Positives & Negatives: Ulster vs Glasgow

[ruckover]

POSITIVES
+ Jacko kicked well. 80% is much better.
+ First half scrum was slightly dominant which was good considering they had a B&I Lion and a Scottish international in there.
+ Line-out was very good, only lost one.
+ Jared Payne is a phenomenal player. Great again.
+ Herring was a bulldog at the breakdown and did well in the line-out.
+ Williams making the yards, very good to see him back again.
+ Paul Marshall was very speedy from off the bench. Has only furthered my belief he is only a supersub, but a very good supersub at that.
+ McIlwaine proved us all wrong I thought. Made the yards, made a few good tackles and was a livewire. Well done.

MIXED
+/- Porter. First few box kicks were poor, but his passing was generally accurate and his kicking definitely improved as the game went on. However he wasn't as god as he has been and was bettered by his replacement.

NEGATIVES
- Oh Michael. You'll be watching that drop for a while my boy, that was an absolute shocker.
- Substitute scrum. I don't know why, but we struggled when Lutton, Court and Henderson came on.
- Finishing. Aaargh that was horrible. We got up to the line perfectly well but couldn't get over it. Goodness knows why.
- Those last 10 minutes. Glasgow down to 14 men and we're dominating. Did we switch off thinking it was wrapped up? Don't know, but we did better against them with 15 men than when they had 14.

[shamalicious]

Don't agree with beagle as a positive. Thought he was really poor and got us into trouble.

Another negative was Luke's handling.

Good to see PJ playing with a bit more confidence. Created some great opportunities. Shame they were all butchered.

Jaded Payne was great as I've said elsewhere.

[Scholar]

Positives Dan's hands and pace. Likewise, a hooker who can out sprint opponents , take and give passes. Callum Black. Declan Fitzandstarts dismantling a Lion.
Glasgow reminding us at the beginning of the season that it's a team game
Negative: who gets to tell the backs they have to start handling the ball like an Ulster forward ?

[bazzaj]

I have woke up in a more positive mind then I went to bed.
For the first time we are looking like our old selves.
Positives are the intensity is back due to the arrival of Nick Williams who we need to stay fit to provide that intensity and front foot ball.
Last season from memory we tried RW at 8 with NW at 6 and clearly this did not work.
Last night showed that they can play together but with the roles reversed.

Most of the other points have been covered but mention in dispatches for Doyle,Cave and Hendo coming back in who I thought were excellent.
Dont know where exactly Hendo is best playing for the side but he does have to start.
What a tackle at the end on the centre breaking through, how on earth did he get to him?!

Negatives
Handling and finishing in the red zone.
Again back to trying to find the killer pass when patience is required.
The lack of finishing was inevitable really and with one of our recognised wingers playing we would have romped home against one of the better rabo sides(but not brilliant).

To Michael Allen.
It happens to us all mate just in your case its with a few thousand watching along with TV cameras.
It doesnt make him a bad player as I have seen Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs miss open goals and all.

[ruckover]

Dont know where exactly Hendo is best playing for the side but he does have to start.

Back row. I think this is one of the reasons why our scrum struggled whenever we replaced our front row and Muller came off - Hendo doesn't have the shove that Muller does. I'm not saying it's solely his fault but I don't think it helps the front row much.

[mikeyjoe]

Positives Wilson, Williams, Tuohy,Doyle,Black, in general forwards did well,
Negatives, unforced errors again, very frustrating

[UpAtSix]

The main positive I saw was our continuity in attack. Like bazzaj says, we look like our old selves keeping the ball for 10+ phases. Sadly the last pass just wouldn't stick, otherwise we'd have been well out of sight by 60 minutes.

Our defence, on the other hand, was not was we've become accustomed to seeing. It was too passive, not enough players busting a gut to hit their man behind the gain line (though Luke Marshall was doing this all night, fair play ). It was disappointing to concede (consede?) THAT try at the end; we gave away a couple of needless penalties, then failed to reorganise our defence in time when they took a not-very-quick tap. Boy oh boy do we miss Rory and Fez in situations like that.

All in all, several steps in the right direction but not quite enough this time against a good Glasgow team.

[BaggyTrousers]

Don't agree with beagle as a positive. Thought he was really poor and got us into trouble.

Another negative was Luke's handling.

Good to see PJ playing with a bit more confidence. Created some great opportunities. Shame they were all butchered.

Jaded Payne was great as I've said elsewhere.

Shammy, after a cool relationship I have to say you are growing on me. p lost the game with that horrendous high pass to Ginger Prince behind his own line. The game should have been wrapped up at that stage mainly thanks to the GP's excellent allround game but when push came to shove & we were in trouble, p threw a shocker out to Paddy.

On Luke, I hate to be critical of such a brave player who yet again put himself in dangers way without a 2nd thought for his body & took some savage bumps but sadly his passing & hands leave much to be desired which is why I see Olding & Cave as my preferred centres. Olding has no such weaknesses & will be a magnificent 12.

As for Jaded Payne, like WW I thought he wasn't quite at his best, still classy but..........what's the word.........jaded. (Posting on a mobile is a bugger ain't it )

[Russ]

Shammy, after a cool relationship I have to say you are growing on me. p lost the game with that horrendous high pass to Ginger Prince behind his own line. The game should have been wrapped up at that stage mainly thanks to the GP's excellent allround game but when push came to shove & we were in trouble, p threw a shocker out to Paddy.

)

Can't agree more with this Baggy, was my thoughts at the time, p has just lost us this game.
Sad to feel that, but feel it all too often.

He may come on, have the odd moment of brilliance and speed up a game, but that pass is unforgivable.
Young fly half, on his own dead ball line, Glasgow offside all night, take it yourself and make 20 metres and regroup!

[shamalicious]

Haha yes, autocorrect at fault there!

[shamalicious]

I'm a huge fan of Luke, I really want to see him make the Ireland 12 shirt his own. Last night he just had slippery hands all game. Something that could be easily worked on I'm sure.

[launish116]

POSITIVES

+ Paul Marshall was very speedy from off the bench. Has only furthered my belief he is only a supersub, but a very good supersub at that.


MIXED
+/- Porter. First few box kicks were poor, but his passing was generally accurate and his kicking definitely improved as the game went on. However he wasn't as god as he has been and was bettered by his replacement.

P'marshal cost us the game with that horrendous throw sadly, as for porter I was very impressed!

Wilson & Payne had great games, Wilson made some hard yards! biggest shock of the evening was the shift put in by Fitzpatrick!

[BaggyTrousers]

To Michael Allen.
It happens to us all mate just in your case its with a few thousand watching along with TV cameras.
It doesnt make him a bad player as I have seen Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs miss open goals and all.

Well said Jizzer, I thought he played really really well but that dropped pass after wonderful work by Red was a shocker, in fairness Luke's was probably worse as he was unstoppable from there, Micky still had potential cover to beat though he was favourite to score.

Guys its like this, we completely & utterly dominated that 2nd half and wasted out chances. Glasgie must have been unable to believe their luck, 99 times out of 100 Ulster win that game with their dominance.

I was greatly encouraged by much of the performance and lets not forget who was missing, some of the best finishers in the league - Tommy, Angry, Gilly, Olding, Pienaar and that's just the backs.

Play like that and we will thump a lot of sides, finishing cost us dear but thems the breaks.

[BaggyTrousers]

POSITIVES

+ Paul Marshall was very speedy from off the bench. Has only furthered my belief he is only a supersub, but a very good supersub at that.


MIXED
+/- Porter. First few box kicks were poor, but his passing was generally accurate and his kicking definitely improved as the game went on. However he wasn't as god as he has been and was bettered by his replacement.

P'marshal cost us the game with that horrendous throw sadly, as for porter I was very impressed!

Wilson & Payne had great games, Wilson made some hard yards! biggest shock of the evening was the shift put in by Fitzpatrick!

Good spot launish, I wonder has the emergence of Lutton as a contender & the possibility that Bronson Ross has something to offer made a message go to Deccie's brain - hey, last year of my contract , with my sick note rate I maybe should tug my finger from its natural resting place and get a shake on.

No bad thing if that's the case, he has ability, just a bit shy to show it too often.

[Gael]

Ian Porter has impressed me, the 9 shirt is his til the big man gets back