The UAFC

Highlight of the game for me, the ref, who had a good game, telling Sexton that he didn’t know why he was shaking his head and to get on with the game, loved that...

We need to start getting ruthless with these contracts. Guys like Robbie Diack, the most average player possible making a long career and small fortune out of Ulster rugby. Cut Faddes and Carter free and put the money into ONE top class hard nosed forward.

Another year, same old Ulster.

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:43 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:35 pm

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:22 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:18 pm When I played, both of those were offences and were strictly applied.

The first was deemed to be illegally preventing a fair tackle, the second was dangerous play towards a tackler.

I confess I never read the laws, but that was drummed into us even at school and whether in the laws or not was certainly an interpretation by referees, probably before you were born.

Sorry aul han, if those things were reffed as being illegal, shoot the ref. And the teacher. And the coach.

Well the teacher was the coach and he went on to coach Ulster, so thought he knew something about the game.

He wasn't the only one though as anytime someone tried to do anything more than step a tackle, they were penalised by any number of refs.

If we'd shot them all,I doubt anyone would have wanted to pick up a whistle.

I don't want to be argumentative, but speaking as a ref, the things you mentioned have never been and still aren't an offence under the laws of rugby.

Coaches, God love them but we're talking about why the ref tonight didn't blow up for infringements - the answer is they aren't infringements.

correct, not offences

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:37 pm

solidarity wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:32 pm We were always taking the ball either static or dandering forward. How often did a runner take the ball at pace?
Leinster were really steady through the whole game, really well drilled and superbly efficient. Great defence and incisive attack.

They defended well and we ran out of ideas on how to get through them. Resorted to crabbing across the pitch time and time again,and they were happy to let us.

Leinster play a gain line game, flat at the line with little else happening until they got you numbers.
They have one way of playing, if it doesn’t work their players don’t have the skills to go to adapt.

Round the corner,round the corner . 3 tries from mauls

Also that's 2 weeks in a row where we've come out at half time and failed to perform. What is being said in the dressing room? Whatever it is, it isn't working.

Shades of same old but it's not often that Leinster have to work that hard at the RDS. James Ryan's face was in bits.

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:39 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:30 pm

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:28 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:26 pm

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:19 pm Cooney
Burns
Faddes
Coetzee
Maybe McCloskey

They lost us this game tonight.

You giving no credit to Leinster's defence?

They're not one of the best teams in Europe simply because some opposition players in every match don't play to their potential.

I won't give the opposition credit for our mistakes. Our missed tackles. Our tom kite decision-making. Our tom kite box kicking. Our high tackles. Our sleeping defensively.

I would suggest that a lot of that was because of their defence and our inability to puncture that.

So their defence caused us to knock the ball on 3 times from a decent pass?

Their defence caused us to field a kick in our own 22 and not call a mark?

Their defence caused us to jump 1m out of line and miss a tackle against Dave "useless" Kearney ?

Their defence caused a homeward-bound Saffer to commit 3 high tackles?

Their defence caused our #12 to run arouns the pitch doing his best headless chicken impression?

Etc ad nauseam.

In part, yes - that's what pressure does to any team - cause mistakes.

It perhaps doesn't explain individual errors one by one, but it does build up.

Do you honestly think those players caused us to lose? I would begrudgingly admit that Leinster were better than us - end of.

Every other team in the league, bar Connacht, must have five players who cost them each match too, and even Connacht conceded 4 tries too.

Out of curiosity, you you believe that the Saffer being homeward bound had a bearing on his play?

Mcilroy was really good

I really hope we are getting rid of Faddes

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:43 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:35 pm

John_e_boy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:22 pm

Cap'n Grumpy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:18 pm When I played, both of those were offences and were strictly applied.

The first was deemed to be illegally preventing a fair tackle, the second was dangerous play towards a tackler.

I confess I never read the laws, but that was drummed into us even at school and whether in the laws or not was certainly an interpretation by referees, probably before you were born.

Sorry aul han, if those things were reffed as being illegal, shoot the ref. And the teacher. And the coach.

Well the teacher was the coach and he went on to coach Ulster, so thought he knew something about the game.

He wasn't the only one though as anytime someone tried to do anything more than step a tackle, they were penalised by any number of refs.

If we'd shot them all,I doubt anyone would have wanted to pick up a whistle.

I don't want to be argumentative, but speaking as a ref, the things you mentioned have never been and still aren't an offence under the laws of rugby.

Coaches, God love them but we're talking about why the ref tonight didn't blow up for infringements - the answer is they aren't infringements.

As I said, I bow toyour better knowledge.

In a way, it doesn't surprise me as I was a round ball ref and it never failed to amaze me how many "laws" players and coaches would quote, which never existed. Even now I see Premiership managers querying referee decisions based on lack of knowledge of the laws.

Albeit, I could be out of date with footy laws now too.

pip14 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:55 pm Mcilroy was really good

I really hope we are getting rid of Faddes

We aren’t and you’re being harsh.

McIlroy is a cracker.

kingofthehill wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:58 pm

pip14 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:55 pm Mcilroy was really good

I really hope we are getting rid of Faddes

We aren’t and you’re being harsh.

McIlroy is a cracker.

kingofthehill wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:58 pm

pip14 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:55 pm Mcilroy was really good

I really hope we are getting rid of Faddes

We aren’t and you’re being harsh.

McIlroy is a cracker.

It's not harsh kingofthehill. Faddes does not justify a NIQ spot.

thecrouch wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 11:02 pm

kingofthehill wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:58 pm

pip14 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:55 pm Mcilroy was really good

I really hope we are getting rid of Faddes

We aren’t and you’re being harsh.

McIlroy is a cracker.

It's not harsh kingofthehill. Faddes does not justify a NIQ spot.

Ulster can’t afford to have 3 world class NIQs.

Quite a lot of encouraging signs, but still too many mistakes,agree with Pip Faddes couldn't tackle a fish supper, might be ok ball on hand but useless in defence. Carter and MC must have given away 6 penalties between them+ a yellow, will not be surprised if he is cited as well for no arms tackle surely not what we should expect from expensive foreign internationals.
Mexicans definitely good in defence but surely big men like C and MC should be making ground more even against a team like the Mexicans.
But only my observations, what would i Know.