What the Papers Say 2012/2013

[Mac]

Thursday 11th Oct Cont'd HEC

BBC

Ulster rugby director David Humphreys, whose side lost 42-14 to the Dublin-based province in last season's final, believes they are "almost unbeatable on their day" while ex-England hooker Brian Moore reckons "they are the closest thing, club-wise, to the All Blacks in the northern hemisphere".

POOL FOUR:
Another well-matched group featuring two recent finalists and a coming force in Glasgow. Northampton looked well set in the 2011 final before succumbing to a stunning Leinster onslaught, while Ulster were similarly overrun by the boys in blue last season. Saints and Ulster have both started well domestically, while Glasgow - capable of one-off wins in Europe - are becoming a more consistent threat. Castres have adopted a 'take-it-or-leave-it' approach in the past, but remain a power at home.

Castres
Heineken Cup pedigree - last year: fourth in Pool 1, best: semi-finals in 11-12

Star player: Second row/number eight Iosefa Tekori

Coach: Laurent Labit

Position in Top 14 in 2011-12: 4th. Current: 6th

Glasgow
Heineken Cup pedigree - last year: second in Pool 3, best: quarter-final play-off in 97-98

Star player: Full-back Stuart Hogg

Coach: Gregor Townsend

Position in Celtic League in 2011-12: 4th (semi-finalists). Current: 3rd

Northampton
Heineken Cup pedigree - last year: third in Pool 1, best: champions in 99/00

Star player: Second row/flanker Courtney Lawes

Coach: Jim Mallinder

Position in Premiership in 2011-12: 4th (semi-finalists). Current: 1st

Ulster
Heineken Cup pedigree - last year: finalists, best: champions 98-99

Star player: Winger Tommy Bowe

Coach: Mark Anscombe

Position in Pro12 in 2011-12: 6th. Current: 1st

Guscott's view: Ulster will be favourites to qualify, particularly after their unbeaten start to the Pro12, but they will do well to get as far as last year. Northampton have the ability to do well but must see off Glasgow at home this weekend to get over last weekend's hammering at Irish.

Castres and Glasgow will struggle to qualify, while Ulster will win the group.

All groups at......
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19818861

Planet Rugby

Pool Four.

NORTHAMPTON
Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder
Captain: Dylan Hartley
Best finish: Winners in 2000
Key signing: Dominic Waldouck
Player to watch: George Pisi
Pool odds: 5/4

ULSTER
Coach: Mark Anscombe
Captain: Johann Muller
Best finish: Winners in 1999
Key signing: Tommy Bowe
Player to watch: Ruan Pienaar
Pool odds: 6/4

CASTRES
Coaches: Laurent Labit/Laurent Travers
Captain: Matthias Rolland
Best finish: Semi-finalists in 2002
Key signing: Pedrie Wanneburg
Player to watch: Max Evans
Pool odds: 4/1

GLASGOW
Coach: Gregor Townsend
Captain: Alastair Kellock
Best finish: Quarter-final play-off in 1998
Key signing: Josh Strauss
Player to watch: Stuart Hogg
Pool odds: 12/1

How we see it: This pool features two teams (Ulster and Northampton) currently top of their respective leagues (Pro12 and the Premiership) and both are Heineken finalists in the last two seasons. In all, this intriguing pool - comprising English, Irish, Scottish and French clubs - is one of the toughest to call as the four sides are capable of producing big performances on their day. Ulster, unbeaten in the Pro12, are favoured to top the group but it remains to be seen how the Irish province cope with the favourite's tag as they look to go one better this time out after their impressive run to the Twickenham final last season. Northampton on the other hand, are hard to predict. The Saints marched to the 2010/11 final, but failed to make it past the pool stages the following season. The loss of England full-back Ben Foden will also be a massive blow. Castres, currently sixth in the Top 14, are always a formidable force on home soil whilst Glasgow have made a promising start to the domestic campaign and will deem their home form as integral to their hopes of reaching the last eight.

Key fixture(s) in Pool: Former Ulster flanker Pedrie Wanneburg returns to his old hunting ground with Castres in the opening hit-out of the pool, and will no doubt have passed some inside knowledge to his new French team. They'll definatelly need it as Castres have one of the worst away records in the tournament having won just won of their last 17 games on the road. The Ulstermen have won their last 11 games at home in the Heineken Cup, and will be determined to extend that impressive run to 12. The Saints won't want a repeat start to last season's opener (when they lost to a last-gasp Ronan O'Gara drop-goal), and will be banking on maximum points against Glasgow to kick-start their campaign. Diarise December 15 - the battle between Ulster and Northampton could prove decisive in who tops this group....

Prediction: 1 Ulster 2 Northampton 3 Castres 4 Glasgow

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,,355 ... 71,00.html

[pip14]

This guy Ian Stafford obv dosent have a clue.....

http://sportsvibe.co.uk/blog/rugby/ian- ... ools-20211

[Mac]

Friday 12th Oct 2012 HEC Match Day

Indo

P3.......friend or foe?

When Pedrie Wannenburg left his native South Africa, he was not only seeking to find a resting place away from the storm. He needed to find a home that he knew could not be destroyed by a storm of any nature.

Belfast became a home from home for a player who had lost his way. A sinner in need of a righteous path, Ulster launched him on a path towards professional redemption and personal salvation.

And when he returns to Ravenhill in the Castres colours tonight, he will do so with a mission to wreak havoc on the field and renew acquaintance with those who helped him to find solace off it.

"It'll be nice to have a reunion with the boys," smiles the South African back-row outside his new abode at the foothills of the Pyrénées. "Except this time I'll be on the opposite side."

Boarding a plane to Belfast in the summer of 2010 offered more than just a change of club and a change of environment far away from the blinding, beguiling lights of Pretoria.

In many ways, it rescued him from the brink.

"It helped me mature a lot," he said of his incredibly popular two-year spell in Ulster.

"Spending so long in one place like I was (in Pretoria), you have your friends outside rugby and you have some wrong friends," he recalls.

"So you can have a few backslides in that you go back to old habits.

"All that stuff is history and when you start somewhere else, you walk though that door and all that goes behind you.

"Belfast will always be close to my heart because it was a fresh start for me.

"I learned a lot when I played in Ulster. I learned to enjoy the game again. I knew if I played well, everything else can go to plan.

"It's always hard to start away, against a team who reached the final last year and at Ravenhill as well. We'll give it our best shot."

Knowing that friendships still endure.

"I didn't really want to leave Ulster," he says. "I enjoyed my time at Ulster Rugby. But life goes on. If circumstances had have been different I would have liked to stay on.

"Embracing the guys afterwards will be special regardless of the result. That's the most important thing.

"It makes you think what life is really about. You have to enjoy every single moment in life. And not to take it for granted."

Wannenburg has learned that particular the lesson the hard way.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/b ... 57254.html

Also......Indo verdict.....Ulster win....
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/h ... 57258.html

Times

Ulster expects.........

A PROVINCE expects and all that, and probably like never before. Buoyed by their run to last season’s final and the profound effects of the tragedy which befell Nevin Spence and his family, a strengthened squad and their searing early-season charge to the top of the Rabo PRO12 table, it’s doubtful whether Ulster have ever begun a Heineken Cup campaign with such a combination of determination and belief.

Not even their one enforced change to the line-up which kicked-off the 25-0 win at home to Connacht a week ago should affect them unduly, even if it will have surprised some Munster supporters to see the hitherto ever-present Nick Williams (rib injury) play with such vigour.

In his place, one of the Irish heroes from last summer’s Under-20 World Cup, Iain Henderson, follows up his first senior contract earlier this week with his full home debut in what will also be his Heineken Cup debut.

Castres arrive in Belfast in seemingly characteristic fashion, performing solidly domestically thanks in the main to their home form (they have won all four games at Stade Pierre Antoine, while failing to win on the road) and somewhat swinging from the hip for their latest European excursion. This is their seventh Heineken Cup campaign in the last nine years, but in the previous six they have failed to win more than three pool matches once, and have won one of their last 19 away matches in the Cup.

Drawing them at home first up (and away in round six if out of contention) looks favourable for Ulster, all the more so as Castres also arrive in the knowledge, confirmed to the squad on Monday and the public at large on Tuesday, that their highly regarded coaching team, Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit, will be joining Racing Metro next summer, and les deux Laurents have retained only six of the starting team which began last week’s win.

Castres do have a stronger squad these days, and have chopped and changed a fair amount. Nevertheless this is a team comprised mostly of fringe players so far this season. No one epitomises this more than Pedrie Wannenburg, an ever-present in Ulster’s march to last season’s final, but having seemingly been bought as a replacement for the departed former skipper Chris Masoe, the big Springbok will be making only his second start of the campaign and his first at number eight. Of his five appearances on the bench, Wannenburg has only been brought on before the last five minutes once.

Similarly, along with another ever-present in lock-gum-number eight Joe Tekori, the Top 14’s leading points scorer, Rory Kockott, has been left on the bench for the first time this season, as Thierry Lacrompe makes his first start in place of the South African at scrumhalf. Admittedly, Kockott’s radar was awry last week when the metronomic Romain “Robocop” Teulet, with his idiosyncratic kicking style, steered them to victory last Friday over Clermont, who haven’t won in Stade Pierre Antoine for 36 years.

But the club’s all-time leading Heineken Cup points scorer is 34 now, is making only his second start of the season and in his only previous start Teulet looked decidedly dodgy under the high ball for Montpellier’s match-winning try a fortnight ago. He comes in at full-back for the exciting 22-year-old Brice Dulin, who made his French debut in Argentina last summer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/spo ... 85656.html

Examiner

Ulster debutant Henderson will relish heat of cup battle

Ulster’s new back-row sensation, Iain Henderson, knew earlier in the week he would be making his Heineken Cup debut tonight when French side Castres visit Ravenhill.

The news that he would be starting quickly encouraged him to pen a new three-year full contract and immediately come face-to-face with the player he was in line to replace.

Pedrie Wannenburg was a crowd favourite at Ravenhill and his departure to France was a bit of a surprise. However, with Nick Williams playing so well, his absence was not felt. Williams, though, misses tonight’s game due to a rib injury, and Henderson hopes to make up for that when he slots into the back-row at blindside, with Stephen Ferris named at number 8.

For Ulster’s skipper Johann Muller, it is going to be more of the same, and with the team being up there to be shot down, he says it will be even harder to progress this season.

"A lot of people just expect us to get to get out of the group easily this year and get to a quarter-final, the semi-final and the final. But cup rugby is special, it just doesn’t happen that you get into a semi-final or a final there is a lot of hard work ahead," said Muller.

"I think we have our best squad since I arrived, there is a lot of depth and a lot of players that are pushing for position, whenever someone is not playing well there are two or three guys that can come into his spot and fill the gap, I think that is a great environment and a great thing for us to have as a squad.

"But as I found out, you need a bit of luck as well, you need the bounce of the ball or the call of the referee to go your way to get out of the pool stages.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugb ... 10658.html

The Score

‘Right here, right now’......

Far from being chastened by the experience of their final demolition at the hands of Leinster, Muller says the experience of their day in Twickenham has only strengthened their resolve to return to the biggest stage.

“The hunger within the squad is greater than it’s ever been. Experiencing those things last year, we want to experience it again. but this year we want to go one step better.” He says, but with an important caveat. “In saying that, people don’t realise; Heineken Cup rugby is really tough. I don’t think people realise that.”

“It’s not just like walking back into the Heineken Cup final again. There is a huge amount of hard work that goes into it. You need some luck, a huge amount of luck - I think Leinster can tell you that after their semi-final last year.”

http://www.thescore.ie/muller-tragedy-r ... 9-Oct2012/

Da Udder Indo......not worth reading.....
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 07869.html

Inside Ireland......NWR......... http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 07869.html

Sun....NWR.... regurg http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ir ... match.html

[Mac]

Friday 12th Oct Cont'd HEC Match Day

Tele

The Cowboy.jpg (6.65 KiB) Viewed 594 times

I've a big job to do........

Hands up, I wasn't sure about the appointment of Mark Anscombe as Ulster Rugby coach. Quite a few others felt the same.

There were many questions being asked among the Ravenhill faithful about the relatively unknown 54-year-old Kiwi, controversially brought in to replace popular local man Brian McLaughlin.

Such as, who is this guy?

What will he deliver?

Anscombe is enjoying coaching these highly respected figures and the other gifted players at Ravenhill.

Let's get it straight, Anscombe enjoys rugby full stop. He lives and breathes the game. Has done for as long as he can remember.

He says: “We come from the province of Taranaki which is a farming area in New Zealand. My dad was a very keen rugby man and my earliest memories of rugby were going to games with him. My dad used to have a van and after lunch we'd go in the van and pick up his mates at the pub and drive them to New Plymouth to watch games in the Ranfurly Shield, which was a big competition at home. I was about three or four and those are my earliest memories of rugby.

“I played from the day I was able to and have been involved in the game ever since — I played 15 years of senior rugby and was a captain for a good proportion of that. I always had an opinion and something to say so I suppose coaching followed from there.”

Anscombe was a flanker, playing around 60 first class games for his province North Harbour and spending 15 seasons with East Coast Bays on Auckland's North Shore.

What’s with the ‘Cowboy’ nickname?: I was nicknamed that when I was 15. It came from my older sister's boyfriend who thought I dressed like one. I was wearing these boots with jeans and he said to me ‘Every time I see you, you look like a cowboy’ and it stuck. He was at the rugby club I went to after school and he called me it and it spread from there. More people in New Zealand rugby know me as Cowboy than my name I reckon, though only the odd person calls me it over here.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23443.html

More (lot)......

So what are Ulster's strengths?

“Well, we've got a good pack, good set piece and good outside backs so I suppose we have the ability to play attacking rugby, but we still have to be smart enough to know we can't play attacking rugby every game.

“You have to address refereeing interpretations, you have to address the strength of opposition, the conditions and other things. You have to be able to adapt to everything, so there's no surprises. I want us to be able to play well when it is a nice day or when it's a bad day or when we have internationals in the team or young players in the team. We have to be ready for whatever comes our way.”

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23435.html

[Mac]

Friday 12th Oct Cont'd HEC Match Day

RTE

Updated group preview........

Qualification is do-able but there is no doubt that this is a dangerous pool for new head coach Mark Anscombe, who has been bullish about targetting silverware this season.

The start to the RaboDirect Pro12 has been perfect with five wins from five, but there are few who would claim that Ulster have been totally fluent so far this season and they barely beat Munster on home soil.

On the positive side, the return of Ruan Pienaar means they have just about the ideal player to relieve the stickiness in their rugby.

The key question for Anscombe is whether the South African star is best used at scrum-half in combination with Paddy Jackson or at out-half with Paul Marshall inside.

It is complicated by the fact that Pienaar’s own best position is probably nine, but Marshall arguably has the edge over Jackson.

The other major issue is Ulster’s lack of quality and depth in the centre – could Tommy Bowe end up in there as he often did for the Ospreys?

t is difficult to say which of Castres and Northampton will prove more dangerous.

The French club were Top 14 semi-finalists last year and have started well again this time, showing they retain a capacity to take on the big boys despite a squad that is short on big names.

On the imports front, Rory Kockott and Seremia Bai have proved as effective as the megastar buys of other teams, while Max Evans and Marcel Garvey are left-field acquisitions that have worked out well.

Castres are also under-represented in the French Test side, with only the nippy winger Marc Andreu appearing regularly.

Again, it doesn’t seem to matter and whatever about at Ravenhill, Ulster cannot plan on picking up any points in the south of France in the final round.

Ulster have issues – the suspicion that the tight five could struggle against a really high quality unit and that lack of size and quality in the centre - but their strong start to the season, good half-backs and strength out wide could yet prove enough to get them through.

Full group preview......
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/heineken- ... up-pool-4/

Also........
DrH........http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23438.html
Caves Craves........http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23425.html

Right then, I'm off for a bite.....
.....see ye all later.

SUFTUM

[BR]

French Letters:

http://www.rugby365.fr/infos-clubs/cast ... 2627.shtml

Here's the google transaltion which Rooster should be particularly interested in:

Laurent Travers and Castres willing to start in UlsterFor the last European campaign at the head of Castres, Laurent Travers expects a complicated path in a very spicy chicken. If not set clear objectives, he wants a good start especially in Ulster on Friday night.

Laurent Travers, did you have in mind Heineken Cup long?No, it was very important to first devote championship before changing competition. It is also that there was good. One can think of something else. The season has put us in a good mood before approaching the European Cup and the first visit to Ulster, the vice-champion of Europe.

You start on a large piece ...Yes, but we have a very spicy chicken. When you Ulster, Northampton and Glasgow, there is no need to add. It confronts the vice-European champion and vice-champion of the previous season. This is a chicken raised but we will try to make a good figure, represent the best French rugby and Castres.

The goal is to keep it as progress?Yes, we have acquired a lot of experience in recent years and we know that the first game is practically capital. We can not afford to leave points on the road and we will try to do what it takes to start the competition.

Hope to qualify, it is also essential to remain undefeated at home ...Yes, but then remains unbeaten at home, it would have taken at least one point in Ulster to be in a good mood for the rest. This is especially the start will be important. There could be better than a Friday night in Ireland, I'm not sure that the conditions are suitable for the game, but we will try to cope and be able to adapt.

Have you set a goal for your team?
No, you can not afford it. You know the club budget and staff, you can not. We can not display the same claims as other clubs. We want to especially look good.

Is it difficult to manage your workforce both ways?
No, we are very pleased to have these complications. If you do not play the competition thoroughly, it is not worth fighting for in the Heineken Cup. For us to do what it takes.

Having strengthened your staff help you there much?
In terms of quantity, we have fewer players than last year. But as we tried to have a more homogeneous group. We hope that players will meet present and we show that the club did well to go that route. European Cup requires a lot of investment and commitment, as the Top 14 today. We hope that we will not be in trouble over quantity. For quality, the players were present and will continue.

There is much talk of an overhaul of the competition. What do you think?
It is always difficult because it is placed in the middle of the championship. We play two games in the Heineken Cup and then we come back to the championship. Would not it be better to organize the competition block? It might be easier for people who follow and partners. I let the authorities agree that it brings more to rugby. We are trying to prepare our players.

[darkside lightside]

Ulster have issues – the suspicion that the tight five could struggle against a really high quality unit and that lack of size and quality in the centre - but their strong start to the season, good half-backs and strength out wide could yet prove enough to get them through.

No harm to rte, but this summary is a total head-scratcher - it escapes me how anyone can have watched ulster this year or last and think that our scrum might be a potential weakness it's also news to me that we lack quality in the centre.. I see that Michael Corcoran is coming to ravenhill tonight, I hope he takes a few notes!

[Jackie Brown]

RTE have to keep justifying not giving us air time!

[Amiga500]

RTE have to keep justifying not giving us air time!

Eh?

Of the matches available on their player

Ulster vs. Connacht
Munster vs. Ospreys
Leinster vs. Edinburgh
Ulster vs. Munster
Leinster vs Dragons


So that is 2 Ulster, 2 Munster, 2 Leinster and 1 Connacht match.


Unless you are actually wanting to listen to George Hook talk about us more?!?

[Jackie Brown]

Dead on, when we're treated favourably with TIME (IN MINUTES). I remember their highlights program last year when they'd rather show the Munster v Northampton game than the Ulster match. Ulster is as much an Irish team as the rest of them but compared with Munster and Leinster we're forgotten about. Feck 'em

[Mac]

Saturday 13th Oct HEC Match Result.

ULSTER 41 - 17 Castres

MOTM


Tele

Last season's beaten finalists Ulster opened their Heineken Cup campaign with maximum points in a 41-17 win thanks to Ruan Pienaar's dramatic bonus try.

It was not all plain sailing for Ulster, though, who lost Stephen Ferris prior to the game with a back injury.

In the game's final play, Ulster broke out of their 22 when Johann Muller won a ball at the breakdown. Luke Marshall's break set up Pienaar who showed a lovely swerve and pace to get through the last line of Castres' defence for the bonus try, which Jackson converted.

Times

Pienaar wraps up perfect Ulster start

Last season’s beaten finalists Ulster opened their Heineken Cup campaign with maximum points with Ruan Pienaar adding a dramatic bonus-point try late on.
The newly-returned Pienaar got down under the posts after Ulster had broken out of their 22 in injury time with the last move of the game.

Ulster’s other tries came from Paul Marshall (2) and Andrew Trimble, with Paddy Jackson making a vital contribution of 21 points from the boot on a pulsating night for new Ulster coach Mark Anscombe’s side.

Pienaar made his first appearance since the Four Nations Championship when he came on for Marshall.

The home side survived Court’s binning but struggled to put any more points on the board, even with Castres prop Yannick Forestier being sent to the bin in the 75th minute.

But in the game’s final play, Ulster broke out of their 22 when Johann Muller won a ball at the breakdown.

Luke Marshall’s break set up Pienaar who showed a lovely swerve and pace to get through the last line of Castres’ defence for the bonus try, which Jackson converted.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23808.html

BBC

Ruan Pienaar's last-gasp try gave Ulster a deserved bonus-point win over Castres in the Heineken Cup opener.

Tries from Andrew Trimble and Paul Marshall put Ulster in control before Marc Andreu touched down for Castres.

Ulster led 23-10 at the break and Marshall scored his second try as the hosts surged clear, although Marcel Garvey went over for the French side.

Last season's finalists clinched the added point in the 82nd minute when Pienaar broke clear from deep.

Ulster were forced into a late change in the back row with Mike McComish coming in for Stephen Ferris, who pulled out with a back injury.

Ulster went in search of the fourth try and bonus point but they were frustrated by handling errors and solid Castres defending.

Castres prop Yannick Forestier was sinbinned with five minutes left for kicking the ball away after Ulster were awarded a penalty.

The visitors secured the bonus point in the second minute of added time.

Payne won the ball back close to the Ulster line before Luke Marshall set replacement Pienaar on his way to go clear and score a crucial try on his comeback for Ulster after international duty with South Africa.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19876756

RTE
Blurb - http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/heineken- ... r-castres/

PM MOTM.jpg (61.57 KiB) Viewed 1276 times

SKY

Ulster began their Heineken Cup campaign with a bonus-point victory after beating Castres 41-17 at Ravenhill.

Paul Marshall scored twice and there was one try apiece for Andrew Trimble and Ruan Pienaar as last season's runners-up launched their 2013 bid in style.

The visitors opened the scoring through Romain Teulet's penalty, but Paddy Jackson's three-pointer levelled the scores with eight minutes played.

A minute later Ulster found the try line when Jared Payne, on his Heineken Cup debut, made a fine break down the left flank before picking out wing Trimble who dived over in the corner.

Ulster were dominant throughout the first-half and could have taken a greater advantage into the half-time break.
Mark Anscombe's side played the more expansive attacking rugby through-out and were rewarded with tries inside the opening 40 minutes from Trimble and Marshall.

The home fans feared the worst when Court was ordered from the field of play for 10 minutes, but the home side stayed strong and Pienaar's score as time expired to secure what seemed an unlikely bonus-point success.

http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/mat ... _1,00.html

The Cowboy.jpg (6.65 KiB) Viewed 1276 times

Wants Improvement.......Video Interview
http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0 ... 00,00.html

[Mac]

Saturday 13th Oct Cont'd HEC Match Result

Attendance....11,451

Tele

The calls for better......

Mark Anscombe gave a cautious thumbs up to his Ulster side after they claimed a 41-17 win over Pool 4 rivals Castres in their Heineken Cup opener at Ravenhill.

Anscombe said: "That's what we set out to do (get a bonus-point win) as I said to the guys we had to set out to achieve that and we did. But we know we've got a lot to do and we've got to do it next week. But we achieved what we needed to do tonight."

He added: "It might have been fortunate but we did it. Our execution, though, became a bit too loose at times."

Anscombe admitted some concern about how his side went about pursuing the much-needed final score.

We were trying to force it but it wasn't happening; it got messy and our option taking was poor," he said. "We scored some good tries and played some good rugby but we just got too loose. They got into us a bit and started taking the breakdown ball and we didn't look after it so it became a messy affair."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 23904.html

Indo

Magical Marshall........

Relief here, not much exultation. Ulster's stated intention is not just to match last season's Heineken Cup final achievement; but to better it.

Such are their high standards, an opening declaration such as this, so alarmingly fitful in their packed out (11,451) Ravenhill fortress, will have offered some encouragement to the now expectant locals.

Castres were able to bully Ulster at times, but the home side had enough guile and pace to prosper. Iain Henderson capped a memorable week by producing an absolutely stunning display.

Paul Marshall, who received a standing ovation on departure, scored a stunning brace of tries.

but a sloppy second quarter, allowing Castres to enjoy what they do best, would have enraged Anscombe at the break.

His stirring words had the desired effect, with Marshall scoring just four minutes into the second period as Castres slowly folded their tents. Jackson's long-range penalty after a desultory restart pushed matters to 31-10.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/h ... 58074.html

Times

Heavy weather......sunny spells.....

ULSTER MADE desperately heavy weather of obtaining the bonus point that the class divide utterly merited for much of the night. Three tries to the good on a crisp, ideal night for rugby at packed Ravenhill just three minutes into the second half, they lost their way until Ruan Pienaar’s score in the game’s last play.

The Castres performance was indicative of much of the paucity of French club rugby. They brought a maul and very little else save for one try off a cross-kick after six minutes of battering ram rugby, albeit the latter did yield a second close-range try.

Ulster had lost some oomph up front when Nick Williams was ruled out and this was compounded when Stephen Ferris was ruled out before kick-off with a back spasm. With Roger Wilson and Robbie Diack already sidelined, Mike McComish effectively became their fifth choice number eight, and alongside another Heineken Cup debutant in 20-year-old Iain Henderson it gave their backrow a callow look.

With Chris Henry stepping up to the plate, it hardly mattered. A fired-up McComish gave further evidence of his late career development with an all-action display, relishing the contact work both in attack and defence.

In the ultimate irony, Castres played their best rugby moving past the 80-minute mark and even looked set to score after a break by Thomas Sanchou, but Jarred Payne picked off the restart, Ulster countered from deep through Jackson and Pienaar took Luke Marshall’s return pass to brilliantly dummy two wilting opponents from 40 metres out to score.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/spo ... 26011.html

Examiner

A brace of sumptuous tries by scrum-half Paul Marshall enabled Ulster to get their Heineken Cup campaign off to the perfect start at Ravenhill last night.

But it was his replacement Ruan Pienaar who put the icing on the cake when he scored the bonus-point try in the last play of the game.

It looked as if Ulster had tossed away the chance of a five-pointer when they scored their third try as early as the 43rd minute. But a last-gasp interception by Jared Payne in his own 22 allowed Paddy Jackson, Darren Cave and Pienaar to inter-change passing before the Springbok charged over under the posts with an exhausted Castres defence left breathless.

Then came a subline piece of play from the men in white. Payne put up a monstrous Garryowen, which was well taken by Teulet. However, while his pack drove downfield, the magnificent Henry scavenged the ball and fed Marshall who, on seeing that there was nobody at home, cleverly kicked deep and easily won the race for the touchdown beside the posts.

At this stage Ulster were playing champagne rugby and twice they could have added to their scoreline. However, they also had to defend heroically when Castres camped on their line for 10 minutes. Despite a wonderful effort they defence was breached out wide when fly-half Bernard floated a cross-field kick into the lap of left-wing Andreu. Teulet converted from the touchline and the French visitors drew second breath.

Ulster became very ragged and frustrated as they lost their shape and intensity.

It was only when replacement prop Yannick Forestier was yellow-carded with five minutes remaining did Ulster look like grabbing that fourth try and it came just in the nick of time with that marvellous counter-attack at the death.

JaredPayneUlsterOct12_large.jpg (55.47 KiB) Viewed 1218 times

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugb ... 10755.html

Newsletter......

AT.jpg (118.81 KiB) Viewed 1196 times

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-4365703

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-4365700

Other Bits & Bobs......
http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/19242.php ..........Match Report

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/oc ... tch-report

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=36733

http://www.espnscrum.com/heineken-cup-2 ... 71121.html


"How soon is NOW"

[Mac]

Match Gallery

From...... http://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1210099/
for all 29 pics.

PJ.jpg (29.35 KiB) Viewed 1190 times

JP.jpg (36.01 KiB) Viewed 1190 times

[Mac]

Saturday 13th Oct Cont'd HEC Match Result

BBC

Thougths..........

Tickets sales were predictably brisk in advance of the game, indicating that Mark Anscombe's charges are continuing to capture the public imagination, building on the surge of interest generated by last year's European odyssey.

From early evening, supporters spilled out of minibuses, taxis and cars and made their way to the stadium in anticipation of another special night of top-flight Friday night club rugby in Belfast

The most eager among the 11,451 crowd booked the prime places on the Terrace and Promenade early on while others took advantage of the wide variety of options on offer from the food and drink stalls.

Club mascot 'Sparky' was out and about early to hand out souvenirs to young supporters and encourage the capacity crowd to find their voices as the players were put through their pre-match paces.

A more intimidating, if good humoured, reception was reserved for the away side, save for a generous round of applause afforded to former Ravenhill favourite Pedrie Wannenburg, now plying his trade with Castres.
The atmosphere reached fever pitch as a crescendo of noise greeted the players onto the pitch and Ulster coach Mark Anscombe took his seat in the stand for his first taste of Heineken Cup action.

"The Ulster players all look comfortable playing at this level - there is a composure and consistency about their play and they look set to build on the momentum generated by last year's run to the final," enthused BBC Radio Ulster summariser Ryan Constable as the home side assumed control.

So Ulster fire an early warning shot across the bows of their rivals and continue the process of becoming accustomed to being one of the fancied runners rather than perennial underdogs trying to emerge from the shadow of Irish provincial rivals Leinster and Munster.
The former should again prove the major stumbling block to their hopes of going one better this time round, with French trio Clermont Auvergne, Toulon and Toulouse also tipped to go the distance.
A first tentative step in the right direction towards the Dublin 2013 final, but some fine tuning still required ahead of a potentially tricky test away to Glasgow next weekend.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19719952

Cowboy comments........
Vid interview

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe is pleased with his team's 41-17 bonus-point win over Castres in the Heineken Cup opener but is not entirely content with the display.

The Ulster coach said his team's performance level "dropped in the second half" after an impressive opening 40 minutes.

Anscombe, who was guiding Ulster for the first time in a Heineken Cup tie, praised the performances of two-try scrum-half Paul Marshall and the "outstanding" Chris Henry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19936354 Video

Sports Mole......blah, blah, blah NWR
http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/rugby-union ... 49680.html

Da Udder Tele
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... eport.html Regurg NWR

[Mac]

Sunday 14th Oct



The oft' forgotten men of UR.....so today I'm mentioning them.

IRFU

Ulster Ravens Bag Bonus Point Against Bridgend

Bridgend Ravens had a baptism of fire in their first British & Irish Cup match as Ulster Ravens hit them for seven tries in a 49-19 success for the hosts at Deramore Park.
A brace of tries from winger, Chris Cochrane, coupled with touchdowns from Stuart Olding, Niall Annett, captain Neil McComb and replacement Michael Heaney, saw the Ulstermen outscore the cup newcomers by six tries to one.

Roger Wilson made his long-awaited return from injury in the game, lasting 40 minutes and the big back rower will be hopeful of being selected in the Ulster squad to face Glasgow Warriors in the Heineken Cup next weekend.

The hosts were ruthless in their finishing in the second period and scored at will.

Bristol, the 2011 cup winners who beat Cardiff 23-14 today, will provide the opposition for Ulster Ravens in the second round. The sides will meet next Sunday afternoon at the Memorial Stadium (kick-off 3pm).

http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/27465.php

In Touch R
http://www.intouchrugby.com/magazine/20 ... boom-boom/

Last orders from Friday night......

http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/wales/21414.php

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/14896.php