Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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

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Neill_M
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by Neill_M »

Munster 38-22 Ospreys today. A win in Parma would take Ulster just the 18 points clear of 3rd placed Ospreys in the table.
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UlsterNo9
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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Neill_M wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:15 pm Munster 38-22 Ospreys today. A win in Parma would take Ulster just the 18 points clear of 3rd placed Ospreys in the table.
Very much bitter sweet for me. On one hand it's great if we could go 18 points clear, on the other it's a sad indication of the standard to which this league is currently at. Hoping the four South African teams supposedly joining is more than hot air.
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Neill_M
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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The Conferences are currently very unbalanced. B is much more competitive. Glasgow will pick up mind when their internationals return. The Cheetahs were competitive in A before they were cut. The 2 best Welsh sides are in B.

Watching Super Rugby competition in South Africa, currently the Cheetahs are 4th with the only SR side below them are the Lions. The new sides should add quality.
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big mervyn
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by big mervyn »

Neill_M wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:15 pm Munster 38-22 Ospreys today. A win in Parma would take Ulster just the 18 points clear of 3rd placed Ospreys in the table.
... and 43 pts clear of 4th placed Ospreys in the all-time (since the Welsh regions were formed and excluding Italian and SA sides but including results against them) Celtic League Table. I really haven't had much to do since Covid started! :lol:

Pld W D L TBP LBP Pts
1  Leinster 347 240 13 94 116 43 1145
2  Munster 347 228 7 112 107 53 1086
3  Ulster 347 204 14 129 88 55 987
4 Ospreys 347 199 12 136 75 67 962
5  Scarlets 347 194 10 143 88 63 947
6  Glasgow 347 191 13 143 93 59 942
7  Blues 347 169 7 171 67 68 825
8  Embra 347 157 6 184 61 77 778
9  Connacht 347 128 18 201 54 76 678
10  Dragons 347 122 9 216 35 72 613
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justinr73
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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Nice work.

I’d got as far as noticing that Leinster have made 9 out of the last 11 finals.

Not including the year that Les was robbed of the title of course.
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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justinr73 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:49 am Andrew started against Glasgow and has put clear water between himself and McBurney. I agree he should start and also in at least one of the next two games in this block.
Absolutely. I hope McBurney is taking some of what Andrew is doing on board - his fundamentals have been very good. For all McBurney's potential and enjoyable spikiness, he still needs to get the basics right first.
Dharper wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:53 pm Enjoying the game time investment in Lowry at 15 - starting to pay off.
same as - with Hume, Moore and others getting a bit more attention some of Lowry's excellent play has gone unnoticed a little. Delighted to see him getting consistent game time, with the caveat that I'd still like to see him at 10 a bit more!

That's some good statting Merv - the decline of the Welsh, and particularly the Ospreys, is criminal.
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big mervyn
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by big mervyn »

Loki wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:55 pm
justinr73 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:49 am Andrew started against Glasgow and has put clear water between himself and McBurney. I agree he should start and also in at least one of the next two games in this block.
Absolutely. I hope McBurney is taking some of what Andrew is doing on board - his fundamentals have been very good. For all McBurney's potential and enjoyable spikiness, he still needs to get the basics right first.
Dharper wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:53 pm Enjoying the game time investment in Lowry at 15 - starting to pay off.
same as - with Hume, Moore and others getting a bit more attention some of Lowry's excellent play has gone unnoticed a little. Delighted to see him getting consistent game time, with the caveat that I'd still like to see him at 10 a bit more!

That's some good statting Merv - the decline of the Welsh, and particularly the Ospreys, is criminal.
Yep. Ulster only overtook Ospreys last season. Very mediocre stats considering they have won the league on 4 occassions.
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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Ospreys are like Wales in the 6 N's in that regard. Either do very well and win the thing or are mediocre at best.
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by Bart S »

launish116 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:22 pm
justinr73 wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:54 pm Still no sign of Hume then.

Greg Jones in at 6.
Hope Jones has a good game, could do with some pressure on Rea Snr. Blindside is there for the taking.

Shame no sign of McCann, Allison.
I'd agree on Rea. He's a big lad who can carry but don't really see him imposing himself on games enough.
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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Article on Lowry playing 15 in the42

https://www.the42.ie/michael-lowry-ulst ... 7-Nov2020/
'Look at Damien McKenzie and Beauden Barrett, they can play multiple positions'
Ulster’s 22-year-old Michael Lowry is comfortable at either out-half or fullback.

WITH MANY RUGBY teams looking to get a second creative playmaker into their backline, we’re seeing a lot more out-halves doubling up as fullbacks, or even moving permanently into the number 15 shirt.

This might not be something totally new, but it certainly is becoming more and more common in New Zealand rugby and elsewhere.

The idea is that another decision-making player who can both distribute and pose a threat themselves in the number 15 shirt takes pressure off the man wearing the number 10 jersey.

Dan McFarland’s Ulster provide an interesting case study with their use of 22-year-old Michael Lowry, who came through underage as an out-half but has played more of his senior rugby at 15, while also still getting minutes at 10 for the province.

“It’s good to have players that can play in other positions and I’m happy to play anywhere,” says Lowry.

“Obviously, longer-term down the line I’d love to make a decision but you look at Damien McKenzie and Beauden Barrett, they can play multiple positions. I think the way the game is going, a lot of players can do that. The game is changing, it’s constantly evolving.”

Lowry will be in Ulster’s number 15 shirt for today’s Guinness Pro14 clash with Zebre in Italy [KO 6pm, eir Sport] but feels he now has a far greater appreciation for both positions.

“If I want to attack as a 10, I know how a 15 operates now and that wasn’t really a thing for me before,” says Lowry of the benefits.

“Now I know that it can help my game at 10 and vice versa. It is slightly different. There are more impacts and tackles at 10, at 15 there’s a lot more grass cover.”

When he’s at fullback, Lowry still enjoys taking on playmaking responsibility.

“Because I’ve played 10, I do think I can play in that playmaking role from fullback. There are different kinds of 15. The likes of McKenzie, he’ll be that playmaker, you won’t see much crash ball from him.

“As a 15, you can help out. I know from playing 10 that when you have a 15 who helps out, who splits the field with him on one side and you on the other, it makes life a lot easier making those decisions.”

Whatever the position, Lowry appears to have a bright future given his impressive form under McFarland.

Lowry has been working on the fine details around his kicking game meaning both his long kicking from hand and his shorter attacking kicks are showing consistent improvement.

“The more weapons you have going into a game, the better,” says Lowry. “If you’ve more shots to fire and teams don’t know what you’re going to do next, that unpredictability is a good thing.”

5ft 7ins Lowry certainly does bring an element of unpredictability that can unsettle defences.

As his recent instinctive finish against Cardiff underlined, Lowry also has startling acceleration to go along with his sharp footwork.

“Not over long distances, maybe the first 10 metres,” he says with a laugh when asked if he’s quicker than Ulster’s wings.

“The main thing with our backline is that we all back ourselves and you have to do that.”
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by justinr73 »

Marcel is a try scoring machine.
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UlsterNo9
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by UlsterNo9 »

justinr73 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:07 pm Marcel is a try scoring machine.
Think he may get man of the match :lol:
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by SparkyClarky »

Loving Mike Lowry’s energy and work rate! :fleg:
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

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SparkyClarky wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:56 pm Loving Mike Lowry’s energy and work rate! :fleg:
Plays with a smile on his face also which is great to see, genuinely loving his rugby.
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Re: Zebre v Ulster Monday 6pm

Post by big mervyn »

UlsterNo9 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:54 pm
justinr73 wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:07 pm Marcel is a try scoring machine.
Think he may get man of the match :lol:
Nobody else has scored 4 or more for Ulster in the professional era :bowdown:

I think 57 is probably also a record for an away game.
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