Positives & Negatives: Ulster vs Treviso

[ruckover]

POSITIVES
+ Bonus point win. Always welcome.
+ Clinical. For the most part we were very clinical and took five chances well.
+ Defence. Very good bar letting Barbieri in.
+ Line-out - did we lose one? Good confidence booster for Best.
+ Best and Bowe. Very good returns for both, Bowe did a lot of good work for his try
+ Henderson until he went off was very good
+ Diack had a decent outing after a poor cameo last week
+ Whenever Williams came on he was very good, think he suits that supersub role, plays a lot better when the other team are a bit more tired
+ Jackson was very good with ball in hand
+ Back line in general. Jared Payne was very very good as per usual at 13 and he combined well with Skymarshall who also played well - really liked that combination. Gilroy did well at 15, but Micky Allen was my MotM. Boy is he playing well, I would consider starting with the same back line next weekend.

IN THE MIDDLE
+/- Paul Marshall. Eh. Pass was ok, kick was ok, but he kept trying sniping runs round the side when they simply were not on, it was pointless. That drop from the half-time kick-off was abysmal. All I've seen from Paul so far this season is proof that he should be a supersub and never anything more. Not sure when Anscombe will learn that.

NEGATIVES
- Band. They were very good at playing make no doubt about that, but in my opinion it's not something we should have at Ravenhill. Didn't fit the atmosphere.
- We tried to force it too much on too many occasions. Offloads that weren't on, runs that weren't on either. Sometimes it's just better to take the tackle guys.
- Scrum. We were decimated in the scrum. Still think Henderson doesn't give the shove that Muller does.
- High tackling. Too much of it, we were lucky on several calls not to be pinged for that. Tuohy in particular, especially after the Flood incident.
- Injuries. Henderson not looking good, Lutton was on one leg for the second half and Payne was limping at the end. Not good.
- Stevenson. As soon as he came on he was a penalty machine and gave away three penalties within about ten minutes of coming on. Not good by him.

[bangorboy]

Negative -


The drunken glipe behind me on the prom who didn't shut up the whole night and was happy to use some very loud and unnecessary language despite the kids around.

[damianmcr]

Allen was great. He has stepped up this season.
Bowe and Best back on the scoresheet.

[pip14]

Wind yer neck in Ruck. The band shall stay ya boring ole git!

The band added to the occasion, without them the place would be dead

[interlooter]

POSITIVES
+ Bonus point win. Always welcome.
+ Clinical. For the most part we were very clinical and took five chances well.
+ Defence. Very good bar letting Barbieri in.
+ Line-out - did we lose one? Good confidence booster for Best.
+ Best and Bowe. Very good returns for both, Bowe did a lot of good work for his try
+ Henderson until he went off was very good
+ Diack had a decent outing after a poor cameo last week
+ Whenever Williams came on he was very good, think he suits that supersub role, plays a lot better when the other team are a bit more tired
+ Jackson was very good with ball in hand
+ Back line in general. Jared Payne was very very good as per usual at 13 and he combined well with Skymarshall who also played well - really liked that combination. Gilroy did well at 15, but Micky Allen was my MotM. Boy is he playing well, I would consider starting with the same back line next weekend.

IN THE MIDDLE
+/- Paul Marshall. Eh. Pass was ok, kick was ok, but he kept trying sniping runs round the side when they simply were not on, it was pointless. That drop from the half-time kick-off was abysmal. All I've seen from Paul so far this season is proof that he should be a supersub and never anything more. Not sure when Anscombe will learn that.

NEGATIVES
- Band. They were very good at playing make no doubt about that, but in my opinion it's not something we should have at Ravenhill. Didn't fit the atmosphere.
- We tried to force it too much on too many occasions. Offloads that weren't on, runs that weren't on either. Sometimes it's just better to take the tackle guys.
- Scrum. We were decimated in the scrum. Still think Henderson doesn't give the shove that Muller does.
- High tackling. Too much of it, we were lucky on several calls not to be pinged for that. Tuohy in particular, especially after the Flood incident.
- Injuries. Henderson not looking good, Lutton was on one leg for the second half and Payne was limping at the end. Not good.
- Stevenson. As soon as he came on he was a penalty machine and gave away three penalties within about ten minutes of coming on. Not good by him.

Not far out ruck from my own opinions.
Beagle was in credit overall for me but still has issues that he will never fix now. He is good enough at mid to lower pro12 level but we will need someone else next season.
I was very pleased with most facets of our play in the first half, but we definitely let things slip at the start of the second and that was concerning.
Jared just takes your breath away when he is on the ball and will definitely be on joe's radar.
mickey allen is swiftly becoming one of my favourites as well.
Maaaak seemed well enough pleased with the performance, so we are on the right road IMO
Hope hendo and Lutton are ok. Hendo could be a shoulder injury in that tackle?

[davejohnston]

Wind yer neck in Ruck. The band shall stay ya boring ole git!

The band added to the occasion, without them the place would be dead

Here here, I agree.

[Wee Woman]

Mikey was my MOTM, he's a wee smasher - literally. He's a favourite of mine already, was from that try he scored at Cardiff last season before he went off injured.

Not sold on the brass band either tbh.

[Wee Woman]

Also, although not related to the match itself, where can we get our hands on Sparky's promotional film from before the match??

The scene from Rocky recreated on the steps of Stormont had me in fits. Kudos to whoever dreamt that up

[CIMANFOREVER]

Wind yer neck in Ruck. The band shall stay ya boring ole git!

The band added to the occasion, without them the place would be dead

Agreed, flattest atmosphere at Ravers for many a day... like a pre-season.

Where did Allen get that turn of speed? tackle machine and 3 tries in 2 games.. defo MOM.. didn't put a foot wrong.

[big mervyn]

Also, although not related to the match itself, where can we get our hands on Sparky's promotional film from before the match??

The scene from Rocky recreated on the steps of Stormont had me in fits. Kudos to whoever dreamt that up

Enjoyed his try celebration with Tommy. I reckon Sparky would have scored that one if he hadn't made it

Thought the band were Italians at first - just didn't feel like Ravenhill. Jury's out on it.

[Amiga500]

Also, although not related to the match itself, where can we get our hands on Sparky's promotional film from before the match??

The scene from Rocky recreated on the steps of Stormont had me in fits. Kudos to whoever dreamt that up

Naw naw - it was collapsing on the 1 arm press-up that had me!

[wee horlix should be out practising his kicking at half time considering the spanking Leo the Lioness handed out last year!!!]

[mikeyjoe]

POSITIVES
+ Bonus point win. Always welcome.
+ Clinical. For the most part we were very clinical and took five chances well.
+ Defence. Very good bar letting Barbieri in.
+ Line-out - did we lose one? Good confidence booster for Best.
+ Best and Bowe. Very good returns for both, Bowe did a lot of good work for his try
+ Henderson until he went off was very good
+ Diack had a decent outing after a poor cameo last week
+ Whenever Williams came on he was very good, think he suits that supersub role, plays a lot better when the other team are a bit more tired
+ Jackson was very good with ball in hand
+ Back line in general. Jared Payne was very very good as per usual at 13 and he combined well with Skymarshall who also played well - really liked that combination. Gilroy did well at 15, but Micky Allen was my MotM. Boy is he playing well, I would consider starting with the same back line next weekend.

IN THE MIDDLE
+/- Paul Marshall. Eh. Pass was ok, kick was ok, but he kept trying sniping runs round the side when they simply were not on, it was pointless. That drop from the half-time kick-off was abysmal. All I've seen from Paul so far this season is proof that he should be a supersub and never anything more. Not sure when Anscombe will learn that.

NEGATIVES
- Band. They were very good at playing make no doubt about that, but in my opinion it's not something we should have at Ravenhill. Didn't fit the atmosphere.
- We tried to force it too much on too many occasions. Offloads that weren't on, runs that weren't on either. Sometimes it's just better to take the tackle guys.
- Scrum. We were decimated in the scrum. Still think Henderson doesn't give the shove that Muller does.
- High tackling. Too much of it, we were lucky on several calls not to be pinged for that. Tuohy in particular, especially after the Flood incident.
- Injuries. Henderson not looking good, Lutton was on one leg for the second half and Payne was limping at the end. Not good.
- Stevenson. As soon as he came on he was a penalty machine and gave away three penalties within about ten minutes of coming on. Not good by him.

I agree with most of your post here, disappointed to see Tuohy in the negatives, thought he had a very good game, bit of a clumsy tackle that was it ,nothing else in it, Hope nothing serious with Hendo, thought Diack was very good as well,

[Nightsoil]

IN THE MIDDLE
+/- Paul Marshall. Eh. Pass was ok, kick was ok, but he kept trying sniping runs round the side when they simply were not on, it was pointless. That drop from the half-time kick-off was abysmal. All I've seen from Paul so far this season is proof that he should be a supersub and never anything more. Not sure when Anscombe will learn that.

The issue is whether Porter or Heaney are even that. I think Anscombe is aware he's got a problem, he gave Porter starts, but Small Paul deserved to be back in the driving seat after last match. We just don't have a reliable scrum-half when Pienaar's not here. What can Cowboy do?

And, maybe I've been listening to Fleg too much, but I couldn't help looking at all the carrying opportunities Diack had and thinking what Hendy would have done with them, while Stevenson showed he carries in the tight as well as the manchild... lets just hope he's alright.

Also, according to ESPN, Henry made over 20 tackles. Nice to see him back. No surprise our best performance at the breakdown this season came with Henry and Best back.

[Scholar]

On telly, the band sounded great and the atmosphere approaching Clermont standard.. Consistent through 80 minutes. The band chose their moments well. The atmosphere on the wings was rare..

[Russ]

Definitely need a big drum in there too.
The crowd to me was pretty dead, but it always is against the Italian sides.