Lions Vs Ulster Saturday 15th October 1pm kick off Premier Sports 1

[UlsterNo9]

Squad departs Tuesday for a South African double header, first up Lions at altitude on The Highveld.

As indicated elsewhere it might be best to utilise the returning Emerging Ireland players, some gaining useful game time at altitude last weekend.

Looks like Madigan and Marty will be out through injury but hopefully we will see the return of Hume. With Burns not mentioned on the medical roll call we have to assume after a bit of Pixie dust he's fit having come off early against the Ospreys.

Lions do not appear to be anything like the mediocre side they were last season, we face them coming off three away wins on the bounce versus Ospreys, Cardiff and Edinburgh. They'll be no mugs back home at Ellis Park.

[jean valjean]

Wondering if they took burns off knowing that madigan was a big doubt for the tour. Could really do with him and stu being 100% for the next few weeks. The emerging Ireland players will bring some energy to the squad but sat will be a big ask given the lack of training time this week, one full session on Thursday possibly? Any word on mcilroy? Got hurt but no updates since.

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[Neill_M]

Herring and Hume on the plane according to the Bel Tel.

[allezlesverres]

I think I read somewhere the Emerging Ireland players are staying out there to link up with the squad so presumably most of them are available (slight question mark over McIlroy probably). We are stretched at Tight Head as MM wont be available for at least the first match. I suspect he wont travel at all. I would expect Doak to start at least one of the games - probably the Lions one. Flannery might also be given the nod at 10 beside him due to the fact they've just had a run of games together and they might be getting comfortable working together. While it would be good to have Stu back, his absence can be covered somewhat if Hume comes back as Luke or Moore can slot in at 12.

[Off the Top]

It's going be a tough game against the Lions and I think we will need a strong bench to finish off the game.

I would start with quite a few of the Emerging Ireland players (namely Doak, Flannery, Moore, Baloucoune, Stewart and possibly Izuchukwu) as they will have have been well acclimatised to the high veld by then. That means that we can fill the bench with our front line players for maximum impact.

Then for the Stormers (at sea level) we play our best team.

[Neill_M]

It's going be a tough game against the Lions and I think we will need a strong bench to finish off the game.

I would start with quite a few of the Emerging Ireland players (namely Doak, Flannery, Moore, Baloucoune, Stewart and possibly Izuchukwu) as they will have have been well acclimatised to the high veld by then. That means that we can fill the bench with our front line players for maximum impact.

Then for the Stormers (at sea level) we play our best team.

We play the Sharks away, Stormers at home this season.

[Off the Top]

It's going be a tough game against the Lions and I think we will need a strong bench to finish off the game.

I would start with quite a few of the Emerging Ireland players (namely Doak, Flannery, Moore, Baloucoune, Stewart and possibly Izuchukwu) as they will have have been well acclimatised to the high veld by then. That means that we can fill the bench with our front line players for maximum impact.

Then for the Stormers (at sea level) we play our best team.

We play the Sharks away, Stormers at home this season.

Indeed - apologies . But the Sharks are still at sea level - so my point is still valid!!

[Neill_M]

It's going be a tough game against the Lions and I think we will need a strong bench to finish off the game.

I would start with quite a few of the Emerging Ireland players (namely Doak, Flannery, Moore, Baloucoune, Stewart and possibly Izuchukwu) as they will have have been well acclimatised to the high veld by then. That means that we can fill the bench with our front line players for maximum impact.

Then for the Stormers (at sea level) we play our best team.

We play the Sharks away, Stormers at home this season.

Indeed - apologies . But the Sharks are still at sea level - so my point is still valid!!

Two difficult games in South Africa, the Lions have come to the party this season and the Sharks will be hard to beat at their place.

[10 or 15 only]

Indeed, they will be difficult games.
How many returning Internationals do each team have, following the recent games in the SH?
Another question for you, Neill

[Big-al]

Lions have no springboks to return I think.

Sharks have at least 7 or 8!!!

[Neill_M]

Indeed, they will be difficult games.
How many returning Internationals do each team have, following the recent games in the SH?
Another question for you, Neill

Going by Wiki, Lions had zero players in Springboks squad.

Sharks had 10 (Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nché, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi).

Mchunu, Du Toit and Williams played v Leinster.

Lukhanyo Am got injured in Round 3 of the Rugby Championship in September and had knee surgery and is a doubt for the Springboks November tour.

[allezlesverres]

Going by that (intimidating) squad list Neill, there must be a good argument for playing as close to our first XV as possible against the Lions and maybe playing a weaker team against the Sharks with a view to maximising the chance of at least one win from the tour. Maybe hope for a LBP or TBP from the Sharks game. Losing both games would put a lot of pressure on us for the Munster fixture which is already shaping up to be a difficult one given the fact they will be desperate by the time we play them.

I suppose the alternative point of view is that you play some of the younger ones versus the Lions then play the first XV v Sharks on the basis that if we think we are championship contenders we should back ourselves to win both games. Dont know how realistic that is though.

Bookies have the Lions game as basically a draw for what that's worth (Ulster 1pt favourites). Sharks will rightly be favourites to beat us in the following fixture.

[StandUp]

I understand that rationale, but to me, if Ulster fancy themselves as potential champions, they should try to win every single game. Sacrificing a game would be horrible for morale and would send a message to the players and every other team that we aren’t good enough to win.

[flatpass]

The Ulster Rugby coaching team have named the squad that will travel to South Africa to play the Emirates Lions and Cell C Sharks over the next two weekends in the Vodacom URC.
The players involved in the victorious Emerging Ireland tour will link-up with the Ulster squad this week in South Africa.

Forwards
John Andrew
Sam Carter
Rob Hearing
Gareth Milasinovich
Marty Moore
Jordi Murphy
Eric O'Sullivan
Tom O’Toole
Marcus Rea
Matty Rea
Rory Sutherland
Nick Timoney
Kieran Treadwell
Andrew Warwick
Duane Vermeulen

Backs
Billy Burns
John Cooney
Angus Curtis
James Hume
Mike Lower
Rob Lyttle
Luke Marshall
Stuart McCloskey

Emerging Ireland
Rob Baloucoune
Nathan Doak
Jake Flannery
Cormac Izuchukwu
Dave McCann
Michael McDonald
Ethan McIlroy
Stewart Moore
Callum Reid
Tom Stewart

[SUFTUM_19]

Not sure why Alan O’Connor isn’t going, it leaves us very light in the second row against the Lions with Treadwell injured - only Carter and Izzy available so Matty Rea will probably be covering 19. Don’t understand the rationale behind not bringing AOC!