Disapointing but no surprise really....

[againstthehead]

To be honest that was the kinda performance I was expecting. Too many of our guys were coming back from injury and we just haven't played enough rugby together for about 5 months. Okay, we did very well V leinster but I kinda felt that huge defensive effort might actually take the edge off us today...

Sarries played high pressure rugby which is what you need on the big occasion. Big games are won my strangling the opposition to death and taking your points on offer. You play the game in the opposition half and you batter the hell out of them until you get a penalty.
First half, we were tactically naive. We played far too much rugby in the first 20 mins and turned over sloppy ball. In contrast, Sarries just bombed the ball up and chased very well. That is all you need to do in these big games if you have a strong defence.
That said, the 1st try changed the game - did they knock on? Should they have been penalised for building a maul too soon?? Going 10 points behind at half-time was just too much....

Funny enough I'm not too disappointed. As I said above, winning with a thrown together side is a big ask. In addition, winning away from home in the QF in like hens teeth.... Most of the guys individually played well but collectively we just didn't have the gameplan to break sarries down. We could have given a better account of ourselves but sarries were very effective today and would have beaten most sides....

At least we beat Leinster last week so the league is very much all to play for. Lets lick our wounds then kick some butt!!

[Snipe Watson]

To be honest that was the kinda performance I was expecting. Too many of our guys were coming back from injury and we just haven't played enough rugby together for about 5 months. Okay, we did very well V leinster but I kinda felt that huge defensive effort might actually take the edge off us today...

Sarries played high pressure rugby which is what you need on the big occasion. Big games are won my strangling the opposition to death and taking your points on offer. You play the game in the opposition half and you batter the hell out of them until you get a penalty.
First half, we were tactically naive. We played far too much rugby in the first 20 mins and turned over sloppy ball. In contrast, Sarries just bombed the ball up and chased very well. That is all you need to do in these big games if you have a strong defence.
That said, the 1st try changed the game - did they knock on? Should they have been penalised for building a maul too soon?? Going 10 points behind at half-time was just too much....

Funny enough I'm not too disappointed. As I said above, winning with a thrown together side is a big ask. In addition, winning away from home in the QF in like hens teeth.... Most of the guys individually played well but collectively we just didn't have the gameplan to break sarries down. We could have given a better account of ourselves but sarries were very effective today and would have beaten most sides....

At least we beat Leinster last week so the league is very much all to play for. Lets lick our wounds then kick some butt!!

Yip

[jackthelad]

Yip also.

[Madiba]

brightside dublin is an expensive hole and we don't haver to go there twice in a month

[outsider]

Looking at the season to date as a whole, and trying not to throw the baby out with the bath water, I would like Maaaak to give some honest feedback about what went wrong. Ulster were the best team in Europe before Christmas, so what's gone wrong since? Is it just the injuries? You could see how disappointed the players were at the end of tonight's performance, but how do they now lift for the league?

[29xThePain]

We were too easy to read throughout the whole match.

Our kicking game was poor, our chasing game was worse. We looked so lazy on the chase it was shocking.

Rory had a bad day with the darts and wasn't as noticeable around the park as he usually was.

It was such a frustrating game to watch - we're a much better team but we just didn't show it. Losing a HEC QF hurts, losing it to Sarries, when they were (I think) out numbered in their own stadium, hurts a lot more.

Ashton's splash dive was right in the corner where I was sat - arrogance of the highest order, can't stand the wee scrote.

Went home a very deflated Ulsterman tonigth

[tommyblue]

Quite poor really . No easy solutions either

[LeinsterLad]

Genuinely gutted for Ulster fans, I know you deserved a lot better and I expected more from your lads to be honest. On the day perhaps not, but man for man I think Ulster are a better team than Sarries and I was really hoping to see you lot in Dublin in the final.

Truth be told, I don;t think any betting man would look past Clermont for the trophy, but I thought Ulster in Dublin would give them as good a game as any.

If it's any consolation, this Ulster side is a quality side, and are building towards a dominant European team, already considered a top European team without question. A lot of respect and best of luck next season. We'll fight you hard for the league though, was also hoping for a distraction for you lot!

[Bart S]

We were too easy to read throughout the whole match.

Our kicking game was poor, our chasing game was worse. We looked so lazy on the chase it was shocking.

Rory had a bad day with the darts and wasn't as noticeable around the park as he usually was.

It was such a frustrating game to watch - we're a much better team but we just didn't show it. Losing a HEC QF hurts, losing it to Sarries, when they were (I think) out numbered in their own stadium, hurts a lot more.

Ashton's splash dive was right in the corner where I was sat - arrogance of the highest order, can't stand the wee scrote.

Went home a very deflated Ulsterman tonigth

Rory had a bad day with the darts - how often has that been said this season for Ulster and Ireland.....

Ashton's finish was one of the few things of the highest order during that game.

[shamalicious]

Whatever you do, don't watch Breakfast this morning. They're showing that idiot's swan dive and will likely do so many times this morning.

[againstthehead]

One thing that has hurt us this season is a drop in goal-kicking returns. Over the past 2 seasons either Humph or Ruan was in super form. This year both Jacko and even Ruan haven't been quite on the money. Away from home, you need to take pretty much every opportunity on offer.

[Big-al]

Performances like this have become the norm for Ulster recently, the only exception being that we never played a team as clinical as Sarries.

When was the last time Ulster put in 2 top quality performances in a row? Probably Round 5 and 6 last season!!! IMO, there is a culture of backslapping within Ulster rugby that needs to change. It happened after the Saints match in rd 3, it happened after the QF last year, it happened after rd 5 this season and it happened again this week.

The same problems throughout the season also crept into our game, and for me as forwards coach has to take a lot of the responsibility. Our maul defence has been a disgrace under his watch, our lineout, whether it is Brady, Best or Herring has been way below par, so we can't just blame the hooker. Receiving the kick offs has been another big disappointment, why on earth is Jackson receiving them? Shouldn't a backrower be told to stand deeper? Our tactics in the 1st half were also poor, trying to run from deep inside your own half, with very little on is a recipe for disaster against a team like Sarries and forwards standing idol in midfield whilst the ball carrier is isolated is next to criminal. We actually looked surprised that Sarries were using a rush defense FFS and lets not forget about the work ethic in defending and attacking the high balls. Too many players never looked arsed, and that was all too clear when we were chasing high balls.

IMO, only Trimble, Bowe, Olding, Henderson and Gilroy can come out of that game with their heads held high, they put in so much effort. As for Cave, I don't think I've ever seen him play as bad as he did today, he was just a catologue of errors in defence and attack, and looked lazy off the ball. Anscombe was correct to bring him off early and I don't think many could get worked up if he was dropped for Payne/Bowe. Tuohy wasn't any better.

Best, Muller, Henry and Pienaar, our 4 leaders were also shockingly bad. Very seldom do we see them perform this poorly. Jackson reverted back to standing deep in the last 20 minutes as well. He needs to learn how to play 10 when his pack and number 8 are having dreadful games.

The biggest worry is Luke Marshall collecting another concussion. He should be told to sit out the rest of the season/summer tour.

[scrum5]

Pretty fair assessment, Al

[Lurgan Lad]

+1 here too Al.

Congrats to Saracens, they played their typical game very well, great defence, great tactics and kicking from hand and tee. They were very well prepared for us too, knew exactly what we were going to do on many occasions. We dominated them in the scrum and they managed not to give too many penalties away from it.

Think next season is going to be our best chance to win the thing, with it being a few guys last year for us.

Disappointing that familiar weaknesses in our game haven't been corrected, kickoffs, lineouts and so on, next to no progress in these areas.

[Snipe Watson]

Too much doom and gloom on the board today. We need to look at this in context. Sarries have an awesome lineout lead by Borthwick and he was intercepting every throw that went near him that pushed our throws to the tail and again Sarries knew where they were going. They pressured our throws and we knocked on fumbled. It is overly simplistic to blame Rory, his pressure throwing is part of the problem, but we need to sort out or entire lineout strategy.