Ulster v Tiggers

[BR]

Does anyone know when Afoa is meant to be back?

I thought he said he was hoping to be Ok for next week, but maybe I just imagined that.

[222toHounslow]

[quote="tigerburnie"]Think our front row have a clear edge and also even without Croft, the lineout should be stronger for us too.

You appear to be talking out of your Crozier TB

[Joe Schmo]

both Marshalls to start, Roger to 6 and Nick at 8 i reckon

Nice one, didyouright!!!

[CIMANFOREVER]

Leicester Tigers (v Ulster Rugby, Ravenhill, Friday 8pm)
15 Niall Morris
14 Miles Benjamin
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Dan Bowden
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Geoff Parling
6 Ed Slater
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Terrence Hepetema

Baggy,right back atcha!

Thats a better second row than your comback to me and why I was nervous, even with Lutton now declared fit. And thats why I was concerned re only having busted Deccie as our only recognised T/H. As long as he doesn't get a dig, at least we have our 2nd and third choices available. But the Tiggers pack has considerably more firepower with Parling and Deacon than with Kitchener locking. TC and Nugget can take Cole I'm sure, and if DF stays on, he's an awkward shape for Mulipola to get round and down to. Poite may be the best ref in this situation. Ulster MUST get the nudge on, as Poite tends to favour a dominant scrum. But DF needs to maintain the illusion he's keeping it straight and up!

Parity in the packs, but think we have the advantage in the backs.

I'd also started Wilson 8, Hendo 6, to shore up the scrum, as I still don't think Big Nick is a locking 8. We'll need Wilsons' technique and control if we're under pressure, and Ruan for a calm head if it gets sticky in channel 1... but they can always swap around..

[UpAtSix]

Lecture over, intended I hope you will accept, without accusing you of being a chube.

I never claimed we were as strong as any of the French teams, but thinking back to even 2011-12 we've come a long way. It'll need to continue, as you say, before we can achieve world domination.

Thanks for not thinking I'm a chube (yet?) though!

I'm very excited about the team, definitely a few surprises in there. I think bazzaj has a point when he says we need at least one main carrying threat on the pitch at any time, though most would have thought Hendo to start and Nick coming on.

Very excited now, SUFTUM

[Big-al]

Very disappointed that Henderson is on the bench.

[BaggyTrousers]

No silly predictions, we all know this is going to be tough, but I just think we have every chance of getting something from this game, good luck, but not too much.

COME ON YOU TIGERRRRRrrrrrrrssssssss

Following the trend: Ulster 49 - 14 Leicester

Achh Neil surely they won't score 14 points, their Ravenhill average is 3.5.

Brilliant selection, I'm pretty much thrilled with that side in the absence of BBJ. Hugely strong bench options & I like the way Maaaaaak has set it up. Fight the good fight with the heavies then bring on the class to mop up. Excellent strategy General Anscombe.

I understand the Start Ruan & Start Hendo factions but I really really like our starting back row, wanted it from the Glasgow game & was disappointed with the selection for Ospreys. Brilliant work Maaaaaaaaak, yah had me fooled cowboy.

I see a very good win on the cards, enough to scare the living bejaysus out of Montpellier & the rest of Cheese-eating-surrender-monkeyland.

Sorry TB, close me ould Brennan, fee figh fo fum, I smell the blood of some Engleeeeishmen

Can anybody tell me the last Eeeeeeeeeeeengleeeeeeeeeeeeeish team to win at our place?

[Will59]

Maaark has said that reason RP is on bench is to give him more time to remember the calls!!

Expect to see him early in second half.

[BaggyTrousers]

Very disappointed that Henderson is on the bench.

Surely you didn't want him left out of the squad Al?

[Big Nose]

Can anybody tell me the last Eeeeeeeeeeeengleeeeeeeeeeeeeish team to win at our place?

The last one to play there?

[BuckRogers]

Tigers have an decent but not insurmountable advantage in the scrum IMO. Individually I think they all cancel the other out but the Tigers front five have always been a well oiled unit so I would be wary here...that said Northampton had them on toast a couple of times last week so all is not lost. I wouldn't rule out someone trying to reopen D.Fitz pretty early on. Beyond the front five I would say we are comfortably better apart from, perhaps, 9 and 10. Goneva will get little change out of Cave and I would imagine we will really be looking to target their 10-12-13-14 channels which the likes of Bowe, Trimble and Payne should expose.

As the auld man said, it all starts up front. Stop them here and we'll win, if they start getting penalties at scrum time it will certainly make our lives a lot more difficult.

[GLENN CORNICK]

Think our front row have a clear edge and also even without Croft, the lineout should be stronger for us too.

You appear to be talking out of your Crozier TB

How dare you insult the master-race 222. Don't you know your station in life my good man?


tigerburnie; our very own Irish RM



SUFTUM

[Rovi Snave]

Really pleased with the team and bench - especially the back row and Deccie & Lutton both available. Glad to see Nick start

Personally I would have preferred Ruan to start - however if small p can play as well as he did against Castres last year at Ravenhill then I'll be happy - if not, bring on Ruan early

Prediction - Ulster by 12

Getting very excited

C'MON ULSTERRRRRRRR

[ruckover]

Two strong teams, just how it should be

Disappointed Pienaar isn't starting but I suppose it's the right call. He's probably still suffering from Meyer's backward tactics

I'm going to stick my neck on the line and say that that Leicester team isn't as strong as it could be. The forwards are all beasts make no doubt about that. But that back line isn't the best Leicester have ever put out. Benjamin making his first competitive start for them, Goneva out of position (he looked a bit weak last weekend vs Saints), Bowden a bit of an unknown quantity, Flood apparently off his game (captaincy too much of a burden?) and YBY looked very rusty last weekend. If we can match them up front then I think our backs have them.

Ulster by 6

[OneMore]

Can anybody tell me the last Eeeeeeeeeeeengleeeeeeeeeeeeeish team to win at our place?

The last one to play there?

Indeed. And I wouldn't be terribly surprised if Team England went 2 for 2 at Ravenhill on Friday night. I think Williams and Wilson make for an unbalanced back row.

I've lost all confidence for this game. This time tomorrow I'll be bare-chested screaming the likelihood of a 40 point victory for us, but for now I'm really unsure about this.