Ulster v Munster Sunday 1 January 5:15pm KO TG4 / Viaplay Sports 1 / URC TV / Super Sport

[Dharper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64147942

I Really like McWhirter, decent analysis, and honest, doesn’t pull his punches like some recently retired players.

Not sure I agree with him here though…..think Dan has every right to go public, the players need to step up and take responsibility on the pitch. That said he is definitely right, it’s a risk the LAR and Sale games could get really messy without MM.

[justinr73]

So SR has now been credited with 42 tackles on social media, with DV, Greg and Hendy all making at least 23.

Can’t be right can it?

I thought we had a lot of possession although I was pre-loading.

And had pre-loaded before pre-loading.

[solidarity]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64147942

I Really like McWhirter, decent analysis, and honest, doesn’t pull his punches like some recently retired players.

Not sure I agree with him here though…..think Dan has every right to go public, the players need to step up and take responsibility on the pitch. That said he is definitely right, it’s a risk the LAR and Sale games could get really messy without MM.

I fear he's spot on. The season could well implode. A loss to Beneton followed by going down to Sale and LaR are more probable than possible. Something really really big needs to happen this week to turn the season round.

[justinr73]

We’re 3rd in a league of 16 and yet knickers are being wet left, right and centre.

Not an easy game on Saturday though and consuming sufficient calories in time for the 1pm start could be challenging.

[Marco]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64147942

I Really like McWhirter, decent analysis, and honest, doesn’t pull his punches like some recently retired players.

Not sure I agree with him here though…..think Dan has every right to go public, the players need to step up and take responsibility on the pitch. That said he is definitely right, it’s a risk the LAR and Sale games could get really messy without MM.

Agree. One thing though about what Tony reported that Dan said that I think needs to be more accurate. Dan did indeed say that his players played as if they didn’t care, but he also said, in the same sentence, that he knew this wasn’t true, I think an important point that Tony omitted and I suspect was deliberately left out. Let’s report accurately.

[allezlesverres]

Dave thanks for that he must be self diagnosing as according to URs medical update today he doesn't feature...

https://ulster.rugby/content/squad-upda ... nuary-2023

btw will keep you a nice little spot behind me on RPG/RP with easy access to the stand.

Well, either consciously or unconsciously they don't deem him worthy of reporting on.

Thanks for the suggestion

I'm only speculating here but I suspect that some players (particularly shortish term NIQs) have contractual exemptions preventing public release of medical info (which is by its nature confidential). It can affect the players value in future transfers so some might prefer to keep it to themselves. I remember Sexton having a row about this with his persistently not concussed hamstring. JTA certainly left his last match injured and has never appeared in an official injury list that I've seen so I think he is on some sort of exemption. Others must be too.

[jean valjean]

Dave thanks for that he must be self diagnosing as according to URs medical update today he doesn't feature...

https://ulster.rugby/content/squad-upda ... nuary-2023

btw will keep you a nice little spot behind me on RPG/RP with easy access to the stand.

Well, either consciously or unconsciously they don't deem him worthy of reporting on.

Thanks for the suggestion

I'm only speculating here but I suspect that some players (particularly shortish term NIQs) have contractual exemptions preventing public release of medical info (which is by its nature confidential). It can affect the players value in future transfers so some might prefer to keep it to themselves. I remember Sexton having a row about this with his persistently not concussed hamstring. JTA certainly left his last match injured and has never appeared in an official injury list that I've seen so I think he is on some sort of exemption. Others must be too.

Torn lateral and medial ligaments in
left ankle, according to his own Instagram on 5th December. Seems to be moving well in his most recent post though.

https://instagram.com/jeff_tallen?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[paddybrown]

I think Dan's going to need to look at making a short term injury cover signing at tighthead. Marty's out for the foreseeable, Tom O'Toole's just coming back from injury, JTA is missing. Best case scenario, O'Toole is ready to start, with Milasinovich on the bench. Worst case, Milasinovich starts and we have to dip into the academy or the As for the bench. I thought Milo did reasonably well on Sunday after a poor first scrum, but we need to have more cover than that. Maybe Ealing could loan us Ross Kane back? Or are there any more hidden gems in the AIL who could end up Welsh internationals? Although Callum Reid's a big lad, maybe he could retrain as a tighthead?

It'll be interesting to see who gets selected for the As against Ealing on Friday. In previous A games this season we've used Cameron Doak, Joe Mawhinney, Jack Boal and James McCormick.

I watched my nephew playing for Sullivan Old Boys against Holywood on Boxing Day. He was the smallest man on the pitch, but he played loosehead and hooker at school, and packed down at tighthead for a few scrums in the second half. And Sullivan won. Sign him up!

[allezlesverres]

Although Callum Reid's a big lad, maybe he could retrain as a tighthead?

Warwick has moved across before so if we are really in the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency territory he'd be the likely one to flip

[CIMANFOREVER]

I think Dan's going to need to look at making a short term injury cover signing at tighthead. Marty's out for the foreseeable, Tom O'Toole's just coming back from injury, JTA is missing. Best case scenario, O'Toole is ready to start, with Milasinovich on the bench. Worst case, Milasinovich starts and we have to dip into the academy or the As for the bench. I thought Milo did reasonably well on Sunday after a poor first scrum, but we need to have more cover than that. Maybe Ealing could loan us Ross Kane back? Or are there any more hidden gems in the AIL who could end up Welsh internationals? Although Callum Reid's a big lad, maybe he could retrain as a tighthead?

It'll be interesting to see who gets selected for the As against Ealing on Friday. In previous A games this season we've used Cameron Doak, Joe Mawhinney, Jack Boal and James McCormick.

I watched my nephew playing for Sullivan Old Boys against Holywood on Boxing Day. He was the smallest man on the pitch, but he played loosehead and hooker at school, and packed down at tighthead for a few scrums in the second half. And Sullivan won. Sign him up!

Reid's not currently good enough as a Loose head let alone TH. That would be a dangerous move for a player like Reid

[rumncoke]

Not blaming DAN for everything but I believe he has had 4 years at Ulster and fresh ideas maybe need at the start of next season the squad is a mix of ageing forwards and immature backs some of whom really are not strong enough to scare the best of sides and could fold to weak sides as well.

There is a deja vu feel to the last 20 minutes in some games as the bench appears a penalty sends the side into defending the 5 metre area with the attacking side free to pre-bind and come in from the side to block defenders and "why are expending all this energy defending piling up bruises on bruises when the ref is going to penalise us at the first opportunity to start the process again .

To be honest I 'm fed up watching the Eton Wall Game where nine times out of ten a the ref has to go to a TMO and slow mo to confirm a score you either see the try or you don't if you don't then the attacking side should pay the penalty for failure to score cleanly.

[Seagull]

Dan let a superb defensive coach with attacking nouse go.
Current coaches no where in the same league as Jared Payne.
Heard he wanted to move from defence to attack coach but this was was rejected so moved on.
We were scoring tries every game and had a great defence before coaches were reshuffled, big mistake.

[UlsterNo9]

Dan let a superb defensive coach with attacking nouse go.
Current coaches no where in the same league as Jared Payne.
Heard he wanted to move from defence to attack coach but this was was rejected so moved on.
We were scoring tries every game and had a great defence before coaches were reshuffled, big mistake.

Yep, been discussed previously. Soper and Payne both went for Peels role. Soper got the position.

So if Payne had gotten the position we still would of had a reshuffle.....

Payne left to take up a new position at Clermont as..... defence coach.

Not doubting Paynes coaching ability heard great things, doesn't look like a great move for anyone. Clermont currently sitting 11th in Top 14 with one of the worst points conceded tallies.

[paddybrown]

Also, collapsing in the last ten minutes was something we did last year too.

[Neill_M]

Dan let a superb defensive coach with attacking nouse go.
Current coaches no where in the same league as Jared Payne.
Heard he wanted to move from defence to attack coach but this was was rejected so moved on.
We were scoring tries every game and had a great defence before coaches were reshuffled, big mistake.

Yep, been discussed previously. Soper and Payne both went for Peels role. Soper got the position.

So if Payne had gotten the position we still would of had a reshuffle.....

Payne left to take up a new position at Clermont as..... defence coach.

Not doubting Paynes coaching ability heard great things, doesn't look like a great move for anyone. Clermont currently sitting 11th in Top 14 with one of the worst points conceded tallies.

10th worst points conceded - 353 points over 14 games to date. Average of around 25 points / game. He joined Clermont at the wrong point in their cycle, they aren't the team they were a few years back etc.