URC: Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby Sat 2nd Dec 17:15

[Lurgan Lad]

Dan's contract is until 2025, so basically 18 months, totally guessing but I would imagine he wouldn't be on more than £150k, or am I miles off?

[MightyRearranger]

Hoping to see an improved showing from Addison tonight. It's obvious Dan is trying to get him game time and hopefully that turn of pace / timing will return with a body of training and games under his belt.

I think he showed in small flashes what he used to have.
A bit of the curate's egg performance.

Tonight was definitely the best he's been since coming back from injury. Still a long way off where he was, but as you say flashes. That said, we might not be seeing him again for a few weeks.

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but in the build up to Edinburghs last try, Addison got his head in the wrong place trying to make a covering tackle and fell down. He tried to get up again to get in the line, but wobbled backwards and fell over. The medic then grabbed him and was physically wrestling with him to stop him getting back onto the pitch. Would be surprised if we saw him for either of the European games, not sure when Lowry is expected to be back?

[jean valjean]

Hoping to see an improved showing from Addison tonight. It's obvious Dan is trying to get him game time and hopefully that turn of pace / timing will return with a body of training and games under his belt.

I think he showed in small flashes what he used to have.
A bit of the curate's egg performance.

Tonight was definitely the best he's been since coming back from injury. Still a long way off where he was, but as you say flashes. That said, we might not be seeing him again for a few weeks.

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but in the build up to Edinburghs last try, Addison got his head in the wrong place trying to make a covering tackle and fell down. He tried to get up again to get in the line, but wobbled backwards and fell over. The medic then grabbed him and was physically wrestling with him to stop him getting back onto the pitch. Would be surprised if we saw him for either of the European games, not sure when Lowry is expected to be back?

No moxham or mcilroy for the foreseeable and with Addison and lowry doubtful for next week, who is next in line for the 23 shirt assuming moore starts at 15. Is Postlethwaite close to a return?

[HammerTime]

You literally couldn't make this up. All the excuses were dished out last season for sh!tgate in SA, travelgate (Sale) and pitch gate (La Rochelle). Dan gurning about being beaten (again) by the Ladyboyz and uses demographics as an excuse even though Munster won the whole thing and Connacht put us out?? Doesn't make sense. Last few weeks he's been blaming refs and now he's blaming the coaching even though he's the head coach?? Laughable and he's just thrown the rest of the useless coaching ticket under the bus. No way back from here. Let's start hearing some journalists, ex players and commentators asking the real hard questions for once.

[justinr73]

Hoping to see an improved showing from Addison tonight. It's obvious Dan is trying to get him game time and hopefully that turn of pace / timing will return with a body of training and games under his belt.

I think he showed in small flashes what he used to have.
A bit of the curate's egg performance.

Tonight was definitely the best he's been since coming back from injury. Still a long way off where he was, but as you say flashes. That said, we might not be seeing him again for a few weeks.

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but in the build up to Edinburghs last try, Addison got his head in the wrong place trying to make a covering tackle and fell down. He tried to get up again to get in the line, but wobbled backwards and fell over. The medic then grabbed him and was physically wrestling with him to stop him getting back onto the pitch. Would be surprised if we saw him for either of the European games, not sure when Lowry is expected to be back?

Yes, he was all over the place. Not nice to see.

[CIMANFOREVER]

You literally couldn't make this up. All the excuses were dished out last season for sh!tgate in SA, travelgate (Sale) and pitch gate (La Rochelle). Dan gurning about being beaten (again) by the Ladyboyz and uses demographics as an excuse even though Munster won the whole thing and Connacht put us out?? Doesn't make sense. Last few weeks he's been blaming refs and now he's blaming the coaching even though he's the head coach?? Laughable and he's just thrown the rest of the useless coaching ticket under the bus. No way back from here. Let's start hearing some journalists, ex players and commentators asking the real hard questions for once.

McWhirter was asking questions on BBC. Hopefully the ball will roll on Monday. Falling attendances and those in the media not UR shills need to get vocal,; I doubt we have any influence on here other than to represent a sample of rank and file discontent. Tbh we don't ask much for an Irish Province.

I see fight for every inch seems to be a stale meme now

[So It Is]

Is he gone yet?

[Dharper]

Injuries have provided pup time, and some Rays of sunshine ahead with UR home grown forward prospect’s BUT it feels mostly out of necessity rather than design.
So far, we’ve either been caught out at scrums, breakdown, or both in matches. MM and herring need to come in to shore up the front row for me.
However if rotation is the theme, then MM and Stewart, herring and TOT, IH is a big loss at scrum as clearly more power than both AOC and KT.
The scrum has provided easy access for opponents and killed our platform at times….it certainly hasn’t helped our backline.

Our backrow again has come unstuck against generally international combos or well drilled experienced units. There should only be 1 pup, and 2 of our best backrows. Last night lacked overall quality, and experience together.

SMcC is making little headway in attack. The opposition are waiting for him, and the timing between him and BB is way off. Again playing off crap ball from the breakdown. Edinburgh had good int scrummaging front row and an experienced int combo backrow with lots of experience….UR on the other hand. Until UR can field close to their first choice pack it’s difficult to properly and accurately assess where we are overall….however currently it’s frustrating to watch.

I hope Uncle Dave demonstrates his renowned ruthless streak if this underperforming malaise continues at end of season. Clearly with pups coming Through the training environment is critical to development.

With a stuttering set piece it feels foolish not to take points on offer, for me the strategy is wrong.

[Gerald the Mole]

The whole management structure has failed , time for JP to show he is not Logan in disguise, time to lead , like who allowed Bell to get anywhere near the team , average coaches allow the training culture to be poor , no leadership , Jesus they even brought in a Sports Psychologist and can’t get it right , by the way what’s Dans degree / PHD in , anyone know ?

[So It Is]

The whole management structure has failed , time for JP to show he is not Logan in disguise, time to lead , like who allowed Bell to get anywhere near the team , average coaches allow the training culture to be poor , no leadership , Jesus they even brought in a Sports Psychologist and can’t get it right , by the way what’s Dans degree / PHD in , anyone know ?

Think he's trained in some education-related field.

I think he came in and certainly improved us from the dark, dark days of Gibbes/Kiss, and at times we have played some really good rugby, and had some memorable performances.

But jeez, there has been some absolute dross served up at times. We still don't look troubling decent teams in must-win games. And the last 12 months has been an embarrassment. If it wasn't time to go in May, it certainly is now.

[HammerTime]

I hear this frequently ... that DMF improved us since he came in. Let's be honest it was impossible for us to sink much lower at that stage for various reasons which we all know about. The only way was up. We're going backwards at a rate of knots under him atm.

[CIMANFOREVER]

I hear this frequently ... that DMF improved us since he came in. Let's be honest it was impossible for us to sink much lower at that stage for various reasons which we all know about. The only way was up. We're going backwards at a rate of knots under him atm.

Nail on the head. We've been treading water for over 2 years despite having some great players and a decent squad. With a clutch of what seems like decent young forwards, do we really trust DFs brains trust to get the best from them?

[thecrouch]

Our best ever performance under McFarland was the European Quarter Final against Leinster in Dublin in his very first season.

We have never come close to those heights again, yet we're still suffering McFarland 5 years later.

Every single time we come up against it we wilt. Every. Single. Time.

[So It Is]

Our best ever performance under McFarland was the European Quarter Final against Leinster in Dublin in his very first season.

We have never come close to those heights again, yet we're still suffering McFarland 5 years later.

Every single time we come up against it we wilt. Every. Single. Time.

Tis the Ulster way.
Its been like that a lot longer than Dan has been here tbf.

Sh!t the bed against Sarries when it mattered in 2014 (fully deserved red card for Jared, still could've won it).

Sh!t the bed at the RDS in the league final that season (Diack making a bieber of himself not diving for the line and getting held up, think it was during the final that year, although happy to be corrected).

Sh!t the bed that time in the league SF against Glasgow when the final was to be held in Belfast. Might have been 12/13 season?

Those are just a few of the historical times we've sh!t the bed that come to mind. Obviously we have had plenty in recent times like.Connacht in May past, Toulouse in 2022 etc.

Ulster Rugby does not breed or expect a winning mentality. I've no idea how to you change that culture, but we all know that no matter how promising things might look, UR will find a new way to make a balls of it

[Dave]

Our best ever performance under McFarland was the European Quarter Final against Leinster in Dublin in his very first season.

We have never come close to those heights again, yet we're still suffering McFarland 5 years later.

Every single time we come up against it we wilt. Every. Single. Time.

It's getting worse as well. Often a good start to the season has us with enough points to offset poor performances later in the year (in terms of final league position). This year we don't have that.