Good times but disappointing result in Biarritz. Time to turn the tables!
Ulster Rugby have released the following:
Ulster Coach Brian McLaughlin has named a 29 man squad ahead of the selection of his starting XV and replacements to face Biarritz later this week.
Ulster, aiming to reach the quarter-final stage of the Heineken Cup competition for the first time in eleven years, take on the French side this Saturday afternoon at Ravenhill (15th January) with a 3.30pm kick off in Round 5 of competition.
The Ulster starting XV and replacements will be named on Friday before 12 noon.
FORWARDS: Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick, Jerry Cronin, Bryan Young, BJ Botha, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Tim Barker, Neil McComb, Dan Tuohy, Johann Muller, TJ Anderson, Chris Henry, Willie Faloon, Pedrie Wannenburg, Stephen Ferris
BACKS: Adam D’Arcy, David McIlwaine, Jamie Smith, Mark McCrea, Andrew Trimble, Simon Danielli, Paddy Wallace, Nevin Spence, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys, Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar
Tickets for the match are still available although come Saturday, Ulster Rugby are expecting a capacity crowd, and as such advise supporters coming to the game (gates open 2pm) to avoid parking in the immediate vicinity of the Ravenhill Grounds where restrictions may be in place, and instead make use of the Park ‘n’ Ride facilities at Pirrie Park and along Montgomery Road.
For supporters interested in using public transport from the city centre, there is also a Translink Metro service running from Chichester Street to Forestside along the Cregagh Road, which stops at Onslow Parade and from there it is just a short walk to the ground. Journey time is approx 10-12 minutes, for more details visit www.translink.co.uk
Ferris – check, Faloon – check, Humphreys – check, Trimble – check, Pienaar – check would be the names I would look for for a game of such importance but as I started doing up that list I realised that there were a few others so let’s add Wallace – check, Muller – check, Diack – not check! Basically those eight names would make me fairly happy about any team we put out if they were all in it. My current “irreplaceables” as it where!
Surprisingly – even to myself – there is no Botha in my check list, which is testament to our other props, and no Best, which is testament to Brady and Kyriacou. Up to a few weeks ago I would also have had Cave in there but young Spence has come along and eased our reliance on (still) young Darren and it’s going to be interesting indeed when both are fit.
So Robbie Diack is the only irreplaceable missing in action and I suspect that’s to do with the type of game Ulster are (wrongly) opting to play and I suspect that come game time young Faloon will be missing as well as Ulster try and blast their way to the quarter finals with a big, brutal back row.
All fine and dandy while we’ve got the prime beef of Wannenburg and Ferris to punch it up the middle but in the long term Ulster really need to develop a quick, smart and devious back row and an all round quicker game to suit as we just don’t have the likes of Ferris coming through on a regular basis and really the ball playing Diack and the street smart Faloon, albeit coupled with the fearsome Ferris for a few more years yet, offer Ulster a spectacular opportunity to develop this type of game, a type of game that we could realistically slot home grown players into in the years to come.
Any way I digress – I think the pride and the passion and, for a few players out there, this career defining opportunity to control their own destiny in the European Cup should see Ulster through on Saturday irrespective of who the final 23 are but here’s who I think the likely starters will be:
The FRU XXIII: (1-15) Court, Best, Botha, Muller, Barker, Ferris, Henry, Wannenburg, Pienaar, Humphreys, McCrea, Wallace, Spence, Trimble, D’Arcy. (16 – 23) Brady, Young, Fitzpatrick, Tuohy, Faloon, P Marshall, Whitten, McIlwaine.
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4 Responses to “Magners League: Squad for Biarritz.”
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Would suggest Diack hasn’t recovered from injury received in the Munster game!
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What about Simon?
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Haven’t been over impressed with Mr Danielli over the last few matches. He doesn’t seem to have gone flat out in recent games so I reckon he’s carrying a knock.
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My fear with regard to this game is that regardless of the first half at Biarritz the second half of that match revealed that Biarritz had found the key to open the Ulster defence .
With rewgard to the FRU selection I have seen nothing as yet from McIlwaine which would convince me he is ready for a game at this level even though the powers that be believe he provides cover at fullback and wing.
Unless he is injured I would not expect Danielli to be dropped for McCrea but I can understand why the FRU might prefer McCreat
Backs
D’Arcy Danielli Wallace Spence Trimble Humphreys Peinaar
Subs Marshall Whitten and Smith If either wing be injured then Whitten to centre and Spence to wing
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