Will "Our Willie" prove to be the Principal Boy as the Inter-Provincial pantomime season continues?
Ahead of tomorrow’s sold out clash against Munster at Ravenhill, Ulster Coach Brian McLaughlin, as expected, has named an entirely changed starting XV from that which was defeated by Leinster at the RDS on Boxing Day.
With two PRO12 derbies within the space of four days, McLaughlin has coached two separate teams for the games and the line-up for this Friday’s match has a much more familiar look to it although Ulster are without a number of players due to injury and a bout of tummy bug in the squad, while the Ireland internationals are also unavailable due to a training camp.
It’s a huge game for it’s at Ravenhill and it’s against Munster. When the fixture list came out we were not very happy with the fact that we had a four day turnaround but we just have to manage the scheduling as best we can.
We want to put our best team out on the pitch as often as we possibly can, but Irish Management Programme looks after the Internationals and we have to look after the rest of the players as well so we took the decision, and it was not taken lightly, to run two separate squads for two games.
Injury to Nevin Spence (ankle), sustained during Ulster’s trip to Aironi sees Ian Whitten recalled to the starting XV for the first time since Ulster faced Treviso at Ravenhill on 7th October, and he will partner Darren Cave in the centre while Stefan Terblanche will make his first starting appearance for Ulster since arriving at the beginning of December. Elsewhere Willie Faloon makes a return to the back row alongside Pedrie Wannenburg and Chris Henry while Callum Black, Ali Birch, Chris Farrell and Peter Nelson, who all made their Ulster debuts against Leinster, are named amongst the replacements.
Ulster Captain Johann Muller is looking forward to the match
It’s a big game and I don’t have to say a lot to lift the guys for it, we all know that the games between Irish provinces are the big games for the team.
This week training has been outstanding, a lot of energy, there’s nothing like a week off to refresh the body and mind and get everyone really keen to play rugby again.
We know what’s coming, we know Munster are an outstanding team but we’re at Ravenhill, we have a great record there and we want to keep it that way.
Munster’s strength is their consistency – it doesn’t matter what tournament they play in, they’re always there or thereabouts. They are a team that never says die, that’s the Munster that I’ve got to know over the last 18 months or so, they are always there and if they don’t win they’ll always get a losing bonus point. Consistency is a key for them, and as a squad it’s something we can learn from.
Ulster: (15-9) Adam D’Arcy, Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Stefan Terblanche, Ian Humphreys, Ruan Pienaar (1-8) Paddy McAllister, Andi Kyriacou, John Afoa, Johann Muller (C), Dan Tuohy, Pedrie Wannenburg, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry. (16-23) Nigel Brady, Callum Black, Adam Macklin, Louis Stevenson, Ali Birch, Paul Marshall, Chris Farrell, Peter Nelson
Munster: (15-9) D Hurley, L O’Dea, T Gleeson, L Mafi, J Murphy, I Keatley, D Williams. (1-8) W du Preez, D Varley, S Archer, I Nagle, M O’Driscoll (C), Dave O’Callaghan, T O’Donnell, J Coughlan. (16-23) D Fogarty, M Horan, J Ryan, B Holland, P Butler, T O’Leary, S Deasy, W Chambers.
The pantomime season continues with Munster taking their turn to field a rubbish side. Everything is relevant though and with Ulster’s elite deemed unable to play two games in five days, according to the management, this one could well end up a win for the visitors if they show any form of resistance so brutal has been Ulster’s season to date. Oh no it hasn’t! Oh yes it has!
Well, it’s behind us now, and McLaughlin has put all his magic beans in one basket, anything less than a bonus point win for Ulster could see the sturdy beanstalk of World Domination come crashing down around us for another year. Maybe with a bit of luck it could take out the Old Stand and save a bit on planning permission!
In all seriousness, if Ulster are to get anything out of these devalued inter-provincial fixtures they do need to produce something a bit more than a stuttering win. They need to win with a bit of class and flare showing dominance in all areas of the pitch, anything less would be a pantomime!
12 Responses to “PRO12: Teams up for Ulster v Munster”
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Looks like Diack will be looking for a new club next season as he continues to fall in the pecking order. For the gamblers out there the spread is 5 points. If Ulster can’t beat that lot by more than 5 it would be an embarrassment. Get down to the bookies now!
Your references to “World Domination” is beginning to give me a headache and you’re sounding like broken down, red top, tabloid hack. I don’t read tabloids so I’m outa here!
These devalued inter pros are giving me the s***s
How long do they think the paying public are going to be stupid enough to pay to watch these charades of matches, and would this fixture be sold out, if we knew the team line ups.
I am personally absolutely disgusted, and find it a disgrace that league fixtures, let alone inter pros, are being treated this way. As was previously pointed out, the South African contingernt have hardly been overworked this season so far, and taking a bench let alone team like that to Dublin was an embarrassment
IRFU you ripped us off at the new Aviva, and we voted with our feet. i for one won’t ever buy a ticket for a pro 12 match again without knowing the line ups. Its a charade and shows the professional era at its worst. As a junior club member, In this new era, i wouldnt dream of going to, let alone pay money to watch an AIL match, because the Rugby’s as good in Juniorville, and theres no provincial or international players on show in AIL. and now the IRFU are making Club Ulster the same……..meaningless fixtures and inter pros that mean ZERO
IRFU and club ULSTER……………
You are losing us !
I’m afraid you lost me at the AIL/Junior rugby thing. I for one would be in favour of supporting all Ulster Clubs in the AIL and some of the rugby I’ve viewed there has been great.
Sorry to hear that Garibaldi, it is outlandish and tedious but it was stated by Ulster’s CEO at the time of his appointment and as such is the basis by which his tenure should be measured by us supporters who he made the promises to.
Since then we have heard nothing as to how this would be achieved. OK World Domination is pretty ridiculous but there have been no stated aims as to how Ulster Rugby is to improve. We’ve made some good buys in the imported player market, brought through some youth, but also released more local players than ever before, increased ticket prices and presided over falling attendances. Ground development has stagnated and our Southern cousins have moved further ahead. It’s been a couple of steps forward and a couple of steps back and the steps forward have been rather costly in terms of players purchased.
I’m afraid in the absence of revised and realistic stated targets from the CEO or others we “hacks” have to make up our own!
On top of this we’re also playing a pretty sedate and uninspiring brand of rugby though if we go out and win the next four I’m sure all this will be forgotten!
Remember this is a site for supporters by supporters so if you don’t like what your reading why not contribute something yourself.
PS Rather flattered to be called a “hack” of any sort, but I can categorically state that we haven’t “hacked” any phones!
john
in the past i would have been happy to drive a car load 30 miles to ballymena, pay a few quid at the Gate, and watch an AIL match, because of the attraction of a few internationals playing on our doorstep up close and personnel.
That was good for Ballymena, as they got the Bar Takings as well as the gate fee, and lets face it, i think its a lot more than a myth, that their gates were much much bigger in those days as a result of the international players playing.
Now i could’nt get any one let alone a car load to go to an AIL match. How many AIL match’s get the 1000 +++ crowds that Coleraine v Ballymoney fixtures now regularly get ?
My point is that take the internationals out of a AIL game and crowds are most definitely down
Take internationals out of an Ulster game and crowds will be down, if the crowd has enough notice…………but now the Ulster management are taking Ulster front line players out of the Ulster team, and Munster are doing the same……..I dont think Friday night woud be a sell out, if the Rugby paying Public knew of the Munster team sheet beforehand. I for one wouldnt be going, but its too late……..tickets bought. Whatever………..win lose or draw……..its a sham battle.
Children, children ……………… why al the fuss now ? They have been picking shit teams for the inter pro’s for years now. I think its 6 years since ROG or POC have been up and I cant remember when BOD last appeared.
Happy New Year!
PS Garibaldi you can’t leave we know where you live!
Happy New Year to you.
Lack of support from the IRFU is the real reason for Ulster’s failings, The IRFU can’t support Leinster, Munster and Ulster to the same degree so the two sourthern giants will get most of the backing, Ulster need more strength in depth but very few if any players move North for whatever reason!! Latest example being the backrow where without Ferris we are average, ideal solution would be send Rhys Ruddock to Ravenhill, NO talk is he will be playing in Cork/Limerick next season with Ian Neagle moving to Dublin. We can’t get strength from other Provinces and with the new IRFU policy our 2 best players in Afoa and Pienaar will also have to go, againn how will this help Ulster.
Youare right Ragin Raven … i think that the lasttime BOD played at ravenhill was as a sub when he came on after a hamstring injury and was given about 30 – 35 mins. I think it was a 6-6 draw.
I have to agree with disgruntled re the inter-pros… why don’t the IRFU allow the full teams to play each other and the paying public to see the best in Irish rugby battling it out against each other. If they want to rest the players etc then there are plenty of other pro12 fixtures that this can happen in – certainly not in the inter-pros.
The other point that neeeds made is the crazy 4 day turn round for a fixture. The Leinster match could easily have been last Friday night and still attracted the same crowd. All this hype etc about player management and the IRFU allow 2 matches in 4 days !!! enough said.
We also have to endure (should I say, had to endure as I failed to notice UR adverttising tickets!!) the seasonal rip off for interpros with UR adding an extra 3 quid to a Terrace ticket despite the fact they know we will get to see weakened teams.
Whilst the blow-ins shell out to see these games or should I say go and stand and talk with their back to the match, there is little incentive for change from the IRFU/UR side.
Wish the team all the best tonight, sadly will be the first time I’ve missed a game through not being able to buy a Terrace ticket.