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

[SUFTUM_19]

According to URC website, Sean Reffell made 39 tackles!! Surely that can’t be right!

[StandUp]

According to URC website, Sean Reffell made 39 tackles!! Surely that can’t be right!

I don’t know the figures, but he tackled everything in sight.

[SUFTUM_19]

According to URC website, Sean Reffell made 39 tackles!! Surely that can’t be right!

I don’t know the figures, but he tackled everything in sight.

Would surely be some sort of record if true!

[Dharper]

There was a lot when he was the low 2nd tackler….the appetite appears there with him. Hopefully as he settles into the squad he starts talking….certainly a bit of the Saracens hard edge is missing with that pack.

[Dharper]

Maybe that is in training, we are not as focused in training at making sure the fundamental parts of the game are right.

A direct quote from our head coach. Remarkable.

I wonder whose job it is to focus on these things in training?

…..no problem.

Speak to JTA & Rory Sutherland-get 2 guys from wasps/Worcester:
1) 30yrs, married, kids, mortgage.
2) 21/22yrs, 30 club caps.

Pay them £x, treat them like kings, get them to both do a presentation to the squad, about all their issues….no contracts or very financially poor offers, flooded market with players, relocations issues, housing, relationships, schools….etc etc.

Then Dan to speak to the squad and coaches privately-the passengers, gravy train stops. Poor performance and your out the fecking door….that’ll sharpen training attention spans. Too much assumption you get to spend an entire career at UR, dialling it in.

[thecrouch]

Maybe that is in training, we are not as focused in training at making sure the fundamental parts of the game are right.

A direct quote from our head coach. Remarkable.

I wonder whose job it is to focus on these things in training?

…..no problem.

Speak to JTA & Rory Sutherland-get 2 guys from wasps/Worcester:
1) 30yrs, married, kids, mortgage.
2) 21/22yrs, 30 club caps.

Pay them £x, treat them like kings, get them to both do a presentation to the squad, about all their issues….no contracts or very financially poor offers, flooded market with players, relocations issues, housing, relationships, schools….etc etc.

Then Dan to speak to the squad and coaches privately-the passengers, gravy train stops. Poor performance and your out the fecking door….that’ll sharpen training attention spans. Too much assumption you get to spend an entire career at UR, dialling it in.

I think you're second point is spot on. Too many see us as a soft touch, get your contract and then don't need to overly worry until renewal time and sure we'll probably renew you anyway. Carter getting renewed is like the prime example, a distinctly average player who adds very little to our squad and should have been sent packing after his first deal expired. Accepting his average-ness sends a message to the rest of the squad.

An acceptance of mediocrity permeates this club at all levels, from the playing staff to the board room. I'd even include the supporters, too many of our fans accept this nonsense, they just want to wave pom-poms and recite 10 decades of the SUFTUM. The players are treated like celebrities and worshipped no matter the results, maybe it's time that changed as well. It's been like 15/16/17 years since our last trophy, this is embarrassing.

I've posted it a few times the past few weeks, Ulster Rugby as an organisation needs a cultural reset. If you're not going to cut the mustard then off you go, and it doesn't matter where you come from or what school you went to.

[Deraless]

Reffell looked like he was at every breakdown and competing but getting knocked off too easily. If he could bulk up without losing speed that'd be a lottery win.

My other half has started going recently and is still in single figures as regards attendance at matches. "Why does Doak just keep doing the same thing and kick it straight to them..." With a 9 point lead and about 8 minutes left either run the clock down or go long. It's mini rugby standard. When Plan A isn't working resort to Plan A.

Apparently BB has the best "rugby brain" in the squad. Does that mean he's good at rugby Trivial Pursuit?

[solidarity]

An acceptance of mediocrity permeates this club at all levels, from the playing staff to the board room. I'd even include the supporters, too many of our fans accept this nonsense, they just want to wave pom-poms and recite 10 decades of the SUFTUM. The players are treated like celebrities and worshipped no matter the results, maybe it's time that changed as well. It's been like 15/16/17 years since our last trophy, this is embarrassing.

Sums it up to a tee.
For me the singing of SUFTUM at the start of both halves sums it up. Music needed to get the fans started and we can hardly manage to bleat out two choruses. At every level, we accept mediocrity.

Generally, I'm not one for fans turning on the team but I sometimes wonder if, at the end of a game like yesterday's, everyone singing SUFTUM at slower than half speed would get the message across. Never happen of course.

[Tap+Go]

Bring in Mr William Anderson for the rest of this season. He is someone who understands rugby and who understands Ulster. He’d likely have too much wit to be interested of course, but he sure would complement the whole set up and bridge the gap that’s growing between players and coaches. Look what Paulie is doing for Ireland. I’m a country boy myself but there is far too much of the old school tie brigade about in there, reminds me of the boarders at my old school, Portora, arrogant p**cks the lot of them, wouldn’t know a hard days work if it walked up and introduced itself to them, you know the type! It wont happen but sure…

Catch a grip—Willy Anderson

You want to talk about self serving/arrogant people then he’s numero uno.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Willie the saviour of Ulster rugby - we really have hit rock bottom

Think they’ll have been glad to get him off the payroll & out to pasture about 3 years back!

[Tap+Go]

Milasinovic is an absolute disgrace and should be fcuked out the door immediately. A complete waste of space.

Reffell was busy but also ineffective.

Jones is not at this level.

Our squad has too many passengers.

Couldn’t agree more on Milasinovich. How we let him steal a living is a disgrace. I thought Diack was a big saft saffer but this lad makes him look like Chuck Norris. He’s like the big saft wean at school and the perfect example just because you’re big doesn’t make you a good rugby player. Young players getting constantly told they aren’t big enough & you have him plodding round scratching his Brennan & not even remotely capable of holding up a scrum, never mind anything else.

Jones tries harder but as you say never remotely shown he is capable of performing at that level. He has always looked too lightweight to compete - why’s that not been addressed as been around long enough.

Need to clear the deadwood & integrate some of the younger players more. Would Sheridan or Izzy be any worse than Jones or Carter? No doubt we’ll wait until their mid 20s like with Marcus Rea before giving them regular game time.

You have to admire the Leinster production line but so much for the distributing of players. We get chucked the odd has been or crock like Jordi, McGrath or Madigan but never players of potential in their prime. Ulster squad would benefit hugely with the likes of Penny, Deegan or even a Byrne but they are happy to stay in D4 as a clear 2nd or 3rd stringer. Leinster always have a young backup looking like they want to come in & prove a point while our 2nd or 3rd string players look like they can’t be arsed. We get excited with a young guy like Tom Stewart coming in looking hungry & putting in a high work rate but truth is they have a string of them. Too many too comfortable in Ulster.

[Bobbievee]

Amidst this forum furore about defence coach, let's get back to basics. Munster only scored 2 tries in the game, with some outstanding persistent goal line UR defence . Our open play defence is less good, topped with the embarrassing Cowley break on the halfway line.
But DmcF is right in one thing. We didnt win the match because we only scored 1 try......(..And it was almost freakish.!), and never actually looked like scoring any more. Our reliance on the mail to score tries has concealed the collapse of the UR backs as an threat to anybody.
Our backline attack is slow, predictable slow loops and missed passes, abysmal and aimless kicking at 9 and 10, I would take Healy.............
Munster improved when he came on at 10 last night and he is their 3rd choice!

[Bobbievee]

Reliance on the maul........not the mail!!.......although both equally reliable at the moment!!

[Marco]

I appreciate this is off thread but I am a big NFL fan (since watching documentaries in lockdown), and sat down to watch the Bills Bengals game last night, a huge game in determining playoffs, except it was suspended in first quarter after a 24 Yr old safety for Buffalo went into cardiac arrest following a big clash of heads, although nothing exceptional in a brutal sport. Dramatic scenes as teammates and fans learnt the severity of it. As a first for such an incident, the lad did get up after the tackle only to just collapse moments later, on centre screen. My thoughts with young Damar Hamlin, I understand he is critical but breathing again, in an induced coma. Perhaps appropriate to again put losing a few rugby games into context.

[UlsterNo9]

Milasinovic is an absolute disgrace and should be fcuked out the door immediately. A complete waste of space.

Reffell was busy but also ineffective.

Jones is not at this level.

Our squad has too many passengers.

Couldn’t agree more on Milasinovich. How we let him steal a living is a disgrace. I thought Diack was a big saft saffer but this lad makes him look like Chuck Norris. He’s like the big saft wean at school and the perfect example just because you’re big doesn’t make you a good rugby player. Young players getting constantly told they aren’t big enough & you have him plodding round scratching his Brennan & not even remotely capable of holding up a scrum, never mind anything else.

Jones tries harder but as you say never remotely shown he is capable of performing at that level. He has always looked too lightweight to compete - why’s that not been addressed as been around long enough.

Need to clear the deadwood & integrate some of the younger players more. Would Sheridan or Izzy be any worse than Jones or Carter? No doubt we’ll wait until their mid 20s like with Marcus Rea before giving them regular game time.

You have to admire the Leinster production line but so much for the distributing of players. We get chucked the odd has been or crock like Jordi, McGrath or Madigan but never players of potential in their prime. Ulster squad would benefit hugely with the likes of Penny, Deegan or even a Byrne but they are happy to stay in D4 as a clear 2nd or 3rd stringer. Leinster always have a young backup looking like they want to come in & prove a point while our 2nd or 3rd string players look like they can’t be arsed. We get excited with a young guy like Tom Stewart coming in looking hungry & putting in a high work rate but truth is they have a string of them. Too many too comfortable in Ulster.

Is there an alternative to Milo, he's 3rd 4th choice prop and a break glass option for a reason. Playing devils advocate I don't know if you can ask much more. We've O'Toole with international caps who cannot consistently lock a scrum. The writing was on the wall for the rest of our season when Moore went off and ensuing scrum ended in a penalty to Munster. I don't have the answer, Ross Kane was surplus to requirements and is now at Ealing, should he have been kept..... As for Jazzy Jeff, can't say whether he is good or bad as he hasn't been given an opportunity.

Leinster create a competitive environment, if I'm Marcus Rea and I see Jones coming in, I'm not seeing Jones as a threat, he has been around the squad for years and made no real impact. If I see Sheridan coming in, an unknown, a kid with potential I'm upping my game. We're not breeding competition. Same train of thought for giving Izzy a lash, have we seen him since his dumb penalty vs Munster away? He looked good forward.

My own view, I could stomach defeats with young lads like Sheridan and Izzy thrown in and trying to learn their trade. It would at least be asking questions of current incumbents. We're not seeing guys being given opportunities, not seeing whether they are good enough or not. If management are deciding players are not good enough based on training analysis alone then that's poor, played with plenty of awful trainers who could turn it on come Saturday.

Dan made a pretty scathing post match assessment of his players. Was it only words? He needs to back it up with his selections.

[thecrouch]

Milasinovic is an absolute disgrace and should be fcuked out the door immediately. A complete waste of space.

Reffell was busy but also ineffective.

Jones is not at this level.

Our squad has too many passengers.

Couldn’t agree more on Milasinovich. How we let him steal a living is a disgrace. I thought Diack was a big saft saffer but this lad makes him look like Chuck Norris. He’s like the big saft wean at school and the perfect example just because you’re big doesn’t make you a good rugby player. Young players getting constantly told they aren’t big enough & you have him plodding round scratching his Brennan & not even remotely capable of holding up a scrum, never mind anything else.

Jones tries harder but as you say never remotely shown he is capable of performing at that level. He has always looked too lightweight to compete - why’s that not been addressed as been around long enough.

Need to clear the deadwood & integrate some of the younger players more. Would Sheridan or Izzy be any worse than Jones or Carter? No doubt we’ll wait until their mid 20s like with Marcus Rea before giving them regular game time.

You have to admire the Leinster production line but so much for the distributing of players. We get chucked the odd has been or crock like Jordi, McGrath or Madigan but never players of potential in their prime. Ulster squad would benefit hugely with the likes of Penny, Deegan or even a Byrne but they are happy to stay in D4 as a clear 2nd or 3rd stringer. Leinster always have a young backup looking like they want to come in & prove a point while our 2nd or 3rd string players look like they can’t be arsed. We get excited with a young guy like Tom Stewart coming in looking hungry & putting in a high work rate but truth is they have a string of them. Too many too comfortable in Ulster.

Is there an alternative to Milo, he's 3rd 4th choice prop and a break glass option for a reason. Playing devils advocate I don't know if you can ask much more. We've O'Toole with international caps who cannot consistently lock a scrum. The writing was on the wall for the rest of our season when Moore went off and ensuing scrum ended in a penalty to Munster. I don't have the answer, Ross Kane was surplus to requirements and is now at Ealing, should he have been kept..... As for Jazzy Jeff, can't say whether he is good or bad as he hasn't been given an opportunity.

Leinster create a competitive environment, if I'm Marcus Rea and I see Jones coming in, I'm not seeing Jones as a threat, he has been around the squad for years and made no real impact. If I see Sheridan coming in, an unknown, a kid with potential I'm upping my game. We're not breeding competition. Same train of thought for giving Izzy a lash, have we seen him since his dumb penalty vs Munster away? He looked good forward.

My own view, I could stomach defeats with young lads like Sheridan and Izzy thrown in and trying to learn their trade. It would at least be asking questions of current incumbents. We're not seeing guys being given opportunities, not seeing whether they are good enough or not. If management are deciding players are not good enough based on training analysis alone then that's poor, played with plenty of awful trainers who could turn it on come Saturday.

Dan made a pretty scathing post match assessment of his players. Was it only words? He needs to back it up with his selections.

Ross Kane was never good enough either.

Like almost all forwards that we produce.