Team V Ulster

[sapajo]

Hope Gibson features. Don't know why he was not included last week. He does need a rest but with the LV coming up he will get one then.

Also, he is a player we need to convince has a big future here.

I think you can forget seeing much more of Gibson this season. Now that the news is out about him moving to Saints, he'll drop in the pecking order so fast, his nose'll bleed!

At least it'll give Croft plenty of chances to get some form back.

Don't see why, Ford played for us up to the end as have others. Tigers will use him if needed, probably not this coming weekend but during the LV I'm sure he would figure, winning games is the end game isn't it?

Guess its down to how much he wants to put his body on the line and his performance levels for Tigers for the remaining part of this season now he knows it matters didly squat for him.

[Cockatrice]

Anyone coming over.... You might get your bonus point win.

[sapajo]

Anyone coming over.... You might get your bonus point win.

5 points is all that matters and against a depleted Ulster Team who will fight to the last man to stop it happening it would be a huge result.

[RagingBull]

Anyone coming over.... You might get your bonus point win.

As of time of writing I am.

[tigerburnie]

Not looking like it now Cockatrice, work getting in the way.

[Christophelp]

Don't see why, Ford played for us up to the end as have others. Tigers will use him if needed, probably not this coming weekend but during the LV I'm sure he would figure, winning games is the end game isn't it?

At risk of derailing the thread, memory tells me that this isn't particularly correct, so I checked the facts.

He was announced to have signed for Bath on 23 Jan 2013 (a quick google search tells me and that sounds about right).

In the subsequent 8 games for which both Ford and Flood were available (Flood played in all of the England 6 Nations matches), Ford played 99 minutes, of which 57 were in the Premiership final. This means Ford played 42 minutes out of 7 matches, all of which were when he came on for Flood with the game safely won.

Of the 3 games that were close towards the end of the match he played a grand total of 0 minutes (away to Exeter, Toulon and Bath - the first of which we won by 3pts, the 2nd & 3rd which we lost (by 6pts and 1pt).

So, after it was announced he'd be moving to Bath, Ford played 0 meaningful minutes before the final, during which of course he came on because Flood got injured.

(To get back on topic) that's not to say that the same would happen with Gibson , especially considering how well he's played in the last 18 months and it could easily have been a premeditated 'plan' specific to Ford. But I'd expect to see a lot more of Croft during the rest of the season than we might have expected to see 2/3 weeks ago.

[WirralExile]

Anyone coming over.... You might get your bonus point win.

I'll be there - flying over Saturday morning and meeting colleagues past and present in the Crown before heading to the Morning Star then on to Ravenhill. I have been to the ground a number of times and often stood, but this time I'm seated in the new-ish Grandstand. You'll be able to spot me, I'll be wearing a Tigers shirt.

[tigerburnie]

Don't see why, Ford played for us up to the end as have others. Tigers will use him if needed, probably not this coming weekend but during the LV I'm sure he would figure, winning games is the end game isn't it?

At risk of derailing the thread, memory tells me that this isn't particularly correct, so I checked the facts.

He was announced to have signed for Bath on 23 Jan 2013 (a quick google search tells me and that sounds about right).

In the subsequent 8 games for which both Ford and Flood were available (Flood played in all of the England 6 Nations matches), Ford played 99 minutes, of which 57 were in the Premiership final. This means Ford played 42 minutes out of 7 matches, all of which were when he came on for Flood with the game safely won.

Of the 3 games that were close towards the end of the match he played a grand total of 0 minutes (away to Exeter, Toulon and Bath - the first of which we won by 3pts, the 2nd & 3rd which we lost (by 6pts and 1pt).

So, after it was announced he'd be moving to Bath, Ford played 0 meaningful minutes before the final, during which of course he came on because Flood got injured.

Thanks, so you proved my point, Ford did play for us, not much, but he did.

[Cockatrice]

Hope any of you coming over enjoy the trip... Things all not well in the Ulster camp this year after DHump jumped ship followed by Anscombe being sacked. Injuries are causing us problems but for me a lack of any quality recruitment this year underlines our lack of strength in depth.

Our world wide search for a new coaching ticket found them hiding in the showers at Kingspan and we have bumbled along ever since...

Hope Kingspan isn't too soulless for you guys we are now a brand and/or a Product rather than a rugby team... Hopefully will bump into a few and share a beer. Always enjoy my trips to Welford and having a few beers.. In saying that stopping you get the bonus point win may be all we can hope for..

[WiggoTiger]

When is Manu supposed to be ready to play?

Preseason training is the best bet!!

[wormus]

Well he PlanetRugby poll on whether Tigers will get the 5 point bonus is 72% against. Let us prove them wrong !! Come on TIGERS
http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/poll/0,221 ... _r,00.html

[Baggy Trousers]

Aye Cockatrice is probably right, I wouldn't expect more than a few mumbles, the odd "well played" and polite applause as Tigers run in try after try much as Toulon did against an Ulster defence that may as well have comprised 15 dustbins.

Our "product" is enshrined in the "7 commandments of behaviour" that glare at you from the dozens of TV screens in every bar pre-match. After all we wouldn't want a repeat of the bear pit atmosphere occasioned by the sending off of Jihad Payne for his stupid collision with the splendid Mr Goode of that wonderful club Saracens.

Apparently that nice Mr Griffiths of Saracens sent a stinging email to our CEO expressing dismay that anyone's fans could make such an unholy racket at a rugby match, he apparently prefers piped music to drown out the snores of his own fans.

After drying his tears of humiliation, and as a top notch good chap & devout Christian our CEO set about making Ulster as plastic a club as Saracens. Sadly for travelling Tigers fans you will not find any music or dancing after the match in the bars. In a mirror-image of the Taliban, our CEO clearly feels dancing may provoke promiscuity and is therefore banned.

I urge you to be careful in victory and under no circumstances dance a jig, for he has instructed the hi-viz brigade to arrest dancers for anti-puritan behaviour. I understand a prayer room may be available before and after the match. However prayers for the intercession of his Lord & Master during the game is thought to constitute a war crime so unjust & vile, that perpetrators may be put to death by stoning under the Memorial Arch.

Yes indeedy, a strange experience awaits at "Spanners" - were not Ravenhill now you know.

Try your best to enjoy it, dull as it will be, at least you should be confident of your first ever win in Belfast and a chance to draw level at 4-4 in our matches.

[Noggs]

Aye Cockatrice is probably right, I wouldn't expect more than a few mumbles, the odd "well played" and polite applause as Tigers run in try after try much as Toulon did against an Ulster defence that may as well have comprised 15 dustbins.

Our "product" is enshrined in the "7 commandments of behaviour" that glare at you from the dozens of TV screens in every bar pre-match. After all we wouldn't want a repeat of the bear pit atmosphere occasioned by the sending off of Jihad Payne for his stupid collision with the splendid Mr Goode of that wonderful club Saracens.

Apparently that nice Mr Griffiths of Saracens sent a stinging email to our CEO expressing dismay that anyone's fans could make such an unholy racket at a rugby match, he apparently prefers piped music to drown out the snores of his own fans.

After drying his tears of humiliation, and as a top notch good chap & devout Christian our CEO set about making Ulster as plastic a club as Saracens. Sadly for travelling Tigers fans you will not find any music or dancing after the match in the bars. In a mirror-image of the Taliban, our CEO clearly feels dancing may provoke promiscuity and is therefore banned.

I urge you to be careful in victory and under no circumstances dance a jig, for he has instructed the hi-viz brigade to arrest dancers for anti-puritan behaviour. I understand a prayer room may be available before and after the match. However prayers for the intercession of his Lord & Master during the game is thought to constitute a war crime so unjust & vile, that perpetrators may be put to death by stoning under the Memorial Arch.

Yes indeedy, a strange experience awaits at "Spanners" - were not Ravenhill now you know.

Try your best to enjoy it, dull as it will be, at least you should be confident of your first ever win in Belfast and a chance to draw level at 4-4 in our matches.

[Jumbo]

Leicester Tigers

15. Matthew Tait; 14. Adam Thompstone, 13. Vereniki Goneva, 12. Seremaia Bai, 11. Miles Benjamin; 10. Freddie Burns, 9. Ben Youngs (c); 1. Marcos Ayerza, 2. Tom Youngs, 3. Logovii Mulipola, 4. Graham Kitchener, 5. Geoff Parling, 6. Tom Croft, 7. Julian Salvi, 8. Jordan Crane
16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17. Michele Rizzo, 18. Fraser Balmain, 19. Sebastian De Chaves, 20. Robert Barbieri, 21. Sam Harrison, 22. Owen Williams, 23. Niall Morris

[Jumbo]

Ulster Rugby

15. Jared Payne; 14. Tommy Bowe, 13. Darren Cave, 12. Luke Marshall, 11. Craig Gilroy; 10. Ian Humphreys, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Callum Black, 2. Rory Best (c), 3. Wiehahn Herbst, 4. Alan O'Connor, 5. Franco Van Der Merwe, 6. Iain Henderson, 7. Mike McComish, 8. Roger Wilson
16. Rob Herring, 17. Andy Warwick, 18. Bronson Ross, 19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Clive Ross, 21. Neil McComb, 22. Paul Marshall, 23. Michael Allen