Dead rubber v Ulster

[ellis9]

I also do not believe that Holmes best position is full back. We need a full back who can read the game quickly and set up attacks that pin the ears back of the opposition. The "rumble wagon" (scrum) performed better today, but still looks as though the back five are not up to standard.

We've got one! He's out injured.

[ellis9]

Just a small comment. Fielding a stronger team today is no surprise.

It was the same last year... all of the loyal fans we went to Castres in Rnd 5 had to suck up a weakened team and a chastening loss. Then in the Rnd 6 home dead rubber O’Connor put out the best team. Same this year for Scarlets and Ulster.

Again the away fans get a raw deal but we clearly must keep all the home fans happy with a strong side!

I vaguely understand the approach today but this is a meaningless game, same as last week. We get 1/2 of our key players injured today and the policy will look a bit silly won’t it? We have one priority for me: the league. Top 4 is the primary aim, Top 6 is the minimum requirement. Winning by 1 today or losing by 30 doesn’t change anything in the Pool for us.

There might even be a good argument to play the team most likely to feature in our next league game... it certainly won’t look much like today’s side!

Firstly, those that go to away games, have a choice. No one makes you go, you choose to. Just as I did for the Bristol game. You're going there to support Tigers, irrelevant of what players pull on the shirt.

Secondly, it makes a huge difference whether we win by 1 point or lose by 30. If we lose by 30, people on here will believe we are the worst team in the history of the game. We win by one and it's just about bearable on here.

The fans who go to home matches have a choice too! I agree with your second point though.

I know but the post mentioned away games.

[LE18]

No ones mentioned the Ref today, I thought he had a great game, made decisions quickly, used his AR very well. Is he French?

I wish they had brought on SAR in place of Olowofela sooner, he was not having a good game, would have been well worth having an earlier look.

There was a definite improvement today, a game we could have won, but really we chucked it away, pity.

[longlivethecrumbie]

No ones mentioned the Ref today, I thought he had a great game, made decisions quickly, used his AR very well. Is he French?

I wish they had brought on SAR in place of Olowofela sooner, he was not having a good game, would have been well worth having an earlier look.

There was a definite improvement today, a game we could have won, but really we chucked it away, pity.

There were two honking calls, IMHO, one was a blatant knock on under a high ball from Burns Jnr which was called as play on. The second was not by Monsieur, but by his TJ who looked to shrug his shoulders when asked about the offside for our try. I won't complain too much about that one. However, those aside, I thought he was hot on knock ons in general and he did allow a contest at the breakdown. However, like most refs, the usual breakdown carnage of attacking clearouts from the side (from both teams) went unpunished. Both sides also helped as they were prepared to scrummage and not try and con penalties from Monsieur.

[sam16111986]

No ones mentioned the Ref today, I thought he had a great game, made decisions quickly, used his AR very well. Is he French?.

I liked the ref. He communicated well with the players and was consistent in his interpretations. Obviously I didn't agree with every call he made but that's rugby. Hopefully he'll ref us again next year. After some of the shoddy reffing displays seen this season it's good to see a ref who'll let things flow and interpret consistently.

[MrPartridge]

Two words based on the pre-match banter! Fortress Welford!!!

Wonder how many times any of our teams from say 10 years ago have lost a 13-0 lead in a European home game? When the game was only the line 2nd half Ulster dominated us.

Not cheering me up knowing Quins have signed Will Evans. I know that will lead the inevitable... how do you know that? A: just trust me OK. He’s off and it will be confirmed.

My only other comment is... as much as I like Oluwfela... surely a key attribute of a good winger is he knows where the touch line is!!!!! Dear me...

[JP14]

One of my massive gripes about wingers is that they always seem to want to cut outside and into touch instead of inside.

I thought Fitzgerald, Heyes and Wells carried really well and I thought our scrum dominance wasn’t awarded enough de monsieur. Also think we should have gone for the drop goal at the end.

[Big Dai]

One of my massive gripes about wingers is that they always seem to want to cut outside and into touch instead of inside.

I thought Fitzgerald, Heyes and Wells carried really well and I thought our scrum dominance wasn’t awarded enough de monsieur. Also think we should have gone for the drop goal at the end.

One of my massive gripes with wingers is they run around like headless chucks, going laterally across the pitch instead of catching the ball, running straight and falling over the try line. (No names, no pack drill.)

[wellstiger]

Cole immense. Ford leads by example and Kerr, Heyes and Olowefela are only going to get better. Hope Will Evans stays too and he was unlucky in the last 5 minutes today when getting over the ball only for Ulster to go offside and illegally seal off.
Time to move on, somehow get a win during 6 Nations and see where we are when the squad is nearer to full strength.
Ps. Not at all Cockerill ‘s fault for our decline but poor backing: you only have to listen to how the coaching staff was stripped back meaning in the modern game that Tigers was a team that would struggle to tread water.
Keep the faith in Geordan.

We played well for 50mins.
Defensive line was much improved and started in the opposition 22. Does it still need work ,yes but improved.
Attack looked more threatening but coughing up ball did not help our cause.
BY was slow getting ball out in his last 20 mins. Needs to get quicker ball.
We could have won the game. Ulster wanted it more. So deserved the win in the end for not giving up their chance to progress.
Do I see shoots of progress. Yes...
After 4-5 seasons of decline I don't expect immediate success. Let him (GM) build the team he needs to get the job done.
Were not Wendy ball - calling for a change of coach after every game................

[Hot_Charlie]

No ones mentioned the Ref today, I thought he had a great game, made decisions quickly, used his AR very well. Is he French?

Generally he had a good game BUT we had three bigs calls go against us:

The knock-on under the high ball which then touched their 9. If the TMO could see Jake Kerr’s “deliberate” knock-on, he should have seen that their 9 blatantly played the ball to ensure the chasing Tigers’ player couldn’t attempt to catch it. A penalty just outside their 22 would have been better than a scrum.

A few minutes later JO tried to go for the line, is tackled and tries to offload. An Ulster player already on the floor played the ball as it came back. Again, another penalty, 5m out.

The real howler was the brilliant kick to the their 5m line. Stockdale took it once in touch and May blatantly makes contact with the ball to stop a quick throw in. Stockdale took it anyway, they go a pen and cleared their lines to halfway. A howler from the Ref, AR and TMO, which relieves all pressure on Ulster immediately.

In fact, I think the TMO went to sleep.

Overall, we should have done better (were the Ulster back three ever weak under the high ball?), maybe we’re lucky with the try, but the negative influence we have had this season from officials is frustrating.

[voice of the crumbie]

[/quote]

In fact, I think the TMO went to sleep.

[/quote]

During the first 29 minutes I went to sleep!

[Scott1]

One good thing at least,Steff Evans was electric yesterday so that's probably made Gats mind up between him and Holmes.

[DeadlyDunc]

I thought it was a tough physical encounter against a good side.

We played ok but given the opposition that is better than many performances this season and there seems to be some degree of resilience back in our general play both defensively and physically.

We are still making silly mistakes that cost us and as long as we do that well keep losing tight games and having poor periods in games.

All that said, there is a general trend of improvement and progress despite the results and given where GM started from.

As I’ve said any number of times, I believe we’ve had a general decline over 10years so it’s always going to be slow incremental improvements & as a result to match Ulster for the majority gives hope for the longer term.

Wells, Heyes, Evans impressed off the bench and the likes of Kerr, Fitz, YBY, Ford, Toomua and Cole were excellent throughout.

We definitely miss TV, Genge, Thompson, Denton and a decent replacement hooker but then again most teams would!

[Scott1]

Talk going round that Murphy hung the bench out to dry in his post match interview,any truth to that?

[DeadlyDunc]

Talk going round that Murphy hung the bench out to dry in his post match interview,any truth to that?

He said the backs didn’t use the good work of the forwards well enough and that they weren’t smart enough to see the game out

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