PRO12: Edinburgh 20 Ulster 42

6 responses to “PRO12: Edinburgh 20 Ulster 42”

1. the mote

   January 9, 2012

   Wrong options taken by players at the wrong time or being badly executed has little if anything to do with tactics . The team John is as good as its weakest link– identify it identify its weaknesses and you have the reason for seven defeats or at least 60 % of the answer.

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   1. John

      January 10, 2012

      Any sort of team should always be better than the component parts – that’s the role of the coach, so I guess that’s your answer. 😆 🙄

      Reply
2. the mote

   January 7, 2012

   John

   I think you maybe a spectator who watches a parts of game and assumes that the game you are watching is the game a team is coached to play and the tactics of the game are defined by by that coaching.

   The fact is that Ravenhill is a ground where the approach to a game maybe defined by the weather on the night., The wind direction at Ravenhill is normally end to end and the winning of the toss defines the tactics.

   Playing against the wind in the first half is an exercise in slowing the game down and keeping possession . Playing with the wind the objective is to get the ball in opposition half apply pressure and put as many points on the board as possible before half time hoping to go in at least 10 -15 points ahead. by scoring trys or kicking penalties.

   Humphreys has two basic failings which limit Ulster’s ability to play sucessfully the game you identify . The first is a tendency to carry the ball to far crabbing across the pitch The second is the fact he is limited to what is basically a flat pass he rarely if ever would throw a pass angled at greater than 15-20 % and frequently totally flat Both result in a backline which has little time or space in which to make a break or beat an opponent.

   Some players can pass deep some can’t Sexton plays with a deep backline RoG plays with a flat backline but normally likes a pass to him in defence and in front when attacking.

   Secondly John the Ulster pack without Afoa and Ferris have yet to dominate any pack and make hard yards one of Ulsters basic failings has been an inability for the forwards to score trys when inside the opposition 22 and given that fact why would McGlock opt for the tactics you describe.defies logic..

   How many trys have Ulster given away trying to play open rugby in their own 22 at least 3 so far this season if ulster were playing to the tactics you describe this wouldn’t happen

   The game you are seeing is the result of those factors it is not the result of coaching.

   Coaches mould a group of players into a team and motivate the team the tactics /game plan is a fluid mix of ideas governed by the conditions the ability of individual players and the quality of the opposition.

   The Munster game was not a free flowing game it was a game Munster lost due to the dominance of the Ulster pack rather than one which Ulster won by free flowing attacking backline .
   With regard to last nights match I stated I saw three ifs which could effect Ulsters ability to win.
   The forwards had to dominate the game Humphreys had to cease crabbing and give his midfield space in which to run and either he or Peinaar had to have their kicking boots.

   The first was achieved the second ceased to exist after 20 mins and the third was not necessary because Ulster scored 4 trys.

   How the game would have turned out had Humphreys stayed on the pitch is debatable because at the time he went off Ulster were trailing 10 points to 6 and your comment before Humphreys went off ” Ulster sound rattled ”

   let me say I too prefer to an open free running backline game of rugby similiar to that played by leinster but I beleive at the moment Ulster lack a consistent half- back partnership to make it a reality. The Marshall/ Peinaar appears to work ?? Peinaar/ Humphreys is more sucessful than the Marshall/Humphreys which resulted in a number of unsucessful games for Ulster both home and away.

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   1. John

      January 8, 2012

      Secondly John the Ulster pack without Afoa and Ferris have yet to dominate any pack and make hard yards one of Ulsters basic failings has been an inability for the forwards to score trys when inside the opposition 22 and given that fact why would McGlock opt for the tactics you describe.defies logic..

      People’s perspective on the same game and individual players is fascinating but why do you think they have lost seven games so far this season? Precisely because they have been playing the wrong tactics.

      I see you’ve jumped on your favourite hobby-horse of Humphreys again but the backs failings in games have been largely due to the forwards not fronting up with the backs being forced to try something off the back foot.

      Reply
3. John

   January 7, 2012

   Don’t have Sky mote but I don’t know what games you’ve been watching if you think it’s not Ulsters first choice style of play. McLaughlin doesn’t know how to coach anything else.

   I think you’re confusing the free flowing rugby served up in the easy games against Aironi and Munster reserves as Ulster’s chosen style as opposed to the trash served up in the previous half dozen games. I include the home game against Clermont in this assessment for if Brock James had not given the most appalling display I ever witnessed from an outhalf in that game we would be out of the H Cup by this stage.

   As for you comments on the IRFU I haven’t a clue what your talking about. All provinces will still have five NIE’s (4 plus a project) available. It’s just that they will have to be more careful in their selection.

   With regards to Connacht I’d guess they wouldn’t be that far behind Ulster with International and A International representation over the last few years?

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4. the mote

   January 7, 2012

   John

   I doubt very much if the game you describe is the one of first choice. Kick up the middle muscle recycle – repeat short yard rugby looking for the overlap. I suggest you stop watching Sky coverage . The Ulster first option has always been to play it wide sometimes in the most foolish of places –their own 22 . The reason the first option has failed to materialise is due to the existance of a half back partnership which doesn’t gel ( IH and PW ) the partnership of IH and RP has defects for different reasons but the same consequence when the ball goes wide the players who should have time and space e.g.

   Fullback, outside centre, and wing have no where to run and are frequentally out numbered by defenders..

   As for the home/import situation

   The problem of Irish Rugby is that most Provinces have a core of reasonable players most seasons upon whom they rely and they form the back bone of the team for several seasons. But each Province experiences a point when a key member retires or is injured and there is no immediate replacement of anything near the same quality note the word immediate . There is also the fact that rugby is a team game to an even greater extent than football because so many players have defined positions which require special skills and experience . Thus while a province can have 4 good props they are totally unsuitable to play in the backrow or on the wing,

   While the IRFU rightly wqants to ensure a strong International side with as much competition for places as possible it must also recognise that Provincial coaches must be allowed to strenghten their Provincial teams when they see the need since no player will achieve his potential playing in a team which loses week in week out.

   One only has to look at the Connaught team to recognise the fact — how many Internationals and A Internationals in the last 10 years have come from playing with Connaught .

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