Without Payne, Ulster's back line is still very good but he has the ability to hit a great line and rip teams apart taking Ulster up a notch. I don't rate Ricky Andrew one bit as an alternative. Very soft in defence and not up to much going forward. Muller is very like Leo Cullen for Leinster. He's a great leader who allows others to shine by doing the dirty work.
Met up with a friend and his family after the game. Suggested we start a betting pool on when Ricky Andrew will pass the ball. Vehement agreement. My friend, who was no mean full-back in his day, is not a fan. And neither am I. Although, in fairness - Payne; injured. Bowe/Gilroy; injured/unavailable. D'Arcy; injured. Nelson; injured. Given he's about our fifth choice, he's done kinda ok... and agreed on the rest. We mightn't miss Payne so much if we had Bowe, but... feh.
I'd like to agree with this but don't just yet. Olding is clearly ahead of Niall O'Connor now thankfully. He'll get plenty of chances to start while Jackson is on international duty. Jackson is the more polished of the two young flyhalves but Olding brings more spark to the action. They could become an excellent 1-2 tandem.
Olding's not quite there yet, but he's clearly stated his intent - feel it's a matter of time. They'd be a superb 1-2 tandem, superb way to cover Marshall too... just hope we can keep them all happy.
It'll be interesting to see how he develops. Given Ferris' injury, Henderson will remain at 6 for the remainder of the season. Longer term second row is the position Ireland most need help in and given Henderson's size, he'll probably end up there. I'd like to see him partner up with Muller as soon as possible to see what he can learn of him.
I've probably said this a thousand times before, but as it is one of my favourite topics...
I think Henderson's best position will be 6. Or possibly 8. I think his explosive athleticism and ball handling will be largely wasted in the second row. What makes him freakish is the fact he brings second row style power to the situations he encounters moving at blindside pace; but as a second row, he'd only be mid-rank. He's no Botha or Shaw or Thorn; at least not yet, but I suspect not ever. You can make a very good lock of course out of a very athletic player, Joe Launchbury is textbook (I would give somebody else's ******** to watch them play together) but... in Henderson's case, the things that impress me the most scream 6. And I think, given his possible potential, he's probably a player you want in his best position. With as little hyperbole as possible, I think he might be the blindside of his generation - anywhere. He's a Ferris-style athlete, but with a top lineout game, and is further ahead in the development curve than Fez was at the same age according to everyone I know. It's like god deliberately built a human's genetics to order for a blindside.
But maybe Ireland will need him in the second row. He'd debatably improve this injury hit one. And maybe Kidney would give him more carrying responsibilities in the row than Anscombe does, and it'd look great, and I'd look an utter fool. And gods know he's young and who knows how much more development he has, and what it might do for him. But I think long term, Ireland might be able to get good enough second rows that he won't be needed. McCarthy has a few years, Ryan has plenty, Tuohy and Stevenson could be useful, and there's some lads in the next generation who might have it. Mick Kearney at Connacht for one, people tell me good things about Flanagan at Leinster, and I think a Quinn Roux style project might end up playing a large part in the equation. Or another exile like Tuohy or McCarthy (just better) - or Thornbury and Donnan look good this year, as did Beirne and O'Connor the year before.
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