Ulster Vs Scarlets Sat 1st Sept 5:15pm KO Premier Sports

[thecrouch]

Kernohan needs an academy spot.

[222toHounslow]

I’d a brad pitt load of gin on the Prom so obviously wrong but Speight looked like a poor mans Michael Allen.

Addison impressed as did young Kernohan.

[BaggyTrousers]

OK, we are an hour ahead so I've had time to consider things. (I'll probably use that regularly get used to it.)

I'll take that, imperfect as it was. In order of importance, Marcell appears to have survived, Hendy is awesome, HenryS is a great short-term replacement, shame it's not longer, Addison looked good though he is not yet Girrid mark 2. King Billy was neat and tidy but he made a couple of major mistakes, both costly, still early days, I'll hope for better.

Actually this should come higher up the list but at 55 minutes I saw no way of us winning barring something freakish, tired bodies and not too much promise on the bench, but in fairness, the bench came good despite the lack of "names". Speaking of which, young Kernohan shows promise, seem we are producing a few who may follow Stockdale's lead.

Fair dues to Cooney, holding his nerve after a dodgy miss.

Now then...........LOOK ........Nick Timoney is some player, he won that match with his tackle on their skipper when it looked a try for all money, he is so good around the pitch, perhaps not yet fully accomplished at the set-piece though I thought he was tidy at the back of a couple of messy scrums, but I have great hopes for him. If the UR website is to be believed he is also a much bigger bloke than he may appear. It's going to be a great tussle to be the starting back row this season, let's hope they all stay healthy.

That Cave chap made a wheen of tackles and clear outs, McCloskey too did well though I'm not sure why Hendy who wrecked Scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalets lineout was not the choice.

Never truly threatened tries despite some tidy offloading in the first half.

Finally, Mr Matrea did his very best to lose his "homer" tag. I thought he got more wrong tonight than I've ever seen from him and he was saved from making an ar$e of himself several times by the TMO & assistants.

All in all, that was a great game to win, Scarlets defence was excellent ......... and offside.... a lot.

Oh wait, before I go..............our shower of useless props actually did rather well on balance, Big Licence carried on from the end of last season and Kane did a job and a half, faith possibly being restored in both, then again, I suspect we had a handy weight advantage in the back 5.

[Spiffsson]

OK, we are an hour ahead so I've had time to consider things. (I'll probably use that regularly get used to it.)

I'll take that, imperfect as it was. In order of importance, Marcell appears to have survived, Hendy is awesome, HenryS is a great short-term replacement, shame it's not longer, Addison looked good though he is not yet Girrid mark 2. King Billy was neat and tidy but he made a couple of major mistakes, both costly, still early days, I'll hope for better.

Actually this should come higher up the list but at 55 minutes I saw no way of us winning barring something freakish, tired bodies and not too much promise on the bench, but in fairness, the bench came good despite the lack of "names". Speaking of which, young Kernohan shows promise, seem we are producing a few who may follow Stockdale's lead.

Fair dues to Cooney, holding his nerve after a dodgy miss.

Now then...........LOOK ........Nick Timoney is some player, he won that match with his tackle on their skipper when it looked a try for all money, he is so good around the pitch, perhaps not yet fully accomplished at the set-piece though I thought he was tidy at the back of a couple of messy scrums, but I have great hopes for him. If the UR website is to be believed he is also a much bigger bloke than he may appear. It's going to be a great tussle to be the starting back row this season, let's hope they all stay healthy.

That Cave chap made a wheen of tackles and clear outs, McCloskey too did well though I'm not sure why Hendy who wrecked Scaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalets lineout was not the choice.

Never truly threatened tries despite some tidy offloading in the first half.

Finally, Mr Matrea did his very best to lose his "homer" tag. I thought he got more wrong tonight than I've ever seen from him and he was saved from making an ar$e of himself several times by the TMO & assistants.

All in all, that was a great game to win, Scarlets defence was excellent ......... and offside.... a lot.

Oh wait, before I go..............our shower of useless props actually did rather well on balance, Big Licence carried on from the end of last season and Kane did a job and a half, faith possibly being restored in both, then again, I suspect we had a handy weight advantage in the back 5.

The Spanish sun has addled yer brain oul fella! Ulster was shunt against a bunch of Scarlets reserves. They should be putting 40 points on a mix-and-match team like that. Very little in the way of rugby brains on display. Hendo was brilliant. Same old same old from the others.

[Snipe Watson]

Scarlets were off side at virtually every given opportunity, Marius seemed disinterested. The short assed IRFU touch judge was dire, really really dire. The Italian one was rather excellent I thought.

[BaggyTrousers]

Spiffer, have you & Ron'n ever been seen in the same room? I started by noting the "imperfection", later I mentioned the fact that we never looked like scoring tries. If you think I'm delighted with much other than the win you have the same reading difficulty as Ron'n.

Still, maybe you are just full of good Moosiestan beverage?

I'll have you know I now have a very sunny disposition, if you want undue pessimism you've got the wrong man. We stole a win from the jaws of defeat and didn't much deserve it, what's not to like about that?

In the words of Big Ron the Racist, "it's early doors up to yet" but yeah, I'll take that result all day long.

[Rooster]

I over estimated our win by 4 trys

[solidarity]

Really enjoyed the match. Tension from start to finish. Ulster made more mistakes than Scarlets,yet still won. Winning ugly is still winning. I still don't think the season looks hopeful. I'll be happy with a top half finish and an 'almost made' it' in Europe.

[BaggyTrousers]

I over estimated our win by 4 trys

Easy mistake to make Rooster, I reckon we will have scored our first try by the end of September.

[Snipe Watson]

I over estimated our win by 4 trys

I don't recall you being specific about how many games we would have to score said 4 tries.
Just putting that out there.

[BaggyTrousers]

Really enjoyed the match. Tension from start to finish. Ulster made more mistakes than Scarlets,yet still won. Winning ugly is still winning. I still don't think the season looks hopeful. I'll be happy with a top half finish and an 'almost made' it' in Europe.

I did too, Solids, as you say, it was in the balance all game and it was the start of my new career as an armchair expert and just hope I can do Tommy frae Comber proud as he appears to have "slipped away" in his sleep in recent seasons. He never missed a Jim Neilly commentary. Good to see Jim there today, mic in hand, talking to God knows who, Radyo Alster I assume

You may have seen a chap in my seat today, looking quite like me but not as handsome but no, it was not me. Just one of the pleasures in life denied me by the actions of Terry, the two bitches from Bank of Ireland & Vodaphone & the FIRFUCs ........ and of course my own decision that life in Norn Iron is not worth the bother.

[ColinM]

I can only be assed with adding tuppence, but here it is... I reckon we looked like a team who had a plan and an idea of what the plan was. It wasn't executed to perfection but I've watched us season after season look as though there was no gameplan never mind an idea how to execute.

For that alone, well done to Dan and the coaches, onwards and upwards.

We won't trouble Europe this year, but barring a freak injury year should make the P14 playoffs

[Bring Humph On!!]

Enjoyed today. Lots to work on but I thought we played with a fire in the belly that has shown its face on only a handful of occasions in recent seasons. Didn’t give up, fought as Dan said we would & I have to say I was happy with that. I genuinely feared we may be going to SA still looking to put our 1st points on the board.

[Dave]

TOT looked very good in the loose and scrum before his departure. Hard to believe he is just 19.

[Bart S]

Extremely fortunate to win. I actually enjoyed last year’s win against the Scarlets a lot more but then our season was a disaster thereafter so that doesn’t say very much.

We shall get better as the coach starts to bed in what he wants to do and the players shake off a bit of rust. I see this season being about developing a clear playing style, a few good wins when things come off, harmony in the ulster set up at all levels, real signs of player development (guys like Timoney pushing on and a few new faces making a mark) and all leading to a bit more optimism for the following season, particularly with one or two new niq’s having been signed up for next season during the course of this year.