2018/19 End of Season Review

Talk about the men in white, and everything Ulster!!

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
shamalicious
Lord Chancellor
Posts: 5379
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:32 am

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by shamalicious »

Maybe BJ will take his chance.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Nevin Spence 26 April 1990 – 15 September 2012 gone but never forgotten
rumncoke
Lord Chancellor
Posts: 7872
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:39 pm

2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by rumncoke »

Positives

The only players on the sick list are Addison and Gilroy with the possibility that at least one might be ready before the start of the season .

Over two years a lot of the Old Guard have retired .

There are a couple left like Ludic and Herring but the remainder have several years ahead of them provided they remain injury free and a seasons experience behind them with a couple of new faces to add depth in the squad .

9 &10 are the major concerns hopefully a change of environment and coaches will develop Johnston . My view of Lowry is a matter of record and McPhilips doesn’t seem to inspire the coaches his latest performance being one where the ideas were ambitious but the execution leaving something wanting .

Both need to forget the gym and work more with ball in hands regardless of the weather — wind ,rain sunshine - grass or plastic- kicking ,passing short - long — flat and deep aLong with catching —-skills and more skills
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Within this carapace of skepticism there lives an optimist
Frank
Novice
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:19 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by Frank »

Didn't see so much of Ulster this season but saw the glorious failure to an off colour Leinster team in the European quarter final.
For my money if you have a competitive back row it gives you half a chance.
Marcel has been terrific and the pack is shaping up to be decent and competitive.

There is reasonable quality out wide but it's a shame that PJ and RP aren't around because the side lacks direction and control in these areas that they had in spades.

I think it's to be more of the same next season, a lot of promise but falling short when it truly matters as they are lacking the class players at this stage to get to the next level.
therealspratt
Warrior Chief
Posts: 1617
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:53 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by therealspratt »

It was a lot more enjoyable to watch Ulster this season.
jean valjean
Chancellor to the King
Posts: 3092
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2016 10:03 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by jean valjean »

Maybe see a bit more of this chap next year??

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/ ... 28839.html

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
User avatar
Dave
Rí­ na Cúige Uladh
Posts: 24528
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:27 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by Dave »

Unreal speed for an irish rugby player at any level nevermind a schoolboy. If he knows how to use it he could be a phenomenal player.
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
User avatar
kingofthehill
Red Hand Ambassador
Posts: 2663
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:43 am

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by kingofthehill »

jean valjean wrote:Maybe see a bit more of this chap next year??

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/ ... 28839.html

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
You won’t see him in an ulster shirt next year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The King is dead. Long live the King.
damianmcr
Lord Chancellor
Posts: 6665
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:56 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by damianmcr »

Wheres he off?
User avatar
Dave
Rí­ na Cúige Uladh
Posts: 24528
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:27 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by Dave »

7s?
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
User avatar
kingofthehill
Red Hand Ambassador
Posts: 2663
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:43 am

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by kingofthehill »

Dave wrote:7s?
Yep,hopefully will turn out to be the next Rieko Ioane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The King is dead. Long live the King.
launish116
Initiate
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 12:25 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by launish116 »

7s hasn't done Baloucoune any harm
jean valjean
Chancellor to the King
Posts: 3092
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2016 10:03 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by jean valjean »

Not a bad time to go on the 7s circuit. Travel the world and play in big stadiums. Only hope he still wants to come back ravenhill at the end of it.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Frank
Novice
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:19 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by Frank »

There was a Roger Sexton who was a phenominal sprinter and Irish schools rugby winger from BGS at the time when Small McCall captained their schools cup winning team.
Wonder if he's related to this guy as the age profile fits.
User avatar
UlsterNo9
Lord Chancellor
Posts: 5708
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:02 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by UlsterNo9 »

Frank wrote:There was a Roger Sexton who was a phenominal sprinter and Irish schools rugby winger from BGS at the time when Small McCall captained their schools cup winning team.
Wonder if he's related to this guy as the age profile fits.
Father and son :thumleft:
BRING OUR BOYS HOME #BOBH
THROWN UNDER THE BUS AND EXILED 14/04/18
User avatar
Columbo
Squire
Posts: 790
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:56 pm

Re: 2018/19 End of Season Review

Post by Columbo »

Definitely a successful season, Dan has done an absolutely sterling job technically (as has Jared), but I think he has also stamped his authority and re-established a more normal hierarchy at the club (where senior players can have input, but not call the shots, which I understand has been the case in the not too distant past...) and put to bed a lot of the court intrigues and backstabbing..

I was looking back - McCall resigned in Nov '07, so over 11 years ago, and looking back through the coaching tickets since then, there isn't a single one that I would describe as being solid or credible, or showing any signs of strategic planning. There's no doubt in my mind that we have suffered because of the lack of stability and continuity under a strong coaching set-up. So fingers crossed this is the one.

I think this season shows how important good coaching is in rugby - good players can look like mugs in a poorly-coached side (on the flip side players who aren't natural stars can be very good in a well-coached side). So a very heartening thing is seeing players who aren't much-vaunted having impactful seasons, like Treadwell, Ross, Warwick, Kane, Shanahan never mind EOS who we had hardly even heard of this time last year.. I have noticed in pre-match warm-ups, everything just looks slicker, all the unit drills work much better, everyone looks like they know what they're doing.

Another great thing is the breakthrough of young guys, impressive showings from Baloucoune, Lowry, Hume, Kernohan, Lyttle (feels like he's been around for ages, but he's still just 22) as well as O'Toole - who I think is going to be phenomenal.. I think we're maybe a bit blase about him, but to make your debut at THP at 19, and to be coming close to holding your own by 20 is not usual... (Furlong didn't make his first appearance for Leinster until he was 21). I saw him up close down at 'Hinch towards the end of the season, and thought he looked noticeably bigger, I think he's going to be a star..

Challenges for next year: I think there's work to be done on the mental side / leadership, I think this is actually made easier by Rory's retirement as it gets rid of an over-reliance on him, and in fairness I think Dan has already made improvements here (we've gone away and picked up good results when we needed them, particularly in the second half of the season, without key players), but the two collapses against Glasgow show that more needs to happen. And finally... I've tried all season to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I think that either Burns needs to step up his level dramatically, or BJ / Lowry need to take his place, because as things stand I can't say that I think we'll go anywhere fast without serious improvement at 10.. The problem is that BB firstly isn't consistent, but more importantly has some glaring technical weaknesses (tackling - he's the worst tackler I've ever seen, goal-kicking, positional kicking, garryowens, easiness to read). The comparison with Hastings was pretty brutal, in terms of skill levels and disguise, every time he had the ball you couldn't tell what he was going to do, whereas while BB is a good passer, you could read every play a mile in advance..

So a couple of big issues for him to chew over during the summer, but a good first season, and hopefully much more to come!
..one more thing
Post Reply