Bedford V Ulster RAvens

[BaggyTrousers]

BT said Olding was to start for Ravens?

No I feckin' didn't, you looking a fight again

Actually the Irish Times were confident on Wednesday that he would be playing:

In a further boost for the province, gifted centre Stuart Olding, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligament against Cardiff in March last year, is due to make his competitive return while playing for the Ulster Ravens against the Bedford Blues in a British & Irish Cup match at Deramore Park on Friday night (7.30).

Of course this doubles as info for anyone unable to find UR promoting the game. I'm wondering will the pitch be playable at 7.30 thenight?

Frankly I'm glad he's not playing if conditions are at all dodgy, wasn't his previous injury occasioned in the 80th minute of a Ravens game when some dickhead/Doakhead thought it a good idea for him to play 80 meaningless minutes?

[Russ]

BT said Olding was to start for Ravens?

No I feckin' didn't, you looking a fight again

Actually the Irish Times were confident on Wednesday that he would be playing:

In a further boost for the province, gifted centre Stuart Olding, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligament against Cardiff in March last year, is due to make his competitive return while playing for the Ulster Ravens against the Bedford Blues in a British & Irish Cup match at Deramore Park on Friday night (7.30).

Of course this doubles as info for anyone unable to find UR promoting the game. I'm wondering will the pitch be playable at 7.30 thenight?

Frankly I'm glad he's not playing if conditions are at all dodgy, wasn't his previous injury occasioned in the 80th minute of a Ravens game when some dickhead/Doakhead thought it a good idea for him to play 80 meaningless minutes?

Yes

Game well won and Olding was kept on

[BaggyTrousers]

Andy Warwick/Big Licence emerged as the great white hope a wee while back and was looking highly promising. Then for some reason best known to the coaching staff, he went for months barely getting 10 minutes here and there. I regularly posted my distress that he was not being well managed.

Now, as an interlude, here is a wee theory for you all. I believe there are at least two players of mature age in the Ulster squad who have become fathers in the last clatter of months. I believe two specifically have shown almost zero form this season. Lack of sleep or lack of interest is my question?

Back to Big Licence, he is still a very young prop, I will take a lot of convincing that with the proper handling he will not be a very good prop. He & McCall could be propping that side of the scrum for a decade, they should be used with intelligence and encouraged to give her plenty from the start knowing something decent is coming behind them after 50-60. Great position, let's up our management don't feck it up.

Herbst & Ah-feck on the other side & presumably still Lutton, looking decent, but you can never have enough decent props, look at Mexico, coming down with the best tightheads in the country - for another few months anyway.

[Russ]

So we now have 6 pro 13 standard props and 2 international standard props

I'm fine with our propping department

We have 2 international standard hookers

Our second row is shoring up. The new Irish signing might allow us to play him, AOC and Van in big games allowing us to move Hendo to 6

Just 7 and 8 to sort and a backrow bench

For next year we have no 8s of any worth in the squad
A 7 who has looked woefully off the pace since returning from rwc

[pwrmoore]

So we now have 6 pro 13 standard props

Is that a typo or are you hinting at something russ?

[Russ]

So we now have 6 pro 13 standard props

Is that a typo or are you hinting at something russ?

Aberdeen

[BuckRogers]

Who are these international standard props of whom you speak?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

I believe there are at least two players of mature age in the Ulster squad who have become fathers in the last clatter of months.

Altogether now ...

TWO Luke Marshalls
There's only two Lu-uke Marshalls .....

[Russ]

Who are these international standard props of whom you speak?

Herbst
McCall

[BuckRogers]

Can't call two players that haven't even played A level international standard. McCall especially is doing well but let's not lose the run of ourselves.

[Russ]

Can't call two players that haven't even played A level international standard. McCall especially is doing well but let's not lose the run of ourselves.

I know what I'm talking about.

[Gryzor]

I guess the wider point I'm trying to make is...was Warwick ever so much better than McCall that Clarke tried to force him into becoming a hooker? What was running through Clarke's head when he ignored Lutton until the last league match of the season last term and successfully ignored McCall for ALL of last season?

Very good question (to which the answer is no) - I think McCall was seriously messed around, he had already made his bow for Ulster most notably in the infamous 100 minute game against Leinster & Clancy, locking out the last scrum at tighthead against Healy in his pomp. From there to basically nowhere for 2 seasons, plus the hooker experiment - crazy. It wasn't his form either, he was great for Hinch last year.

We hear that Clarke is a hard task master and demands high standards but I believe that Lutton and McCalls fitness was up there with the best of the props. Their ability is there for all to see so maybe it was attitude? Or maybe it was Clarke identified Warwick and wanted to promote the guy he'd found so he looked better...just like it was HIM and him alone that fixed the scrum on Sunday?

Definitely not attitude with McCall - I know a few lads who'd have played with him a good bit, they'd say he's exemplary, really hard-working and hungry... I think Clarke obviously fancied Warwick - which is fair enough, he's a good player too. I think in McCall, Warwick and Black Ulster have three good LHs, which is what you need. But I can't help but feel that Kyle was messed about, and 2 seasons of his career basically wasted.

[Russ]

I guess the wider point I'm trying to make is...was Warwick ever so much better than McCall that Clarke tried to force him into becoming a hooker? What was running through Clarke's head when he ignored Lutton until the last league match of the season last term and successfully ignored McCall for ALL of last season?

Very good question (to which the answer is no) - I think McCall was seriously messed around, he had already made his bow for Ulster most notably in the infamous 100 minute game against Leinster & Clancy, locking out the last scrum at tighthead against Healy in his pomp. From there to basically nowhere for 2 seasons, plus the hooker experiment - crazy. It wasn't his form either, he was great for Hinch last year.

We hear that Clarke is a hard task master and demands high standards but I believe that Lutton and McCalls fitness was up there with the best of the props. Their ability is there for all to see so maybe it was attitude? Or maybe it was Clarke identified Warwick and wanted to promote the guy he'd found so he looked better...just like it was HIM and him alone that fixed the scrum on Sunday?

Definitely not attitude with McCall - I know a few lads who'd have played with him a good bit, they'd say he's exemplary, really hard-working and hungry... I think Clarke obviously fancied Warwick - which is fair enough, he's a good player too. I think in McCall, Warwick and Black Ulster have three good LHs, which is what you need. But I can't help but feel that Kyle was messed about, and 2 seasons of his career basically wasted.

Au contraire

Those 2 seasons in the AIL against knarly cheating feckheads will have served him very well

It's the doaking about to hooker that pished me right aff

[Neill_M]

12 10 to Bedford HT. Stockdale the try scorer.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

17 10 to Bedford. Stockdale still the try scorer.