RD Pro12: Ulster - Cardiff Blues (16-09-2011, 19:05)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Ravenhill, Belfast (16-09-2011, 19:05)

Referee: James Jones (WRU, 53rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: John Carvill, David Keane (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IFRU)
TMO:Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)
Live on BBC NI, BBC W

​

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] Ulster [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Cardiff Blues [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jared Payne [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Chris Czekaj [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Craig Gilroy [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Alex Cuthbert [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Darren Cave [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Casey Laulala [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nevin Spence [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Gavin Evans [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ian Whitten [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Tom James [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ian Humphreys [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Ceri Sweeney [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Paul Marshall [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Lewis Jones [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Robbie Diack [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Xavier Rush [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Chris Henry [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Martyn Williams [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Pedrie Wannenburg [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Ma'ama Molitika [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dan Tuohy [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Paul ***o [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Lewis Stevenson [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Mike Paterson [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jerry Cronin [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Scott Andrews [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Andy Kyriacou [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] T.Rhys Thomas [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Declan Fitzpatrick [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Sam Hobbs [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Nigel Brady [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Rhys Williams [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Paddy McAllister [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Nathan Trevett [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Adam Macklin [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] James Monck [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Neil McComb [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] James Down [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Mike McComish [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Thomas Young [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ian Porter [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Richie Rees [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Paddy Jackson [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Rhys Patchell [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Adam D'Arcy [/TD][TD] 23 [/TD][TD] Dafydd Hewitt [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Peat]

15. Chris Czekaj 14. Alex Cuthbert 13. Casey Laulala 12. Gavin Evans 11. Tom James 10. Ceri Sweeney 9. Lewis Jones

8. Xavier Rush 7. Martyn Williams 6. Maama Molitika 5. Paul ***o (c) 4. Michael Paterson 3. Scott Andrews 2. T Rhys Thomas 1. Sam Hobbs

16. Rhys Williams 17. Nathan Trevett 18. James Monck 19. James Down 20. Thomas Young 21. Richie Rees 22. Rhys Patchell 23. Dafydd Hewitt

http://www.cardiffblues.com/rugby/5298.php

Ulster (15-9):
J Payne; C Gilroy, D Cave, N Spence, I Whitten; I Humphreys, P Marshall;
(1-8):
D Fitzpatrick, A Kyriacou, J Cronin, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, C Henry, R Diack;

Replacements (16-23): N Brady, P McAllister, A Macklin, N McComb, M McComish, I Porter, P Jackson, A D'Arcy

Slightly nervous about this one.

 

[monkeypigeon]

This should be a cracker. These two always have cracking matches and have a go at it.

Looking forward to Jard Payne's debut.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

How is Spence playing at inside centre? He's an impressive player but his distribution (or complete lack of it) let him down whenever I saw him play previously. From what I've seen of him in the past, he'd work better at 13 as a strike runner with a couple of good passers at 10 and 12 inside him opening up gaps. I don't think he's as good as Darren Cave just yet though.

 

[Peat]

How is Spence playing at inside centre? He's an impressive player but his distribution (or complete lack of it) let him down whenever I saw him play previously. From what I've seen of him in the past, he'd work better at 13 as a strike runner with a couple of good passers at 10 and 12 inside him opening up gaps. I don't think he's as good as Darren Cave just yet though.

I agree with pretty much all of that, with the added caveat that he's not the most intelligent player in the world.

However, his distribution is improving - he did well to fix the Aironi defence then release Gilroy for his try last week, and he's looking for the offload a lot more - and there's no doubting he's a solid customer, both in defence and taking up crash ball. He will also cause defences big problems should they be so foolish as to leave a gap for him/let him create one; see his try against Dragons at the end of last season.

I would prefer to see Luke Marshall at 12, and would also prefer to see Spence at 13 or on the wing (but not ahead of Darren Cave or Gilroy), but he is a fair 12 and so far its going well. Well enough that I can see Kidney just dropping the partnership into a Wolfhounds game and wouldn't be utterly surprised to see Spence start 6N games at 12. It helps having a fullback like D'Arcy or House of Payne who can come into the line and distribute if needs be. No doubting that McGlock is quite attached to the idea, considering he's still putting Whitten on the wing to accomodate Spence at 12.

Mindyou, Whitten on the wing is beginning to look an increasingly good idea as well... I have no worries about the Ulster backline for this game (saving the usual worries about Small Marshall's and iHumph's sanity), its the presence of Fitzpatrick at loosehead and the absence of Wee Mad Willie that leave me worried. That, and the Blues are quite good, and the ref quite bad.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Actually, I think James Jones is really going to come into his own this year and be an excellent refferee ...

 

[Conal]

c''mon the ulster men

looking forward to this
spence has impressed me at 12 he is getting better and better even passing the ball!!! backline looks good up front looks ok lets go give cardiff a nice ravenhill welcome

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Suftum!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lynam1104]

Has this game started or how long til it starts

 

[Peat]

Has this game started or how long til it starts

7.05 lynam.

 

[Peat]

17-0 at half time, two tries for Caveman.

 

[Cofi]

This is woeful stuff from Cardiff. They're worse than the wind.

 

[Thingimubob]

Cardiff are pretty much useless, all they've done is knock on or give away penalties every time they've had any position...

 

[Cofi]

Cardiff are pretty much useless, all they've done is knock on or give away penalties every time they've had any position...

And now Rush had a rush of blood to the head...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Cardiff handing this game to Ulster on a plate ... same old Blues.

 

[munstermuffin]

Ulster are looking good this season and with internationals back they will be a tough nut to crack especially up in a crappy night in Ravenhill

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Ulster are looking good this season and with internationals back they will be a tough nut to crack especially up in a crappy night in Ravenhill

Agreed ... will be very dangerous.

 

[Thingimubob]

Though doesn't seem to help that James Jones is useless at picking up Ulster players not rolling away.

 

[Cofi]

Well done to Ulster and their fans. Looking good. Cardiff looked poor, really poor.

 

[Peat]

All over, solid result, happy enough with that.