The run in.....

[ruckover]

Remind me. Has he started A games?

Look, it's a results business. Dropping prospects in to "express themselves" is not what the paying public of Ulster want to see at Ravenhill. Simple as that. Friday night, 4/5 points. There's a league to be one this year.

Started 5 of our B&I games - first 3 at full-back, last 2 at fly-half.

Les talks about "succession plans". I'd like to see them put into motion.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

The man who used to predict the team every Monday

But who now knows it by Tuesday lunch time......

Come a long way has Ruckie.

He has
The boy done good, but he needs to cut out this no predicting crapola.

The boy has a reputation to protect now ........ yours went to hull in a handcart years ago!

[Nightsoil]

Ruckie, he's 18, played 15 primarily at school, played 15 primarily for England U18s (I think...) and still only 80 kilos.

If the plan for McPhillips doesn't involve him playing Pro 12 as a fly-half this year, that doesn't mean it's not in motion. I'd love it if he was ready but if the coaches say otherwise, that seems pretty reasonable. Particularly as Kiss hasn't looked short of interest in advancing the youngsters.

[therealspratt]

Ruckie, he's 18, played 15 primarily at school, played 15 primarily for England U18s (I think...) and still only 80 kilos.

If the plan for McPhillips doesn't involve him playing Pro 12 as a fly-half this year, that doesn't mean it's not in motion. I'd love it if he was ready but if the coaches say otherwise, that seems pretty reasonable. Particularly as Kiss hasn't looked short of interest in advancing the youngsters.

The lad certainly seems to have a good bit of quality about him but it is at least a season much too early for him.

[HwoodMike2umate]

Its Zebre away in April which is the critical game which is why I'm going to Parma.

[rorybestsbigbaldnoggin]

Dragons Home - 5
Glasgow Home - 5
Scarlets Home - 4
Cardiff Away - 4 (possibly 1 or less!)
Zebre Home - 5
Glasgow Away - 0
Connacht Home - 5
Zebre Away - 4
Leinster Home - 4
Ospreys Away - 0

That's 36, presuming we beat Cardiff away.

All guess work, but how else would you spend a Monday morning?

[rumncoke]

Two points over stated

Glasgow (h) 4
Connaught (h) 4

I'll settle for wins both teams have reasonable packs and reasonable defences




Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Russ]

Dragons Home - 5
Glasgow Home - 5
Scarlets Home - 4
Cardiff Away - 4 (possibly 1 or less!)
Zebre Home - 5
Glasgow Away - 0
Connacht Home - 5
Zebre Away - 4
Leinster Home - 4
Ospreys Away - 0

That's 36, presuming we beat Cardiff away.

All guess work, but how else would you spend a Monday morning?

I have BP at glasgee and taff twunts also
Other than that, I concur

[rorybestsbigbaldnoggin]

Well said Rory

Cheers Rum. Knew you'd see sense in the end.

[Snipe Watson]

This is all true, but none of it addresses the issues around iHumph's refusal even to make an attempt at a tackle. We cannot afford to carry a player whose contribution in attack no longer offsets his down side. I believe I am a fair guy and I think my track record of defending players who are not delivering testifies to that. I don't see where iHumph goes and I don't see any aspect of his game that is close to the required standard. So where is the justification for including him? In the interests of team morale, to put a guy into a team he has to bring something to the party, something that he can contribute other than goal kicking.

Anyway, I don't see any reason why Jackson and at least one of Marshall and McCloskey are available. And is Ruan recovered from his illness?

I'll start at the end. Jackson will not be released. He is back up 10 to Sexton. McCloskey and Marshall are unlikely to be released. They are the darlings of the D4 media after the Toulouse matches and tackle bags do not hold themselves.

The has to be an acceptance that Humph has never been a physical player but he has on occasion at least got his body in the way. It really hasn't been his defensive frailties that have hurt. It's his off the cuff selection and game management. V. Treviso, what stood out were a couple of mismeasured kicks to touch, a restart straight in, and a terrible pass when we'd a 2 on 1 if it had been a good pass. Now, all those are the things you get with pre-season. He hasn't played this season until Oyonnax and he looks in terrible nick. You can either dump him now or try to play him into form. He's had 40 mins v Oyonnax, 10 v Oyonnax and 60 v Treviso. You can see he's struggling with it.

Here's the problem I have with iHumph in the team. I don't think the rest of the team have any faith in him. They have to realign the defence every time the opposition have the ball and make allowances for him. That is the road to ruin in a team sport. The idea of carrying a liability for 80 minutes would drag anyone down. It is not unreasonable to say that his form is a result of not having any game time this season, but there must be a reason for that.

[Bart S]

This is all true, but none of it addresses the issues around iHumph's refusal even to make an attempt at a tackle. We cannot afford to carry a player whose contribution in attack no longer offsets his down side. I believe I am a fair guy and I think my track record of defending players who are not delivering testifies to that. I don't see where iHumph goes and I don't see any aspect of his game that is close to the required standard. So where is the justification for including him? In the interests of team morale, to put a guy into a team he has to bring something to the party, something that he can contribute other than goal kicking.

Anyway, I don't see any reason why Jackson and at least one of Marshall and McCloskey are available. And is Ruan recovered from his illness?

I'll start at the end. Jackson will not be released. He is back up 10 to Sexton. McCloskey and Marshall are unlikely to be released. They are the darlings of the D4 media after the Toulouse matches and tackle bags do not hold themselves.

The has to be an acceptance that Humph has never been a physical player but he has on occasion at least got his body in the way. It really hasn't been his defensive frailties that have hurt. It's his off the cuff selection and game management. V. Treviso, what stood out were a couple of mismeasured kicks to touch, a restart straight in, and a terrible pass when we'd a 2 on 1 if it had been a good pass. Now, all those are the things you get with pre-season. He hasn't played this season until Oyonnax and he looks in terrible nick. You can either dump him now or try to play him into form. He's had 40 mins v Oyonnax, 10 v Oyonnax and 60 v Treviso. You can see he's struggling with it.

Here's the problem I have with iHumph in the team. I don't think the rest of the team have any faith in him. They have to realign the defence every time the opposition have the ball and make allowances for him. That is the road to ruin in a team sport. The idea of carrying a liability for 80 minutes would drag anyone down. It is not unreasonable to say that his form is a result of not having any game time this season, but there must be a reason for that.

isn't one of the reasons he got no game time that he was injured at the beginning of the season, hence the Nelson to 10 experiment, which as we all saw was fine when we were winning well, but not so great in the tight games, when the absence of a goal kicker hindered us?

Snipe - you have eloquently set out the case against Ian Hump and much like the final season or so of his brother, the weakness in the tackle has recently been a greater detriment than the positive things he is bringing at this stage.

Olding seems the most realisitc alternative right now, as bringing in some kid before he is ready does not sound like a good plan. As someone else said, Les has already shown a willingness to give some of the youngsters a chance, so if he doesn't think he is ready yet, then fair enough. Whilst Snipe has made the point about the confidence impact from I Hump's current performances, putting a kid in is also going to seriously impact Ruan's game and arguably Olding or whoever at 12, as they are bound to try to look after the kid. I still think we would get more out of Ruan with Hump outside him than throwing a kid in.

The only issue i have with starting Olding at 10 is that it is not really giving him a chance to show his wares at 12 and if we stick with him at 10, does it give him a fair chance (ie back up to Jacko rather than challenging for the 12 jersey)? . Am all for giving 25-30 minutes there or maybe a start at times, but also feel he needs some proper gametime in his favoured position.

[ruckover]

Isn't it incredible how much better young home-grown Academy players play than journeymen. And yet we still seem apprehensive to give them chances.

[Snipe Watson]

I don't know about Olding at 10 yet, but he has an abundance natural ability and is worth a punt at least.

It's a massive ask to play 10 for a professional rugby team. You need skill, nerve, vision, speed of thought, hands and feet and everything you do is held up to public scrutiny. Who in their right mind would want it? The only thing worse is being hooker at lineout time.

[Dave]

I don't know about Olding at 10 yet, but he has an abundance natural ability and is worth a punt at least.

It's a massive ask to play 10 for a professional rugby team. You need skill, nerve, vision, speed of thought, hands and feet and everything you do is held up to public scrutiny. Who in their right mind would want it? The only thing worse is being hooker at lineout time.

He has played there before and Les was talking about his ability to play there so it's clearly in his mind. It might be a case anybody but Humph.

[Snipe Watson]

I don't know about Olding at 10 yet, but he has an abundance natural ability and is worth a punt at least.

It's a massive ask to play 10 for a professional rugby team. You need skill, nerve, vision, speed of thought, hands and feet and everything you do is held up to public scrutiny. Who in their right mind would want it? The only thing worse is being hooker at lineout time.

He has played there before and Les was talking about his ability to play there so it's clearly in his mind. It might be a case anybody but Humph.

I know he has, he did his ACL playing 10 for the Ravens. He has the ability to play anywhere in the back line. Although I feel he is best suited to tighter areas where his ability to create something from very little is best used. Thus my conviction that he could well be the best 12 in Ireland for some considerable time to come.