Zebre vs Ulster

Another very important to win Pro12 game and a good lead-in too the crucial Heineken Cup games with Treviso;

Ulster Rugby released an injury update

Ulster Rugby wrote:RORY BEST
It has been confirmed that Rory Best fractured his forearm playing for Ireland in the narrow defeat to New Zealand yesterday. He will see a specialist in Belfast today.

IAIN HENDERSON

Iain Henderson suffered a hamstring injury in Ulster's victory over Edinburgh on Friday. He will have an MRI scan this afternoon to determine the extent of the injury.

LEWIS STEVENSON

Lewis Stevenson sustained medial ligament damage in his right knee against Edinburgh. He will be out for up to six weeks.

MICHAEL ALLEN

Michael Allen suffered concussion in the Edinburgh game. He will follow the normal return-to-play protocols.

IAN PORTER

Ian Porter irritated his AC joint ahead of the Edinburgh game and is expected to be unavailable for two weeks.

NICK WILLIAMS

Nick Williams suffered a calf injury ahead of the match against Edinburgh. He will be out for between four and six weeks

OTHERS

Darren Cave and Luke Marshall had cramp in the Edinburgh game but are expected to be available for selection this weekend. Johann Muller and Jared Payne have been progressing well through their rehab. A decision on their involvement will be taken later in the week.

Obviously Stephen Ferris and Stuart Olding are also completely out of the question, the latter for the season. Chris Henry also doubtful for the Heineken Cup games.

This weekend I wouldn't risk Muller or Payne- especially Muller. We simply can't afford not to have him available against Treviso if possible and Payne is obviously a key player as well. I think there's a time when the cotton wool treatment has to come out.

Hopeful/possible Ulster side;

1. Callum Black
2. Rob Herring
3. John Afoa
4. Neil McComb
5. Dan Tuohy
6. Robbie Diack (c)
7. Sean Doyle
8. Roger Wilson
9. Paul Marshall
10. Paddy Jackson
11. Craig Gilroy
12. Luke Marshall
13. Darren Cave
14. Andrew Trimble
15. Ricky Andrew

16. Niall Annett 17. Tom Court 18. Declan Fitzpatrick 19. Alan O'Connor 20. Mike McComish 21. Ruan Pienaar 22. James McKinney 23. Tommy Bowe

Then, next week, hopefully Pienaar, Payne, Muller and maybe Bowe and Court will come back into the side. It's not bad but I'll be hoping beyond hope we don't pick up any more injuries in the pack. Just can't handle them right now...

"
MICHAEL ALLEN

Michael Allen suffered concussion in the Edinburgh game. He will follow the normal return-to-play protocols."

Explains his uncharacteristic missed tackle.

He looked pretty shaky out there MrsP. He might have come off a bit earlier.

I missed the actual injury but when MA said he had taken a knock on the jaw I thought he probably was concussed.

Should have gone off sooner really. Missing that tackle was a better indicator than the pitchside tests.

Agreed we gave Edinburgh their first try because we failed to take Allen off earlier

He was clearly out of it

Zebre are no walk in the park this year.

We will have a near starting team backline bar Payne.

Will Bowe and Pienaar be started straight away after the internationals?

Also, is anyone else wondering who are two first choice wingers are right now? I know Schmidt reckons Bowe is the pick, but I'm not sure.

He also had a pretty poor three games. And even in the performance against the All Blacks, he didn't really shine as much as the rest of the team.

I hope he regains form, but its a nice position to be in. Gilroy is a class act and Trimble is quickly becoming the most underrated player in the professional rugby era.

I dont think Bowe will be allowed to play, Pienaer has not played that much so I think will start.

As for wingers Trimble was the best last year but hasn't hit those heights this.
Gilroy in the few games he has played has been the best of the bunch this year.
Bowe I thought did ok against NZ but not against Australia, but then who did.

If Gilroy stars this week then it is between Bowe and Trimble for the HC game in my book

Does anyone see Payne playing more at 13 and Gilroy at 15 under IRFU directions, Panye as long term BoD replacement and Gilroy to be back up full back, as Ireland have a lot of good wingers but recently we are getting short of fullbacks and Gilroy could be viewed as the one to move.

Will Gilroy play more and more games at Fullback for Ulster and this grow to be his best position?

Zebo played a few games for Ireland at fullback, yet I haven't seen the IRFU make him play there for Munster?

I'm surprised Payne isn't a cert to start. The statement last week said he would be ok for this weeks game. We just need our pack to give us the platform to let the backs go well. 

Plenty of guys with a point to prove. I would take 4 points out there truth be told.

In HC matches it will be Cave 13, Payne 15

I also think you will only see Payne at 13 in Pro12 games if all 3 top wingers are available.

I have no doubt Gilroys best position is as a winger,
There has been no pressure to play Gilroy at 15 from Dublin

I wonder if we'll be allowed to sign anyone on a three month contract for injury cover?

Henderson 6 weeks, Stevenson 6 weeks, Williams 4-6 weeks, Henry probably still a few weeks away...

We're getting very thin indeed.

Exactly what I have been thinking

A 3 month contract for a backrower would be very wise at the moment

I have been thinking the same myself and the time to do this is now. Mind you I am sure Mr Humphreys is on the ball....and the phone.

Newsletters guess at the team

Court, Herring, Afoa,Tuohy,Diack,McComish,Doyle,Wilson, P Marshall,Jackson,Trimble,L Marshall,Cave,Gilroy and Andrew

Black, Annett, Fitzpatrick,McComb,Joyce,Pienaar, McKinney/Allen?? and Payne

Muller would have played if it had been a HC game - just not risking him.
Same for Payne.
Confirms my view they have decided McComb can be discarded at the end of his contract - he aint good enough.
If he cant make the team with all these injuries he never will

We might as well keep him seeing as we don't have enough locks already.

We will be keeping him till his contract is up - not sure if that is 2014 or 2015

On the subject of injuries - has Paddy Wallace any chance of playing again?

Yep - scheduled to play in a Ravens game on the 7th Dec as is Paddy McAllister

It'll be great to see both Paddies back in an Ulster kit and taking to the field. Seeing Paddy Wallace playing for Ulster seems a far gone memory never mind young McAllister. Here's hoping they come back as good as they went away

Didn't Paddy Wallace play more regularly than Paddy McAllister?  

It's been aaaages for Paddy McAllister. Remember he was the heir apparent to the Irish loosehead shirt after Healy/Court when they were no other decent looseheads in the frame. Since he's been injured we've seen Dave Kilcoyne, Jack McGrath and now James Cronin come through at other provinces.

If he is able to fulfill his potential we may not need a high-profile replacement for Court. But he's been gone a while. I hope he gets decent gametime in the second half of the season.

I don't think the LH will be high profile.

As I mentioned a few weeks back 5 to come in:

Expect the high profiles to be TH, Lock, Backrow
The good squad players will be LH, 10

Is there definitely a 10 coming in or is it a case of wait and see on how McKinney does?

Seems a bit of a waste if theres Jackson and McKinnney and Piennar, Olding and Wallace capable of playing there.

Good question.

I think the view is we want 3 10's and we don't want Pienaer, Wallace or Olding playing there except in emergencies
As I mentioned before we are talking a back up 10 not a high profile signing would have to be IQ.

Of course the stronger McKinney is this year lessens the need considerably

Is the team announced today or tomorrow?

Typically noonish the day before so tomorrow

"As I mentioned before we are talking a back up 10 not a high profile signing would have to be IQ."

Niall O'Connor?

I'll get my coat

 

We are fortunate that we've got 3 games against Italian opposition whilst we have all these injuries.  If it was a double header against Tigers or Montpellier instead of Treviso we really would be fooked.

4 games dodger

Team up

(15-9): R Andrew, A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy, P Jackson, P Marshall; (1-8): T Court, R Herring, J Afoa, N McComb, D Tuohy, R Diack (Captain), M McComish, R Wilson; Replacements (16-23): N Annett, C Black, D Fitzpatrick, C Joyce, S Doyle, M Heaney, J McKinney, M Allen.

Interesting McComb and McCormish start Doyle doesn't
Allen declared fit.
No Pienaer, Bowe, Payne, Muller - all will play next week

We are so poorly off at 2nd row at the minute it's horrible. Other than that it's a good team. Hopefully Diack and wilson both have stormed again

I take it Diack is the second row cover?

Tuohy should be wrapped in bubblewrap for the game and not be allowed to tackle or carry or else we're  

Zebre

15 Ruggero TREVISAN*
14 Leonardo SARTO*
13 Kameli RATUVOU
12 Gonzalo GARCIA
11 Giovanbattista VENDITTI*
10 Tommaso IANNONE*
9 Brendon LEONARD
8 Samuela VUNISA
7 Nicola CATTINA
6 Mauro BERGAMASCO
5 Marco BORTOLAMI (cap)
4 Quintin GELDENHUYS
3 David RYAN
2 Tommaso D’APICE*
1 Matias AGUERO

A disposizione :

16 Andrea MANICI*
17 Salvatore PERUGINI
18 Luciano LEIBSON
19 Emiliano CAFFINI*
20 Filippo CRISTIANO
21 Alberto CHILLON*
22 Luciano ORQUERA
23 Roberto QUARTAROLI*

The asterisks are something to do with a national academy run by the FIR.

I say if we get a 20 point lead we take Tuohy off no matter what time in the game it is!

clivemcl wrote:I say if we get a 20 point lead we take Tuohy off no matter what time in the game it is!

clive I think we might struggle to get 20 points never mind get a 20 point lead, Zebre aren't the easy 5 pointer anymore and with big players missing and integrating others back in it'll be hard work

It depends on how we play, not zebre. If we perform to our ability we can Bonus Point this team. It's a big if though. We are not integrating many back In. Only Jackson. Aside from that it's a Very similar team to the previous week. We should be going all out early to not give them a sniff

Its not that I'm complacent, I'm just being ambitious and rightfully so.

The team we are fielding should put Zebre away with little fuss assuming they play well like last week. I see no reason why the attitude of last week can't be replicated, and with the addition of Court, Tuohy, Jackson, and Fitzpatrick as a bench option.

We have the backs to cause some serious damage but a lot of question marks over the back five of the pack- hopefully we can dominate the scrums though.

With Ospreys and Glasgow playing tonight, we're guaranteed to move back into the top 4 with any kind of win at all, so we really can't afford any screw-ups.

clivemcl wrote:Its not that I'm complacent, I'm just being ambitious and rightfully so.

The team we are fielding should put Zebre away with little fuss assuming they play well like last week. I see no reason why the attitude of last week can't be replicated, and with the addition of Court, Tuohy, Jackson, and Fitzpatrick as a bench option.

Im just thinking how we've been against the Italians at times, the scrum should hopefully do well even with McComb in the second row and maybe he'll have a fire lit under him if he knows hes playing for his future

Was actually impressed with Fitzpatrick last week when he came on, he seemed a more confident ball carrier in the past and seemed a bit quicker too hopefully he can stay fit and build on it

How long are Muller, Stevenson and Hendy out for anyway?

Muller and Payne should be back next week. Henderson and Stevenson I think we are lookin at the munster game

Big opportunity for us to break into top 4 tomorrow night, after Glasgow beat the Ospreys tonight.

Just looked where to find the game this afternoon. Is it odd that RTE are picking it up? I didn't think they usually aired our games. I'm glad its on and on a channel I can record - being dragged out christmas shopping!

Standulstermen wrote:Muller and Payne should be back next week. Henderson and Stevenson I think we are lookin at the munster game

I reckon that is the strength of it

Decent game. Zebre determined to keep the ball in hand in every area of the pitch. They probably should have had a yellow card for slowing it down when it was a certain try if we could get it out.

Second best in possession and territory but we've butchered 2 tries and scored another.

Good win. Zebre were up for that in a big way. They kept a hold of the ball and when we had it the ref, who was very poor indeed, let them away with murder.

All in all, a very difficult game. Happy to just get the win and move on- back inside the Top 4.

Notch wrote:Good win. Zebre were up for that in a big way. They kept a hold of the ball and when we had it the ref, who was very poor indeed, let them away with murder.

All in all, a very difficult game. Happy to just get the win and move on- back inside the Top 4.

Interesting - the rte commentary team thought the referee was very good.

Personally I thought he wasn't good at officiating the breakdown.  He wouldn't let players compete at all.

I thought he was a disaster- how many times did he let the Zebre players come around the ruck and disrupt us from offside positions? And the less said about his knowledge of the scrum the better...

Yeah I would have to agree with you, Notch.  I was a bit surprised when they mentioned the referee having a decent game.

Referee was very poor but I think at times Marshall handled the ball and then looked to see what was on. Take the 4 gladly and get out of dodge. Good from cave, Marshall (Luke), Gilroy and Trimble. Cave motm for me