I agree with everything you have said big chief... darn...
If we had kept, Bowe and Best we'd have had a much stronger looking squad. In addition, I don;t see many leaders in the side - particuarly in the backs.
The coach is our wild card. If he can change our style, get the defences lines going then perhaps we'll see an improvement. In reality, no one of GENUINE PROVEN quality has come in. Botha would be the exception.
Climb up onto the top of your house and start screaming: 'stand up for the Ulstermen, stand.......'
ATH: I fear you may be remembering Neil Best on reputation and not what he actually offered to the squad in the past season and a half. I'm not trying to be insulting to Bestie for the sake of it, mainly because like everyone else, I loved to watch him in full flight, but the truth is that he has been poor for Ulster for longer than a season. He has played as an individual, he's rushed out of defensive lines and he seemed, to me at least, to epitomise the lack of teamwork and the lack of a team ethic at Ulster. His form suffered as a result and it seems to me that it was necessary for Neil Best to move on and that it was the best decision for the player to attempt to move back to the top of his game and for Ulster, who really needed a team, rather than individual ethos.
Given Best's form in the past year or more, I don't think we can say that the squad would be considerably stronger with him, than without him. In terms of the overall squad, I think McMillan and Wilson could prove to be bigger losses than Neil Best, as these are the hearts-on-sleeves, giving-their-all style players. Neil Best seemed very unwilling to be that kind of player for Ulster. I'm not saying that he's not a loss, but I am saying that it would have been bad for both player and province for him not to move on at this stage.
I maintain than Ferris at 6, on current form, is far preferable to Bestie at 6 on current form. As it is, in Neil Best, we're talking about a player who went from a first choice backrow player in Autumn 2006 to his current position, behind Quinlan, Leamy, Jennings and Ferris. His fall in Ireland's pecking order really tells the story. By suggesting that our squad would be, "stronger looking," for the inclusion of Neil Best is a little over-pessimistic.
On Bowe, I agree with you - Nagusa will have to settle in quickly and really do the business for us not to miss Bowe. From the snippets of Nagusa I've seen, he seems like an exciting player and a fine prospect but there will, invariably, be some time adjusting to way rugby is played in the ML. On recent form, Bowe is a big, big loss but the right wing was about the only thing that was good about Ulster this season - ultimately, I'd take an improved team over an excellent season's performance from one position and I'm sure results next season will prove the point.
I can understand the opposition to some of the optimism in recent threads but I don't think over-pessimism is the answer.
It was nice to read some very good posts on rugby for a change. I can only agree with everybody, which makes a change!! I think Williams has bought very well. Obviously we'll miss the player of the year for Ulster and Ireland. Obviously we won't miss EOS, who didn't even have him in the squad. I think Best is a loss too, but well covered in one of our strongest areas. However, if you list the squad including the new players we currently stand about 33; teams who have the ambition to do well in the Heinekin - Munster, Ospreys and Leinster have between 40 and 45! So while I think next year will be a 300% improvement on last year, I don't think we're going to win the HC. Like teams such as the Scarlets rebuilding, stadium and support will be the priorities. C'mon you Sons!!
From the rolling glens of Antrim through the hills of Donegal we will stand and shout for Ulster as we win both scrum and maul from the lovely lakes of Fermanagh tae the shores of ould Lough Gall we will scream and shout for Ulster as we beat them one and all!
I think the take on Boss is actually way way way off the mark
Boss did what Boss had to do last year playing inside a young outhalf if you watched the first ten minutes of the game against Glasgow and the service given to DH then it becomes obvious that his game in previous matches was not the service he is capable of giving similiarly he possesses the that which another post points out is lacking the ability to lead a back line
Hopeful this year year he will be able to take on less himself and be able to allow NoC to develop further as a defensive outhalf ie in Ulster's half Boss was making close on 60% of the kicks out of defence from the line-outs which is not the optium position to clear your lines because firstly the scrum half is to close to the touch line and secondly kicks are all height and no length and if your outside the 20M it is too easy to kick directly into touch and give possession to the opposition which means scrum-halfs tend to kick in field and if the ball is fielded at pace by the winger a counterattack can have serious consequences
I personally believe Boss is a much better scrum half than the performances seen last year and he is not the weak link as depicted by so many
Bryn is in my book a player playing out his contract IMO the back injuries are now taking their toll therefore I see Sciffty as a replacement for Bart who was a skillful player but a bit too much like PW what he has in skill he lacks in physical presence
which can spell trouble when a player like that goes for a gap without support
Boggy, I don't think you've got this quite right here. The major issue about Boss was that he took on all of this himself, despite the fact that what he was doing himself wasn't any better than what O'Connor or Wallace could do. His kicks also lacked direction, lacked distance and more often than not just gave possession away, while his decision making was weak and his distribution was slow, laboured and poor. He wasn't helped by a very poor forward performance in the early part of the season but his regression in form and what he offered to the team was marked and shouldn't be ignored. It is deeply worrying that Boss seems incapable of finding anyone at 10 that isn't David Humphreys - are we really expected to believe that both O'Connor and Wallace (and Andrew Dunne) have such poor positioning that Boss cannot find them without slowing his distribution right down?
Unfortunately, I think we are talking about Boss simply having no faith in the players around him and in a team game like rugby, that is not a positive development. Last season, Boss, along with a number of other Ulster players, forgot all about the team game nature. This idea about blaming other people for Boss' poor form isn't right - Boss has got to take responsibility for his poor form, realise that he has to play as a part of the team and to improve in the weak aspects of his game - he hasn't done any of that this season and it is senseless for us to ignore this because he had more inexperienced players outside. Such a lack of adaptability in such a key position is deeply worrying. Boss has been poor playing with three fly halves this season - it should also be noted how poor Boss was in the Ireland 'A' game against England Saxons when Andrew Dunne was outside him. Dunne, certainly, doesn't lack experience.
You're right - Boss is a much better scrum half that he has been this season but he has to prove that to fans and management again. It hasn't done so in the past season and could, very quickly, find himself second or third choice at Ulster if he doesn't improve. Boss needs to show the form he did in 2006/7 but if he doesn't, then we need to realise that this is at least as much the result of Boss' poor form as it is anything else.
Position Name
Loosehead props: B Young(I)
J Fitzpatrick(I)
J Carey(I)
Tighthead props: BJ Botha(SA) only in January
T Court(I)
D Fitzpatrick(I)
Hookers: R Best(I)
N Brady(I)
N Hanna(I)
Locks: C Del Fava(It)
R Caldwell(I)
M McCullough(I) could play blind-side
E O'Donoghue(I)
Back row: K Dawson(I)
S Ferris(I)
D Pollock(I)
R Diack(SA)
C Henry(I)
Fijian lock? Filo?
T. Anderson (dev.)
Scrum-half: I Boss(I)
P Marshall(I)
C Willis(I)
Out-half: N O'Connor(I)
I Humphreys(I)
Centres: A Trimble(I)
P Wallace(I) could play out-half
R Dewey(S)
P Steinmetz(NZ)
S. Mallon (I)
D Cave(I)
Wings: S Daniell(S)
M McCrea(I)
P McKenzie(I)
Timoci Nagusa (Fi) Fijian wing?
Full-backs: B Cunningham(I)
C Schifcokske(SA)
Any updates ???
From the rolling glens of Antrim through the hills of Donegal we will stand and shout for Ulster as we win both scrum and maul from the lovely lakes of Fermanagh tae the shores of ould Lough Gall we will scream and shout for Ulster as we beat them one and all!
Boss played as well as the players around him allowed him to
Given an outhalf he had confidence in his service was good but playing with NoC in his first year at this level he Boss perceived his role as that of protecting his outhalf protecting your outhalf has nothing to do with the positional play of the outhalf
It is based on the realisation that NoC would have been ( due to inexperience) targeted by the opposition esp when playing within his own half
The most obvious case of undeserved criticism of Boss was the Glos maatch at home in the second half when in attempt to create space for the packs he had to either take the ball on himself or feed his forwards (because Gloucester kept at least 6 players across the park in defense and also ensured asllow recycle) in the hope that he could drain or get Gloucester to commit more players to the ruck and leave room for the backs
If that was Boss primary function last year ( protect the outhalf ) then I consider that he achieved that goal
defensively Boss is easily the best scrum half available to Ireland since he frequently plays like a third wingforward with a high tackle count
Far too many on this site consider the only role a scrum half must perform is pass if thats all you want play Springer behind the Ulster pack and watch the disaster unfold
Hello everyone.I am a new member but have read this messageboard since it started with great interest. When are we likely to hear that Nagusa and Botha have definately signed. Is any other player on the cards or is there a danger of exceeding our non Irish qualified quota .
Cracker wrote:Hello everyone.I am a new member but have read this messageboard since it started with great interest.
Since you've been around for a while, it is perhaps not the most appropriate to welcome you, but "welcome" anyway - don't be shy about posting. The worst that can happen is that we shoot you down, ridicule, poke fun and tell you you're wrong - but hey, it doesn't stop the rest of us!
Cracker wrote: When are we likely to hear that Nagusa and Botha have definately signed. Is any other player on the cards.
I haven't a clue (nor do I know the answer!!!!)
Cracker wrote:is there a danger of exceeding our non Irish qualified quota .
Wouldn't have thought so - whatever the number is, if we exceed it, that obviously wasn't the quota
Agree with boggy about the Boss man, he was ridiculed for some of his tactics last year but he was saving other players by his style of play, the lad is better than he has been allowed to show for the past season and his last words to me at the end of the season were " glad this year is over and can't wait to get back and show what we are really capable of next year" he knew it was bad and did not try and cover up the fact and was not in any way trying to defend the performance last season.
As for the rest of the squad I think we have an overall improvement of players as Best was out of touch this past season and a half.
“That made me feel very special and underlined to me that Ulster is more than a team, it is a community and a rugby family" Rory Best
Whatever anyone has to say about Boss, and i think most of the posts above contain very salient points, a lot of the negatives we have been discussing above can be overcome with a good, unhindered preseason which is what all the provinces have this year (no RWC prep or Lions recovery absenteeism). Hopefully Boss will learn to play with confidence in front of Niall, Paddy and Humph.
The big + for me for Boss is his robust and physical game, with a potential 10/12 channel containing Humph/NOC and PW the more physical defenders on the pitch the better.
Was speaking briefly to MW at end of season and he spoke highly of Boss, despite the wayward kicks and resulting loss of possession. Referred to work rate etc. I see Boggy's point, well made as usual, but seems to me Boss took on too much and the whole thing started to slide.
Hopefully a new start will see an improvement - he definitely has the ability.
tok
It's more comfortable to be mad and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.
Anyway, the only difference between me and a madman is I’m not mad….I think…
Seems UR signed a few players while I was away. Beginning to feel almost enthusiastic.
tok
It's more comfortable to be mad and know it, than to be sane and have one's doubts.
Anyway, the only difference between me and a madman is I’m not mad….I think…
C'mon you Sons!!
