Aironi v Ulster

[BR]

Aironi have made 1 change - Straibano in at TH for Redolfini who drops to the bench. Favaro is also added to the bench in place of Ferrarini.

Aironi:
15 Ruggero Trevisan;
14 Riccardo Pavan, 13 Roberto Quartaroli, 12 Gabriel Pizarro, 11 Giovanbattista Venditti;
10 Naas Olivier, 9 Tito Tebaldi;
1 Matias Aguero, 2 Roberto Santamaria (cap), 3 Fabio Staibano,
4 Joshua Furno, 5 George Biagi,
6 Josh Sole, 7 Nicola Cattina, 8 Nick Williams.

Repl: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Alberto De Marchi, 18 Luca Redolfini, 19 Simone Favaro, 20 Frans Viljoen, 21 Giorgio Bronzini, 22 Alberto Benettin, 23 Gilberto Pavan.

[Jockster]

Aironi have made 1 change - Straibano in at TH for Redolfini who drops to the bench. Favaro is also added to the bench in place of Ferrarini.

Feck me--they're all at this meddling lark now!!!

[TinPig]

Aironi could be a banana skin if Ulster are lulled into counting points before taking the field.
They will use the likes of Nick Williams to carry ball and play an abrasive almost destructive game enjoying the frustration negative play can reap on opposition. If Aironi hang in there (and they have a very reliable goal kicker) they could steal the game in the dying minutes given any encouragement.
The Referee's interpretation can have a massive influence on games like this and if Aironi are allowed to get away with the illegal distructive tactics they enjoy then it could be a long afternoon.
I still think Ulster should bank a win and release the bench for a run out in the last quarter but only if they consolidate a lead in the first half. Start badly and chase the game then all bets are off.
Happy with a win & wait for the bonus point at Ravenhill.

[Rooster]

Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU, 3rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Alan Falzone, Giuseppe Vivarini (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Roberto Carra (FIR)
Hennessy is a former prop so would expect him to know what is going on with the front rows.

[OneMore]

Totally agree Rooster. A good start to the season is vital this year and Aironi should not be taken for granted. However the changes that I have suggested would not necessarily weaken the team. Is the Greek better than Brady? If so by how much? Same with Diack & Wanneberg.

I would actually suggest that Diack on for Faloon, and Henry out to 7 would have been a better move, than Diack for Wannenburg. We are light at 7, so whilst CH's best position may be 8, he is our 2nd choice 7, and he has played there a lot over the past couple of years. We would do well to keep him improving there.

This is also to say that I don't get a lot of the hype created on this board about Willie Faloon. He sometimes plays very well for Ulster, but too many times goes a little quiet for my liking.

[ColinM]

Don't know if there is huge hype about mad Wille on this board, its just that he brings something to the table that no-one else in the squad does, a game that many like to watch and suits Ulsters style of play, if not the current breakdown rulebook.

Whether he's good enough or not he's the only groundhog we have and everyone loves a 'pest' on their team.

Personally, I do think he's good enough but either not fit enough or just puts in so much that he knackers himself on occasions. Whether playing him more or less is the best way to manage/improve this aspect I'm not sure

[Rooster]

An open match with the ball bouncing around on the deck is ideal for Willie as he just thrives on hoovering up in untidy situations, straight muscle battle in the mud though he is not as
effective
As for getting knackered, he runs around following the ball both to try and steal it and also to assist whoever is carrying it, would love to see the figures from those gps things to see who does most miles per match as I would suspect it could well be him

[ColinM]

An open match with the ball bouncing around on the deck is ideal for Willie as he just thrives on hoovering up in untidy situations, straight muscle battle in the mud though he is not as
effective

As far as appearances go, he does seem to have bulked a lot this pre season. Maybe the coaching staff had the same idea - their use of Henry last year would suggest so

[BaggyTrousers]

Understand both sides of the argument with Willie, he works his socks off but sometimes just appears to be invisible. Not sure if the perception that he blows up fitness-wise is simply a perception. Did see someone post about him that he makes a very good impression when coming on later in a game. Could be his best use but I'm really not sure.

I would say that disappointingly for a man who many thought might make an impression on a national level, he hasn't really made the 7 shirt his own at Ulster. Still have hopes for him mind you.

[OneMore]

Understand both sides of the argument with Willie, he works his socks off but sometimes just appears to be invisible. Not sure if the perception that he blows up fitness-wise is simply a perception. Did see someone post about him that he makes a very good impression when coming on later in a game. Could be his best use but I'm really not sure.

I would say that disappointingly for a man who many thought might make an impression on a national level, he hasn't really made the 7 shirt his own at Ulster. Still have hopes for him mind you.

Well that's the thing really. He's the only experienced "out-and-out seven" (as so many mention) we have. He doesn't lack opportunity to impress.

And yes, he works hard, but I'd really like to see stats on turnovers effected. Is he any better at that than Best, for instance (who I believe to be good at it). Also in his defence, he puts the 10 under pressure fairly well, and usually does well to put in a decent hit on him early.

[Rooster]

An open match with the ball bouncing around on the deck is ideal for Willie as he just thrives on hoovering up in untidy situations, straight muscle battle in the mud though he is not as
effective

As far as appearances go, he does seem to have bulked a lot this pre season. Maybe the coaching staff had the same idea - their use of Henry last year would suggest so

It's ok Colin as Willie's cousin is playing 7 for U20's and I will be surprised if he is not around in a couple of years to help Willie out at 7, at least it will save Gusher from getting confused !

[Snipe Watson]

sometimes just appears to be invisible

[OneMore]

sometimes just appears to be invisible

Is it the

appears to be invisible

part of this which causes the head scratching Snipe? Purely in the notion of invisibility appearing at all?

[Snipe Watson]

sometimes just appears to be invisible

Is it the

appears to be invisible

part of this which causes the head scratching Snipe? Purely in the notion of invisibility appearing at all?

Yip oxymoron

[ColinM]

at least it will save Gusher from getting confused !

Quote from Gusher last year, when Spence and Marshall were in the centres, 'Well one of these young fellas is going to have to dye his hair black as they're going to be around for the next 10 years'