Forget about the Title and focus on Llanelli!

Hotspur · Post by **Hotspur** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:32 pm

Justin Harrison got it about right tonight in the BT when he said that the team was focused on the Llanelli match and the performance there. Just as the form book predicted that Cardiff would beat Leinster(though it looked doubtful for about 5 minutes) so the form book would suggest that Ulster should dispose of Llanelli. For eg.,they struggled against Borders at home and we beat them comfortably, they lost to Glasgow ands never looked like winning that one, and they beat a much weakened Munster team with difficulty( and Popham's first try was knocked on but the ref missed it). The Llanelli fans expect Ulster to win going by their message board. They have looked jaded as last few weeks and Ulster are VERY fresh. We should hit them as hard as we have ever played for the first twenty minutes to confirm their worst fears and then we should step it up. As Paul O'Connell said.' Destiny has nothing to do with it. It's how you perform on the day!' Go for it Ulster and make it an Irish Celtic double with Munster this weekend!

colinh · Post by **colinh** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:39 pm

You are dead right.

rocky · Post by **rocky** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:59 pm

And some really good news is that the Llanelli No 8 - Alix Popham, currently their best player - has been suspended for two weeks after being sent off at Glasgow. That will hurt them badly.
Cheers,
Rocky

Rooster · Post by **Rooster** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:07 pm

rocky wrote:And some really good news is that the Llanelli No 8 - Alix Popham, currently their best player - has been suspended for two weeks after being sent off at Glasgow. That will hurt them badly.
Cheers,
Rocky

A big blow to them and great news for us as Popham is a very dangerous man with a ball, also not great on the clean sportsman type of play either, his suspension is most welcome.

AndyB · Post by **AndyB** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:51 pm

You're all absolutely right. Last friday night the boys went out and did a thoroughly professional job on the Borders. The same is needed this weekend. If you keep winning matches, titles will look after themselves.

DHK · Post by **DHK** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:31 pm

Really pleased Popham has been banned! Big blow for Llanelli! Regardless of whether Popham was playing or not i still would've said we'd win but this certainly makes it that tiny wee bit easier! He's a big player for them, great ball carrier and a real talisman!

missed touch · Post by **missed touch** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:44 pm

It will be interesting to see how their back row shapes up now that both Popham and Easterby are missing.

I presume it will be Jones, Gavin Thomas and another possibly Gavin Quinnell but I don't know whether Quinnelll could last the pace for the full 80.

Popham is a big loss as he has been one of the best Welsh players in the Celtic League this season.

I think the Jenkins factor could be massive - the Scarlets will not want to lose his last game at Stradey. However, to be champions you have to be able to go to these places and win. I think with the experience of people like Harrison we can now do that whereas previously every away game was approached with trepidation.

ballpark · Post by **ballpark** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:48 pm

Absolutely right to focus on this game as it represents the best chance of winning the League, rather than the O's game, as Rooster has said, the birds are flying high and he should know!!

Objective is to win, we nearly did it this time two years ago and only for Easterby's wrecking ball approach in the back row for them that time we probably would have won it. It's time to put the record straight with knobs on it.

C'mon Ulsterrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!