Northampton 16th Jan

[Keyboard Warrior]

No mention of Hume, Roberts being back should make herring not need to do 75+ minutes.

https://ulster.rugby/content/squad-upda ... nuary-2022

[Neill_M]

The Ulster Rugby Medical Performance team has issued a squad update ahead of Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup fixture against Northampton Saints at cinch Stadium.

John Cooney sustained a calf injury in last weekend’s United Rugby Championship game against Munster at Thomond Park. He is unavailable for selection for Sunday’s match against Northampton Saints.

He joins the following players on the current injury list:

Will Addison (lower leg) Iain Henderson (ankle) Stuart McCloskey (hamstring) Tom Stewart (foot) Jacob Stockdale (ankle) Cormac Izuchukwu (knee) Jordi Murphy (knee) Matty Rea (hamstring) Luke Marshall (knee)

Robert Baloucoune and Bradley Roberts have now returned to training.

Squad updates in association with The Ulster Independent Clinic.

[Keyboard Warrior]

Based on that something like:

Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, Moore, McIlroy, Burns, Doak; McGrath, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor (captain), Carter, Marcus Rea, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Roberts, Warwick, Moore, Treadwell, Jones, Shanahan, Curtis/Moxham, Lyttle.

Edited: now with a full bench

[Neill_M]

Based on that something like:

Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, Moore, McIlroy, Burns, Doak; McGrath, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor (captain), Carter, Marcus Rea, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Roberts, Warwick, Moore, Treadwell, Jones, Curtis/Moxham, Lyttle.

Missing a scrum half , probably Shanners.

[Keyboard Warrior]

Based on that something like:

Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume, Moore, McIlroy, Burns, Doak; McGrath, Herring, O'Toole, O'Connor (captain), Carter, Marcus Rea, Timoney, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Roberts, Warwick, Moore, Treadwell, Jones, Curtis/Moxham, Lyttle.

Missing a scrum half , probably Shanners.

Ah sure Doak was going to play the full match anyway

[thecrouch]

What's going on with Madigan. Not mentioned in the injury report?

[Neill_M]

What's going on with Madigan. Not mentioned in the injury report?

Was listed as unavailable for Munster, so guessing now available for selection?

[thecrouch]

What's going on with Madigan. Not mentioned in the injury report?

Was listed as unavailable for Munster, so guessing now available for selection?

Given the debacle at the weekend he must surely make the 23.

[StandUp]

What's going on with Madigan. Not mentioned in the injury report?

Was listed as unavailable for Munster, so guessing now available for selection?

Given the debacle at the weekend he must surely make the 23.

He really should but probably won’t. FIRFU will probably want Burns to get as much game time as possible as a break glass option for 6 nations

[Dharper]

For me that is a mistake by IRFU, if correct. No point burning squad time / caps on a stopgap 10.

I presume mads is still injured as he is a very decent player/option, and I’m sure he’d be involved otherwise.

I would just say Billy may not be the best 10 in Ireland, but at least he had the ambition to move from Eng and chase a dream. He’ll be able to look back I suspect and say he made the most of himself pushed himself on and off the pitch and reached his limit. There’s a lot of players in Ireland who won’t be able say that…..comfort zone.
The last 15 last week was poor, Billy maybe should’ve called more onto him and altered the plan.
That said we over kicked (poor strategy), and the lineout went to brad pitt. Even Warwick tidied up 2 which were badly knocked back. Billy may have been a reason, he wasn’t the reason for defeat.

Looks like our side for Sunday is better than expected-hopefully we throw the kitchen sink at it, as I wouldn’t want to have everything on the line v Clermont with the current injury profile. Sunday I expect to be a real dogfight.

[Neill_M]

RFU Disciplinary: Chris Boyd
Friday 14 January, 2022
Following an independent disciplinary panel on Thursday evening, Northampton Saints’ Director of Rugby Chris Boyd has been given a two-match suspension from all matchday coaching duties.

Boyd appeared in front of the independent disciplinary panel, which was chaired by Martin Picton with Tom Gilbart and Rob Vickerman. He was charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game contrary to RFU Rule 5.12, relating to his comments on the match official after Northampton’s game against Saracens on 2 January 2022.

The decision means that Boyd will miss Saints’ Heineken Champions Cup matches against Ulster Rugby (Sunday 16 January) and Racing 92 (Sunday 23 January). The 63-year-old is suspended from all matchday coaching duties, meaning he can only attend as a spectator.

[Neill_M]

Ulster team to play Northampton Saints, Heineken Champions Cup Round 3, Sunday 16 January at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, kick-off 3.15pm, live on BT Sport:
(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Kieran Treadwell, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Sam Carter, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham.

[Neill_M]

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs ULSTER RUGBY
Heineken Champions Cup, Pool A, Round 3
Sunday 16 January 2022
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 3.15pm

15 George Furbank, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Alex Mitchell, 1 Alex Waller, 2 Sam Matavesi, 3 Paul Hill, 4 David Ribbans, 5 Brandon Nansen, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Lewis Ludlam (c), 8 Teimana Harrison

16 James Fish, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Ehren Painter, 19 Api Ratuniyarawa, 20 Alex Coles, 21 Juarno Augustus, 22 Tom James, 23 Tommy Freeman

[germcevoy]

Didn’t expect that strong of a team from NH given they are 0/2. This will be trouble.

[Neill_M]

Didn’t expect that strong of a team from NH given they are 0/2. This will be trouble.

Need the win, have to go to the Disco Arena next week.