OK Doaky, so where are we now?

[BaggyTrousers]

In light of yesterdays master-class in winning away games in the Heineken Cup I had a wee gander as a few older threads with my memory filled with the merchants of doom & gloom after Dragons & Weegies defeats.

Not many come out of the early weeks with much credit so I'll refrain from quoting any posts. Chubes unless they have remarkably short memories will know who they are.

What I will say is that the self-confessed "most humble man on the forum" got one thing very much right. We were undercooked after pre-season, 2 games and against Dragons, we played that way. It actually looked a whole lot worst than being undercooked, that was a performance where the only suitable word is disgraceful.

Allied to potentially being undercooked however was the frustration of another raft of injuries and the slow return of both Irish tourist & Lions tourists. It was never going to be a marker for how our season would go.

Thereafter however things have been more or less on an upward curve. Against Weegies we had one of those games where despite the performance being very solid to good in most areas, we missed chances, they stayed in the game & pulled off a smash and grab. That game saw the first appearance of Wilson Henry & Williams as the starting back-row and I took an instant liking to it.

The following week was a trip to Galway & we were a team in need of a win, any win, by any means. It started badly and got worse right until half-time. Paddy Jackson had a horror first forty but thereafter was just excellent & that has been how its been since, a man in excellent form and justifiably prompting Doc Dave to single him out for praise in a win that was all about the team, not individuals. Doc Dave was spot on to take a moment of great triumph for the entire organisation to sing the praise of a man who has received some ludicrous criticism, much of it from those who should know better.

Finally, the following week against Treviso, we took out chances with 5 tries and then looking forward we had Ospreys away, Tigers Home & Montpellier away.

On a few threads there was talk of the potential to lose all three, the happy reality is that we have won all three. In doing so we have scored only two tries, so what is the story, have we played well or have we squeezed through with a measure of luck?

I have no stats to back it up but for my money, our discipline has become very much better, our defence is exceptional and our goal-kicking success rate has soared. Further we are now more or less back with a close to full deck to select from, barring the much lamented Wallace & Ferris and temporarily Gilroy.

For me most importantly, coach Maaaaaak has made one or two experiments and has found out a few things about permutations. He has found that Roger Wilson is his first choice 6, that Jared Payne can play 13 but of course is wasted there, he has found out that Craig Gilroy might be cover for 15, though further experimentation would be needed on that call. Yesterday he also discovered that Robbie Diack can cope in an ultra-physical game (maybe he knew, I certainly needed it confirmed ).

Allied to the discipline we have also seen much better box kicking, no surprise with the return of Ruan of course, but finally we have matched that with something definitely missing early season, kick chasing. Yesterday our kick chase was so good that even the less than spot on kicks had expectations of a player arriving with the ball and Montpellier's back three were nervous as kittens.

The greatest thing about yesterday was discipline & cool heads, though the result was somewhat flattering, there was a time in the middle of the 2nd half when only the bravest of defence was enough as Montpellier got the bit between their teeth after their try. Then the crucial tackle from Paddy, a break away and a penalty and suddenly we were back in control & stayed there.

2nd best thing? Our pack, supposedly in for a hard time against a massive pack, came away bosses of the game. Unrelenting effort, the skipper looking more like himself, Dan Tuohy magnificent all round and surely in better form than any other 2nd row in Ireland, sadly he will be away during the AIs. The front row, with Rory Best showing for the umpteenth time that nobody plays harder for Ulster or with less concern for his body, all put in great shifts. Fat Deccie has manned up and even with his snatter-bone exposed has manned up big time this last 3 weeks, at no stage has anyone looked like dominating him and as for TC, again when some start grumbling about him, he yet again shows his value. John Afoa, if I'm not mistaken, "earned his wings" in the first scrum but put it behind him & as we all know will get better & better as he plays more games.

The back-row has been a strength, even in defeat to Weegies and we have the luxury of at least half a dozen guys there who will do a job & more. Fat Nick, Roger, Chad, Robbie, Hendo, Doyle & with any luck eventually a certain Mr Ferris.

We now have a run of fixtures that should lead us nicely into the next round of HC games: Caaaaaaaadiff H Scaaaaalets A Embra H Zebre A. From doom & unnecessary gloom we suddenly have a season that has come alive and has the potential to become memorable.

Seat belts on for an exciting ride, I love a good ride I do

[Joe Schmo]

Are you sure we're becoming more disciplined Baggy, I had thought the same, especially the last two HEC matches. However, some folks around here have been suggesting we've had favourable decisions, intimating the refs are siding with us. So, who do you blame for Ulsters raft of favourable penalty decisions and our opponents increased penalty count?

[BaggyTrousers]

Are you sure we're becoming more disciplined Baggy, I had thought the same, especially the last two HEC matches. However, some folks around here have been suggesting we've had favourable decisions, intimating the refs are siding with us. So, who do you blame for Ulsters raft of favourable penalty decisions and our opponents increased penalty count?

In the spirit of your "Blame Game" question, I blame Peter Robinson. No reason but then who needs a reason around here?

IN a spirit of outrage, there are many chubes hereabouts who always need a wee gurn, so if we win when the received wisdom is that we are for a digging, some crazed loons need to dream up something, like a ref favouring Ulster ......................FFS as if

Ah well sure its a variation on the fools who said, we only beat Castres because they had a weak team

I'm a pessimist by nature however that is a whole lot different from being a pessimist by inclination.

[LegsLikeSausages]

I agree with pretty much everything you have written Baggy.

Going forward though, I would really like it we looked like we might consider adding the odd drop goal to our arsenal.

Particularly in the game against Glasgow when we were hammering away at them and they conceded very few penalties, it would have won the game for us.

I can see tight games like that happening again and we need to recognise that there is another way to score points.

[LegsLikeSausages]

if we looked like


Bloody i thingy

[bazzaj]

With regards to Joes comments, I reckon its fair enough the amount of stick refs usually get on expert forums such as this, that we can admit when we have had ones that have reffed in our favour.
It still nowhere near balances out but the key 50/50s have been going our way of late, no question.
This however may not be so much of an indictment of luck but more to do with our discipline improving.
At any level it still applies if teams persistantly get on the wrong side of the ref they are liable to be penalised.
We acknowledge favourable officiating as we completely slate the opposite case in point Clancy at the RDS last season.

As for the the difference in our game of late for me has been the control and confidence from 10 both in attack and defence which we have not had.
This could be the missing ingredient in our search for success,subject to PJ maintaining this form.
To have both half backs with that ability now would appear to be devastating.
Any forward who has picked themselves up from rucks to see the ball in touch 30 metres downfield in his favour each time, will know the lift that can give a side.

[Russ]

With regards to Joes comments, I reckon its fair enough the amount of stick refs usually get on expert forums such as this, that we can admit when we have had ones that have reffed in our favour.
It still nowhere near balances out but the key 50/50s have been going our way of late, no question.
This however may not be so much of an indictment of luck but more to do with our discipline improving.
At any level it still applies if teams persistantly get on the wrong side of the ref they are liable to be penalised.
We acknowledge favourable officiating as we completely slate the opposite case in point Clancy at the RDS last season.

As for the the difference in our game of late for me has been the control and confidence from 10 both in attack and defence which we have not had.
This could be the missing ingredient in our search for success,subject to PJ maintaining this form.
To have both half backs with that ability now would appear to be devastating.
Any forward who has picked themselves up from rucks to see the ball in touch 30 metres downfield in his favour each time, will know the lift that can give a side.

We also have the defensive leader reinstated and in ridiculous form with and without ball at 13, and our best 15 at 15!

[Amiga500]

We also have the defensive leader reinstated and in ridiculous form with and without ball at 13, and our best 15 at 15!

Are you trying to make a case for playing our best players in their best positions?

Never catch on...

[Russ]

We also have the defensive leader reinstated and in ridiculous form with and without ball at 13, and our best 15 at 15!

Are you trying to make a case for playing our best players in their best positions?

Never catch on...

That was more of a by product of me trying to make people aware of Darren Cave's abilities.

[Dave]

Don't know if this was mentioned elsewhere but I thought that the leadership was excellent. Sometimes when we lose key games we cite a lack of this quality. At times there seemed to be almost heated discussions going on between Muller, Dan and Chad. I'm sure Rory was involved too. Also for Pienaar to take over kicking duties was perhaps key but needed a bold decision. There was plenty of other guys leading too.

[rumncoke]

For myself I thought before the Dragons match it was fixture to soon and a loss we might regret.Wales is no place to go to for a first game with a weaken squad.

Glasgow was a game we should have won but failed to do so for a number of reasons not least being the lack of strong wings and Paddy being green with the boot.

With Ruan back and the Irish players restored things are looking good.

There is along season ahead and provided some key player stay injury free we might see some good rugby and worthy results.

[UpAtSix]

Don't know if this was mentioned elsewhere but I thought that the leadership was excellent. Sometimes when we lose key games we cite a lack of this quality.

You're absolutely right, and more generally I noticed a great deal of talk right across the team in Montpellier. Even players like Tuohy and Diack were making a lot of noise, reorganising well and congratulating each other on good play. I think we're seeing a very unified team that's rediscovered its mojo, and I reckon we might well go undefeated until Christmas (assuming the Scarlets revert to type and let us boss their forwards around).

Looking at the Heineken Cup groups as they stand, I'd be bitterly disappointed not to get a home quarter. Fingers crossed we stay relatively injury free...

[bazzaj]

Don't know if this was mentioned elsewhere but I thought that the leadership was excellent. Sometimes when we lose key games we cite a lack of this quality. At times there seemed to be almost heated discussions going on between Muller, Dan and Chad. I'm sure Rory was involved too. Also for Pienaar to take over kicking duties was perhaps key but needed a bold decision. There was plenty of other guys leading too.

Not sure about that Dave I thought the bold decision would have been to keep PJ kicking.
He has to keep kicking to maintain confidence and form as all youngsters need in their development
Understand if he had been kicking badly but he was on the back of a 100% record in the previous game.
Letting RP back was definately the safer option for me.

[ColinM]

For me we are in a better place now than we were after the Saints away last year. We hammered them and had won >10 on the bounce. But it was based on big Nick surprise factor, on a slick offloading game and on winning games we should have lost.

This year we are playing an altogether more sustainable brand of rugby, resolute defence at the core, a 10 playing the game in the corners and a wizard at fullback who can pop up anywhere.

With Afoa and potentially Ferris to come back in, we are looking like a team nobody wants to or will want to play.

Hats off to Jonny Bell and Anscombe for the gameplans have been right on the money these last few weeks.

[Scranner]

Yesterday he also discovered that Robbie Diack can cope in an ultra-physical game (maybe he knew, I certainly needed it confirmed ).

Great post, Baggy. Just one small criticism regarding what you said about Diack. Robbie (IMO) has always been under-rated by many on this site. Perhaps he has suffered from comparison with Fez, who in his pomp was non-pareil. Diack will never be a Fez (who will?) but he brings so much to Ulster that it was no surprise to me that Ulster signed him for another three years. We are lucky to have him.