Christmas Targets pre Euro fixtures

[UlsterNo9]

It's a fixture we always send a weakened team to the slaughter in.

Though with Leinster in our half of the league I really would have liked us to have targeted it. A win versus Leinster is a 8-10 point swing, realistically if you want to be Pro14 champions you need to top your league and get a home semi final advantage then take your chances in the final.....

If you chase two rabbits with a squad depth such as ours you end up with neither.

[big mervyn]

Would be crazy sending anybody who doesn't need a run out. Our best players have had too many hard shifts this last 2 months.

[UlsterNo9]

Would be crazy sending anybody who doesn't need a run out. Our best players have had too many hard shifts this last 2 months.

With you on that Merv given current situation. However why not say stuff Europe and prioritise the league next year. If we were in a position to send a strong team to Dublin against Leinster coming of the back of two Euro games the win is there to be had and potential to top the league.

[thecrouch]

Would be crazy sending anybody who doesn't need a run out. Our best players have had too many hard shifts this last 2 months.

With you on that Merv given current situation. However why not say stuff Europe and prioritise the league next year. If we were in a position to send a strong team to Dublin against Leinster coming of the back of two Euro games the win is there to be had and potential to top the league.

Stuff the league more like.

[justinr73]

Would be crazy sending anybody who doesn't need a run out. Our best players have had too many hard shifts this last 2 months.

With you on that Merv given current situation. However why not say stuff Europe and prioritise the league next year. If we were in a position to send a strong team to Dublin against Leinster coming of the back of two Euro games the win is there to be had and potential to top the league.

Doesn’t look anyone else is that arsed - no thread for the game yet!

Whilst we’ve only lost 8 out of the last 28 league games, we’re not going to threaten Leinster over the course of the league season as things stand. We’ll simply beat them in the final.

Let’s get Friday out of the way and then get the big guns back for the next block of four games.

Losing our new signings in the pack has been annoying but the lads who’ve been playing over the last few weeks are pretty durable.

And the knocks don’t hurt as much when you’re winning

[rumncoke]

Edict from D4 is that Internationals -- and I would assume, potential Internationals, are to rested over the xmas period .

It gives the coaches a chance to assess the second string in the case of Leinster with 20 in the 45 I suppose the third string to their bow.

Which of course is really leinster's strength it not that their 1st 15 is is that much better in every position its the fact that their squad of 20 -25 players are a similar quality and the absence of a 1st or 2nd name on the team sheet doesn't create a weakness in the squad.It's not just that they depth but because their Internationals are being rested at times the players coming in have a degree of experience when they are having to be picked and are thus familiar with their roles.

Ulster on the other hand are about one player down and The team may be weakened substantially by players who are unfamiliar with their roles and positioning at the breakdown

[Cormac]

Our annual pasting at the RDS.

It is a great pity that this fixture always seems to fall when we've to send a half baked team. Can't remember the last time we sent a strong team to Dublin? Was it 2013 when we beat them?

Tired of losing to the mexicans.

Quarter-final last March? Before that the league semi-final in 2016?

I mean in regular season league games.

The team Ulster sent to Dublin in Jan 2018 was strong enough.

Piutau; Trimble, Cave, McCloskey, Stockdale; Lealiifano, Stewart; Black, Best, Ah You; Browne, Henderson; Rea, Reidy, Deysel

Herring, McCall, Herbst, O'Connor, Timoney, Cooney, McPhillips, Bowe

[justinr73]

Ruan tended to play before that too.

It was only really last year that we fielded a relatively weak team.

[Dharper]

Black, Best, Ah You; Browne, Henderson; Rea, Reidy, Deysel

Herring, McCall, Herbst, O'Connor, Timoney,

.....Christ how bad a pack & bench is that? Really a massive improvement since then.

[justinr73]

Er it’s not actually that bad.

[solidarity]

Target one - one point - done. Now on to greater things. Wins from here on. SUFTUM

[justinr73]

Yep. Taken something from every match this season. Bloody good effort.

[Jackie Brown]

Bonus point secured, fantastic result

[Dharper]

For a less than flaunt backline so far this season we have scored a lot of pts in the league (anyone know forwards/backs tries breakdown?), bodes well. Cracking 2nd half response, shows a lot of mental toughness pulling in that deficit & grabbing a bp. Now 2 games with points to prove - I’m sure we’ll be ready.

[big mervyn]

For a less than flaunt backline so far this season we have scored a lot of pts in the league (anyone know forwards/backs tries breakdown?), bodes well. Cracking 2nd half response, shows a lot of mental toughness pulling in that deficit & grabbing a bp. Now 2 games with points to prove - I’m sure we’ll be ready.

Backs 28 trys
Forwards 11 trys ( 1 pen try included)

Top try scorers Cooney and Faddes 6

Jones top forward 3

Faddes also has most metres gained - not bad for a fat lad!