The UAFC

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 5:33 pm Win next week and 2/4 is realistically OK .
Lose and it will be 2/8 in Europe over 2 seasons, which isn't good enough.

Ulster has every motivation now for next week. Win and qualify.

Being outside the top 16 in Europe would not be a good look

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 5:33 pm Win next week and 2/4 is realistically OK .
Lose and it will be 2/8 in Europe over 2 seasons, which isn't good enough.

Ulster has every motivation now for next week. Win and qualify.

Being outside the top 16 in Europe would not be a good look

CIMANFOREVER wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 6:28 pm

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 5:33 pm Win next week and 2/4 is realistically OK .
Lose and it will be 2/8 in Europe over 2 seasons, which isn't good enough.

Ulster has every motivation now for next week. Win and qualify.

Being outside the top 16 in Europe would not be a good look

Realistically we are.
We're barely top 8 URC.
Lots to unpack. Toulouse like the true professional outfit they are, kept the foot on the throat and ensured we didn't even get a LBP.

We have no serious depth anywhere bar hooker.
Some young backs have stalled or failed to develop significantly under DFs watch .
Hendo is 32- our only other Lock sticks in the first team squad are Treadwell, AOC and?..... Sheridan is a hybrid, oh, Matty...
Ditto Loose- below Mad Kid we've no one credible- Andy is a decent scrummager but not EPCR class. It says reams about EOS that Andy is ahead of him at 32.
Herring is also 32- bar Stewart, who?
TH- TOT and a very green SW. MM is in the last leg of an injury plagued career.
Lock as above- 2 academy Ireland U20 locks but they look 19 and 20... Beanpole cubs
Back Row- McCann, Sheridan, McLaughlin, McNabney, Reffell, Timoney, Marcus Rea give us some future depth and hope. Ewers seems unlucky with injury and is 32.

9- Cooney is 34 and was exposed facing true class- Doak has many flaws and needs away from UR to develop. Who else?
10- ??? Disaster. Flannery has potential but do we trust UR to develop him? Billy......
Wings- Stockers, the increasing liability of RB and who? Moxham? McElroy? Sexton? none bar Stockdale should be near our first team squad let alone Ireland.
Centre- Luke and Mac are 32- Hume is a primadonna, Postletwhaite- heard about potential but saw nothing yet.

FB- Addison is 32 and injury riddled, Lowry not physically up to this level and Stewart doesn't get a look in...Little, who was miles better than all our wingers bar Stockdale, quits Pro rugby- why?.....

That team ran up the white flag when a LBP was on- body language near the end was shocking.

Some of those young guys have/ had potential but I just believe there's a shocking lack of warrior or winning culture at UR, with too much complacency and poor player development. I also believe there's an underlying issue between players and DF- something is definitely amiss.
Toulouse were always going to win with that squad- it was the lack of belief and capitulation that dismayed me. Contrast with an injury strewn Munster with a good coaching team.

McFarland and that coaching team need removed if we could afford it.

solidarity wrote:

CIMANFOREVER wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 6:28 pm

Bart S wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 5:33 pm Win next week and 2/4 is realistically OK .
Lose and it will be 2/8 in Europe over 2 seasons, which isn't good enough.

Ulster has every motivation now for next week. Win and qualify.

Being outside the top 16 in Europe would not be a good look

Realistically we are.
We're barely top 8 URC.
Lots to unpack. Toulouse like the true professional outfit they are, kept the foot on the throat and ensured we didn't even get a LBP.

We have no serious depth anywhere bar hooker.
Some young backs have stalled or failed to develop significantly under DFs watch .
Hendo is 32- our only other Lock sticks in the first team squad are Treadwell, AOC and?..... Sheridan is a hybrid, oh, Matty...
Ditto Loose- below Mad Kid we've no one credible- Andy is a decent scrummager but not EPCR class. It says reams about EOS that Andy is ahead of him at 32.
Herring is also 32- bar Stewart, who?
TH- TOT and a very green SW. MM is in the last leg of an injury plagued career.
Lock as above- 2 academy Ireland U20 locks but they look 19 and 20... Beanpole cubs
Back Row- McCann, Sheridan, McLaughlin, McNabney, Reffell, Timoney, Marcus Rea give us some future depth and hope. Ewers seems unlucky with injury and is 32.

9- Cooney is 34 and was exposed facing true class- Doak has many flaws and needs away from UR to develop. Who else?
10- ??? Disaster. Flannery has potential but do we trust UR to develop him? Billy......
Wings- Stockers, the increasing liability of RB and who? Moxham? McElroy? Sexton? none bar Stockdale should be near our first team squad let alone Ireland.
Centre- Luke and Mac are 32- Hume is a primadonna, Postletwhaite- heard about potential but saw nothing yet.

FB- Addison is 32 and injury riddled, Lowry not physically up to this level and Stewart doesn't get a look in...Little, who was miles better than all our wingers bar Stockdale, quits Pro rugby- why?.....

That team ran up the white flag when a LBP was on- body language near the end was shocking.

Some of those young guys have/ had potential but I just believe there's a shocking lack of warrior or winning culture at UR, with too much complacency and poor player development. I also believe there's an underlying issue between players and DF- something is definitely amiss.
Toulouse were always going to win with that squad- it was the lack of belief and capitulation that dismayed me. Contrast with an injury strewn Munster with a good coaching team.

McFarland and that coaching team need removed if we could afford it.

As good a summary of where we are as I've seen. A decent run in the Biro pen cup is as much as we can hope for in the near future.

Big Smoke Culchie wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 4:29 pm I don't go in for the "Dan's not the man" arguments, but perhaps he's taken us as far as he can. He turned round a sinking ship and made us a very good team again, but since the Scarlets Two left everything has gone downhill. He either needs his support staff to step up or they need to be replaced. Our set piece is a shambles. That is unforgivable, really. Soper has been a major disappointment for me. Last year our attack was stick it up the jumper and maul it over the line. It's interesting that tactic doesn't work any more now Vermeulen has gone. This year it's fling it as wide as you can as early as you can. Toulouse were well wise to that last night.

I believe the talent is there, but the coaching setup is letting them down.