Objective?

[Setanta]

Living abroad I did not see the game against London Irish but have followed only through articles and your fanmail for which I'm very grateful. I get to see most of the celtic league thanks to the Welsh BBC and S4c. BBC NI and radio Ulster seem to have only time for soccer and gaelic. (that's another thread!!)

Its very quiet at the moment so I thought I'll stir things a bit!!

The objective of any coach of Ulster, including MMC must be to prepare two teams of players capable of playing and winning in the Celtic league and the Heinekin. A club with the tradition, success, history and supporter base of Ulster requires at least a squad of at least thirty players capable of doing the business. Accepting this premise means a lot of the not so positive criticism should be put to bed. We need at least two players capable of playing in every position at that level. If we have players not capable enough then that's a problem; but its a problem that has to be solved outside of season and friendlies by transfers. Therefore the testing of as many players as possible in the two friendlies has got to have higher priority than actually winning these games. On the other hand, I have to agree entirely with the criticism of penalty kicking in friendlies. Trying out deep lying, hard-hitting, line breaking, try-scoring back moves has got to be the way to go. They can practice their goal-kicking in training.

That said, I await at least a four-try victory over Rotherham. Edinburgh beat them 55-7!! Initially I cannot see any Ulster players on the Irish team. Presumably the players having the pre-season rest are the only ones to be in danger of sitting on the bench during Internationals and those positions are covered (other than the debate about out-half). Interestingly Justin Fitzpatrick, Rowan Frost, Rod Moore, David Humphries, Kevin Maggs, and Adam Larkin are the only players not to have appeared together with Mr. Boss.


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[Cockatrice]

It will be interesting to see if UR make a public statement setting down their aims and objectives as they did last year.

At one stage those objectives changed from HEC qualification to 4 wins ending up with 3 when resting players for what was deemed the more important league game the week after.

In simple terms I would like to see us score more tries and concede less which in theory should see our position move further up the business end of the CL.

In truth we need one or two players like Trimble and indeed Ferris to simply make it impossible for the management to not pick them. We need Boss to show that he is only here for one reason and that is the Irish Nos 9 shirt. We need one last effort from Hump and Wallace to finally live up to the potential.

Next year will see the likely retirement of Hump, Maggs, Bell, Howe, Topping, Moore, Larkin possibly one or two others may leave. So players will need experience this year.

Most of all Ulster need to qualify for the knock-out stages of the HEC.

[Rooster]

Its very quiet at the moment so I thought I'll stir things a bit!!

Don't think much encouragement is required for stirring
We have got the makings of 2 teams but a lot of the players never get proper chances to establish themselves thus we finish up in a splutter when 1 or 2 players get injured.
To be honest about Heiny qualification I don't think we can win the group or with our traditional lack of trys get enough points to bag a runner up spot, winning games is important but in the leagues going now if you are not getting bonus points you will never get any silver, the continual kicking of far out or difficult penaltys with a half chance of 3 points has to be dropped and more down the line and push it up them has to be tried.

[Freddie Benson]

Frost and Larkin came on as 2nd half reps last week.
Fitzy was injured - seems should be on the pine this Friday.
Huphs was injured. This week Humphs, Maggs, Bowe, Campbell, McCullough and Wilson aren't available due to EO'S's interference.