Team v Glsagow

[Cracker]

I would have Pienaar and Hump at 9 & 10 with a back row of any 3 of Ferris, Wannaberg, Faloon and Diack. D'Arcy at full back with Smith on the wing and Muller and Barker in the second row. This is just a thought. Does anyone agree?

[notj]

No, not really! But then I doubt anyone will exactly agree with anyone else. This is a good sign.

Personally I have no problem starting Niall O'Connor with Pienaar on one side and Wallace on the other. He'll only be asked to kick at posts from long range and the pressure will largely be taken off him. Rightly or wrongly, he is the man in possession and chopping and changing the week before the Heineken Cup starts is not smart. Humphreys and his legion of hagiographic fans will just have to wait.

1. Tom Court*
2. Rory Best (c)
3. BJ Botha*
4. Johann Muller
5. Ryan Caldwell
6. Stephen Ferris
7. Chris Henry
8. Robbie Diack
9. Ruan Pienaar
10. Niall O'Connor
11. Andrew Trimble
12. Paddy Wallace
13. Darren Cave
14. Paul Emerick
15. Jamie Smith

16. Andi Kyriacou
17. Paddy McAllister
18. Bryan Young
19. Tim Barker
20. Pedrie Wannenburg
21. Paul Marshall
22. Ian Whitten
23. David McIlwaine*

*If BJ Botha is ruled out tomorrow then Court to tighthead, Young to loosehead and Cronin to the bench.
*If Simon Danielli is fit, then he would replace McIlwaine.

This would be my team to play Aironi as well; I believe it is our strongest available XV. I ahve been unimpressed with Wannenburg at 8, impressed with him at 6, but much prefer Diack from the base of the scrum and Ferris has the 6 shirt nailed down right now.

[Big-al]

1)Young
2)Best
3)Court
4)Caldwell
5)Muller
6)Ferris
7)Wanneburgh
8)Diack
9)Pienaar
10)Humphreys
11)Trimble
12)Wallace
13)Cave
14)McIlwaine
15)Smyth
16)kyri
17)mcallister
18)cronin
19)Barker
20)Falloon
21)Marshall
22)Whitten
23)danielli

[fuzzylogic]

1. Court
2. Andy K
3. BJ
4. Muller
5. Touhy
6. Ferris
7. Faloon
8. Diack

9. Pieenar
10. Humph
11. Trimble
12. Paddy
13. Cave
14. McCrea
15. Darcy

[SparkyClarky]

Notj I agree with you ref next matches up. And your team selection as being the team that McL will go with, except for Faloon possibly instead of Henry @ 7. Can you explain Humphreys and his legion of hagiographic fans ! I can't be bothered going looking it up - being a thick wee man from the East of Belfast! (5' 8")No I havent seen snow white.

I am a ihumph fan but i don't expect to see him this side of our two HC matches! Even on the bench as Paddy / Ruan will cover 10. I also don't hate NOC as a 10, better tackler etc but I am dissappointed with the lack of performance we have seen from our team so far this season. Looking back at the flashes of brillance over the last two seasons. Beating Bath, Munster, Edinburgh etc away with bonus point tries. By the way NOC started some of these matches with ihumph on the bench. We were so much more attacking and didnt have the big forward pack we have now. So its not all down to NOC!

I am also happy we are not sitting down the table with Leinster but I am not so sure my pacemaker can watch every game this season going so close.

It is still very early days but we as fans don't see who is doing what in training, nor do we know what McL has asked for by way of team tactics.

ref lack of change of tactis v Westies, McL has been mentioned as nothing but a teacher when we have so much talent in our squad. Matt Williams had a big rep and did nothing.

As someone who just wants the best for the team, (We all fit this one) I am more than happy to give NOC & McL a chance, yes it is 4 out of 22 and still unbeaten.

Its a case of just wait and see.

C'Mon ULSTER!!!

[MaccLad]

Bryan Young has been struggling in the scrums all season, too many penalties given away. Rory Best not yet in the form to command his position, line-out woes are costing us.
So give Kyriacou/Brady their chance, and maybe time to get Botha and Court to earn their corn without Young.

McCrea and Darcy doesn't seem likely but how come we have supposedly promising wingers who never get to play a serious game- one of them (or Shiels, or Spence, or McIlwaine..) needs to get a crack as we rely too much on Trimble to break the line, who as last night showed isn't perfect.

And lets forget the idea of resting Muller, he seems fully fit and in form so lets keep playing him.

[notj]

@Sparky

Hagiography- A worshipful or idealizing biography. That is to say, a biography that overlooks the flaws and over exaggerates the positives. I think this is the way a lot of people on this forum think of Ian Humphreys.

The way this normally goes is someone posts that Humphreys is a far more talented player, he can do things when he's on form that O'Connor never will... and this is true! I agree with this. I'm knocking the guy, he's been instrumental in some outstanding Ulster performances and deserves respect. But there is a tendency to forget sometimes he flakes out and loses games by himself, or to ignore it, or to hope it goes away if he's included... There is a sense of collective injustice at his continued exclusion at the expense of O'Connor, the favouring of the scapegoat over the golden boy, and it tends to ignore that he may well be training badly- that he was awful in his only performance of the season and if he hasn't upped his game from that he doesn't deserve. This may be unfair of me. But that's the point- I don't know, neither does anybody else!

Certainly the game last night- and away to Aironi- were the kind of games the very prescence of Ian Humphreys would alarm me to the core of my being! ;-)

Not a time for running rugby.

[Jackie Brown]

Assuming BJ and Ferris are unavailable,

1. Young
2. Andy
3. Court
4. Mueller (c)
5. Caldwell
6. Wannenburg
7. Big Willie
8. Diack

9. Pienaar
10. iHumph
11. Trimble
12. Wallace
13. Cave
14. McCrea
15. Smith

16. Brady
17. McAlistair
18. Cronin
19. Barker
20. Henry
21. Marshall
22. Spence
23. D'Arcy

No need for an outhalf on bench with Pienaar and Wallace in the team. Very tough on who to leave out completely from the row and hooker. Thought Tuohy was excellant when he came on against Connacht and of course Best is the club captain, but he's our 3rd best Hooker at present and I feel Barker has to be involved.

[backawaygoonahead]

Notj I agree with you ref next matches up. And your team selection as being the team that McL will go with, except for Faloon possibly instead of Henry @ 7. Can you explain Humphreys and his legion of hagiographic fans ! I can't be bothered going looking it up - being a thick wee man from the East of Belfast! (5' 8")No I havent seen snow white. I would tower over you pal - by half an inch or so

As someone who just wants the best for the team, (We all fit this one) I am more than happy to give NOC & McL a chance, yes it is 4 out of 22 and still unbeaten.

Its a case of just wait and see.

C'Mon ULSTER!!!

Quality post, almost saintly and what a quality word from notj which doubtless has a load of boys searching google.

If Deccie allows, NOC will obviously start at 10 - anyone who honestly believes iHumph will suddenly reappear are deluded - to a massive extent. Unlikely even to see the bench never mind sit on it.

Some other stunners - Wannenburg at 7 was eye-catching. Emerick remaining at 14 unthinkable even though it could happen.

Seems a bit pointless until we know who will be available but expected Ferris to be rested anyway. If Danielli is fit I would start him but don't expect it to happen.

[notj]

I think he will be given a chance, or rather he has been given a chance. If we were playing a different outhalf every week then we'd be just as frustrated. At some point the coaches have to back a horse, to pick a guy and stick with him. What I honestly believe the case is is that the 10 shirt was up for grabs at the start of the season, in the friendlies- O'Connor took his chance and Humphreys didn't. Now Humphreys has to wait for an opportunity. We'll know if O'Connor is good enough to keep the shirt after we see him with Ruan Pienaar against a real quality side. Until then, I just wish people would give the kid a break to be honest.

[Jackie Brown]

I just wish he'd kick his goals to be honest...

[rich123]

Court, Best, McAllister, Muller, Caldwell, Wannenburg, Diack, Faloon, Pienaar, NOC, PW, DC,AT, D Arcy, Smith.

Not overjoyed with Full Back, shuda put his boot in it just b4 penalty against Connaught, he's as much to blame for penalty as ne1.

Emerick was shocking and doesnt give a ........

NOC back to OH, forget IH sumthings goin on there that were not being told about. To play a bit in pre season and then not reappear, sumthing definetely up.

Ferris rested so Pedrie in, Willie to play for 60 and then Henry to come on.

Muller Caldwell in the engine room. Tough call on Barker but Caldwell is responding to the influence of muller and shud be rewarded.

McAllistar in as Young not playing well and i think he's done really well when he's played. I know he's young, not Young, but were done to bare bones for props.

Rory Best. Well, this really is last chance saloon. If the line out not goin well at half time brady on, and remains on for the HC.

Still unbeaten. Shud remain like that at least till Biarritz. BUT we gota start and play better. Badly need RP, SD and someone to place kick +80%

[Ardglass2]

I am assuming Danielli, Ferris and BJ not available

McAllister (Young has been so poor we need to take a long hard look)
Kyriacou (Best has been poor we need to look at options)
Court
Tuohy (needs game time and is still probably the best option)
Mueller
Wannenberg
Diack
Henry (Faloon played most of the Connacht game - lets save him for the Heiny)
Peinaer
Humphreys (deserves a shot)
Wallace
Cave
Trimble
Darcy (Emerick looks useless to me)
Smith

Subs:
Young
Cronin/Whitten/Kyriannas
Best
Caldwell
Anderson
Marshall
NOC
Whitten

[darkside lightside]

I think Best might get another start to see if he can get his throwing firing before HEC.. Ferris may get a rest week in any event, I'd say Diack and Faloon will start. I don't see Humphreys going in directly, although you never know - I think it'll be NOC and Wallace at 12. I think we'll have Muller and Tuohy, a complete swap of second rows (it's a good sign that it's hard to say that one set is clearly better than the other!) Emerick is gone I'd say - we've seen what he can do, now he is purely squad cover for me..

1) Young 2) Best 3) Court 4) Muller 5) Tuohy 6) Wannenberg 7) Faloon 8 )Diack 9) Pienaar 10) NOC 11) Trimble 12) Wallace 13) Cave 14) McCrea 15) Smith

16) McAllister 17) Botha 18) Brady 19) Barker 20) Henry 21) Marshall 22) Humphreys 23) McIlwaine

Edit: forgot about Pienaar!

[ColinM]

I'd agree with all that DL, however I'd have ANother at 23 (McCrea, Spence, Shiels, D'Arcy etc). Young McIlwaine came on at the Sportsground looking like a rabbit in the headlights, took that pass of Smith and dilly dallied about til he got turned over.

Useful player in the making of that I've no doubt but a time too early for him.