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[2013/14 HEC] Pool 5, Round 1

I was just thinking we're close to throwing this away with knock-ons tbh.

Percentage wise it is one of the most consistent club matches for me......but then I watch Biarritz!!
 
Ulster have more Saffers than Saffacens these days




Poites interpretation of the breakdown is really weird - he doesn't care about players staying on their feet as long as they look like they are. Best went straight off his feet, lying on the ruck, but because the ruck was quite tall it looked like he wasn't and won a penalty from it.
 
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People moan about Croft in the backs, but Henderson literally been hiding out on the wing for 5mins now :lol:




Why does Poite bother repeatedly shouting "Hands off" if he doesn't follow it up with a penalty when they don't release?!
 
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Decent enough game, that.

Can't help but feel that a full strength Tigers, at Welford Rd, will trounce them, though.
 
Deserved win for Ulster tonight. Thought they were massively unlucky at times. The Ulster back line had so much freedom thanks to the forwards and they ran some good lines. They will need to take that form away from home.

Nice start to the HC. I'm gutted its ending.
 
Decent enough game, that.

Can't help but feel that a full strength Tigers, at Welford Rd, will trounce them, though.

Agree and will be interesting to see them play MHL.......................
 
well the bonus point won I suppose....on a different point I would love anyone to explain to me how Burns or Farrell are more deserving than flood at 10 for England.
 
Decent enough game, that.

Can't help but feel that a full strength Tigers, at Welford Rd, will trounce them, though.

If the team that started for Ulster tonight started at Welford, I'd have to agree.

However with a bit more control starting with Pienaar, Gilroy back and Afoa to potentially give us the upper hand in the scrum, I don't really see much of a demolition. (Would still expect a Leicster win)

edit: maybe Ferris back too? Haven't heard much on his injury front, but Ferris - Henry - Williams with Henderson off the bench would be a devastating back row.
 
If the team that started for Ulster tonight started at Welford, I'd have to agree.

However with a bit more control starting with Pienaar, Gilroy back and Afoa to potentially give us the upper hand in the scrum, I don't really see much of a demolition. (Would still expect a Leicster win)

Depends who is back from injury....
 
First off, unlucky Tigers, great game.

Second... I want to be calm about Jackson. There's been a lot of half-cocked hype about him (not that I myself would ever do such a thing). The thing with young players is one game at a time, keep building up until youthful inconsistency has become a thing of a past. That's it. No talk about coming of age, or turning points - better to settle when that was after. But that was a lovely game from him, a real veteran's game, the sort of game that people have been demanding for him since he was 19. Next game, the same please. I feel the bar for the Ireland 22 shirt when up just now.

Third, Poite. Everyone knows what he is so there's no point expecting otherwise. He is very laissez-faire about rucks and very hot on scrums, even if he's not sure why. The first is the most interesting point, every ruck is a cheat's paradise, and Ulster adapted to that so much quicker. The AP is probably the worst league for allowing a competition at the breakdown and I feel that showed with Leicester. I also think they really struggled with supporting their runners at times which is why you don't really want someone like Ed Slater at blindside.

Fourth... I'm not that happy with that Ulster performance tbh, I think if our hands had been better we could have killed them, we put down so many chances its unfunny. Defence, we look slightly soft at the moment. Trimble and Bowe are both very rusty and it shows. That said, the points are in the bag, and now we can keep building.

Ulster have more Saffers than Saffacens these days

Couple of years late there tbh. Down to a mere 3. 4 if you want to count Herring I suppose.

edit: Re Full Strength Tiggers beating that side at Welford. Well, yeah. As said, this isn't a full strength Ulster side either. I know we probably had more on the park than them, but the combinations and so on were still very rusty in a lot of places. If both sides can get fully fit an on form Welford will be ***anic.
 
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On Sky v BT....think Horgan and Greenwood were super during the build up and now during half time and whatever his name is keeps things moving whereas Doyle/Jill on BT Sport do not. OK Barnes is Barnes but would prefer him to Dallaglio or even Kay as assistant commentator and Miles Harrison v Gillingham is about a draw.....

I agree completely. Sky's coverage is so much more fluid.
And there is actual rugby content outside of the matches themselves, as opposed to "banter" and the "hitometer".


Saracens had an awkward, patchy start.
 
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Just in... quite a few pints in me so... patience please.

- Ferris is f**ked. The man is still wearing a moon boot. Chances are he'll never play for Ulster again. Certainly won't this side of christmas. He'll be lucky if he can still walk when he is 50. Unfortunate, very very unfortunate.
- If Bowe had made the pass to Cave, I think we'd have hammered them.
- Given the opportunities thrown away, I think we may really regret the lack of 5 points.
- On form, we are good enough to go to Welford Road and win. Ask Northampton about that. Will we? Different question. At this point, you'd have to say, unlikely.
- Montpellier next week is not a mountain to climb, its a rope to the moon! A losing bonus point there would be a real result and go some way to offsetting giving Leicester a bonus point tonight.
 
Thought it was very boring but admire the Italians for holding on as welll....................Berquist injured again and it was always the hamstring with BO and, I believe, Leinster before us?

Managed to turn over for the last 20 of the Munster game..................sooooo different!!
 
Well Montpelier are interested in playing then. Bad news for Leicester who simply need to pull their socks up pronto. Yes the bonus point was the required MINIMUM. but is it really eurocup champion pedagree???

An interesting side note is that Leicester genuinely looked knackered in the 2nd half. Pro PRL types will leap on this to prove their points about qualification. Yes they did look tired but, it should also be mentioned that Leicester have been medocre throughout the Aviva too and we all knew Ravenhill on a friday night was going to be up there with Leicester's vist to Bath as a BIG CHALLENGE. (for the benefit of our Celtic buddies, Leicester got smashed at Bath too.).
 
On reflection, I definitely think Ulster have gifted Leicester a 2 point delta here.

Maybe I'm overly pessimistic, but at this point in time, I would say advantage Leicester & Montpellier.
 
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