Ulster Vs Clermont teams

First topic message reminder :


1)T Court,
2)R Best
3)J Afoa
4)J Muller (capt)
5)D Tuohy
6)S Ferris
7)C Henry
8)P Wannenburg:

15)S Terblanche
14)A Trimble
13)I Whitten
12)P Wallace
11)C Gilroy
10)I Humphreys
9)R Pienaar;

Replacements (16-23): A Kyriacou, C Black, A Macklin, L Stevenson, W Faloon, P Marshall, N Spence, A D'Arcy

Unavailable due to injury: Jared Payne (achilles), Declan Fitzpatrick (neck), Peter Nelson (knee), Darren Cave (foot

glad to see whitten in the centres as i fell he has really earned his spot, not so sure about the humphreys call as he has been so up and down recently, but i suppose why mess about with a formula that has got us this far, just hope marshy gets a good run out off the bench, i dont know why paddy Mac isnt on the bench as he seem to have recovered from injury and would have been a safer option than Macklin, probably due to lack of game time.

i really think we can win this one, its going to take everything we have but these boys are on fire at the moment and are on the verge of doing something really special for ulster rugby!

not sure of the Clermont line up yet but i will update this topic when it is released!

Chunky Norwich wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

Want him to stick around until after the match to see if hell admit he was wrong but they doesnt come across as someone with the intellect to grasp these kinds of concepts

with his attitude he could get a job on sky sports

If Ulster win in a fair contest then they deserve all the accolades they get. And I'll come on here and say as much. I just don't think it will happen.

Ulster have a great pack. Ferris is the best 6 in the world in my opinion. A world cup winning tighthead and a class lock too. If they keep it tight, win their set piece and don't get involved in a chuck around it will give them a better chance.

But this is Clermont. They're a powerhouse. Bonnaire is class. Faure and Hines are solid and never take a backward step. Malzieu in my opinion is the most ubnderrated winger in world rugby. Defensively solid. Great under the high ball. Like lightning, good hands and a clinical finisher. Parra and Skrela are a great halfback combo. Parra will do his fair share of kicking too which will keep Clermont in Ulsters half. They'll score tries tomorrow. How will Ulster outscore them? Having said all this, I have never seen Clermont play or ever seen a rugby ball so what do I know?

You forget that Muller and Pienaar are world cup winners too and in Henry Best and Tuohy they have some of the form forwards in Europe and threats in Trimble and Gilroy

marty2086 wrote:

You forget that Muller and Pienaar are world cup winners too and in Henry Best and Tuohy they have some of the form forwards in Europe and threats in Trimble and Gilroy

No I didn't forget that.

Chunky I think Clermont are a fantastic team but there is more to Ulster than Afoa, Muller and Ferris... Remember it wasn't John Afoa who gave Castro a torrid time last week but Tom Court. It wasn't Johann Muller alone who disrupted ruck and lineout but Dan Tuohy did more than his fair share. If Ferris is class then surely Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry who have been everywhere for Ulster this season have been more than impressive. I do not fear the Clermont pack...

Their backs however is a different story. Parra is a little general marshalling his troops, Rougerie is unstoppable at times and Sivivatu, Malzieu and Byrne can run some unbelievable lines. But they are not unbeatable. Skrela is most certainly a weak link, defensively sound but never calm with ball in hand... Fofana is exciting and dangerous but also inexperienced and could easily be targeted by Ulsters's old heads of Pienaar, Wallace and Terblanche.

I expect an epic match, game of the round no doubt but in truth I hope the old adage of forwards win matches plays out in the end!

SUFTUM!

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:Remember it wasn't John Afoa who gave Castro a torrid time last week but Tom Court. It wasn't Johann Muller alone who disrupted ruck and lineout but Dan Tuohy did more than his fair share. If Ferris is class then surely Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry who have been everywhere for Ulster this season have been more than impressive. I do not fear the Clermont pack...
SUFTUM!

I saw those players get reamed by a poor Scarlets pack early in the season. Away from the comfort of Ravehill Ulster perform very differently.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:Winding up the opposition has always been a part of rugby, you fool.

Especially for Ulster. Who have to be the most overhyped, awful value for money side in Europe.

Lets excplode that myth.

The Ulster salary budget is no more tham Ospreys or the leading English sides.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:Remember it wasn't John Afoa who gave Castro a torrid time last week but Tom Court. It wasn't Johann Muller alone who disrupted ruck and lineout but Dan Tuohy did more than his fair share. If Ferris is class then surely Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry who have been everywhere for Ulster this season have been more than impressive. I do not fear the Clermont pack...
SUFTUM!

I saw those players get reamed by a poor Scarlets pack early in the season. Away from the comfort of Ravehill Ulster perform very differently.

And I seen Clermonts scrum get dominated at home by the Tigers and it was a closer game than the scoreline said even though Leicester were down to 13 at one point

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Ulster salary budget is no more tham Ospreys or the leading English sides.

You must be a very high level accountant to have that knowledge. I'd love to see the official accounts (which haven't been published for this year yet)

I'd appreciate them via PM if you can. Thanks

marty2086 wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:Remember it wasn't John Afoa who gave Castro a torrid time last week but Tom Court. It wasn't Johann Muller alone who disrupted ruck and lineout but Dan Tuohy did more than his fair share. If Ferris is class then surely Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry who have been everywhere for Ulster this season have been more than impressive. I do not fear the Clermont pack...
SUFTUM!

I saw those players get reamed by a poor Scarlets pack early in the season. Away from the comfort of Ravehill Ulster perform very differently.

And I seen Clermonts scrum get dominated at home by the Tigers and it was a closer game than the scoreline said even though Leicester were down to 13 at one point

Should be easy for Ulster then.

Itll be far from easy since Clermont are something like 40 games unbeaten at home but itll be a good close game

Good luck to Ulster...it would be an amazing win.....getting over a 36 match unbeaten run by ASM would be something else.

I can't wait for this. This is the only real winner takes all game of rd 6. Ulster have named a strong side and can definitely get something out of this.

The way I see it, there are 2 ways of looking at this.
1) Clermonts track record of playing high pressure games is not good. Sure they won the Top14 in 2010 - but that was after a lot of attempts. They were beaten in finals - in 07,08 & 09 they lost to Stade, Toulouse & Perpignan. In truth, Clermont were probably matched by Toulouse but they were far better than either Stad and Perp in those years.
This is where I think Ulster can get something. If you really take the battle to Clermonts forwards they can cave in, the Ulster pack - all of them - need to hit Clermont with everything. Clermont do have a habit of loosing the stomach for the fight.

2) The biggest schooling I can ever remember Munster getting was the first 35 mins against Clermont in the away fixture of the 07-08 season. How we came back to get a LBP I'll never know! Clermont are a far better outfit than they were then. I agree with Chunky that if Clermont are left to turn it on they could run rampant. They have the most potent backline in europe and have the potential to strike from anywhere. They could have a TBP within 20 mins....against anyone if the get a run.

I do think Ulster will get something though. The key is to put pressure on the forwards and ensure that there is always someone in Parra's face. Although outstanding going forward Parra gets very erratic and frustrated when he doesn't get quick ball and the backline will struggle (see leinster in clermont last season). Once there is no silly kicks Ulster will have a good shot.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

Want him to stick around until after the match to see if hell admit he was wrong but they doesnt come across as someone with the intellect to grasp these kinds of concepts

with his attitude he could get a job on sky sports

If Ulster win in a fair contest then they deserve all the accolades they get. And I'll come on here and say as much. I just don't think it will happen.

Ulster have a great pack. Ferris is the best 6 in the world in my opinion. A world cup winning tighthead and a class lock too. If they keep it tight, win their set piece and don't get involved in a chuck around it will give them a better chance.

But this is Clermont. They're a powerhouse. Bonnaire is class. Faure and Hines are solid and never take a backward step. Malzieu in my opinion is the most ubnderrated winger in world rugby. Defensively solid. Great under the high ball. Like lightning, good hands and a clinical finisher. Parra and Skrela are a great halfback combo. Parra will do his fair share of kicking too which will keep Clermont in Ulsters half. They'll score tries tomorrow. How will Ulster outscore them? Having said all this, I have never seen Clermont play or ever seen a rugby ball so what do I know?

Do me a favour Chunky, and post like this more often I agree with a lot of what you say here. Especially regarding Malzieu.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

geoff999rugby wrote:

The Ulster salary budget is no more tham Ospreys or the leading English sides.

You must be a very high level accountant to have that knowledge. I'd love to see the official accounts (which haven't been published for this year yet)

I'd appreciate them via PM if you can. Thanks

Not necessary.

At a meeting with supporters last year the Ulster CEO Shane Logan stated that the Ulster salary bill was comparable to Munster, Leinster, Ospreys and the leading English sides.

The thing that many forget about Ulster is they have a smaller squad than most other teams and target quality over quantity. There are players who have got a decent amount of game time this year who are not on full professional contract, most notably, Gilroy.

Also some of the figures banded about for our overseas players are far higher than reality.
From everything I have heard Botha is on more than any of the Ulster NIE.

Chunky Norwich wrote:

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:Remember it wasn't John Afoa who gave Castro a torrid time last week but Tom Court. It wasn't Johann Muller alone who disrupted ruck and lineout but Dan Tuohy did more than his fair share. If Ferris is class then surely Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry who have been everywhere for Ulster this season have been more than impressive. I do not fear the Clermont pack...
SUFTUM!

I saw those players get reamed by a poor Scarlets pack early in the season. Away from the comfort of Ravehill Ulster perform very differently.

That was then this is now. We had a wake up call at home to Treviso and since then have only lost away to Leicester and our youngster lost in Dublin. The improvement has been considerable.

Dan Tuohy and Chris Henry in particular are playing at a completely different level to then.
Add in Afoa, Best, Muller and Ferris and you are talking of a pack to be feared.

I fully accepted that Clermont have an excellent pack as well - it will be some contest.

i'm sure it's been covered enough times, but I havnt been on here too much this week to keep up to speed. Could someone simply tell me which other fictures Ulster would like to go a certain way this weekend? I understand we'd like Connacht to pull something out of the bag tonight yea?

geoff999rugby wrote:Dan Tuohy and Chris Henry in particular are playing at a completely different level to then.
Add in Afoa, Best, Muller and Ferris and you are talking of a pack to be feared.

I fully accepted that Clermont have an excellent pack as well - it will be some contest.

Seen Brian McLoughlin on having a go at Kidney for not selecting Henry and Tuohy and hes right theyve shown themselves to be capable of going up against top players he laid down the challenge for them too saying theres still a chance for them to get in if they play well this weekend

clivemcl wrote:i'm sure it's been covered enough times, but I havnt been on here too much this week to keep up to speed. Could someone simply tell me which other fictures Ulster would like to go a certain way this weekend? I understand we'd like Connacht to pull something out of the bag tonight yea?

You're right, Connacht beating Harlequins would help. Other scenarios that would help Ulster would be:

Gloucester beating Toulouse (and denying Toulouse a bonus point).

Cardiff Blues losing to Racing Metro and only getting one bonus point.

Edinburgh losing to LI and only getting one bonus point.


I think if two of the four scenarios go Ulster's way then they are through to the quarters. I think, maybe someone could clarify/confirm

I edited the above there to make it easier to read!

Clive,

We are cheering for Connacht and Glos tonight.

Group 6 is one of the 3 groups from which the runner up can qualify. Toulouse are in poll position at the moment but if Connacht could keep Quins (currently on 16 points) at bay we would be guarenteed a quarter as a runner up.

If we don't win tomorrow then our interest moves to Sunday's Pool 2 games. There Edinburgh and Cardiff are tied on 17 points each at the top of the table and both have home games against LI and Racing. If either of those leaders were to lose then we would be through.

So, cheer for Connacht and Glos tonight, Ulster on saturday and if necessary LI and Racing on Sunday!

I am confused, Mrs P is right

Beacuse Cardiff and Edinbugh are in the same group, either scenario going Ulster's way tonight would see them through to the quarters.

So either:

Connacht beating Harlequins (regardless of bonus points).

OR (if the above doesn't happen)

Gloucester beating Toulouse while denying Toulouse a bonus point.

But if Toulouse got a losing bonus point they'd be on the same points as Ulster so would go down to tries scored or whatever it is.

If Toulouse lost while getting 2 bonus points then they'd be ahead of Ulster on points.
However in that case they'd (Toulouse) be on the same points as Harlequins (assuming Harlequins beat Connacht without a bonus) in which case you'd need to work out who the runner up between those 2 is in order to see which one Ulster would be competing with for the runner's up spot. (and that's assuming Ulster got an LBP tomorrow, is anyone following this?)

In fact Clive don't even read the above you're head will start to hurt like mine! The more I talk about this the more confused I get, just ignore my ramblings and listen to good oul Mrs P

We don't need to worry about Glos.

They are currently on 10 points and so can't qualify never mind overtake us.

Just cheer for them and Connacht.

If Connacht beat Quins we will be at least one of the best runners up.

Honeymonster,

Away and have a wee lie down.

You're never going to make it to the kick off tomorrow let alone the final whistle at this rate!

Sorry you're right, When I put Gloucester in brackets after 'they'd' I meant to say Toulouse instead, will edit it now! Cheers

Lol

There all better now, hopefully nobody else noticed

You won't tell them right?

Wouldn't worry about the other games, can't see Clermont beating Ulster to be honest.

Mum's the word.

Now, just go and have a wee rest for a bit.

And a warm milky drink.

I'm about to start the wine! All downhill from here!

And Rodders you're last sentence made me burst out laughing there, I nearly lost my monocle! Don't get me wrong I have every faith, but perhaps not as much as you! I can see many things happening in that game, just hope it goes the right way

Unless....oh no! Have I just lost my WUM virginity?

.........

And in Honeymonster's (very complicated scenario) Toulouse would win Pool 6 and Quins would be runner up on account of the head to head.

Ulster would then need to get at least a point from their game (in which case we would be ahead of Quins on tries) or wait for the results of Pool 2 on Sunday and hope that one of Edinburgh or Cardiff lost!

Yes that's the problem, so many scenarioes are running through my head, and each time I think of one it leads me onto another one!

Probably best to just keep an eye on the games that matter and see how things pan out

One step at a time folks, lets see if Connacht can turn Quins over tonight. Its blowing a gale up here so hopefully the weather isn't great in Galway. Hopefully Connacht can get their 1st win.

Deep breaths HoneyM.

In through your nose....2...3...4.

And....out through your mouth...2...3...4.

Now, doesn't that feel better?



It's Cammomille. I couldn't risk him getting any caffeine!

Yes, yes it does, thank you MrsP. But not sure if it's the breathing or the wine now!

Agreed Rodders let's see how Connacht and Gloucester get on in their games!

If (as seems likely) both ASM and the Tigers* win (*with a TBP), will the Tigers qualify for the Amlin?

I hope not.

No Portnoy, as they will be in 3rd in the pool. The only way the Tiggers can finish 2nd and make the Amlin is if Ulster beat ASM.

Go Ulster then!

Hi Portnoy,

Do you think it would be good or bad for the Tigers to land in the Amlin?

With all the talk about too many games already etc I wondered if you would rather just have to concentrate on the Jeff?

I'd rather the Tigers concentrated on winning the League, Mrs P.

And that, as you know, to me means topping it before the play-offs.

I would have guessed as much.

Did you see the link I posted on that other thread the other day to the write up on the UR site about the feed back they got from the Tigers' fans?

Yes I saw that MrsP. Very flattering.

There are in my experience very few poor 'fans' in rugby though.

Aye I'm as partisan in the 80 minutes as they come but with the Heineken Cup games I always do go out of the way to congratulate/commiserate the visiting supporters if they are standing nearby.

I think they've shown a lot of commitment by making the trip and its just good form to have a friendly word and a laugh at the end regardless of the result.

Whose for the Europa tomo? Can't decide what it will be like. Will people feel too awkward to sing? I'll not be resting my throat thats for sure!

Well done Ulster - you qualified.

Connaght 9 Quins 8 in filthy conditions. Have to say that I thought Connaght were v. v. lucky not to be YCed for constant scrum infringements.

Thank you Portnoy!! Awesome! If we can play with half as much spirit and courage as Connacht then I'll be very happy!!

All Ulster have to do now to pay Connacht back is to win the Cup outright so Connacht qualify again next year

Rocky wrote:All Ulster have to do now to pay Connacht back is to win the Cup outright so Connacht qualify again next year

+1

I think the whole of europe (outside Ireland) where cheering for Quins at the end there. Toulouse so very lucky to win the group. Connacht and Gloucester many thanks and congratulations.

The Weshts Awake!

Kind of wish i was in Galway tonight.

Standulstermen wrote:I think the whole of europe (outside Ireland) where cheering for Quins at the end there. Toulouse so very lucky to win the group. Connacht and Gloucester many thanks and congratulations.

The Weshts Awake!

Kind of wish i was in Galway tonight.

Said that to Hughie earlier on the text.

If we can play with half as much as Connacht the Clermont are in for a tough day tomorrow. Feckin amazing effort!

Party at the taphouse tomorrow stand?!

Go out a give it a lash lads - literally nothing to lose.

We were in the proverbial group of death and have qualified.

Only Leinster, Ulster and Toulouse have qualified for both of the last two years of QF's - that is the company we are keeping