The UAFC

As someone who is new to UR, I've kept my distance since Friday.

I was, however, a veteran of 9 play off failures out of 9 over 25 years watching another team, prior to this season.

When things do go your way, like they did for me yesterday, all the money spent, all the miles travelled and all the heartbreak becomes worth it.

Ulster are not a million miles away. In fact, one penalty in front of the posts against Glasgow would probably have led to a trophy in the cabinet next week. That's what makes it such a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those with tickets for the final.

Summer is a great healer though.

As soon as the fixtures are out, lips will be licked in anticipation and anything becomes possible once again.

Anyone want to borrow my rose tinted specs?!

When do they release the HEC groups?

justinr73 wrote:As someone who is new to UR, I've kept my distance since Friday.

I was, however, a veteran of 9 play off failures out of 9 over 25 years watching another team, prior to this season.

When things do go your way, like they did for me yesterday, all the money spent, all the miles travelled and all the heartbreak becomes worth it.

Ulster are not a million miles away. In fact, one penalty in front of the posts against Glasgow would probably have led to a trophy in the cabinet next week. That's what makes it such a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those with tickets for the final.

Summer is a great healer though.

As soon as the fixtures are out, lips will be licked in anticipation and anything becomes possible once again.

Anyone want to borrow my rose tinted specs?!

You are of course correct, but we need a little blood letting to vent.......

Snipe Watson wrote:

justinr73 wrote:As someone who is new to UR, I've kept my distance since Friday.

I was, however, a veteran of 9 play off failures out of 9 over 25 years watching another team, prior to this season.

When things do go your way, like they did for me yesterday, all the money spent, all the miles travelled and all the heartbreak becomes worth it.

Ulster are not a million miles away. In fact, one penalty in front of the posts against Glasgow would probably have led to a trophy in the cabinet next week. That's what makes it such a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those with tickets for the final.

Summer is a great healer though.

As soon as the fixtures are out, lips will be licked in anticipation and anything becomes possible once again.

Anyone want to borrow my rose tinted specs?!

You are of course correct, but we need a little blood letting to vent.......

I'm looking forward to the therapy session this Sat -

Once that's done I hope to have a more positive outlook on next season

justinr73 wrote:Summer is a great healer though.

Anyone want to borrow my rose tinted specs?!

You must have rose tinted specs if you think we'll have a summer in this country!

justinr73 wrote:As someone who is new to UR, I've kept my distance since Friday.

I was, however, a veteran of 9 play off failures out of 9 over 25 years watching another team, prior to this season.

What made you finally stop keeping the faith with that lot then?

Rovi Snave wrote: You are of course correct, but we need a little blood letting to vent.......

I'm looking forward to the therapy session this Sat -

Once that's done I hope to have a more positive outlook on next season [/quote]

I can associate with that Rovi but I'm not all together sure how positive I can manage.

I'm looking forward to stealing BR's little ditty & teaching it to some turnips before the game.

"Oh I could ate an Ulster Fry". A marvellous thing and actually a world record attempt could be made for there are dozens of potential endings which would keep it going for the full 80 minutes, my personal favourite .......... I'm nat fameeshed but I'd ate an Ulster Fry.

justinr73 wrote:As someone who is new to UR, I've kept my distance since Friday.

I was, however, a veteran of 9 play off failures out of 9 over 25 years watching another team, prior to this season.

When things do go your way, like they did for me yesterday, all the money spent, all the miles travelled and all the heartbreak becomes worth it.

Ulster are not a million miles away. In fact, one penalty in front of the posts against Glasgow would probably have led to a trophy in the cabinet next week. That's what makes it such a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those with tickets for the final.

Summer is a great healer though.

As soon as the fixtures are out, lips will be licked in anticipation and anything becomes possible once again.

Anyone want to borrow my rose tinted specs?!

Think I've just found my favourite post since full time on Friday. Thanks Justin!

However, still hurting, never felt like this after a game, possibly because I know that if anything happens next year, which I believe there is a good chance of, I'll have to watch it from a distance!

Onwards and upwards though, 'therapy' on Saturday and then full steam ahead for 2015/16 season!

It's all well and good keeping the faith but for those of us that have been on the roller coaster of supporting Ulster for more than two decades it's pretty bloody hard to stomach. Another season of glorious failure. There are others that have been supporting for longer than that.

The thing was that even in the mid to late nineties when we really weren't very good at all (prior to surprising the entire rugby world and winning the ERC) it was fine, low expectations were mixed with a few stouts on the prom or the terrace in what was a rickety old stadium, with a match clock at least, with a limited but committed and relatively knowledgable crowd.

Fast forward to 2015 we have a truly world class stadium, funded almost entirely by the Govt, little to no debt but I've never really felt further disconnected from the team or the majority of the crowd.

We have a Teflon CEO who is full of sound bites at best or downright lies at worst.

We have a coaching ticket cobbled together in haste due to Humph focking off and getting rid of the cowboy. Ps It wasn't Doak who told our best, (only?) Ulster born TH playing AIL div 1 rugby as he was surplus to requirements. No instead we signed hairy Dave and Ruadhri Murphy who have been embarrassments in their non-selection. Lutton's treatment as well was somewhat confusing. He was injured for periods but he was actively not selected on plenty of occasions but he then leapfrogs Bronson Ross for the last two games of the season?! Go figure.

We have a limited squad depth that it seems we are finally trying to improve upon but it's a year too late really. A blind man on a galloping horse could have told you our SiD was cack last season.

I am naturally an optimist, I want to see the glass half full but I really can't. I'm sure it'll pass, like gall stones, but that's where I am.

Always the bridesmaids never the brides eh.

BuckRogers wrote: We have a limited squad depth that it seems we are finally trying to improve upon but it's a year too late really. A blind man on a galloping horse could have told you our SiD was cack last season.

And the season before that, and before that as well, and so on...

I'm a broken record on this score but Ulster won't achieve SiD until there's 3/4 players of at least Pro12 standard coming through from the academy every season, with at least one of them a man of genuine international quality - and they can't all be centres and wingers either.

BuckRogers wrote:It's all well and good keeping the faith but for those of us that have been on the roller coaster of supporting Ulster for more than two decades it's pretty bloody hard to stomach. Another season of glorious failure. There are others that have been supporting for longer than that.

The thing was that even in the mid to late nineties when we really weren't very good at all (prior to surprising the entire rugby world and winning the ERC) it was fine, low expectations were mixed with a few stouts on the prom or the terrace in what was a rickety old stadium, with a match clock at least, with a limited but committed and relatively knowledgable crowd.

Fast forward to 2015 we have a truly world class stadium, funded almost entirely by the Govt, little to no debt but I've never really felt further disconnected from the team or the majority of the crowd.

We have a Teflon CEO who is full of sound bites at best or downright lies at worst.

We have a coaching ticket cobbled together in haste due to Humph focking off and getting rid of the cowboy. Ps It wasn't Doak who told our best, (only?) Ulster born TH playing AIL div 1 rugby as he was surplus to requirements. No instead we signed hairy Dave and Ruadhri Murphy who have been embarrassments in their non-selection. Lutton's treatment as well was somewhat confusing. He was injured for periods but he was actively not selected on plenty of occasions but he then leapfrogs Bronson Ross for the last two games of the season?! Go figure.

We have a limited squad depth that it seems we are finally trying to improve upon but it's a year too late really. A blind man on a galloping horse could have told you our SiD was cack last season.

I am naturally an optimist, I want to see the glass half full but I really can't. I'm sure it'll pass, like gall stones, but that's where I am.

Always the bridesmaids never the brides eh.

plus one Buck and next season it will be like Groundhog day all over again.Thats why we so much

Guys as perhaps one of the longest term fans here - about 50 years - I agree with much of what Buck said, but I would add this.

It's a great time to be watching Ulster, there is pain along the way, frustration that you can see things being screwed up year in and year out & no matter what is said, nothing changes. However, in the old days we have 5 or 6 games a year, if we were lucky, only one home interpro in alternate years, Ulster generally played less than Ireland.

Furthermore, though it may seem a longer time ago, it actually is only five season now since we last finish 8th in the league of 10. I hate anyone to get the idea I think this is good enough but it is one hell of a sight better than almost every year of the last 20 barring 1999, 2003 to an extent & of course 2006.

I also believe that folk need to maximise their enjoyment and not carp at everything that isn't positive. Why? Because I fear the days may not be long until the Pro12 gets left behind completely and is the very poor relation of the other two European leagues.

If you hate the corporate hoopla & all that jazz, the daft videos and some PR numpty justifying their existence, fine, this is the place to vent but it's been a lot less fun in the past & may be again in the future.

I'm as disappointed and frustrated as the next man, that may come across in my posts occasionally, but at the same time, I'm addicted, I love the whole thing, warts and all. When I move away it will be the only thing barring family & friends that I will miss.

I enjoy socialising at games

Russ wrote:When do they release the HEC groups?

June 10th last year

BaggyTrousers wrote:Guys as perhaps one of the longest term fans here - about 50 years - I agree with much of what Buck said, but I would add this.

It's a great time to be watching Ulster, there is pain along the way, frustration that you can see things being screwed up year in and year out & no matter what is said, nothing changes. However, in the old days we have 5 or 6 games a year, if we were lucky, only one home interpro in alternate years, Ulster generally played less than Ireland.

Furthermore, though it may seem a longer time ago, it actually is only five season now since we last finish 8th in the league of 10. I hate anyone to get the idea I think this is good enough but it is one hell of a sight better than almost every year of the last 20 barring 1999, 2003 to an extent & of course 2006.

I also believe that folk need to maximise their enjoyment and not carp at everything that isn't positive. Why? Because I fear the days may not be long until the Pro12 gets left behind completely and is the very poor relation of the other two European leagues.

If you hate the corporate hoopla & all that jazz, the daft videos and some PR numpty justifying their existence, fine, this is the place to vent but it's been a lot less fun in the past & may be again in the future.

I'm as disappointed and frustrated as the next man, that may come across in my posts occasionally, but at the same time, I'm addicted, I love the whole thing, warts and all. When I move away it will be the only thing barring family & friends that I will miss.

not sure what the opposite of the clown shoes are Baggy, but you deserve it for that post. The truth is that we've been in the mix for trophies but ultimately come up short for a variety of reasons (ill prepared, bad luck, better opposition etc). It is hugely frustrating of course and we may well have missed the boat, particularly in terms of europe.

I honestly don't think there is much between the top 5 sides in the Pro12 and i'm not giving up hope of us lifting that trophy next season. The big unknown next season is of course the impact if the rwc on teams's selection. It could provide ulster with an opportunity to steal a march on their opponents and secure the points required for an all important home semi final.

It'll be painful watching the final knowing we could have been there but ultimately were not good enough during the season. However, with our saffers having established themselves now and hopefully the coaching staff seeing the light on team selection and squad development to some extent i can but hope

damianmcr wrote:

Russ wrote:When do they release the HEC groups?

June 10th last year

I thin there are still 3 weeks of the top14 to go. Not sure if french placings are done by league position only or whether the play offs affect it.