Ospreys away Sunday 18th Feb 3pm

[CIMANFOREVER]

Seemed like he was deflecting a bit in the interview, first question he blamed the ref, second one he blamed the interviewer saying the question wasn’t relevant! Seemed like a bit of a frosty atmosphere, I hope there’s a bit of accountability from both the players and coaches

He also blamed the break ...

[for dog and ulcer]

We'll take the learnings going forward.

[Dave]

Seemed like he was deflecting a bit in the interview, first question he blamed the ref, second one he blamed the interviewer saying the question wasn’t relevant! Seemed like a bit of a frosty atmosphere, I hope there’s a bit of accountability from both the players and coaches

He also blamed the break ...

I remember when he blamed training. Yes the same training that he is responsible for. The break resulted in more training so I supposed there is a theme here.

[Dharper]

Some thoughts no real good order:

Firstly ospreys have been on a decent run at home, not the easy result some may have anticipated. The result was no surprise whatsoever, I was actually amazed we were ahead with 2mins to go.

The early injuries to Moore and Henderson definitely effected our grunt in the pack, and experience on the pitch come business time.

Once kitschoff came on the scrum wasn’t bad, Wilson was decent too. A young and non hefty second row of Sheridan and Izzy gave a decent account of themselves. Izzy looked a decent mauler, there’s a player there. Backrow was okay.

Issues:
Leinster backline handling skills in poor cons was pretty decent yesterday, they were pretty much all pups. I’d argue the conditions were better today. 3 week’s training (experienced and int players, you cant run a line, time a run, or catch a pass?). Absolutely damning. (Soper the attack genius and newby the skills coach should be facing some awkward qs).

Come last 10mins: where was the leaders or experienced players to get the win?….they ain’t there. Kitschoff, McCann, Stewart?….kitschoff ain’t a leader. Neive game management in the extreme, loss no surprise.

How many times, never learning the lesson….turning down pen kicks time after time.

CG has no love for DMcF, it is clear and damning the squad aren’t playing for him… the contract extension looks absolutely incompetence on an epic scale.

I’d back this team going forward - if we fail to qualify for champs cup so be it. Wilson Sheridan Izzy McCann should be invested in.

I’ll also say this….these guys are professional rugby players, some on very good money, sponsored cars, who cant even do the basics?

If Irfu can’t state a player up for contract renewal was an ire int possible, and it didn’t suit ur….they’d be out the door. If Stockdale was on a big contract I’d seriously consider letting him go and using the money saved to sign a decent 10 with a big boot. The guy doesn’t effect games enough. Balacoune is also inthe category for me. Both luxuries who flatter to deceive.

No 2 ways about it - coaches need to go.
McF is already gone you can see it, total disconnect, heads gone.

Also please please please….tell the players to keep their mouths shut, this we are hurting and been training hard horlix….they are embarrassing themselves.

Fair play to Anscombe for telling the truth….they are tom kite, and embarrass the shirt.
Down to them young pups to take the challenge on and fight back. Cut the weak, and lame out.
Too many passengers, and many old enough to know better.
A dreadful watch. Senior players going through the motions, seriously take the pi$h out of the travelling supporters.

[justinr73]

Some thoughts no real good order:

Firstly ospreys have been on a decent run at home, not the easy result some may have anticipated. The result was no surprise whatsoever, I was actually amazed we were ahead with 2mins to go.

The early injuries to Moore and Henderson definitely effected our grunt in the pack, and experience on the pitch come business time.

Once kitschoff came on the scrum wasn’t bad, Wilson was decent too. A young and non hefty second row of Sheridan and Izzy gave a decent account of themselves. Izzy looked a decent mauler, there’s a player there. Backrow was okay.

Issues:
Leinster backline handling skills in poor cons was pretty decent yesterday, they were pretty much all pups. I’d argue the conditions were better today. 3 week’s training (experienced and int players, you cant run a line, time a run, or catch a pass?). Absolutely damning. (Soper the attack genius and newby the skills coach should be facing some awkward qs).

Come last 10mins: where was the leaders or experienced players to get the win?….they ain’t there. Kitschoff, McCann, Stewart?….kitschoff ain’t a leader. Neive game management in the extreme, loss no surprise.

How many times, never learning the lesson….turning down pen kicks time after time.

CG has no love for DMcF, it is clear and damning the squad aren’t playing for him… the contract extension looks absolutely incompetence on an epic scale.

I’d back this team going forward - if we fail to qualify for champs cup so be it. Wilson Sheridan Izzy McCann should be invested in.

I’ll also say this….these guys are professional rugby players, some on very good money, sponsored cars, who cant even do the basics?

If Irfu can’t state a player up for contract renewal was an ire int possible, and it didn’t suit ur….they’d be out the door. If Stockdale was on a big contract I’d seriously consider letting him go and using the money saved to sign a decent 10 with a big boot. The guy doesn’t effect games enough. Balacoune is also inthe category for me. Both luxuries who flatter to deceive.

No 2 ways about it - coaches need to go.
McF is already gone you can see it, total disconnect, heads gone.

Also please please please….tell the players to keep their mouths shut, this we are hurting and been training hard horlix….they are embarrassing themselves.

Fair play to Anscombe for telling the truth….they are tom kite, and embarrass the shirt.
Down to them young pups to take the challenge on and fight back. Cut the weak, and lame out.
Too many passengers, and many old enough to know better.
A dreadful watch. Senior players going through the motions, seriously take the pi$h out of the travelling supporters.

I agree with a fair chunk of that but it’s arguable if the result was a surprise or not. It was 100% an extremely bad result though. So far as I can see, Ospreys have recently beaten nobody of note, looked as useless as us and would never have scored in a month of Sundays had Flannery not provided the assist.

Is SK really not a leader? He literally led the Stormers to the title.

Hendy certainly isn’t a leader but if we stretch the definition to the absolute maximum then, at best, he’s an extremely reluctant leader and one that wouldn’t inspire me. I’d give the captaincy to SK next season.

If Gilroy can’t keep his personal issues out of his commentary then he should try and find another gig. Save it for the book Craig, if you can find someone to publish it.

That was Stockdale’s worst game for ages and Bobby has been poor all season, but if they go who comes in given that our recruitment hands are tied behind our backs? We’ve plenty of players who are worse and we can’t even properly replace them. I wouldn’t score anyone more than a 6 today.

What the hell is the plan at 10? There aren’t many fans of Billy on here but it looks like a case of be careful what you wish for at the moment. Any chance of KOTH appearing and confirming we’re bringing in a class outhalf for next year?

Luckily, my sister was visiting so going to the game was out of the question. No doubt most of us know some poor bugger who was there.

Think I’m more cheesed off than after Quins. At least they were quite good.

[HwoodMike2umate]

Just goes to show that you dont want to be winning at half time.

[Marco]

Was on a plane so missed it. 5 minutes of the 'highlights' was more than enough. This season is effectively over: we're rudderless and spineless and if one of the happy clappy brigade dare to criticise me, hold me back. A disgrace (coaches, management and players alike) to the shirt.

Well done Ospreys, missing 10 odd first team players. To the arrogant among us who mock Welsh rugby, including Cardiff in our group in Europe, well thank you lads for handing us our holes back to us, on a plate, we deserve them, Ulster rugby can reach depths that only a few can dream of, so bad its funny.

[rumncoke]

Basically a case of underestimating your enemy --a game lost which should have been won before 1/2 time -- the scrum mangled badly on the opposition put in .Silly mistakes caused by over running causing forward passes the right idea -- terrible terrible execution -- and to duplicate it for the intercept -- total foolishness -- Flannery is no Jackson -- to do a mis-pass out to the wing you need speed and accuracy not a dolly dropper --Flannery doesn't have a long pass -- Doak has, but not Flannery though His penalty at the end took a lot of nerve.

And definitely a lack of leadership once Henderson left the field. Hume is not Captain material and it is too soon for McCann . Basically Dan got his selection wrong --Hooker wrong --Front row wrong -- second row wrong -- field Captain once Henderson went off wrong .

There are definitely a few players have to go and sorry to say when I saw McIlroy on the wing i wondered where the trys were going to come a useful defender in a kicking game but a lost cause in attack.

[Dharper]

The issue re Kitschoff and leadership for me is he’s barely got his feet under the table.
Above him are a tom kite coaching and management group. There maybe things he is deeply unhappy about, but he could do a sexton at R92 and alienate a lot of people quickly.

I’m not so sure I’d want the gig if I was him, while the coaching group is in place at least. A hard reset is required-my issue is it is happening due to finances, rather than rugby related decision making.

CG mentioned management style - wanting a player led environment, less scripted, less intense: clear criticism of the current regime, specifically for me the head man.

I think the players have switched off and are going through the motions. DMcF is a poor man’s borthwick. The attack has consisted of a maul last 2/3 seasons.

While the management and coaching structure is in place we are doomed to continue, and repeat mistakes. UR are now in a place where I have zero confidence any any person to seriously affect our fortunes. Humphries will need to get involved, and to a level that’ll put a lot of people’s noses out of joint.

This shitshow continues and it’s gonna hit gate receipts to an adverse level.

One final thing: there is no way on earth they were training the house down in that 3 week period, that backline looked absolutely shocking, pre/start of a season stuff…they couldn’t even execute 4/5 passes to a winger to a decent standard. I think that’s what’s drunk me off the most….

[Big-al]

Soper is every bit as bad as McFarland. Don’t care what some Belfast based supporters who know him say.

The more responsibility he has, the worse the attack is. That was not a good Ospreys team, missing many of their best players through injury or international call up, yet they still beat Ulster.

If Cunningham and Jonny Petrie think there is a future with this coaching staff then they need to reconsider their position also.

This Ulster side is only going to get worse. They looked like they had no idea what they were doing, some of them look like they don’t even care. Doak threw an horrendous forward pass from a scrum and all he could do was laugh about it.

[thecrouch]

Stockdale is lucky he had that mad 2018 season. He's still dining out on that.

Unfortunately that one looks like a blip, with the mistakes he makes week in, week out.

[flatpass]

I’m always loth to criticise, perhaps too much so. But that was shocking. What I can’t understand is the policy re selection and use of the bench.

Why was Kitshoff not starting? Warwick strikes me as a decent LH but he’s no Kitshoff. Why was Cooney not in the squad? Why was Burns not in the squad? Where is Ewers? Where is Refell? Is he injured? Why was Flannery not subbed? Why was Doak not moved to 10? Why was Marshall not introduced much earlier?
And what was the squad doing for the last 3 weeks?

I’ve been a season ticket holder since season tickets were introduced and in that time there have been a lot of poor performances, but yesterday’s plumbed the depths. No doubt when the time comes I’ll buy a season ticket again for next season, for hope springs eternal, but…..

There’s obviously a huge disconnect in the camp. Time to sort it out - which means some coaches/management/players have to go. But who makes those decisions? Is anyone going to be decisive?

[thecrouch]

Yea I understand that you cannot play your strongest team every week, but during the 6 nations it makes no sense to me to be doing these unforced rotations.

We have 2 games in 8 weeks. Anyone not playing test rugby should be togging out for Ulster, there's plenty of time for rest.

[TheBoat]

Stockdale is lucky he had that mad 2018 season. He's still dining out on that.

Unfortunately that one looks like a blip, with the mistakes he makes week in, week out.

Lyttle and Stockdale debuted around the same time. I remember thinking Lyttle had so much potential, Stockdale not so much. His chip was found out and the rest is history

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[justinr73]

Not sure I’d want the captaincy if I was SK either but we’re short on candidates.

Am I right in thinking that Muller captained Ulster at times during his first season ie when Best was injured or with Ireland?