Gutsy Ulster play a stormer
Didn't Ulster do well? A deserved win over Leinster has taken them to the top of the Magners League for the first time in four years.
The biggest crowd of the season to date, the worst weather imaginable, and the gutsiest display for some time all combined to make it a memorable night.
Without meaning to carp, it might all have been different had the conditions been better, as Leinster's multi-talented backs were presented with few opportunities to excel.
But it is the same out there for both sides!
The difference was that Ulster coped better, winning the toss and electing to play into a gale that blew straight up the Ravenhill pitch towards the War Memorial end, and the Ulster pack played controlled, percentage rugby.
Top marks to props BJ Botha and big Tom Court in particular, who nullified Leinster's scrummaging efforts and, time and again, made the hardest of yards, aided by Messrs Brady, Faloon and Nagusa, with the Fijian flyer seizing every opportunity to mix it with the grunt and grind mob up front.
Didn't he just remind you of David Irwin and Trevor Ringland who regarded themselves as extra back row men a generation ago?
Now it is back on the road and a trip to Thomond Park where Munster memories of a walloping at Ulster hands will be fresh and painful.
Munster have had their problems in terms of injury, especially in the front row but, after an insipid display at Murrayfield, they will be in no mood to let Ulster turn them over for a fourth successive time. It is shaping up to be the sort of game where you might have to be over 18 to watch!
Have Ulster got what it takes to stay at the top of the league table?
Always a man to pick on current form, has Declan Kidney been a little bit on the mean side, from an Ulster perspective, in naming just six of Brian McLaughlin's men in a 39-strong panel for the November Guinness tests?
Isaac Boss has slipped down the scrum-half pecking order to fourth at best, it seems, despite a corking display against Leinster, and Ryan Caldwell has lost out to Leinster skipper Leo Cullen - no spring chicken - and another Leinster man, the lofty Devin Toner.
No place for Willie Faloon either, though I suspect he will feature, as will a few of his fellow Ulsterman against Tonga and the Argentinian Jaguars in the 'A' fixtures.
Good to see Chris Henry in the squad, likewise Neil Best who captained Ireland to a famous Churchill Cup win in the summer.
But the standout number eight in the Guinness Premiership this season has been Roger Wilson, Best's fellow Saint, who has again been ignored. A man contemplating a return to Ravenhill, perhaps?
Hello, I'm Jim Neilly and I have been covering Ulster and Irish rugby for the BBC for 30 years. I also cover boxing for BBC Television.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~54~RS~)
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I am surprised that Ian Humphries is not in the squad, as he has been running riot of late with the ulster back line. I agree with Jim that Ryan Calwell should have made it passed Leo Cullen and Devin Toner. I thought that Declan Kidney might have a diffrent train of thought than EOS. However if Humphs and Caldwell keep up their good work then we shall see what the 6N brings in squad terms!!!!!.
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Caldwell gives away far too many penalties and can barely be trusted to keep it together in a H cup game let alone an international. Why has lewis stevenson been overlooked? A former Ulster lad who is now starting for Harlequins and in good form, I hope he along with Faloon get game time for the A team.
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To answer your question in a word No.
Considered players:
Ian Hump: shouldn't be there, 6 or 7 games of reasonable form doesn't suddenly put him above ROG or Sexton, remember last season, he couldn't get a game vs NOC, he needs to provew himself over a season and with the A team.
Caldwell: no no and no. He is nowhere near the quality of Cullen nor the potential of Toner or Ryan. He hasn't proved himself enough in the big HC games for Ulster in the past.
Boss: Shouldn't be there, the 3 others are better, he is a lesser version of TOL.
Faloon: It's his first season, let him have a crack with the A's, serious potential.
The 6 players who are there deserve their places and is a fair reflection on Ulster's position. Let us not forget the opening performance vs the Dragons or the 2 defeats to Edinburgh. This team still has a lot to learn but are finally heading in the right direction. Being top of the league means nothing at this stage (or any really thanks to the playoffs, but that's a whole new debate). Lets just see if Ulster can produce in the business end of the season and keep a top 4 place in the ML and the QF and the HC or CC..
Lets not forget that Leinster and Munster are 2 of the finest clubs in Europe so obviously they will make-up the vast majority.
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Hi - I am actually related to one of the people you mention - a lot of people I know in Ulster certainly agreed when EOS was in charge - although I always said in reply that southerners playing in England seemed to get similar or worse treatment; Murphy stands out - not to mention the rest .....
I think Kidney has opened things up a bit more and this seems to be raising spirits - - overall I personally think it is more a tendency - Ulster players tend to get harsher treatment in the southern Press - Bowe is a great example - the Welsh love him - the Irish tolerated him albeit with a dose of unnecessary criticism at times - and he merely world class.
Hopefully a better balance will come through - although it would help individual Ulster players if Ulster could get themselves a bit tighter in meaningful games rather than just do the plucky under-dog stuff.
Cave is a class player that needs exposure to higher levels of competition?; Ferris seemed to have been pencilled in as bench player - rather than an obvious shoe-in - better signs are that Trimble seems to be in a positive rehab process following injury.
Half back selection is a lottery everywhere - look at the English fly-half situation where Wilkinson is the only player everyone seems to agree on ...... the efforts Ireland went to to protect O'Gara last season were amazing not to say brilliant - he is probably pleased Wallace is the stand in as he isn't a front line kicker.
I thought D'Arcy played dreadfully v London Irish yet there seems to be an assumption that he is the current number one for that position despite no real form for quite a while - - - yes Horgan seems to be getting back into form - - so who knows who will get picked this year
The other factor that I detected at an EOS / BOD double act in Dublin is that apparently the then regime thought the old style Irish rugby regime rather upper class - and there seemed to be a reaction against that - I found that surprising as any Irish players I ever came across (mostly southerners) seemed incredibly sociable and accessible.
But as ever in sport - anywhere in the world - there are factors other than form and talent at play. For Ulster players - yes if you are world class you probably will get on the team sometime - if you are a Southerner in England ? I guess you can always play for England.
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Hi at the risk of just talking to myself - i noted the Irish Independent this Sunday duly and predictably reported that now Horgan is back he might replace Bowe ..... obviously 4 Ulstermen in the whatever is too many
I think the Lions Tour showed up the really good Irish players - about 6 in all maybe of which 2 were from Ulster - the other 9 positions and the subs bench should therefore be open to all - yes Ulster men but also Connacht and England - - Casey (just selected somewhere) Staunton Downey etc etc
G Murphy is idolised by one of the top club sides in Europe - his treatment by the selectors over the years has been pretty average to be polite
whereas Leamy is mullered by a 20 year old and is rewarded by a place in the squad on the strength apparently of one performance against Ulster - why? - and isn't he too small to be an international no 8? As shown in the World Cup
It would be good if Ireland could give every one a fair shot - it might give us some chance in the World Cup this time around and not give us another embarrassment and cheer the whole Irish diaspora up
And maybe realise as one Ulster gaelic player said to me - I don't know much about about rugby but the Irish team seems to be made up of second rate gaelic players... i.e. lets have a few more rugby players in the team and an open selection policy
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Quite right Jim, there does seem to be a bias against Ulster. Having seen Ian Humphreys in action this year I can't believe he's not further advanced in the Irish pecking order. His game management has been excellent, especially in the demolition of the Scarlets, and he has vital experience of playing outside the Irish bubble with Leicester. Although it seems Irish coaches aren't fond of picking players from Leicester!
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RE: jim wilson, tommy bowe is widely regarded down here as world class, i don't know where you are getting that impression, Darren Cave has a lot of potential, but playing well in a few magners league games and the odd heineken cup game does not entitle him to get in the starting 15 nor the bench,humphries defensive skills are lacking although his game management has improved he does not merit a place instead of jonny sexton,i personaly do noot rate jeremy staunton at all. I think you are being overly harsh on kidney and his selection policy, and frankly i think you are engaging in a bit of southern bashing. Kidney is a shrewed opperator and after all he did bring us the slam and munster the H-cup, wise up
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Hi - getting back to Jim N's original Q - the demographics of Ulster's rugby playing population during the Troubles would lead you to expect a weaker Ulster and few Ulster players - but recent signs are much more promising (as with the NI Football team); the last Varsity Match I was at fielded two NI players one on each side - one from BRA and one from St Louis, Kilkeel - so the future is maybe bright - and more than just Orange ......... A better performing Ulster team might give Ulster players a better chance you would think although if you can't pick Leicester players..............
Some short answers - Kidney - good, clever man and has certainly opened the door a bit but we have a way to go and some repair work to do - Cave should be further through the system by now as he is somewhat better than some in the current side -
I wasn't particularly the Humprhies supporter - but I don't think Sexton is Elwood, Gibson, Campbell, Ward or Kyle either. Kidney is plainly a bit worried about O'Gara - O'Leary, P Wallace and D Wallace all doing some of his work and he still makes mistakes - at least Staunton can kick although he wouldn't be my type of SOH either but what I really mean is that no-one really stands out and I think what Jim N was alluding to was that when this happens Ulster players (and others) are ignored or discarded willy nilly unlike southern players who get reams written about how gut-wrenching dropping them is..........
Possibly the influence of the Irish Press has something to do with it was well ......
With regard to Bowe I was quoting D Humphries and noting the comment by someone (maybe not everyone) in the Irish Independent.
I think Fitzgerald's position is open - to Horgan maybe or Trimble or maybe Earls -
O'Connell needs someone with a bit of physical presence beside him - Heaslip disappointed a bit on the SA tour but maybe because I was expecting too much (I'm from the Ken Goodall era) - - -
so first conclusions from today's game - Backs with a bit of tweaking look pretty good and saved the day (albeit with ongoing Q over SOH(FH) - forwards as per last world cup as a unit aren't quite up to it - probably need about 50% changed
so the net needs to be cast a bit wider than just south of the Boyne.... they are out there somewhere .......... and they even think they are Irish .....................
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just adding to my comments in 8. If it OK to take something from the Times ......
reference the handling of Bowe ................
By the way I imagine we could run also through the handling of Best (Man of the Match and then predictably omitted) - Trimble where loss of form probably due to injury (as with D'Arcy) - and other Ulster players picked and then dropped by Ireland without particular reason .............. maybe not all world class but just treated badly ....
I believe Kidney's new regime had Padraig Harrington talk the team last year. There is an Irish person who sets the bar unbelievably high and then goes out to achieve his aim - unlike the EOS era where the bar was set low and so allowed a jobs for the boys approach ...........
to Quote:
"Shane Horgan was battling an injury and Bowe was held in the squad for three weeks as emergency cover. His phone didn’t ring and yet his number was up. What it meant was a spell in purgatory without any real prospect of getting to Heaven.
“I’d been making the 30-man squad in the four years before,” he says, “so I was wondering, ‘What’s going on?’ That was an ultimate low. After that I was going through a patch where I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Sometimes a coach has to make a gut decision. I’d love to have heard a reason why I wasn’t getting picked or what the reason was but I didn’t get a reason. I had to go back and look at myself and see what I had to do.”
At the time it amplified the view that Bowe wasn’t quite good enough: not quick enough, not smart enough. Solid. Deficient. Dispensible. Eighteen months earlier, when Ireland conceded five first-half tries against France in Paris, he was the only Irish player to be dropped. Many were culpable but he was sacrificed. One high-profile newspaper pundit awarded him zero out of 10 in his player ratings."
Nuff said.
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