Pro 12: Round Whatever

[Leonormous Boozer]

Get Ringrose off, he's struggling today and we have Fitz on the bench.

 

[Groundhog]

Ulster's pack is crap on and off paper.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What have McQuilken and Dempsey been doing the last three weeks? We're playing without order in attack and defence.

 

[Groundhog]

Madigan getting smashed by Jackson is just too perfect. No way P Jack can be kept away from Ireland.

 

[Groundhog]

HAHAHAHAA and he gets the intercept

 

[CaledonCol]

Good Ulster win against a Leinster team who have gone off th boil . With Connacht losing out to the bottom team looks as if the door is no open for Glesca to mop up up the Championship . looking by far the most competetant team around amongst their Celtic cousins !

 

[Peat]

Connacht lost? Jeez. I was hoping they'd finish first and Ulster would get fourth, as that's a final appearance for Ulster everytime.

Missed all the match save for Jackson's intercept try and Scholes spurning the bonus point try. Pretty shambolic defence to let Ulster get into that position.

 

[Amiga500]

Disappointed that we only started having confidence in ourselves when we were 2+ scores up.

Looked like we could have run the Leinster backline ragged from much earlier.


So... Rab Kearney vs. Payne for Irish 15? Or what about wee Ian for 22? Bull calls, the first of which on its own may have cost another 6N ***le.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Except Kearmey was good today apart from a professional foul that should have worked out. It was arguably the one match up in the backline apart from Sexton v PJ that there was parity. I agree Payne is the best 15 on this season's form but not based off that match.

The game showed a few things for both sides.
- Henderson makes that Ulster team
- Leinster are relying on the individual skills of their best players which results in disaster when VDF, McGrath, Ringrose and DK all play poorly
- Rory Scholes shouldn't have been let go and should go to SA
- Leinster's top internationals don't know the defensive structures, or the attacking ones if there are any.
- Ulster are back in the ***le race
- Tadhg Furlong is fah
- Toner and Triggs don't work as a partnership
- PJ is better than Mads at the moment by some distance and not that far behind Sexton
- Ringrose should get the summer off.
- Fitz, Te'o and Ringrose need to start in the playoff game/s
- Glasgow are hot favorites for this thing

 

[LukeFitzgerald]

What I took from today's game:
Ringrose is human after all. He had a fairly poor-to-average game. He has still played excellently throughout the season but was found wanting today. Don't really know what went wrong.

Jackson is the second choice 10 for Ireland, by a country mile. He should have been back up 10 for the last 2 years but, for some reason, that liability case Madigan gets in front of him. The only excuse offered by Joe was that he covers more positions, which is obviously a load of **** considering he is an average 10 and a poor 12/15.

Triggs should be back up lock, at best, for Leinster. Kearney and Molony offer so much more. With James Ryan coming through, Triggs should only see game time during the 6N period. He was awful today.

Payne > R Kearney at 15.

Luke McGrath should tour S.A during the summer and get at least 1 cap.

Te'o is a superstar. Leinster are going to miss him big time next season. Such a quality player.

Fitzgerald should have started. Easily one of Leinster's top 3 players.

Sexton is an absolute warrior. One sliced kick to touch in the last 3 minutes aside, he was excellent, considering how poor the players around him and the ref were. He seems like the only one in the team who actually cares. So many times he created little half gaps by himself, trying to build momentum for Leinster, until Leinster either knocked on or Clancy made a ridiculous call.

When Leinster click and buy into Dempsey's structures, they are seriously dangerous. Unfortunately, this has only been seen at the start of the season (with all the players gone to the RWC and the academy players who played under Dempsey were around) and a few other times this year, eg Bath etc. There was one period today where we tore Ulster to shreds. I think it was somewhere around the 35th minute. We had the ball at around half way, put a lot of pace and tempo to our game with a lot of deceptive decoy runners and got into Ulster's 22 after 4 phases. It was seriously impressive. I'm certain that if the internationals get a good amount of time with Dempsey next season, we can cut teams apart.

Clancy is a disgrace. He produced an absolute howler of a performance by his standards, which is pretty damning considering how poor he is. He genuinely seems like he has no idea what is going on in the breakdown, maul and the scrum. It's as if he just randomly gives a penalty to either team after 6 or 7 rucks. R Kearney deserved a yellow card but it was in no way a penalty try. Early in the second half, Leinster had a maul in the Ulster 22, Ulster infringed, Clancy played advantage, Leinster continued on until 5-6m short of the Ulster try line where Ulster deliberately collapsed the maul but Clancy called back the advantage instead of giving an obvious penalty try to Leinster. Later on in the 2nd half, R Kearney kicked to touch but Ulster took a quick line out. Clancy said play on but some Ulster players didn't hear him. So instead of shouting louder for them to play on, he changed his mind (while the ball was in play) and decided to go back to a lineout in the Leinster 22. Ulster scored a try off that line out. Fitzy was tackled before he received the pass before Jackson's intercept. So that was 3 tries scored by Ulster that shouldn't have counted and 1 try that should have been awarded to Leinster. He missed 2 blatant high tackles by Ulster. Herring was almost strangling Ruddock in a choke tackle that he didn't pick up on, despite him standing 2m away from it. Ulster played the ball off their feet on the ground numerous times but weren't called on it. They were offside at the ruck very often which Clancy couldn't pick up on. Clancy blew a lot of penalties against Ulster (should have given a **** load more against them) but refused to give a yellow card. It was insane. There was a time after Ulster's second try where Ulster were in Leinster's 22 where Sexton made a tackle, couldn't roll away as he was held onto by 2 Ulster players and he gave a penalty to Ulster. He screwed over Ulster a lot as well, however, (not as much as he did Leinster). Leinster sealed off a lot of rucks illegally. I remember there was one or 2 scrums/mauls where the ball was at the back and Clancy screamed at McGrath to "use it" a few times. McGrath took an extra 5-10 seconds after Clancy said that before he passed, presumably because Leinster wanted to get more momentum off the scrum/maul.
I've criticised many refs on this site and get branded a sore loser etc etc but the standard of refereeing worldwide is a major issue. It is a serious blight on our game but nothing is being done about it. I fully sympathise with refs, in that they are people and are prone to making mistakes, but the standards set by World Rugby is abysmal. I have a feeling no one is doing anything about it as "respect for the referee on the pitch" (which I 100% support) has been morphed into "any criticism of the performance of a referee is unacceptable."

- - - Updated - - -

Except Kearmey was good today apart from a professional foul that should have worked out. It was arguably the one match up in the backline apart from Sexton v PJ that there was parity. I agree Payne is the best 15 on this season's form but not based off that match.

The game showed a few things for both sides.
- Henderson makes that Ulster team
- Leinster are relying on the individual skills of their best players which results in disaster when VDF, McGrath, Ringrose and DK all play poorly
- Rory Scholes shouldn't have been let go and should go to SA
- Leinster's top internationals don't know the defensive structures, or the attacking ones if there are any.
- Ulster are back in the ***le race
- Tadhg Furlong is fah
- Toner and Triggs don't work as a partnership
- PJ is better than Mads at the moment by some distance and not that far behind Sexton
- Ringrose should get the summer off.
- Fitz, Te'o and Ringrose need to start in the playoff game/s
- Glasgow are hot favorites for this thing

VdF played fairly well when he was on. He made 2 really good turnovers and made some very dominating tackles. Such a pity he got injured, hopefully it's not serious.

I agree Ringrose had a poor game, but why should he have the summer off? He has been outstanding all season. He should tour S.A.

I wouldn't fancy Glasgow at all. I'd say there's a good chance any of the top 4 can win the ***le.

 

[CaledonCol]

I wouldn't fancy Glasgow at all. I'd say there's a good chance any of the top 4 can win the ***le.

A somewhat myopic green spectacle observation ! Glasgow suffer from Scotland only having two pro teams but with the Internationalists back in harness and the grounds drying out their speed and fitness has come to the fore . Leinster's performance against Ulster was that of a tired team .

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

VdF played fairly well when he was on. He made 2 really good turnovers and made some very dominating tackles. Such a pity he got injured, hopefully it's not serious.

I agree Ringrose had a poor game, but why should he have the summer off? He has been outstanding all season. He should tour S.A.

I wouldn't fancy Glasgow at all. I'd say there's a good chance any of the top 4 can win the ***le.

VDF was good in that he was his usual brilliant self in tracking the game in defence where he is great to watch, his link play was seriously off though, pressure followed whenever himself, Ringrose, Furlong or DK got the ball. Ringrose struggled hugely with the physicality of Marshall who came out gleaming and despite McCloskey's own anonymity his form this season deserves a spot. Ringrose would be better served getting a slightly longer pre-season and addin 3-4 kg to his frame.

I wouldn't fancy Glasgow at all. I'd say there's a good chance any of the top 4 can win the ***le.

A somewhat myopic green spectacle observation ! Glasgow suffer from Scotland only having two pro teams but with the Internationalists back in harness and the grounds drying out their speed and fitness has come to the fore . Leinster's performance against Ulster was that of a tired team .

I think he was trying to rebut my point saying Glasgow are hot favourites rather than dismiss them as contenders, hence the any of the top 4 can win comment.

I predict Glasgow v Ulster and Leinster v Connacht semi-finals with the only chance of an away win being if Ulster can replicate yesterday's performance against Glasgow and peaking in important games isn't something Ulster have done this millenium so I don't expect it. Connacht are fading big time late in the season and I'd argue they are the only "tired" team, Leinster's performance yesterday wasn't a tired one but rather one exposing how directionless they've become in attack and how their defence was built for bad weather, it was the Wasps games all over again. If Leinster sort it out and get to about 80-85% of their potential they should beat Glasgow but getting rid of season long habits isn't something easily done in the last month of a season. So I think we'll see Glasgow back to back which is great for the competition but hopefully it'll stop there because pro12 teams have been at their most competitive in Europe with dominant Irish sides and we need some contenders in Europe because of the irrelevance we're at risk of sliding into there.

 

[Peat]

- Rory Scholes shouldn't have been let go and should go to SA

I'm still annoyed about this but the reality is he needs to play and with arguably 5 players minimum ahead of him, with two of them players who we'll be heavily encouraged to play, I find it hard to fault him going. Maybe Ulster could have fought harder to keep him but he'd have been a fool to listen.

The bit where he leaves Ireland altogether is the sort of thing people want to change though.

 

[Rich Taff]

Went to 'Judgement Day' with a friend and her 13yr old son. He tried to pretend it was nothing, then saw the stadium through the stairwell and couldn't stop staring. We were in the nosebleed seats, so beer runs were few and far between

 

[Bluemoon]

I had a fantastic view from my seat in M11 although I was really disappointed with the atmosphere, despite the big crowd. Shame Cardiff have to give up home advantage for the big payday. It sounds like the terrace ST holders got a raw deal with the seating again, where as the stand season ticket holders got a middle tier seat!

 

[Amiga500]

Shame Cardiff have to give up home advantage for the big payday.

What.

The.

Fukk.


Of all the one-eyed, short sighted, tinted glasses posts on this forum, that has to be by far the worst. Simply as virtually every other has been heat of the moment in or directly relating to on-pitch matters in a game.


If your view is reflective of the nation, any wonder Welsh rugby is a mess!

 

[CaledonCol]

I think he was trying to rebut my point saying Glasgow are hot favourites rather than dismiss them as contenders, hence the any of the top 4 can win comment.

Fair retort . Gather Connacht rested a number of players when in Italy but would expect them to come out against Glasgow with all guns blazing . Glasgow have a very strong bench and Toonie is a smart operator . Always difficult away from home but reckon Warriors to win with bonus . Getting interesting !

 

[Thingimubob]

What.


The.


Fukk.




Of all the one-eyed, short sighted, tinted glasses posts on this forum, that has to be by far the worst. Simply as virtually every other has been heat of the moment in or directly relating to on-pitch matters in a game.




If your view is reflective of the nation, any wonder Welsh rugby is a mess!

Haha not that bad mate!


I get what you're saying and all as they are next door to each other and all, but it's still an unfamiliar ground compared to the CAP (naturally not for every player, but for the team in general). Bigger stadium, less partisan crowd with a mix of all 4 teams there (it's was a good, but odd atmosphere in there with 1/2 the crowd being neutral during each game) - even the pitch is completely different with the artificial pitch next door.


Point is that Blues and Dragons give up a home game for Judgement Day every year, when arguably it could be balanced out with Eastern and Western teams taking turns to give up home fixtures.

 

[Amiga500]

I get what you're saying and all as they are next door to each other and all, but it's still an unfamiliar ground compared to the CAP (naturally not for every player, but for the team in general). Bigger stadium, less partisan crowd with a mix of all 4 teams there (it's was a good, but odd atmosphere in there with 1/2 the crowd being neutral during each game) - even the pitch is completely different with the artificial pitch next door.

That I get. But then you are getting the bigger gate from it.

I also assume your allowed training time on the pitch?

Point is that Blues and Dragons give up a home game for Judgement Day every year, when arguably it could be balanced out with Eastern and Western teams taking turns to give up home fixtures.

Dragons are giving up a home game (although as above, I assume they are splitting the gate with the Blues?). You guys are turning right instead of left at the turnstiles (or visa versa)!!!

I can agree with the Dragons being unfairly done, but not the Blues. Its literally on your doorstep, so the financial benefits come with a little inconvienence.

 

[Bluemoon]

What.

The.

Fukk.


Of all the one-eyed, short sighted, tinted glasses posts on this forum, that has to be by far the worst. Simply as virtually every other has been heat of the moment in or directly relating to on-pitch matters in a game.


If your view is reflective of the nation, any wonder Welsh rugby is a mess!

One eyed? Calm down. Look, sorry, perhaps that came across a little less clear than I'd have liked in the way I worded it.

Cardiff give up home advantage and a much better atmosphere at the Arms Park in order to achieve a bigger gate revenue. That's what I meant by the payday as the profit is split three ways with the WRU and the Drags.

Yes it's in the same place, but despite the bigger crowd the atmosphere wasn't there and against a team where home advantage would really count. I have never really enjoyed JD, lots of drunk people who aren't interested in the rugby.

Id prefer the fixture to stay at the Arms Park. Sorry if you feel that's rose tinted and one eyed!