Positives:
A chance to see Humph in the white jersey one last time. A true gentleman. Given me some of my fondest rugby memories over the years including THAT try v Stade at Ravenhill & lifting the cup at Lansdowne. Lucky enough to have shared a pitch with him. Even luckier to have seen him in his pomp. Wish him well. Thanks for the memories.
Likewise the big Aussie's last game for Ulster. Another top bloke. Hope to see him back in the future.
Tommy - yet again showed what we will sorely miss.
Danielli - excellent try.
Maul - effective, i thought.
Negatives:
Rudderless behind the pack. No leadership - nobody prepared to take responsibility. At times we looked clueless.
First up tackles. Do we know how to?? Granted it was end of season - nothing to play for - but still no excuse. Been said elsewhere - but a defensive coach is drastically required. Least Matt has an entire pre-season to work with them.
Set pieces were poor. Lineout, scrum, receiving kick-off. Grim viewing at times.
Never thought i'd see the day i'd say this - but thank God that season is over. It's been painful at times. Great away trips as always - but enjoyable for the craic. Not the standard of rugby!
As for next year? Heineken qualification secured - but unless we make some QUALITY signings i fear another season of disappointment looms. Mike Reid get your ass in gear & your cheque-book out.
GC
"Out of Ulster have I come. Great hatred, little room - maimed me from the start. I carry from my mother's womb....a fanatic heart"
The season is finished
Its the last time that group of players will lose
Negatives
Proof positive paddy is not an outhalf at ML level
Our run back return of kicks is a shambles-- players off loading the ball too early and then running for space but a away from support
and yes I say the game is about looking for space but it is also about playing as a team and not as an individual
In PW and MB we have two backs of very similiar style and with similiar weaknesses - full of promise but because of their size and style and the size of the opposition have very limited chance of actually being able to deliver on the promise one such player is a luxury- two players an error
In a way I think the loss of both Wilson and Best could be beneficial to the team both players appear to have stopped learning anything and both looked jaded and seem to want to play their game in isolation of the players around them charging about like headless chickens- first up wham him regardless of the need for cover defence therefore the change in loyalities could be of benefit not only to Ulster but for the players themselves as they have fallen into a pit of motiveless rugby
In previous games in previous years we have belittled the front five and the lack of a strong maul and ruck but at the monent I think the back three and half back are the source of many problems
at half back I think it lies in the variation of combinations Boss /NoC Boss /PW
NoC is young and inexperienced thus needs protection ( but looks a sounder player in the making than either PW or IH) and PW can't kick and or decide what he is going to do and lacks the sureness of pass of DH - thus dashes of gaps which close quickly
i almost agree with your team big al except wallace and humph at 10 and 12, i have said it before and i will say it again, the opposition with be delighted if they saw a teamsheet which had both them starting, our defence in that channel would be ridiculously poor, i know a good 7 will help his outhalf, but he can't do the job of 2 men. Dewey will probably start, provided he keeps improving for us and hopefully he can get back to his form in the last 6 nations.
The squad as a whole looks very light weight. The likes of McMillan and Wilson may not have been outstanding players but they were excellent squad players. We needed to keep these guys and bring in 2-3 players of real quality. As it is, we're bringing in guys little better than those that left and it looks as though Botha is going to be our only major signing.
If we have another poor season will players, such as Trimble and Ferris be tempted to leave?
Climb up onto the top of your house and start screaming: 'stand up for the Ulstermen, stand.......'
The fact that we conceded more points than other team in the ML - that is simply not good enough.
Tackling was again poor.
Linesout were poor.
Ball retention bad.
Like I said thank goodness that season is over - surely next year can't be as bad.
Positives: Being able to say farewell to Humph. First realised his potential greatness when, with the last kick of the game, he struck a DG to win the schools inter pro from about 35 metres out. Awesome.
Some creative rugby & good tries.
Pollock - super game. The back row for next year looks exciting. Big Matt can still do a job at 6 but is much more effective when the pitches are softer and games are tighter and less open.
Negatives:
Forward play - there has been no improvement whatsoever. Personally, I would not be surprised if Steve Williams went. MW inherited him so he may want his own man. Certainly, Ulster are technically poor, especially at the breakdown. We can whinge about Isaac's multiple steps and loopy passing all we like but the presentation of the ball and the subsequent clearing out of players and protecting our scrum half at ruck time is inept.
Handling errors - some howlers from Trimble, Bowe and Danielli.
Lack of vision - on a couple of occasions there were wide open spaces that had TB and Simon D gesturing etc for a cross field kick and it didn't happen. 9 & 10 seemed unaware of the space.
Fitness - MW cmments concern me. Have the squad played that much rugby? Our international representation wasn't high. Most of the squad had 4 weeks of a mid season break after the last HC game? Ulsters conditioning coach is off to the Irish job apparently - we need to recruit a top quality replacement ASAP. Or is it wider player management issue? I don't know but I menioned my concerns about Ulsters fitness after the Glasgow game. If Ulster are bollo*ksed in the final 1/4 then is it any wonder we gift tries and make crap decisions.
Defence - all been said before.
It isn't just players we need but a defensive coach, fitness coach and (maybe) a forwards coach? I suspect the summer will be a case of building confidence and going back to basic skills like catching, passing and tackling. Roll on next season - Ulster cannot be as bad again.
Big-al wrote:We said the same thing this time last year, i'm afraid we can get worse, we can be the connaght of Ireland
I think the difference is that this season, we can see where our problems are coming from - mostly, weak defence and poor setpiece, although the handling errors from earlier in the season seem to have creeped back into things in the last couple of games. Ultimately, we have seen Ulster be in a position to win games and lose them, rather than looking like they were never in the game. The things that are causing Ulster problems now are things that can be worked on, and no doubt will be worked on in preseason. I'd be very surprised if next season was worse than this one past.
A bit more from Matt Williams in the BelTel about the Cardiff game...
"We lost the game to Cardiff, they didn't win it," said Williams, who may fill the vacancy left by former defence coach Neil Kelly, who has been appointed the new head coach of rugby league side Leigh.
"That is two games in a row now that we have just leaked soft, soft tries and guys have got to take personal responsibility and be accountable that when they come up in a line, they have to make the tackle.
"You can miss the odd tackle but we are doing it time and time again and it is a cancer. Until we fix that we won't win. That is the number one problem with the team. International players should be able to make a one-on-one tackle.
"We have the worst defensive record in the league and it is an area of absolute major concern.
"The hard work starts on Monday. We have a full week's work before the players go on holiday. It will be about assessment - getting some honest evaluation about themselves and from the coaches.
Williams added: "This is the real chance to draw a line in the sand. We are not a million miles away but if we keep missing tackles and losing the penalty count, we will be in trouble.
"It is more a mental issue rather than a technical issue and when we get our ball in hand we look pretty good.
"The shape of our attack has been much better and I also think the new law variations will suit us as well."
I wonder if the departing players will be hanging around for the last week..?
