To Soon For Change ?

[horslips]

While I may not have said so openly I viewed the Williams appointment in two totaly different lights. Either it was a masterstroke to offer a coach with a somewhat tarnished reputation, one last chance to make his name or,on a more negative side, the cheap option. I held the same view of most of the appointments,both playing and coaching. Excepting Botha (established international) and Diack ( whose reputation in SA preceded him) I,m not sure that many could vouch for the wisdom or otherwise of the player appointments. With the introduction of Doak,Steiner and Bell? to the coaching set up it was the same again - players with a passion for UR that it might overcome lack of top line experience and possibly also a cheaper option.Have I changed my views - most definitely and here is why.

Post Llanelli MW was very up beat,looking to the future and confident that UR would be " a hell of a good team in time". In fact the Setanta guys in the Studio remarked on how MW was still the master of spin In stark contrast after the Cardiff game in is piece to the Setanta team the man was visibly shellshocked,stumbling from sentence to sentence -far from the smooth operator I had seen just a week earlier.I also learn that his family will not now join him in NI-and that must be a terrible strain for the guy. It really looks as if he has just realised the enormity of his task and the shortcomings of the closed seasons recruitment.

Against the Dragons we watched UR serve up one of the worst performances of recent years-if not the worst. This team have,for all of this season to date, looked devoid of confindence and composure to play the game. New laws may be difficult to come to terms with but they are the same for all teams. We have no playmakers, a lack of basic handling skills and an almost suicidal tendency to give penalty after penalty. I would go as far as to say that some of our new players are clearly out of their depth,defensively very weak and a liability to the squad.

I have heard many times from those better informed than me how the team has been struggling to comprehend the MW style of play. I have some sympathy here for,despite my limited ability. I can not fathom it either. I say some becasuse ultimately these are highly paid professionals - they eat sleep and play rugby 7 days a week. I would therefore expect them to make a better fist of things than has been the case.

I therefore conclude that UR went with the "cheap" option in the close season,perhaps to help fund ground improvements. Heres the big flaw - on a very pleasant Friday evening, the usual time, the usual place and at the start of a brand new season ,new coaching staff, new players the attendance was 7800!!

MW may depart sooner rather than later but one problem remains - the man who put him there M Reid. For him time is running out,bottom of the league already, the new "Borders", can you imagine the contract debacle at the end of this season.

UR deserves professionalism at a levels. It does not need the cosy "old boys" club attitude in the modern age!

[notj]

Possibly too late.

We need to win a game fast, we need some positives by the end of the season or the resulting player exodus coupled with the difficulty of attracting new players will end our chances of being a competitive provincial side.

[browner]

Only just seen this, but i suppose i shouldn't be surprised at the content.

I remember just before Mark McCall resigned, someone on this board commented "God help his successor".

Seems we have a prophet in our midst.

[Cockatrice]

the writing has been on the wall for sometime IMHO but one isn't allowed to question anything UR

[againstthehead]

bit early to be calling for heads - even for me. But I've been totally unimpressed so far:
- treated the end of last season like a training camp rather than trying to win games
- treated pre-season like a walk in the park - didn't attempt to get systems to gel but rather threw everyone into the mix. Consequently, we enter the season with no cohesiveness and no winning mentality.
- average signings over the summer: no better off than last season.

I'd give him to christmas and review things then. No question, this will be a long hard season but I think we need to see some glimmer of hope before xmas.

[Big-al]

GET WILLIE ANDERSON IN NOW TO ASSIST MW ..........................STEVE WILLIAMS HAS TO GO.........................................

Its not out pack thats the problem its our backs and anyway if we were to get a replacement forward coach/assisant then jeremy davidson has to be number 1 choice

[pwrmoore]

GET WILLIE ANDERSON IN NOW TO ASSIST MW ..........................STEVE WILLIAMS HAS TO GO.........................................

Its not out pack thats the problem its our backs and anyway if we were to get a replacement forward coach/assisant then jeremy davidson has to be number 1 choice

I don't think ym was being entirely serious big-al

[Snipe Watson]

GET WILLIE ANDERSON IN NOW TO ASSIST MW ..........................STEVE WILLIAMS HAS TO GO.........................................

Its not out pack thats the problem its our backs and anyway if we were to get a replacement forward coach/assisant then jeremy davidson has to be number 1 choice

I don't think ym was being entirely serious big-al

I don't think ym is being slightly serious
It's too early for a Buzz return. Wait until all the guys he played with are gone. That was part of MMcC's problem.

[Rooster]

Talking about Steve, is his contract not up at the end of the season ? Forwards seem ok though it's backs need velcro on their hands.

[Big-al]

Talking about Steve, is his contract not up at the end of the season ? Forwards seem ok though it's backs need velcro on their hands.

I have a feeling we will see ferris, trimble and del fava leave this season. Unless we start performing del fava will want to leave and ferris and trimble will be offered massive amounts of money elsewere in europe for sure

[nonplussed]

Ferris is unlikely to leave as he signed a 3 yr contract in the summer. I would also be very surprised if Andrew leaves.

[Jackie Brown]

Ferris is unlikely to leave as he signed a 3 yr contract in the summer. I would also be very surprised if Andrew leaves.

Same could have been said for Tommy............

[Rooster]

Same could have been said for Tommy............

He'll be back before the others leave.

[andy white]

Tommy will come back to Ireland - but not to ulster

[ColinS]

Didn't I read somewhere that Bowe's father or something lives, or is from, Munster?