Stuart Barnes. What's his problem?

[utilityback]

Indeed in reading his article and listening to some of his commentary during Ulster games he has come round to seeing that Ulster are a very good team but that Leinster quite rightly are a better team and will start as favourites. I think he may be suffering from his reputation of past comments in the dark days writing us off as a poor team. In my opinion he is much more balanced than some of our southern neighbours with his comments and has seen some of the wonderful touches and hand that Peidrie has brought to the back row play of Ulster unlike some southern Journos who only see him as a big saffer bosh merchant.

[Shan]

Shan my good friend and gentleman of Turnipstan..............

Mind yer own flamin business, your season is over...............

Ha ha. You know me Snipe. I just can't quite keep my nose out of it. My season is only starting. Soon all this shíte will be done and we'll have three proper matches to look forward to. Provincial rivalry will be put into the cellar......mind you so will provincial form...

[Shan]

Cables is starting to scare me

Cables is only to be feared by anyone ridiculous enough to come on here and try to quote stats which have not been fully verified. The best thing to do is not to quote anything you post as fact. We are not all that interested in facts anyway. They always spoil a good thread.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Ulster will be hoping for a good start and be in the lead early but if it turns out they are behind it could galvanise them to do everything necessary to hit back and hit hard. Sometimes not having everything going the way you want it is not a disadvantage.

Aye ....... sure falling behind early gives us more time to catch up!

[darkside lightside]

that's a totally unobjectionable article!!! not sure what anyone's getting het up about - the only thing he says which I totally disagree with is that we were lucky to beat Edinburgh, we clearly weren't. But he evens this up by describing us as one of the 2 best sides in Europe, which I think is pretty generous to say the least!!

Tbh I was hoping that he would totally slate us, I'd prefer to go into the final with the press saying we are absolute no-hopers...

[ColinM]

But he evens this up by describing us as one of the 2 best sides in Europe, which I think is pretty generous to say the least!!

This will be based on two things alone:

1. Barnes only watches us in the HEC, our performances are always up about three notches over our weekly Rabo offerings.
2. We put 40 points on Leicester. In the eyes of an Englisher, that automatically propels us to the ranks of world domination.

[ruckover]

3. We nearly beat Clermont (Sky's second favourite team after all the English sides)

4. We beat Munster (Sky's third favourites) in Thomond

Personally I don't think he's too bad. A bit full of himself but doesn't really say anything very bad about us. Read his blog entry named 'Irish highs', gives us more of a chance there.

[Bart S]

that's a totally unobjectionable article!!! not sure what anyone's getting het up about - the only thing he says which I totally disagree with is that we were lucky to beat Edinburgh, we clearly weren't. But he evens this up by describing us as one of the 2 best sides in Europe, which I think is pretty generous to say the least!!

Tbh I was hoping that he would totally slate us, I'd prefer to go into the final with the press saying we are absolute no-hopers...

I think this is what some people on here are trying to create by almost looking for offence/outrage in any article published rather than actually reading it and making an informed judgement on it!

The no-hopers/written off/pin an article to the dressing room wall type mentality only really works if there's a profound grievance. This stuff is nothing like some of Mr Farrelly's articles!

[BR]

Never liked us, alway chided Dowey for tipping us. IMO the more nobody tips us and gives us no chance the better it is.

Not true - he has said some very favourable things in recent years. Not least tipping us to beat Bath.

[bigchiefally]

I really dont think we are that big underdogs.

We get our top team out, fit, and we can give them a real go.

If Leinster really are 4-1 on to win, I think I might actually have a bit of a bet on Ulster.

[bazzaj]

Having read the offending article, I wonder are we getting a little precious? Seems pretty balanced to me. He gives each side their due and his opinion will be shared by almost every sinner not lucky enough to be an Ulsterman.

+1 Bagster.
Was expecting his usual drivel but none forthcame for a change.
At least he is reporting on it.
The English media seem to have forgotten there is a game on especially sky sports the feckers.

[mikerob]

I also remember Barnes being quite critical of Ulster a few years ago, but in fairness, we were playing puke rugby at the time. I don't mind Barnes, he can go a bit over the top at times to feed the Sky hype machine, but he isn't afraid to be critical as well, unlike many other commentators.

[ruckover]

Here's his blog entry for this week on the Heineken Cup final:

A mighty battle

Irish rugby returns in triumph to Twickenham. A few short months ago England routed the national team to complete another disappointing Six Nations season. But the Heineken Cup story is another one altogether.

Ireland will win a fourth Heineken Cup in the last five years. Only Toulouse, in 2010, have interrupted the success that started with Munster's 2008 victory against the self-same French giants. Leinster stand on the brink of an unprecedented third win in four years and Ulster, their second Heineken Cup but first with the full quota of nations.

There is plenty of confusion. How can the national team struggle when the provincial sides are so dominant? Paradoxically that dominance might just be the problem. Whereas Wales's players move from a weaker series of teams to a national side that is a clearly defined step upwards, Ireland's players are stepping out of a successful system into a more confused set up.

Munster may have lost out this time around but they have a magnificent recent history and a style and culture of rugby different from anything in Ireland. The current champions play a completely different game to Munster and possess a mindset with nothing but the pursuit of wins in common.

Now Ulster has emerged on the scene with a style more similar to Munster's in terms of the importance of collective willpower (although Leinster cannot be underestimated in this aspect, it's just that other virtues shine brighter) but still their own; a sort of hybrid Ulster/South African development unlike the other Irish powerhouses.

Declan Kidney has received his share of critics in the last few years but merging these teams is far tougher than bringing together Welsh regions and players that have largely underachieved the level below the international game.

Setting the standard

The unthinking comment concerning the Heineken Cup is that it is the nearest thing to the Six Nations, a mere breath away. But in the last few years an unblinking and thinking analysis has the highest standards of Heineken eclipsing the mediocrity of the Six Nations. The highest standards - it should not need stating - have been set by Leinster.

Neutrals with a love of the game and a hope that the cycle of big bodies and small mind domination is about to end will be rooting body and soul for the defending champions. Joe Schmidt is setting new standards by boldly reverting to the old ethos of accurate passing. Quite how something as fundamental as passing the ball could be relegated to an also-ran part of the sport is the singular biggest failing of the professional coaching world.

We really should not be in awe of a team that always passes the ball in front of the team mate but so used to the sloppy passing game have we become that it looks like a revolution in the game rather than a reversion. Both teams possess formidable defences (although Ulster were badly weakened by the absence of Chris Henry and John Afoa in the semi-final where Michael Bradley shrewdly exposed some holes around the fringes that Munster failed to find.)

Defence is the key

Ulster will not win if their defence leaks like it did in the semi-final. Leinster will test it to its limits and if the sheer speed and accuracy of their attack game overruns them, then neutrals will rightly applaud a great team and a possible sea change in the way the game is considered.

The current champions have a magnificent defence themselves and knowledge of how to win at this stage. They are long odds on - and should be - but they have to do plenty more than turn up. They probably have to lose the game to give Ulster a winning hand but the change in the sliding balance does not have to be enormous.

Ulster are a fine team. They have a scrum that could trouble the favourites, a line out that could dominate and a goal kicker who seems to have forgotten how to miss under pressure. That is a recipe for a European Cup winning team should their defence keep Leinster to few enough points to allow Ruan Pienaar to wield his magic boot.

Ulster have paid their dues

Ulster has come through the toughest pool in the tournament, beating Clermont Auvergne at home and gaining the all-important point in the Auvergne. As form lines go this is hugely significant.

Both Leinster in 2011 and Munster in 2008 went on to triumph after gaining that critical bonus point in Clermont. As a turf follower this sort of statistic makes a man think thrice before taking a bet against Ulster.

They are not to be underestimated; they have earned their place the hard way but this is the hardest test of them all. Whereas Pienaar acts as a guaranteed advantage normally the impeccable poise of the outstanding Jonny Sexton is likely to negate any gross superiority and if Ulster edge the forward battles in the tight, Leinster have an outstanding breakdown game.

The champions are sweating on Brian O' Driscoll's fitness. The great man is more than just a great player, he is a talisman. When he plays Leinster expect to win and in a crisis he so often produces the trump card.

With him I cannot see Ulster winning, without him they have a shot but Leinster - with or without their centre - have the versatility of styles and iron in defence to win yet again and send the neutrals to their summer breaks hoping Joe Schmidt has shown others the light.

Ulster will do everything within their power to extinguish it Saturday but I'll take the champions to find sufficient chinks to make it an amazing three from four Heineken trophies.

[rocky]

I think that's a very fair and balanced article. We must be careful not to adopt the victim stance with two shoulder chips. Underdogs yes, but that's all.

[Shan]

I really dont think we are that big underdogs.

We get our top team out, fit, and we can give them a real go.

If Leinster really are 4-1 on to win, I think I might actually have a bit of a bet on Ulster.

That's the spirit old chap. The closer we are getting to the game the more I am thinking that 3/1 on Ulster cannot be ignored.