Ulster well on for top 4 finish

[UlsterRugby]

Well there is movement regarding the pack. botha leaving, Stevenson coming in. I'm not sure if thats a step up though. I'll reserve judgement until i've seen him in an Ulster jersey though. But I do wonder are the young forwards there to match the great young backs we have coming through. Surely they must be???

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Lewis Stevenson coming in for Ryan Caldwell is a step up. If Cory Jane signs, fullback will be stronger. With Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Nevin Spence and Paddy Jackson developing, Ulster's backline depth looks excellent ahead of next season. Like you intimate though, Botha will be very hard to replace. I like Tom Court- he's a very good loosehead and a fairly solid tighthead. He could develop into the 3 role but starting with him and Paddy McAllister as props would be risky, especially with just Bryan Young and Declan Fitzpatrick backing them up.

Ulster have room to manoeuvre. Botha leaving frees up one NIQ slot (which appears to be going on a fullback). Robbie Diack will be Ireland qualified this summer so his project player slot can be filled from elsewhere. Perhaps Simon Danielli will move on (due to the development of Craig Gilroy and possible arrival of Fionn Carr) which will offer Ulster another chance to bring in a high quality NIQ player.

If I was David Humphreys, I'd leave Court at loosehead and have McAllister and Young backing him up. I'd try sign John Andress from Harlequins as backup (20-30 minutes per game) to a new strong scrummaging tighthead. If asexpected a NIQ spot is used on a fullback, then the final NIQ/project player slot can be used on a genuine openside. Do that and Ulster will strongly contend for the Heineken Cup and Magners League.

 

[UlsterRugby]

My point is though that we have so many good backs coming through but don't seem to have any forwards coming through. Is this because they aren't there or do the coaching staff believe that our pack's so strong that we have no room for young forwards in our squad???

 

[Peat]

UlsterRugby, I think the simple truth is our young forwards aren't as good as our young backs. Our young backs are freakishly good to be fair. Half a backline's come through more or less all at once, and very young too. Only Paddy McAllister's really matched that sudden rise amongst the young forwards. And backs usually come through quicker than backs anyway.

There are some good young forwards, if you believe the message board hype and watch a bit of Ravens. But they've all either got a bit of physical development left to do, study abroad or have some technical skills left to learn. Fingers crossed in a couple of years, we can start seeing the young forwards make their mark too.

Snoopy, can't see Danielli moving on as he's got a year left, he wouldn't want to leave (although there were rumours of him retiring) and despite him playing like **** at the moment its still probably better to keep him then splash out on cancelling the contract. Myself, I'd have Court and McAllister starting, sign Andress and a project loosehead and snaffle an Irish 7 - McMillan's contract is up this year at Sale, Grace is barely seen at Exeter, Paul Ryan at Leinster must be realising he's not going to get a look in, we could promote Birch from the academy... there's options out there. Not great options maybe, but you work with what you're given.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

@UlsterRugby
I think it's the former. Ulster's starting tight 5 is Court, Best, Botha, Muller and Tuohy. Best is the only Ulsterman in that bunch. In the backrow it's harder to define the starters with Ferris a nailed on certainty to start and one of Henry or Faloon joining him. Three Ulstermen in the strongest pack seems to indicate that Ulster aren't producing enough quality forwards and will have to recruit strongly in that area.

That said, I can see Paddy McAllister forcing his way into the team before too long with Niall Annett probably a couple of years behind him. I don't think there are enough quality second and backrows coming through.

 

[UlsterRugby]

That's something that needs to be looked at then if we're to move up from the 3rd best province in Ireland. I think with Connaught in there we'll never go back but if we want to go forward we need strength in depth throughout the squad and not just from 9-15.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Good recruitment can cover it though. It's not a peculiarly Ulster problem either. I support Leinster who are flying at the moment but they still have trouble finding props, hookers, scrum halves and second rows. Of Leinster's top four props, only Cian Healy is from the province. Richardt Strauss is a SA at starting hooker with Munsterman Sean Cronin joining him next season. Nathan Hines is a Scottish international second row with a 33 year old Leinsterman beside him, Leo Cullen. Then at scrum half Leinster have kiwi born and Limerick born players fighting for the starting positions.

 

[UlsterRugby]

So forward development is a problem throughout the IRFU??? When you look at Ireland you wouldn't think so, but then when you break the provences down there does seem to be a lack of depth. Or maybe the players are there but South Africans are just better.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Well, I wouldn't say player development is a problem. That fact is that different provinces produce better players in different positions. We've produced great outside backs and back row forwards in recent years while most Irish scrum halves come from Munster, something that looks set to continue into the future. If Irish talent has to be distributed around the provinces then so be it. Same goes for foreign talent being used to fill gaps.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Each province has trouble developing an entire pack but if you add together a sum of their parts, Ireland are doing fine.

At prop, Mike Ross, Tony Buckley and Tom Court can continue for another 3 years each. Behind them Cian Healy, Jamie Hagan and Paddy McAllister will be around for a decade. I'm sure there are more who I'm not yet aware of.

In terms of hookers, Rory Best, Damien Varley and Sean Cronin have the 2 shirt sorted for a while yet. I hate the idea of a project player but if Ireland make use of it, Richardt Strauss will become an option in 18 months time. There's the promising Niall Annett further down the line.

Second row will be a problem area. O'Connell can keep going for 3 or 4 years if he's properly rested and looked after. Devin Toner, Donnacha Ryan and Dan Tuohy are decent players but need to kick on a bit more. Ian Nagle has real potential but that's about it in terms of options.

In the backrow we're sorted. Heaslip, O'Brien, Ferris, Ruddock, Ryan, Butler, O'Mahoney, McLaughlin- the list keeps growing with the best u20 and schools players all being backrowers too. There are three sensational backrow prospects playing Leinster schools at the moment for example.

 

[Peat]

I'd just like to point out that excluding injury, players leaving and what not, the number of Ulstermen in the starting pack would be 5 - Simon Best would only be 33, not too old for a prop, while I reckon Roger Wilson would probably be starting 8 if you didn't pick Chris Henry there. There's still a bit of a problem, but no doubt Ulster have been unlucky with injury too. Pollock would be a started too if his hip hadn't played up.

 

[frontrowsupremacy]

There's alot of talk about Niall Annett coming through, but he seriously needs to add bulk if you want him to play for Ulster- Remember than front row players still follow the tradition of hitting their peak later than other players. Paddy McAllister is a very good young prop, but with Botha leaving and Fitzpatrick continuing to be terrible prop is an area where Ulster could add bodies. Andress would be a good call, big lad and a strong scrummager.

I don't know about spending the money on Jane, D'arcy has been one of the more consistent backs and it doesn't seem to be a posistion of great need for Ulster at the minute. The backline is strong and deep, the tight five isn't. The backrow has bodies and talent but no out-and-out 7. McMillan would be a bit-player at this stage in his career, and someone who can steal ball and give the backrow balance would do wonders for the Ulster pack.

 

[coonor]

I think Chris Henry has stood out in the last few games and he seems to be regaining some good form.

 

[UlsterRugby]

It seems the powers that be have been listning. Are the 2 new boys any good???

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

From what I've seen of McComish, he's just another body to add into the mix. He's a solid player but won't push Ferris, Wannenburg, Diack or Henry too hard.

Black has a bit more pedigree. While I'd be lying if I said I've seen him play, he has played quite often in the Premiership and Championship. Moving to Ulster from Worcester (who'll probably play in the Premiership next season) shows he backs his ability. He may not start for Ulster's big games but he'll increase competition for the 1 shirt. That can only improve the squad.

 

[UlsterRugby]

More competition has to be good. 3 signings in a month in the pack shows that the coaching staff maybe know there stuff.