Ulster v Munster

[Meg The Lab]

Okay, two games = two victories. The game tonight against Ospreys was a hard fought, yet well earned win. Enough has been said elsewhere about the abilities or otherwise of some on the field tonight, especially during the first half.

Now that game is history, we won, away from home, great stuff but what about next Friday night at Ravenhill?

Have we the team to beat Munster? I believe we have. The Turnips have been on a bit of a downward spiral of late. Their team is starting to show it's age. The Ulster pack will really disrupt that of Munster giving their half backs little opportunities to spread the ball to their backs.

This Ulster team will only get stronger and stronger as the season goes on. It is essential we win our home games, we all know that and this is a real acid test in front of what will be a large, vocal crowd. It is going to be a battle royal and I am looking forward to it with tremendous anticipation.

Where do you guys think this game will be won and lost?

[Rooster]

Allain Rolland: Referee
Dudley Philips: Touch Judge 1
Sean Gallagher: Touch Judge 2

[Snipe Watson]

Where do you guys think this game will be won and lost?

At Ravenhill?

Matches are always won and lost up front. Win the ball and you get to play with it. Lose it and you get to defend. When you play a team like Munster the requirements to win on paper are simple and clearly understandable. More difficult to do in practice.

Absolute shocker of a cliche there LK
Matches are won and lost wherever the mismatches are successfully identified and exploited.

[pip14]

What's the team likely to be?? KOTH?

[breakdown]

What's the team likely to be?? KOTH?

Full strength minus some irish internationals who will be on the bench I reckon.

[Snipe Watson]

The reason cliches are cliches is because they are true.

If you seriously think you beat Munster without winning the forward battle then I admire your optimistic world view. If you think an identified "mismatch" on the left wing will be decisive then enjoy watching the match snipe. You will, however, be missing where the match is being won.

It worked on the left wing in my son's U14 match yesterday......for the opposition
For the record my fella is not a left winger or a right winger for that matter.

What I mean is You have to take advantage of any dentified weakness in the opposition. If two packs are fairly equal, they will cancel each other out so I don’t see how the game can be won there. You have to look for somewhere that you can get an edge.
This is probably just a different way of looking at the game. You can win the battle at the breakdown and provide an abundance of great ball, but if the backs are unable to use it because they are outclassed.......you lose the game.
I'm taking it as read that our 8 are slightly better than their 8, but their lock pairing are better than ours. I don't see either eam gaining a match winning advantage up front. I think we will win the game if our backs bring their A game as we have them in the backs.

[Shan]

There can be some advantages to losing an early season home game. It can help to focus everybody's minds on the difficult tasks ahead and to drive the team on with extra fire and aggression. Hopefull it will do this for Ulster after next weekend.


Gwan Munster.

[Gael]

Shan - What do you think of Munster's chances?

[Snipe Watson]

There can be some advantages to losing an early season home game.

Two points

1. welcome back pal
2. away ye go ye langer ye pull the other one.........

[Cap'n Grumpy]

The reason cliches are cliches is because they are true.

If you seriously think you beat Munster without winning the forward battle then I admire your optimistic world view. If you think an identified "mismatch" on the left wing will be decisive then enjoy watching the match snipe. You will, however, be missing where the match is being won.

It worked on the left wing in my son's U14 match yesterday......for the opposition
For the record my fella is not a left winger or a right winger for that matter.

What I mean is You have to take advantage of any dentified weakness in the opposition. If two packs are fairly equal, they will cancel each other out so I don’t see how the game can be won there. You have to look for somewhere that you can get an edge.
This is probably just a different way of looking at the game. You can win the battle at the breakdown and provide an abundance of great ball, but if the backs are unable to use it because they are outclassed.......you lose the game.
I'm taking it as read that our 8 are slightly better than their 8, but their lock pairing are better than ours. I don't see either eam gaining a match winning advantage up front. I think we will win the game if our backs bring their A game as we have them in the backs.

You girls kiss and make up now - ya hear?

[Shan]

Shan - What do you think of Munster's chances?

Hi Gael,

I think it could be pretty tight. The thing that would swing it in favour of Ulster is that ye will likely have most of your top players available at least from the bench if required. Of course being at home is an undoubted benefit.

With both teams having 2 wins they'll both be feeling somewhat confident, though both had underwhelming performances this weekend.

I'd say there won't be much in it in the front 5 and the backrows will, to a large extent, determine how it goes. With both teams not having the most solid 9's in the world it is up to the backrows to put pressure on them. Certainly Duncan Williams can be knocked off his stride with good pressure. If Ferris is playing it will swing things in Ulster's favour.

Assuming Jackson is at 10 then I would say Ulster have a bit of an advantage here as Keatley is decent enough but you wouldn't bank on him to stand tall in the face of adversity. Maybe the same could be said for Jackson at this stage of his development but he has the H Cup experience to call on. If O'Connor is at 10 then the advantage would swing a bit in Munster's favour.

The Munster backline needs more time together but they are coming along nicely. However I doubt if Ulster will give them the freedom they had v Edinburgh.

[Shan]

There can be some advantages to losing an early season home game.

Two points

1. welcome back pal
2. away ye go ye langer ye pull the other one.........

Two Points

1. Thanks a chara. Great to be back and great the rugby is back more importantly.

2. Let the best team win. So that'll be a three game winning start for Munster then!!!

[Shan]

You girls kiss and make up now - ya hear?

Oh those two still trying to show how clever they are. Oh well shur we can all dream.

[mikerob]

So.... Tuohy and Henry should be available for selection this Friday, and I hope Diack will have recovered as well.

- McComb played well when he came on against the Os, but I see him losing out and Tuohy taking his place on the bench to come on in the second half

- Jackson and P Marshall as starting half-backs

- McComish played ok as well, but I don't see him keeping his place and another backrower from last week will need to lose out to fit both Henry and Diack in the squad. Doyle? Nick Williams will have a point to prove against Munster so I don't see him being left out.

- Anscombe to start Black and Fitzpatrick with Court and Afoa to come on later to do some damage, or start with the strongest props? Munster have du Preez and Botha, but Archer and Kilcoyne are a step down from that.

[OneMore]

- Anscombe to start Black and Fitzpatrick with Court and Afoa to come on later to do some damage, or start with the strongest props? Munster have du Preez and Botha, but Archer and Kilcoyne are a step down from that.

I think if Afoa and Court are ready they should play. Don't know that we should be risking the first half against Munster. Not that I think Black and Fitz are poor, but I really don't like the idea of playing your second choice man from the off, just so we can bring the first choice man off the bench later. It's risky.
Also don't want to see BJ turn up at Ravenhill and doing damage.
And, if they dominate the scrum for the first 50, it's a big ask to expect to start getting the penalties at scrum time for the last half hour - sometimes the ref will have their mind made up by then.

Apart from the props, I agree with everything you've said. Back row selections will be interesting.