Ulster v Munster Friday April 22 7:35pm KO BBC2NI / RTE2 / Premier Sports 2 / URC TV / Super Sport

[flatpass]

If only Hendy could put in a performance like Beirne did the last time.

I thought Hendy put in a performance on Saturday against Toulouse. He’s a player who needs game time to get up to his best form, and it seemed to me that on Saturday he was getting there.

[StandUp]

Hendy gets through a ton of work but Beirne does that AND all the eye catching stuff too.
I agree Flatpass. He needs game time.

[MightyRearranger]

It’s time for Lowry. He would be missed at fullback but burns has been given plenty of time and for me has done ok. But ok just isn’t good enough any more.

In my opinion we play a lot better as a team when we've a second playmaker in the back-line. It's something that Paddy Wallace used to do for us from inside centre, but more recently it's been Addison (when fit) or Lowry at full back and I think we look a lot more predictable when one of them isn't playing.

I'm not sure what Lowry's best position will be long term and would like to see him get a run at ten as well, but would rather it was left until a time when the effective selection choice is Addison/Stockdale/McIlroy v Burns, rather than Lyttle/Moxham v Burns.

[justinr73]

The wheels started to come off against Toulouse at about the same time Billy did.

[Neill_M]

Officials confirmed:

Ulster Rugby vs Munster Rugby at Kingspan Stadium, Belfast - 19h35
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Referees: Andrew Cole, Paul Haycock
Television Match Official: Brian MacNeice

[StandUp]

The wheels started to come off against Toulouse at about the same time Billy did.

Doaks fault.

[allezlesverres]

I’d like to think ulster would go into the match as favourites.

You'd think right Big-al. Currently bookies have Ulster as comfortable favourites with 7 points on the handicap.

The suggestion however that we might be without Billy Burns at 10 is a worry. Not to imply that Billy hasn't had his downs as well as ups, but none of the other options at 10 (even Lowry) have put in anything even approaching a convincing performance at 10 this season.

[Bart S]

I’d like to think ulster would go into the match as favourites.

You'd think right Big-al. Currently bookies have Ulster as comfortable favourites with 7 points on the handicap.

The suggestion however that we might be without Billy Burns at 10 is a worry. Not to imply that Billy hasn't had his downs as well as ups, but none of the other options at 10 (even Lowry) have put in anything even approaching a convincing performance at 10 this season.

Any stats guru out there able to enlighten me (and anyone else interested) as to how many games anyone other than Burns has started at 10 this season?

It feels to me like Burns has started all bar a few and I am not sure if anyone else has even had 2 consecutive starts at 10 this season.

[austintranslation]

I’d like to think ulster would go into the match as favourites.

You'd think right Big-al. Currently bookies have Ulster as comfortable favourites with 7 points on the handicap.

The suggestion however that we might be without Billy Burns at 10 is a worry. Not to imply that Billy hasn't had his downs as well as ups, but none of the other options at 10 (even Lowry) have put in anything even approaching a convincing performance at 10 this season.

Any stats guru out there able to enlighten me (and anyone else interested) as to how many games anyone other than Burns has started at 10 this season?

It feels to me like Burns has started all bar a few and I am not sure if anyone else has even had 2 consecutive starts at 10 this season.

The only match Billy Burns hasn't started 10 for Ulster this season was one of the South African away matches. Bulls I think.

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[big mervyn]

Got an extra E terrace tkt if anybody is interested. £25 - £5 less than face value and NO tktbarsteward fee!

[allezlesverres]

It feels to me like Burns has started all bar a few and I am not sure if anyone else has even had 2 consecutive starts at 10 this season.

I think you're right Bart although my feeling is that no one else has been trusted to start because no one else is good enough in training to convince Dan that they're worth a gamble. Lowry has had a few opportunities as substitute 10 and hasn't shone in any of them. Madigan has fallen off a cliff somehow, he must have one foot out the door which is a shame, I thought he would be putting pressure on BB for a starting jersey when he signed. Is my memory failing me or did Doak shuffle out to 10 in one game this season? I had in my mind that he did and that he did a pretty decent job of it. Which sort of tells it's own story, that our best back up 10 is actually a 9.

[rumncoke]

Doak slipped over to 10 when Madigan got subbed and played about 10 -15 mins at 10 in South Africa was doing a fairly good job until he went for a flat pass to the wing which was read - intercepted - and run in for a try - in a game already lost. Lowry was retained at 12 .

Other than that he has stood in for Cooney at 9 for most of his games when starting and as a sub when Cooney returned.

We all know Why and where Ulsters 10 is and regret the only people suffering due to it are the Men and Women who stand on the terrace at Kingspan.

Unforgiving Misandry and P-nis Envy let loose and given head .

[richardt84]

It feels to me like Burns has started all bar a few and I am not sure if anyone else has even had 2 consecutive starts at 10 this season.

I think you're right Bart although my feeling is that no one else has been trusted to start because no one else is good enough in training to convince Dan that they're worth a gamble. Lowry has had a few opportunities as substitute 10 and hasn't shone in any of them. Madigan has fallen off a cliff somehow, he must have one foot out the door which is a shame, I thought he would be putting pressure on BB for a starting jersey when he signed. Is my memory failing me or did Doak shuffle out to 10 in one game this season? I had in my mind that he did and that he did a pretty decent job of it. Which sort of tells it's own story, that our best back up 10 is actually a 9.

I’m nearly certain there was a post from KOTH, potentially in pre-season, which said Lowry would be the long term 10 and he’d be getting a lot more game time there over the course of this season. I assume Addison’s injury put paid to any short term plans to give Lowry more time at 10 but additional, Dan’s recent reference to him as an ‘international standard 15’ might mean it’s not an option for when Addison returns.

[jean valjean]

If and when Addison returns we need to get him and lowry on the pitch together and it not be an either or.
Cooney, lowry, stockdale, big stu, hume, balacoune and Addison would be my starting backline when all fit.

[d4surfer]

Munster: Mike Haley; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Thomas Ahern; Jack O’Donoghue (C), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.

Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Jason Jenkins, Fineen Wycherley, Conor Murray, Ben Healy, Chris Cloete.