. Ferris
9. Boss
10. O'Connor
11. McCrea
12. Dewey if fit or Steinmetz if not
13. Trimble
14. Bowe
15. Cunningham

Saved me a lot of typing there Gerry

....and fools seldom differ!
Nae bother

[Rooster]

just to be an awkward bar steward I might swap Bart for Bryn, offers a bit more in attack but a bit of a risk in defence.

[rosetintedgoggles]

Neil F .....Take your points about AT and his improved defence. However i believe that rather than augmenting his outstanding attacking skills with improved defensive ones, it has been at the cost of his attacking skills. All truly great international centres are strong in all areas of their games. All I am suggesting is that if he is now a marked man he needs to work with someone to find the way ahead. At this stage he has the potential...Let's hope it becomes reality.

Like your thoughts for the line up against Connacht...Heres hoping the guys can do the business on the 11th

[bigchiefally]

I know most on this page have the belief that PW shoudl be brought on teh last 20 minutes or whatever - but in our last few drubbings, and indeed in the 2 games we won before that, I dont think he tackled badly at all, and he undoubtedly offers far more in attack than Steinmetz or anything we have seen from Dewey in an Ulster top.

[RedHand Man]

I woul really like to see Cave getting some game time as he needs to play in order to improve. Regarding Trimble I sometimes think that teams try to be too clever. With Timble being our main attacking threat in the past two seasons we now use him as a dummy runner to create space outside of him, the same thing happens with Ireland and BO'D. I still think that if he is our main attacking threat we should be trying to create situations where he has space not using as a dummy runner to suck in defences

[againstthehead]

Just to throw the cat amonst the pidgeons - if fit, just the Humph sit on the bench?

[bogboy]

Fridays team

Minus
Harrison to the Bench
N Best to the Bench
Wallace to the Bench
Bart/or Bryn on the bench

On
Del Fava
Steinmitz/Dewey
McCrea

The Rational is

The Marshall/NoC combination is very inexperience for a match of this importance and Boss would give No'C more protection
NoC Wallace combination invites the opposition to attack this area of the Pitch and Bradley is not a stupid managerand whilst Connaght don't possess this fastest backs they Backline is quite robust
McCrea I think has more to offer on the wing than Bart
Del Fava is a more robust second row than Harrison and Connaught will play a tight game using their forwards

with regard to T Bowe
hate to see him go across the water to the sheepsh---ers but given that DH is hanging up the boots and NoC will be first choice outhalf next season onwards a winger might have lean time for a couple of years in an attacking role as NoC masters the basics at this level so from T bowes view point the Os look a very good option

[Neil F]

All I am suggesting is that if he is now a marked man he needs to work with someone to find the way ahead. At this stage he has the potential...Let's hope it becomes reality.

I agree with this, but I think that Trimble has shown progress in other areas of attack than clean line-breaks - as I said before, the ground he makes in the contact situation has really impressed me, certainly against Scotland and Wales in the 6 Nations. As much as anyone else, I'd like to see Trimble making clean linebreaks but a lot of that relies on those around him. The only thing that worries me is that Trimble cuts in at every opportunity - there was a chance in the first half agaisnt the O's where Trimble could have gone outside and scored in the corner (theoretically, he still had two men to beat) but cut inside and straight into contact. That said, that is probably more an indication about why Trimble shouldn't play on the wing. To me, Trimble, now, is a far better player than he was two seasons ago.