Gilroy due a few more tries in Wales?
Ulster Coach Brian McLaughlin has named a 31 man squad, from which the starting XV and replacements for Ulster’s final League game of the regular season will be selected.
Ulster travel to Rodney Parade this Friday to face the Newport Gwent Dragons aiming to secure a play off spot.
For the first time, all six final round Magners League games will kick off at same time – the permutations for the Play-Offs are many and varied, with only Munster certain of a home semi-final on the weekend of 13/14th May.
Ireland internationals Stephen Ferris (knee), Paddy Wallace (thumb), and Andrew Trimble (thumb) remain unavailable for selection due to injury, as does BJ Botha (knee)
FORWARDS: Jerry Cronin, Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Dan Tuohy, Johann Muller, Neil McComb, Tim Barker, Pedrie Wannenburg, TJ Anderson, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack.
BACKS: Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Ian Humphreys, Paddy Jackson, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Darren Cave, Mark McCrea, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, Jamie Smith, Adam D’Arcy.
The Ulster starting XV and replacements will be named on Thursday before 12 noon
So the squad is pared down to a meagre 31 this week, however, despite the multitude of names, it would be looking fairly lightweight without Muller, Wannenburg and Pienaar given the number of injuries we’re carrying with our front line internationals.
I’m hoping the game on Friday night lives up to my expectations as I’m predicting a high scoring feast of rugby at Rodney Parade. The Dragons have been playing some highly entertaining rugby of late and I’d like to see Ulster have the confidence to go out and try to outscore them.
Man for man we have better quality players, so rather than be intimidated by the Men of Gwent we should fully embrace the opportunity to beat them at their own game and allow Humphreys, Pienaar et al to cut loose!
With that in mind I will revert to what I’d term my “high tempo team” with a few bruisers on the pine just in case!
The FRONT ROW UNION XXIII. (15-9) D’Arcy, Gilroy, Spence, Cave, Gaston, Humphreys, Pienaar. (1-8) McAllister, Kyriacou, Court, Barker, Tuohy, Henry, Faloon, Diack. (16-22) Best, Young, Fitzpatrick, Muller, Wannenburg, Marshall P, Jackson, Danielli.
A fast counter attacking back three with Gaston getting a start and picked to mark Brew, both like a physical game and both can get a bit stroppy so it would be an interesting encounter. Outside of Brew and Tuovy the Dragons backs dont offer a great deal else though they are dangerous in that they are playing with a degree of confidence at the mo.
I do however expect Cave and Spence to boss the midfield and with Gilroy having a free roll I’d expect him to be playing off Humphreys shoulder for much of the game.
Things are going to be tougher up front and its important that Ulster go with a balanced back row of Henry, Faloon and Diack which works well as all three can put a bit of pace on the ball. Dragons don’t commit too many to the break down but their individuals work particularly hard at the point of impact with Gavin Thomas and Toby Faletau being particularly impressive. Definately need an out and out seven against Thomas and I would love to see Diack up against Faletau in a head to head that I think Robbie would relish!
Line outs and scrums are going to be tough enough but I can’t see any team really dominating either so I’m bringing in the pacier option of Barker and Kyriacou in the front five.
As I said, really looking forward to this one and I hope Ulster give it a lash. We’ll have an idea what the tactics are likely to be when the team in announced around mid-day on Thursday.
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9 Responses to “Magners League: Ulster Squad for Dragons.”
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I won’t go with a high scoring game at least I would hope not I expect Ulster to be cautious rather than adventurious since to make the top four they need the losing bonus point
Thus I expect a tight game going for the 22 trying to keep the ball in their half and I expect the Dragons to play a similiar game against Ulster. thus for both teams the side with the best defence will win.
The Dragons are a side to be respect and with the crowd behind them could benefit from a few decisions or ref blindness maybe the odd pass which would be called forward at Ravenhill missed similiarly anything marginal by Ulster to be called.
Can’t see Muller or Wannenberg on the bench especially after a week off I can see Ulster trying to wear down their forwards hoping the Dragons might tire sooner because of their game last week and introducing pace after half time to capitalise on the tireness.
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No imagination Mote – they need a point Mote (well they will probably need nothing, but to be sure they need a point) not specifically a losing bonus point. I honestly think it would be easier to score four tries at Rodney Parade and get the point that way than to try and dog it out for a losing BP. The Dragons would be quite keen I’m sure to get involved in a high scoring encounter to give their fans a good send off and I don’t think it would really matter who won in the odd try in nine!
Ulster should go out prepared to get involved in a high tempo encounter and really we should be picking players for specific tactics rather than go for the same old faces week in week out. Unfortunately though, I suspect that the management will have similar ideas to yours and what could have been an immensely entertaining match will be turned into a biff, bash, bosh, bore fest!
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I won’t go with a high scoring game at least I would hope not I expect Ulster to be cautious rather than adventurious since to make the top four they need the losing bonus point
Thus I expect a tight game going for the 22 trying to keep the ball in their half and I expect the Dragons to play a similiar game against Ulster. thus for both teams the side with the best defence will win.
The Dragons are a side to be respect and with the crowd behind them could benefit from a few decisions or ref blindness maybe the odd pass which would be called forward at Ravenhill missed similiarly anything marginal by Ulster to be called.
Can’t see Muller or Wannenberg on the bench especially after a week off I can see Ulster trying to wear down their forwards hoping the Dragons might tire sooner because of their game last week and introducing pace after half time to capitalise on the tireness.
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@John
Though how many 4 try BPs Ulster managed this season? I do not recall to many. I think it may be difficult to suddenly change your game plan to achieve this.
I would just go for a win to be frank.
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@rekinek – Tisk, tisk, such negativity! Ulster have three try bonus points, two losing bonus points and 14 wins this season so going for the win would be the statistically correct thing to do.
However the Dragons in their last couple of home games (Ospreys & Blues) have proved very resilient and have been playing some exciting rugby, attacking from all over the pitch. They looked out of it against the Blues and came back and won comfortably, denying the Blues a bonus point in the last few minutes of the game.
Rather than Ulster go out with a game plan where they look to build up a lead and try to defend it I would rather they went out with the attitude that they can outscore the Dragons by playing exciting attacking rugby and look to bag the four tries early on. I certainly think the Dragons would be more amenable to that sort of game as they would be equally confident of outscoring us.
It could be a classic – but it wont!
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Apparently Mad Willie is injured, slipped a shoulder in training according to the BT (but can Crozier be trusted!?)
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@A_Fan – Yep heard that one myself after I’d put the team up. We’ll know today before 12:00 when the team is announced.
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@John -
Negativity (:shock:)
I am talking about Ulster winning
I hear you about Dragons new exciting style of play and it would definitely be nice for the spectators to have a running rugby and try-feast but the trick in rugby is to play one’s own game and not to succumb to the opposition’s style of play and I think this is what Ulster should do. Especially that they are still in the run for the title and not just trying to have a nice send-off.
I agree on the principle though that it would be nice to have 4 tries (but win would be even nicer
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@ rekinek – 4 tries and a win is even better.
I know what you’re saying but I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that if we go and try and play a conservative game it’s going to backfire on us. I also don’t think it’s a case of us succumbing the oppositions style of play more that we would be playing our natural game given that we often pick out side to negate our opponents strengths. We should be picking one saying, “This is what we have, what are you going to do about it?”.
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