Blue, Black, White and Red. Ulster v Bath

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:22:10:22:03 by P G Tips.

I think that they should play exactly the same starting 15 as last week tbh - give those guys a bit of consistent game time without all the chopping and changing.

(injuries aside of course, so maybe Fox at 9 and McConnochie at 15. )

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

What no Stooke PGT? I know he might need a rest, but if we want to gain a result and that means at least parity up front, he has to play. Possibly in the back row.

If fit, I would start McConnochie over Homer just to give him game time and see how he does running from deep. Also I would start Cookie and bring on Fox. We need to keep Chudders fit and firing especially with his winning experience in this crucial 6 Nations batch of games. This period will decide our season in all probability.

Adopted player 2020/21 Beno 'the Transformer' Obano


Adopted player 2019/20 Jonathan 'JJ' Joseph.The Jink Joseph.
Adopted player 2018/19 Adopted player 2018/19 Semesa 'The Rock' Rokoduguni

All our concentration should be on next week's game in the Premiership. Our European cup has been so embarrassing this year it is leaves me wondering if we would not do better to give it a miss until we stop being a team 'in transition' and can go into the tournament without other teams smiling to have us in their part of the draw and seeing us as an easy 5 points.

Difficult to opt out really! It's the price we pay for scraping into 6th/7th but I did find it hard to get excited when we snuck in on the back of those impressive wins to finish last season. I suppose players want to be in the big Euro competition. I'd be happy with the Challenge Cup If the French sides took all of their games more seriously as there are already enough mis-matches in that competition.

Quote:

warrenball
All our concentration should be on next week's game in the Premiership. Our European cup has been so embarrassing this year it is leaves me wondering if we would not do better to give it a miss until we stop being a team 'in transition' and can go into the tournament without other teams smiling to have us in their part of the draw and seeing us as an easy 5 points.

I don't think that Quins, Ulster or Clermont took an easy 5 points off us. Sure, we came second in all of those games - but the difference between losing those 3 games and winning them wasn't insuperable in any way, and we were in each of those games for long periods. The pool games since then are a complete irrelevance.

As for next season - hope springs eternal. To date, we haven't lost any players for next season who will be missed or lamented, and we have retained some that would have been. Our ability to rehab players seems to have taken a bit of an upturn, with players such as Watson, De Glanville, Ewels coming back from injuries ahead of schedule, and our injury list much more in keeping with the average. There's clearly something afoot in terms of our 10/12 situation, and that has been the biggest problem area of the current season to date. I'd be massively disappointed if we aren't in the HC next season.

Quote:

warrenball
All our concentration should be on next week's game in the Premiership. Our European cup has been so embarrassing this year it is leaves me wondering if we would not do better to give it a miss until we stop being a team 'in transition' and can go into the tournament without other teams smiling to have us in their part of the draw and seeing us as an easy 5 points.

+1

We are the team everyone wants to play in the champions cup, better to be in the challenge cup and at least win a game or two.

Personally I want us to play at the highest European level . Recent away trips to Toulon, Toulouse and Clermont Ferrand were more than just 80 minutes of rugby on the pitch. In a perverse way I really enjoyed watching the skill levels of the Clermont players blow us away in the first 20 minutes though. I was always a strange fellow!

As in your Web name 48-6, when we blew Glos away at a very hot Twickenham. A day I will not forget, and the first scrum where the Glos 8 backed off and pulled Cooch over, then all 8 ran over him. Cooch still got up and delivered his retribution from time to time, missing John Gadd who got sent off for foul play on Dave Egerton.

Great days and a great team effort.

Adopted player 2020/21 Beno 'the Transformer' Obano


Adopted player 2019/20 Jonathan 'JJ' Joseph.The Jink Joseph.
Adopted player 2018/19 Adopted player 2018/19 Semesa 'The Rock' Rokoduguni

Quote:

Bathovalballer
As in your Web name 48-6, when we blew Glos away at a very hot Twickenham. A day I will not forget, and the first scrum where the Glos 8 backed off and pulled Cooch over, then all 8 ran over him. Cooch still got up and delivered his retribution from time to time, missing John Gadd who got sent off for foul play on Dave Egerton.
Great days and a great team effort.

I know off topic but also a great shirt which I still wear from time to time

I played for Walcot then and following season at scrum half against Glos OB every lineout call I made was based on that glorious day. I got mullered but loved it!

it does make you wonder why bath tries so hard to make the top 6 each year only to fail signicantly in the euro cup the following season. better by far to play the challenge cup and give game time to the youngsters until we are in a position to make a decent fist of the champions cup. to do that (and keep your league ambitions going at the same time) you need significant squad depth in numbers and quality which is difficult under the salary cap. this explains why it is only the better funded french teams, the richest irish provinces and saracens- who have ignored the cap- that make it through to the semis year after year.
personally i don't think bath is a big enough club to handle it. i would prefer to see a euro ko cup rather than the mini league system (where so many games become dead rubbers). this would reduce prressure on the fixture list.

I can recognise the pros and cons of the two European tournaments, but I can't get the criticism of us 'trying' to get in the Champions Cup. It's what happens if you win enough league games to finish in the top 6. Imagine the response if we fielded weakened teams in the final games to lose! Even the most positive posters might struggle to justify that...

Quote:

48-6
Personally I want us to play at the highest European level . Recent away trips to Toulon, Toulouse and Clermont Ferrand were more than just 80 minutes of rugby on the pitch. In a perverse way I really enjoyed watching the skill levels of the Clermont players blow us away in the first 20 minutes though. I was always a strange fellow!

+1. I have zero interest in watching us beat Enisei-STM by 100-0, would much rather stand in the middle of a partisan crowd in Toulouse, even if we narrowly lose the match.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

I am with 48 - 6.

Also we only marginally lost to Ulster at home and to Quins twice. I know a loss is a loss but we were certainly not humiliated and the players will definitely have felt "they should have won".

Along with a few others I was at Clermont and, like that strange fellow 48 - 6, I really enjoyed watching Clermont play..........who incidentally I support as my second team since Bendy went there. By the bye love the fact that the Clermont supporters also call him Bendeee (mind you it is of course pretty obvious).

I think we should always aspire to play and be tested at the highest level.........

I’m with you BSJ. Lucky enough to have made it to Clermont this season, and Toulouse the last. 2 packed stadiums, crowd in full voice and cheering everything, getting to see the best in Europe on display, be it ours or their players, doesn’t get much better for me. Not to mention the friendly opposition supporters, and numerous beers! To want Bath to have a season missing out, as a fan, doesn’t sit right with me. For development purposes I can see people wanting that, but in reality you have 4 slog games against mediocre sides, and generally 2 hard group games against a similar side who finished just outside top half and trying hard to prove doubters wrong. Then you’re in the knock out stages, unless you have an utter shocker. Would rather Bath tested themselves against the best, as a better yardstick, and potentially attract better players. Injuries will happen regardless of opposition, would rather the likes of TdG learn from Sexton, Levi Davis learn from Kolbe etc, the list is endless.

As an aside, I thought Toulouse would have taken some beating. Had the brass band take me under their wing and allowed me a go on their drum, stupidly!
Yet Clermont did just that! What an amazing place. They live and breathe rugby. A sell out ground in a rugby city is what I want in an away trip. Not that interested in 3,000 at Zebre if I’m honest. Bit selfish, sorry!

I agree BSJ I love watching Clermont play and really enjoyed the game against Bath, it was just a shame that the most joyful moments came from watching Clermont giving Bath a lesson in attacking rugby. It could happen to anyone, so I don't see any particular disgrace in being beaten by a really good team. If only we were moving closer to teams like Clermont and Toulouse, but over the past decade or so we have gone the other way and I can see no reason to suspect it may be reversed anytime soon.

Team Up:

Bath team news

15. Tom Homer

14. Gabe Hamer-Webb

13. Jackson Willison

12. Max Wright

11. Ruaridh McConnochie

10. Freddie Burns

9. Ollie Fox

1. Beno Obano

2. Jack Walker

3. Will Stuart

4. Matt Garvey

5. Charlie Ewels (C)

6. Tom Ellis

7. Sam Underhill

8. Josh Bayliss

Replacements

16. Ross Batty

17. Lucas Noguera

18. Sam Nixon

19. Josh McNally

20. Mike Williams

21. Chris Cook

22. Rhys Priestland

23. Aled Brew

P G Tips


Jaco Coetzee: my adopted Player, 2023-24.

COYB!

Only comments are a bit surprised that Beno Obano and Will Stuart are played, unless they are going to the England camp? I think that I prefer the idea of JW at 12. Good to see Ruaridh McConnochie back.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Well that is a pretty strong 23. Great to see Charlie and Ruaridh back. A decent pack to get some ball for Freddie to get those backs moving

Ulster

(15-9) Will Addison, Robert Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney.

(1-8) Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Sean Reidy, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee.

Replacements: Adam McBurney, Eric O’Sullivan, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, David Shanahan, Bill Johnston, Craig Gilroy.

Ulster vs Bath at Kingspan Stadium, Belfast
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Assistant referees: Cédric Marchat (France), Luc Ramos (France)
Television match official: Patrick Dellac (France)
Citing commissioner: Stefano Marrama (Italy)

Great opportunity for Ollie Fox to play against an in form Cooney and test himself, i hope he and FB get us moving. If we can reduce our unforced error count we can certainly give them a game. COYB!!

Adopted players: 24/25 J Bayliss; [24] O Lawrence; [23] J Cokanasiga; [22] M Green; [21] A Watson; [20] T Faletau; [19] M V Vuuren; [18] T Faletau; [17] D Denton; [16] H. Agulla; [15] L Houston; [14] W Spencer; [13] F. Louw

Family . Community . Nation - [sdp.org.uk]

My mind's been going places without me lately - Bushfire The B52's

I wish I was going now!

Quote:

Bath Supporter Jack
I wish I was going now!

Went to Clermont which was fantastic, but just can't get interested in this game.

And Ulster given YET ANOTHER try from a wrong reffing decision. They are the luckiest side in this competition by a country mile. Absolute farce.

Fred is kicking a lot and not well. Ollie Fox is moving the ball really quickly from 9, it's great to see. Willison looking solid so far also

Brainless from Ellis

So cooney looks at Ellis and runs across him to cut him out, so Ulster get a penalty and yellow against Ellis? TMO telling ref it was a change of line by Cooney that forced the push, but ignored.
The ulster luck continues.

Good effort to keep scores level during sin bin time.

Great work from the front row

Beno is playing himself into England contention again!

Really impressed with the accuracy and speed of passing from young Fox. Neither him nor GHW look out of place on this field.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

The forwards have been good again. Echo the above about Beno, he's been excellent. Fox at 9 looks good so far, RMac took his chance well. Rode out the sin bin period. A lot to be pleased with

Yep the young ones are showing the way. Good shift from Bayliss as well.

A good away performance so far! Can we carry it on?

Well Cooney is bound to score at some point, so we need quite a few more points on the board.
Shame our kicks haven't been great, but do like the idea of making the lucky ones play from deep.

Line outs solid not lost one, they have lost two! We have had 62% possession and only conceded one pen! Ollie Fox is the real deal!

Why did Fox delay at the breakdown to give Ulster the ball and then score ?

Adopted Player 2018/19 Ross Batty
Adopted Player 2019/20 Jack Davies
Adopted Player 2020/21 Cam Redpath
Adopted Player 2021/22 Darren Atkins
Adopted Player 2022/23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb
Adopted Player 2023/24 Tom Carr-Smith
Adopted Player 2024/25 Max Ojomoh

"AN OUNCE OF ACTION IS WORTH A TON OF THEORY"
FRIEDRICH ENGELS

Soft try, but penalty from Freddie so 14-10

Another soft try , almost dropped.

Defensive shape is all over the place with Aled Brew on for Max Wright

Just awful defence out wide.

Quote:

hasta
Just awful defence out wide.

Yep, they shouldn’t be running these in up the wing with that many covering.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Freddie missing touch again!

Ulster constantly offside

Freddie gets hit late (just) with a no arms hit, but just a telling off.
The lucky ones luck continues, should have been a Bath pen.

Batty scores as Bath drive lineout over from 8m out.
19-15, kick to come.

Batty try from the mail. COYB.

If this is given Ulster's name is on the pot.
Two clear forward passes......

13 to 19 clearly forward
9 to 5 clearly forward

Unless you are a french official

Quote:

Dorset Boy
13 to 19 clearly forward
9 to 5 clearly forward

Unless you are a french official

Agreed

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Amazing, first pass given OK, second not. No try.
That would have been 4 clear and obvious forward passes not given, plus the clear knock on for the first lucky ones try.

Yety another scrum penalty to Bath.

Sam Nixon doing really well

Very clear red for me

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Trying to get Batty sent off now.
Looks marginally mis-timed rather than anything as Cooney was begining to dip.

That's crazy harsh.

It's a clear red card, shoulder to head

Quote:

Dorset Boy
That's crazy harsh.

Not for me, it’s correct. Batty barely crouches let alone tackling low.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

He had a millisecond to adjust and was trying to wrap. There are loads of high hits not punished that are just as bad.

Last thing we need is Batty banned - especially if Tom D is called up

Cook just tackled round the neck, nothing....

Quote:

Rokobilly
Last thing we need is Batty banned - especially if Tom D is called up

He's getting at least a 3 week ban

Quote:

Rokobilly
Last thing we need is Batty banned - especially if Tom D is called up

I couldn’t even tell you who the 4th choice hooker is tbh?

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:18:17:14:07 by BathMatt53.

Is Brian O Driscoll biased ?

Adopted Player 2018/19 Ross Batty
Adopted Player 2019/20 Jack Davies
Adopted Player 2020/21 Cam Redpath
Adopted Player 2021/22 Darren Atkins
Adopted Player 2022/23 Gabriel Hamer-Webb
Adopted Player 2023/24 Tom Carr-Smith
Adopted Player 2024/25 Max Ojomoh

"AN OUNCE OF ACTION IS WORTH A TON OF THEORY"
FRIEDRICH ENGELS

Cook really should learn from Fox. Cook is so slow, stands around waving at players and then kicks it away rather than playing the ball



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:18:17:15:25 by supermarinematt.

Great counter ruck, Ulster player goes off feet to seal it, so they get the decision.
Previous ruck, Ulster player joined from Bath side to seal off.

Quote:

BathMatt53

Quote:

Rokobilly
Last thing we need is Batty banned - especially if Tom D is called up

I couldn’t even tell you who the 4th choice hooker is tbh?

Tom Doughty according to the squad list on here. Not a name I recognise.

The lucky ones get the key decisions and win again.
Book your final tickets Ulstermen.

Bath can hold their heads high.

Why did Fred chip it to them in injury time? So odd.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Some good in that performance, Beno and Fox. Forwards played well and the scrum was very good. Discipline was very good (Batty's red aside). Only 3 pens I think. It also highlighted the poor kicking from 10 and just how slow Cook is at 9.

Quote:

BathMatt53
Why did Fred chip it to them in injury time? So odd.

His kicking from hand was poor all day

Quote:

supermarinematt
Some good in that performance, Beno and Fox. Forwards played well and the scrum was very good. Discipline was very good (Batty's red aside). Only 3 pens I think. It also highlighted the poor kicking from 10 and just how slow Cook is at 9.

Totally agree with all of this.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Shame about the result but a much-improved side. Given time and the backs clicking, maybe things will come together.

The red card was only harsh in that Batty had no time to react. By this season's refereeing guidelines it was the right decision.

The only possible alternative was "mitigation" - which ref & TMO obviously thought was absent (you could argue that Cooney was falling at force in Underhill's tackle).

The Ellis decision was correct too.

However, Ulster did get a lot of luck. Their support runners pushed Bath tacklers out of the way on several occasions, they were constantly offside and the disallowed try was not the only time forward passes went unpunished.

PG

Quote:

Kaapstad
Shame about the result but a much-improved side. Given time and the backs clicking, maybe things will come together.

They certainly can.
I would suggest much did today -up front.

Our passing in midfield was less laboured than in other recent games, but we operated too far behind the gainline (partly due to Ulster offside, partly our own conservatism.

Fox was sharp and H-Webb looked very dangerous late on.

As for Freddies' kicking- have to agree with supermarinematt. I don't mind that he kicks -or even how often - so much as the fact that his kicks are too easy for backfield defenders to gather.

PG

the "10" dilemma continues...

I’m not sure it’s a dilemma any more.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

It's not a dilemma at all. We just have to muddle through this season and find a 10 for next season. I want Fred to be the 10 but his run of form since he joined us has been no where near what he produced at Tigers.

A 10 that stands flat, a la Butch James, would be welcome. Put Butch from his prime with the rest of our backs now and the kind of quick ball Fox was giving today and we'd be a very different team.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:18:18:44:54 by supermarinematt.

We have a trait of ignoring young 10s right under our noses.
Hastings anyone?
Herron, who looked the bees knees for Quins today.
Let’s pray that some genius doesn’t convince dG he really ought to be a 15 or 12 or 13 or somewhere else.
Two years time Fox and dG.

FLAP

Beno and stuart are serious players. Hope we dont lose them next week just to be holding tackle bags for England as think they may be 3rd choices.

Fox looked decent and hamer-webb is excellent for a 19 year old- looked a threat and not exposed in defence against some top players.

Encouraging display. Still lack creativity but we all know that and think it may need recruitment and /or faith in youth to sort that.

Two years time Green imo.

Hastings is old news - he always wanted to go and we can’t chain players to the Rec. Herron was playing at Jersey so it’s not like we were the only ones who missed him?

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

That was pretty damn good. We were competitive all over the pitch and could very easily have won that game. TBF, Ulster aren't going to go any further in the comp but it was a good yardstick. Basically John Cooney was the difference between the sides over two games.

Ollie Fox very good, both the front rows excellent and the forwards carried very well. The red for Batty was unfortunate but they've been given all season long so we can't complain.

Good game of rugby.

Another loss, 7 European games in a row now. They put in a good shift though and stood up well enough. Still lacking any sort of cohesion, just one out running straight into contact. Tries from driving maul and kick through, meh. Not good enough. Apart from the setpiece.

Quote:

supermarinematt
Fred is kicking a lot and not well.

Quote:

BathMatt53
Why did Fred chip it to them in injury time? So odd.

That's all he ever does for us. Kicks all our possession away, badly, gift wrapping pressure back onto to us. It's so frustrating. Missing a pen right in front was typical Freddie, missing touch from a penalty was typical Freddie. And people wonder why Priestland starts.

I guess at least we have the strong set piece and driving game.....in theory solid foundation to layer on top of but no real signs of it happening. What percentage of our tries have been driving mauls? Must be v v high. I love a driving maul but you need other ways of scoring.

Tend to agree re freddie but with no watson/jj/coko/roko he didnt have many weapons at his disposal. I think we lack creativity and the more subtle skills and ability to execute them under pressure through the whole squad.

Skill levels not really up to it which i think is a combo of coaching and personnel. Accuracy of passing for example is just consistently poor. Lack of clear game plan more of a pure coaching issue you would think.

Not sure about lack of weapons - Rmc and GHW aren’t too shabby going forward or backwards. Bath Chron talking about FB as unlucky to not get MoM instead of BB and gave him an 8.5 equal top with Beno...each to their own! Can’t argue with the Beno score mind you, he is a one man porp compactor - not many he hasn’t folded in half this year (with the assistance of his hooker and lock).

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

BathMatt53
Not sure about lack of weapons - Rmc and GHW aren’t too shabby going forward or backwards. Bath Chron talking about FB as unlucky to not get MoM instead of BB and gave him an 8.5 equal top with Beno...each to their own! Can’t argue with the Beno score mind you, he is a one man porp compactor - not many he hasn’t folded in half this year (with the assistance of his hooker and lock).

Please God, Eddie doesn't break him again.

... IMHO, of course.

Now in Honolulu

Chron assessment of FB

“ 10. Freddie Burns – 8.5

Dealt with back-foot ball on regular occasion today and kicked almost impeccably. His tactical kicking, along with Bath’s scrum, kept Bath in the game. Surely, Burns has staked his claim as Bath's first-choice fly-half in an otherwise disappointing season for Stuart Hooper's side.”

Quote:

CoochieCoo
Chron assessment of FB
“ 10. Freddie Burns – 8.5

Dealt with back-foot ball on regular occasion today and kicked almost impeccably. His tactical kicking, along with Bath’s scrum, kept Bath in the game. Surely, Burns has staked his claim as Bath's first-choice fly-half in an otherwise disappointing season for Stuart Hooper's side.”

I'm not sure the Chronic was watching the same game as me. Fred played as well as I've seen him this season, sure, but he didn't play as well as his brother.

... IMHO, of course.

Now in Honolulu

Quote:

BathMatt53
Not sure about lack of weapons - Rmc and GHW aren’t too shabby going forward or backwards. Bath Chron talking about FB as unlucky to not get MoM instead of BB and gave him an 8.5 equal top with Beno...each to their own! Can’t argue with the Beno score mind you, he is a one man porp compactor - not many he hasn’t folded in half this year (with the assistance of his hooker and lock).

Agree but ghw is very very raw (but massive potential), rmc looked ot of nick and then got injured (thought he went ok yest). Wright seems a very straight up and down option and willison relies on people running very clever lines off his shoulder. As i say i think skills and rugby intelligence a bit lacking throughout the squad for whatever reason.

Absolutely loving beno over the last 3 years, so pleased he has come back even better from that horror injury. Beast, must be pushing for an england place but with mako, marler and genge got some good options. Do you think marler will get dumped? 29 i think....prob another rwc in him but debatable

Personally I cannot see what people see in Mako. His scrummaging is woeful. He never truly gets on top of any half decent tight heads and yes he does get around the field a little, but his main job is set pieces where he is found wanting. Much rather have Marler there or even better the more dynamic Genge who is going to be a true beast as he gets older.

Beno has done well, but isn't quite in the same class yet and needs more game time at the highest level before being promoted to the international side. I would love to see him up against Cole this coming weekend and would a test of his progress.

By the way, I thought we did OK yesterday. I thought with Ulster at home, we would have got a bit of a pasting but was encouraged by some of our play, particularly when Tom Ellis got binned. Yes we have lots to improve but at least we put up a good fight and if we had scored with that last attack, could have shared the spoils. Did we miss the bosher Roberts? No, if anything our back play was better, especially with Fox's flat fast pass. He does show up the wind milling Cookie I am afraid. Thought Young Nixon went well. Batty was unlucky. If our relatively young side are going to learn, we need regular exposure to such teams the games at the highest levels.

Adopted player 2020/21 Beno 'the Transformer' Obano


Adopted player 2019/20 Jonathan 'JJ' Joseph.The Jink Joseph.
Adopted player 2018/19 Adopted player 2018/19 Semesa 'The Rock' Rokoduguni



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:19:09:39:53 by Bathovalballer.

Unfortunately I can see a few of our lads going to the camp, but not playing the games. Hopefully they will be released for Bath games if not in the 25 otherwise it’s the worst of both worlds.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

BathMatt53
Unfortunately I can see a few of our lads going to the camp, but not playing the games. Hopefully they will be released for Bath games if not in the 25 otherwise it’s the worst of both worlds.

Yep that's my concern and would be worst of all worlds. As you say hopefully those not in match day squads will get released back to us. Certainly worried about losing both props for next week potentially when i would have fancied us getting the upper hand in the tight fowards

We had 15 (+) men playing as a team, something that has been lacking so often.

No one has mentioned Charlie Ewels. How much of the improvement was due to his leadership?

Definitely a game of two halves for me.

At half-time I was really pleased with the overall performance and especially the pack though kicking from Freddie and Ollie was poor most of the time. Cooney and B Burns showed us exactly when and where to kick

I'm guessing that our coaches were delighted to be 7 - 7 especially having seen out a nil score sin bin and simply asked for more of the same. By contrast Ulster changed a couple of things. Firstly their line speed defence was far quicker which meant we were often going backwards in possession and secondly they went wider quicker. Their second half tries were great

Had that match been the opener then I could understand a game plan that was designed to stay in touch to at least get LB point and stop Ulster get TBP so keep it tight with very little going beyond 13 apart from a couple of cross-field kick passes

But it wasn't! So I came away at the end feeling disappointed. Not so much with the result but an apparent inability or unwillingness to try something different and pose a few difficult questions for the opposition that had read our game very well

Did we manage to avoid getting any more injuries?

Quote:

OutsideBath
Did we manage to avoid getting any more injuries?

Nothing obvious from TV pictures. Brew replaced Wright at HT but I missed whether this was a knock or tactical / pre-planned.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020:01:19:13:06:51 by Rokobilly.

If it was planned it didn’t work as Brew looking slightly out of his comfort zone (and position) for the 1st 10 mins of the second half partly contributed to 2 tries conceded around that area.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

I thought that was a really encouraging performance, as others have already said. Only additional point I'd make is to say that it's great to have Jackson Willison back. I thought he was excellent yesterday, and can't wait to see him and Matavesi in tandem - Roberts was like a broken record, and certainly won't be missed by me! Too predictable, couldn't pass or kick, no pace = constipated our backline!

Seems I'm off the consensus on ere as I thought Fox's pass was Ok for speed, not brilliant and quite short. Though Glaws lost today the zip in the pass from Heinz was noticeably quicker [to me anyway]

Disappointing to lose every game, but lots of positive points in this game.

Obama and Stuart are the real deal, they should be our first choice even when Catt and HT are back.

Hamer Webb has got stronger and better every time see him play, Nixon done very well and Fox was fine.

Solid game from Walker and good to see Ewels back out there.

Oh and Underhill, so industrious.

Lets get stuck into Tigers Saturday. COYB

Hamer-Webb might be the best academy wing we've had since, I don't know, Banahan? Walker had his best game for us.

We were the better team in that game. We need to stop conceding cheap tries. It's ridiculous how many we concede.

I like the idea of Barack Obama in the front row but do you think he's fit enough to go the full 80?

... IMHO, of course.

Now in Honolulu

Quote:

hasta
Hamer-Webb might be the best academy wing we've had since, I don't know, Banahan? Walker had his best game for us.
We were the better team in that game. We need to stop conceding cheap tries. It's ridiculous how many we concede.

How were we the better team there Hasta? I don't think we put one decent, flowing attack together and from the start of the second half never looked like winning despite being well on top at scrum throughout the game

Two of their tries were excellent, positive, quick handling, running rugby. We had nothing like that either planned or off the cuff

It was a decent, hard working effort with several players having really good games and great to see a couple back from injury but in my view a losing bonus point was exactly what we deserved.

Honestly? I think we had more power, more control, more set piece dominance. Our lack of attacking cutting edge is a continuing problem of course. We dealt with the yellow card to Ellis extremely well.

Ulster had a 10 minute purple patch in attack at the beginning of the second half, when Wright went off, Brew came and in they ran in two very, very soft tries. I agree that we had nothing that matched that in attack, but they took advantage of a messed up midfield.

Quote:

joethefanatic
I like the idea of Barack Obama in the front row but do you think he's fit enough to go the full 80?

Ha Freudian slip perhaps.

B’rack would fit more on the blindside me thinks!,

Hmm, seems Batty wasn't the only or even first red card

[cdn.thejournal.ie]

Could have been a game changer

totally missed that tbh (like the officials)

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]