Ulster Ravens vs Bridgend Ravens

[Rooster]

What bugs me about these Ravens matches is the home one on the same weekend as the home HEC and away when HEC away surely would have been better to have Ravens at home when Ulster away ? same with Munster this weekend.

[Bart S]

Seems like NOC had a good game....

[waggonsroll]

From my perspective the Ulster Branch report is a bit rose tinted. The first half was very even with a multitude of basic errors from both sides. Ulster Ravens made heavy weather of keeping possession and it was more like a table tennis match. As soon as one side scored/lost possession/had a turnover the other side played for a few minutes until they did the same and then it started again. As noted it was 16 all at half time. Second half Ulster Ravens romped away as Bridgend Seriously tired. No more than you would expect with a pro/development squad like Ulster. The real tests will come when we play sides with the same proffessional set up. That said you can only play what is in front of you and Ulster took their chances very well. The first half rustiness wore off and they started to look like a side rather than 15 individuals. This was even though the bench was emptied with good effect to bring fresher players on. I didn't see Roger get a knock so it looked a planned sub at half time.
Individuals who stood out: NOC kicked well from the tee and after twice early in the first half missing touch with penalties his kicking from hand became better. It might be something to check on but both these misses were when kicking to the left. His kicking to the right touch line was fine. Roger was fairly quiet but showed his strength when required. I don't think he can be considered match fit for a couple of weeks yet except in a dire emergency. D'Arcy was on the wing but did drop back to cover full back at times and made some pretty incisive runs. Cochrane likewise and his 2 tries were both well taken. Scrum wasn't bad but was sometimes out muscled by Bridgend who seemed to be a much more cohesive unit. Final report - not a bad effort but will need to be a more cohesive unit against the better teams. The young lads played well and will get better with more matches and time together (if they are allowed it). It will be nice this year if the ravens can have a more settled team than the last couple of years.

[darkside lightside]

waggonsroll - that's probably about right, although in fairness I think we definitely stepped up the performance in the second half, rather than it just all being about Bridgend tiring. When we ran a couple of tries in, their heads dropped and we ran away with it, but I think we earned it..

NOC was good, kicked his goals, and made a couple of nicely disguised inside passes, notably for Annett's try (IIRC). All of Ulster's backs looked lively at various stages, Cochrane made a number of good breaks and doesn't half know the way to the try line, I think Olding impressed me most. He also appears to have bulked up, he looked very solid out there.

Wilson was quiet, just easing himself back in. I also thought that Annett looked quite a lot bigger than the last time I saw him play (which I think was back when he was playing for Ireland U-20s a couple of years back), and he took his try very well, stepping his way to the line like a back!

[gannonman]

It really frustrates me how long Cochrane is having to wait to get into the senior side. Just shows the strength we have in the back 3. Personally believe he would walk into a number of professional sides starting 15.

[kingofthehill]

It really frustrates me how long Cochrane is having to wait to get into the senior side. Just shows the strength we have in the back 3. Personally believe he would walk into a number of professional sides starting 15.

+1 but like you said there is serious strength in the back 3.

He's still young and if he keeps going how he is then its only a matter of time!

[ruckover]

He should get a chance during the AIs. Trimble and Bowe will definitely be away and Gilroy may be there (probably not).

[mikerob]

Cochrane isn't that young (relatively speaking...) He is over 2 years older than Gilroy and will be 24 in December so is a long way behind the people ahead of him when it comes to experience but doesn't have the time to develop that a 20 year old would have.

I hope he gets a decent chance during the AIs and 6N but he is at a stage where he is vulnerable to an up-and-coming wing entering the academy who may be seen as having better long term potential, but I don't know if there is anybody who fits that description (given UR haven't announced who is in the academy...)

[ColinM]

Successive coaches have viewed Cochrane as being down the pecking order, Mike Allen has lepfrogged him this term, Gilroy did two years ago. During the AI's if our centres arent in Dublin probably D'Arcy, Allen and Nelson would get game time on the wing ahead of him.

Not sure if its bulk, attitude or defence he is lacking, or maybe the Ravens is about his level. Is he significantly better than those cast aside or ignored by UR like Gaston, McCrea, Smyth, Whitten, Lawton?

[Nightsoil]

Cochrane isn't that young (relatively speaking...) He is over 2 years older than Gilroy and will be 24 in December so is a long way behind the people ahead of him when it comes to experience but doesn't have the time to develop that a 20 year old would have.

I hope he gets a decent chance during the AIs and 6N but he is at a stage where he is vulnerable to an up-and-coming wing entering the academy who may be seen as having better long term potential, but I don't know if there is anybody who fits that description (given UR haven't announced who is in the academy...)

If Rory Scholes - who is mainly a full-back but can play wing if my memory serves - isn't in the academy, I'd be surprised. Obviously not ahead of him in the pecking order yet, as can be seen by him only being on the bench for the Ravens, but given time... I like what I've seen of Cochrane, I'm surprised he hasn't been given a fuller chance - but if I was a friend of his, I'd tell him to tout myself around the Championship. If he's the player we think he is, he'll have a Premiership contract after a season, and from there he's in a position to make the case for Ulster to bring him back home.

[Lurgan Lad]

It really frustrates me how long Cochrane is having to wait to get into the senior side. Just shows the strength we have in the back 3. Personally believe he would walk into a number of professional sides starting 15.

Should be playing out west imo, your career is too short to be as patient as he is, if he is ambitious. He has been leapfrogged too many times to hope that he will play long term professionally for Ulster.

[fuzzylogic]

gannonman wrote:
It really frustrates me how long Cochrane is having to wait to get into the senior side. Just shows the strength we have in the back 3. Personally believe he would walk into a number of professional sides starting 15.

The boy is a stand out in the UL and AIL. He is decent enough for the Ravens.

Maybe you c=should drop the Dungannon bias and realise that maybe he just isnt as good as you like to think he is.

[gannonman]

Sorry fuzzy but the people above seem to agree with me? Maybe you should watch him a bit more often before commenting that I am so called 'bias'. Just my opinion.

[fuzzylogic]

by gannonman » Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:37 pm

Sorry fuzzy but the people above seem to agree with me? Maybe you should watch him a bit more often before commenting that I am so called 'bias'. Just my opinion.

No ... the people above to not agree with you.

The people above think he should drop down a level and try the English championship or go join McCrea warming the Connacht bench and they mention that successive coaches have viewed him down the pecking order. It has also been mentioned that he is getting older but not really gaining any experience.

How in the world do you make any of that agree with what you've said...

No one else is frustrated with how long he is having to wait.

[gannonman]

You are speaking for about 5 people who have commented on this page. It has also been written that 'he doesn't half know his way to the try line' and ' I'm suprised he hasn't been given a fuller chance' If you come down to DClub and ask about some of the Ulster contracted players you would hear how they think they deserve a bigger chance. Why? Because we see them play most weeks. I think Cochrane is a fantastic player and it frustrates me and others I know that he has not been given more chances in the first team. He has scored 2 tries in the three games he has played for Ulster. Scores in nearly every Ravens game he plays in and scored something like 15 tries in 19 games for us (Dungannon) last year and has two tries this year as well. Am I being bias? No I'm backing up my point with facts. What more do you have to do? I agree that he should seek elsewhere if not given enough chances this season and I also agree that Allen started the season superbly and leapfrogged him. It's not something that I find hard to admit. I just feel for him that he is doing everything in his power to break into the team and can't.