Ulster V Dragons

[bootlaced]

According to the sky commentators during the Eng V SA game Ruan Pienaar will definitely be back for Ulster in this game,I would imagine he will start,

[aarons]

According to the sky commentators during the Eng V SA game Ruan Pienaar will definitely be back for Ulster in this game,I would imagine he will start,

no reason he shouldn't in principle - we're not obliged to follow any saffer guidelines - but marshall should get the chance. pienaar shouldn't come in until it's earned. i don't care how much we spent on him.

[Ithryn]

Yeah I would put pienar on the bench, let him see how well marshal plays then bring him on.

however I have read he can be moody so from a player management point of view maybe they should start him, but give marshal the second half.

The dragons are a decent scrapping wee side, but there form away from the referee influencing rodney parade has been poor.

I doubt trimble ferris or court will be available, but decy could be back, maybe diack, henry too if he just lost a tooth or too.

[bootlaced]

According to the sky commentators during the Eng V SA game Ruan Pienaar will definitely be back for Ulster in this game,I would imagine he will start,

no reason he shouldn't in principle - we're not obliged to follow any saffer guidelines - but marshall should get the chance. pienaar shouldn't come in until it's earned. i don't care how much we spent on him.

Tend to agree with that,Marshall has played really well in the last two games has a lot in his amoury,Pienaar is a great passer,Humps is kicking well,so Pienaar should have to earn his right to get into the team,I would apply that logic as well to the players coming back from International duty for Ireland,put them on the bench and make them Hungry to play for Ulster.

[jackthelad]

I don't see why Court shoudn't play. He's only on the bench. Having said that he could be on after the first scrum if Buckley does his dying deckchair impersonation.

[bootlaced]

I don't see why Court shoudn't play. He's only on the bench. Having said that he could be on after the first scrum if Buckley does his dying deckchair impersonation.

I would always like seeing Court play,but he may be tied into the Irish player management thingy,

[jackthelad]

Isn't that for centrally contracted players? Is Court one of them?

[Ithryn]

Yep, theres about 30 or so on that list.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Isn't that for centrally contracted players? Is Court one of them?

Even before the AIs Court had exceeded his quota of playing time - not by much, but he had played more than he should have done under the player management scheme.

Don't know if it will have any impact now, but maybe the Irish management will want to make a point.

[notj]

We should definitely start with Pienaar. Marshalls done some great stuff in the last few weeks, but if Pienaar had thrown some of the passes he did in the last quarter he'd be run out of town!

[TinPig]

I too would start Marshall & bench Pienaar but it will never happen. Ironically it was only at the very tail end of the season that Marshall had his contract renewed last season (after Edinburgh away).
Two players fighting for the same jersey always works best but unfortunately one jersey costs much more than the other.

[notj]

Pienaar actually had a fantastic game today. I think this is just an example of how one-eyed we can be about our own guys.

To be fair, this is the best form of Marshalls career. But I just think Ruan is a better player so, yes, he's going to start. Sorry guys.

[Rem99]

Simple test - If Marshall was SA qualified would he be starting for South Africa with Pienaar on the bench?
Case proven!

[Big-al]

Bench him, Marshall is playing very well and he'd need a rest

[backawaygoonahead]

Assume that you didn't watch Piennar's performance at Twickenham, so good that he hardly seemed to be doing anything much - just when everything he did was like clockwork, always in the right place always kicking the ball to the correct spots that you realised that the is beauty in perfect efficiency - it doesn't have to come form 1 break or 1 tackle to be noticed.

Piennar will start or I'm As Dutch as Billy of Orange. My fear is that he will also start as kicker.