The UAFC

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:55 pm It takes a lot dir ulster players to be rated as even decent by certain southern brethren and the fact Herring has achieved this shows how good he has been.

He was 3rd choice at the world cup but way better than Rory Best was as 1st choice in 2019. He's unlucky to have Sheahan and Kelleher as competition but can hold his own when called upon at the highest level.

Has has been better than Kelleher this past 12 months.

Big-al wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:40 pm

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:55 pm It takes a lot dir ulster players to be rated as even decent by certain southern brethren and the fact Herring has achieved this shows how good he has been.

He was 3rd choice at the world cup but way better than Rory Best was as 1st choice in 2019. He's unlucky to have Sheahan and Kelleher as competition but can hold his own when called upon at the highest level.

Has has been better than Kelleher this past 12 months.

Scapegoated in the RWC for the early lineout pŕobs. Kelleher was no better and Herring really should have been in the 23 for the big games.

Big-al wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 7:51 am

CIMANFOREVER wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:35 am

Big-al wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:02 am

CIMANFOREVER wrote: ↑Sat Dec 16, 2023 11:53 pm How did Cooney not get MOM?

Racing phoned it in, including Kolisi and their galacticos apart from Fickou. Very poor. Only played when they sniffed a BP.Their 9 and 15 were their best players.

Because McCloskey was better.

Good not better Al

That’s your opinion.

McCloskey was our best player IMO, An absolute beast. Dominated collisions and made big carries anytimw Racing give him space, accurate passing to put others in space and running into the ball.

Henderson was our 2nd best player, IMO.

As is McCloskey yours. Cooney orchestrated excellently, one box kick aside. Mac was also excellent Im not denying, but for me Cooney kept us motoring with urgency and heads up rugby. He was happy to left the forwards soften up Racing before releasing at the appropriate time. He also takes pressure from Burns.
Ewers was slightly ahead of Hendo for me, but they give our pack heft. Hendo stopped one maul almost singlehandedly.

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:06 pm Still absolutely convinced Bobby B will come good. He's a brilliant asset when on form. It's going to click for him soon.

I agree. I seem to remember him having a pretty decent defence in the past but he does look vulnerable now. Hopefully he will come good very soon.

solidarity wrote:

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:06 pm Still absolutely convinced Bobby B will come good. He's a brilliant asset when on form. It's going to click for him soon.

I agree. I seem to remember him having a pretty decent defence in the past but he does look vulnerable now. Hopefully he will come good very soon.

Bobbie B is a confidence defender, I have no doubt he will come good again. As a tackler he is very strong, but his positioning and hesistency is what is holding him back. The kick that imanoff beat him too was his for the taking but he held back and was in no man's land.

big mervyn wrote:

Big-al wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:40 pm

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:55 pm It takes a lot dir ulster players to be rated as even decent by certain southern brethren and the fact Herring has achieved this shows how good he has been.

He was 3rd choice at the world cup but way better than Rory Best was as 1st choice in 2019. He's unlucky to have Sheahan and Kelleher as competition but can hold his own when called upon at the highest level.

Has has been better than Kelleher this past 12 months.

Scapegoated in the RWC for the early lineout pŕobs. Kelleher was no better and Herring really should have been in the 23 for the big games.

Said before Herring wouldn't have been held up over the line like Kelleher was and ireland would have made the final.

Big-al wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:40 pm

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:55 pm It takes a lot dir ulster players to be rated as even decent by certain southern brethren and the fact Herring has achieved this shows how good he has been.

He was 3rd choice at the world cup but way better than Rory Best was as 1st choice in 2019. He's unlucky to have Sheahan and Kelleher as competition but can hold his own when called upon at the highest level.

Has has been better than Kelleher this past 12 months.

Agreed. Vastly underrated by the D4 Meedja

Sheahan has a good case to be the best in the world in his position and is comfortably the best, but would take Herring over Kelleher all day long and think Tom Stewart likely has a much higher ceiling than him too.

The fact that historically all of pur hookers, Andrews included, have had pretty decent darts historically, and our lineout is struggling with all of them this year makes me think the problems in that department aren't with the throwing.

The lineout simply took a while to get to grips with the Racing defence. Once they worked out how to get past the three huge lads at the front, it wasn't particularly bad. I guess that someone hadn't done their homework on the Racing defensive lineout.

jean valjean wrote:

solidarity wrote:

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 3:06 pm Still absolutely convinced Bobby B will come good. He's a brilliant asset when on form. It's going to click for him soon.

I agree. I seem to remember him having a pretty decent defence in the past but he does look vulnerable now. Hopefully he will come good very soon.

Bobbie B is a confidence defender, I have no doubt he will come good again. As a tackler he is very strong, but his positioning and hesistency is what is holding him back. The kick that imanoff beat him too was his for the taking but he held back and was in no man's land.

Bell has taken a good defender and ruined him. Get him gone.

MightyRearranger wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 8:46 pm Sheahan has a good case to be the best in the world in his position and is comfortably the best, but would take Herring over Kelleher all day long and think Tom Stewart likely has a much higher ceiling than him too.

The fact that historically all of pur hookers, Andrews included, have had pretty decent darts historically, and our lineout is struggling with all of them this year makes me think the problems in that department aren't with the throwing.

Timing and calling it as the situation, or opposition jumpers dictate ( even accounting for theconfidence of the hooker) all almost as important as the throw itself. I think the lineout leading/ calling has been up and down so far this season, with the team being slow to react and work things out. Even with Hendo. No doubt we can be got at when challenged, especially at 4, where the competition jumper often gets in front or disrupts , occassioning or causing an under or overthrow next LO in reaction.

Like the scrum issues, seems lack of training on the basics wedded to a poor plan B. Under rehearsed?

solidarity wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 9:52 pm The lineout simply took a while to get to grips with the Racing defence. Once they worked out how to get past the three huge lads at the front, it wasn't particularly bad. I guess that someone hadn't done their homework on the Racing defensive lineout.

But Dan was watching them warming up.....

CIMANFOREVER wrote:

solidarity wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 9:52 pm The lineout simply took a while to get to grips with the Racing defence. Once they worked out how to get past the three huge lads at the front, it wasn't particularly bad. I guess that someone hadn't done their homework on the Racing defensive lineout.

But Dan was watching them warming up.....

Research for a another job interview?

Re the poor lineout early in the match, note that DF took personal responsibility for the functioning of the lineout during his post match interview. Said he got that wrong, but when he corrected that, the lineout functioned well.

Dunno how much of that was a coach taking pressure off his players (not something DF has been good at in the recent past, but it's what ogod coaches do), or if it was actually true, but the lineout did function much better after RH returned from his HIA, by which time DF could have made some changes in tactics. I'm not qulaified to comment on the whole thrower/lifter/catcher co-ordination, but maybe he did get something right.

Strange though that it has been misfiring a lot over the season to date, yet if he was able to fix it during that match, you'd think he could have fixed it much earlier in the season.

Dave wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:29 pm

CIMANFOREVER wrote:

solidarity wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2023 9:52 pm The lineout simply took a while to get to grips with the Racing defence. Once they worked out how to get past the three huge lads at the front, it wasn't particularly bad. I guess that someone hadn't done their homework on the Racing defensive lineout.

But Dan was watching them warming up.....

Research for a another job interview?