Word to wise Connacht from an observer of today's 'proceedings' :

a) Rugby is a sport that involves playing in two halves every single match.

b) You don't win rugby matches by only turning up in the second of those halves.

c) The first half is equally as important as the second half.

d) Practice your re-starts during the week rather than in the middle of a match.

e) Giving a stronger & better funded opposition an insurmountable head start by half time isn't a typical winning strategy.

f) When you get an opportunity at the end of the game, you must take those opportunities.

g) Give the ball to Matt Healy.

h) Concentrate form the very first minute until the last minute.

i) Moral victories are not Morale victories.

j) Oh and, ahem, give the ball to Matt Healy FFS!!!


Can't help but feel like this NOW has the smell of 7th place all over it and 7th place is nowhere ................. :sick:

5 trys to 2 no complaints better side won. The missed conversions kept us in touch. Couple of the tries very very soft from our viewpoint, once Ulster get in behind you and you are scrambling you have no chance. To go in at half time at 0-17 was hard to take, first try was fairly straight forward as we made our customary poor start but we worked our way back into it and it was looking ok after 3 minutes but to then concede 2 more tries in quick succession at the end of the half was hard to stomach after the possession we had.

Got it back to 10-17 early in the 2nd half but after each score that got us back in the restart was disastrous. Giving field position to this Ulster side is asking for trouble.

Fought back well in the end and could have rescued a draw but in all honesty Ulster deserved it. Scarlets late win means we are definitely behind the 8 ball now for 6th place. If I was offered 2 more wins at this stage I'd bite your hand off.

Healy try! That's why he's my choice for player of the season.

Didn't learn from last week. Should have taken the 3 points this early in the half.

Doing real well until 30 mins mark.

Then 2 silly mistakes, cost us 2 tries.

17-0 down half time

Ronaldson out! Miah starts, Jack on bench

How many people have been injured in warm ups / match day this season?

phatguerilla wrote: Going to be in work for this, so annoyed. Anyone got any suggestions for where you can watch this back afterwards? (Preferably not tg4 as I'm outside Ireland)

It's on Sky so if you or someone you know has Sky Plus or Sky Go you should be able to get it there....

Going to be in work for this, so annoyed. Anyone got any suggestions for where you can watch this back afterwards? (Preferably not tg4 as I'm outside Ireland)

That might be the strongest XV Ulster have put out this season. Gilroy is on form at moment and can't be given any room.
I still think we can take them.

Ronaldson at 10, at last, will make us win!

Ulster team & replacements to play Connacht, Guinness PRO12, Sportsground, Saturday 11th April (14:40 kick off): (15-9): L Ludik; T Bowe, J Payne, D Cave, C Gilroy, P Jackson, R Pienaar; (1-8 ): C Black, R Best (C), W Herbst, D Tuohy, F Van der Merwe, I Henderson, C Henry, R Wilson; Replacements (16-23): R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, R Diack, C Ross, P Marshall, I Humphreys, S McCloskey.


Hate that fu**** good-looking team.. But no Williams and no Olding is a good breath for Connacht.. C'mon the Westies!!!!!!!!!

Team announced. No surprises.

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-team-to-fa...ster-3/#ConnachtNews



Connacht Rugby welcome provincial rivals Ulster to the Sportsground on Saturday (kick off 14:40) and head coach Pat Lam has made three personnel changes to the team named last week.

As Bundee Aki makes a welcome return in midfield, there is shift in the back line as Robbie Henshaw, Danie Poolman and Tiernan O’Halloran all move out one place.

Craig Ronaldson has been handed the reins at outhalf for his 11th start this season.

Up front, George Naoupu represents the only change to the pack and comes in at Number 8 to allow captain John Muldoon to revert to blindside flanker.

The Galway-born duo of Ronan Loughney and Eoin McKeon have both returned from injury to take a place on the bench while Ultan Dillane, John Cooney and Miah Nikora are also additions to the match day squad.

Commenting on the team selection and the upcoming game, Pat Lam said:

“We have no doubt that Saturday will be a massive challenge against a quality Ulster side who have been up near the top of the table for the whole season. With their 6 Nations stars back they’ll be coming here all guns blazing as they vie for a home semi-final.

“But we are back on our Sportsground for the first time in six weeks and we’re in a really exciting place in the league. We have put ourselves in a position where we still have so much to play for at this time of the season. A top six finish is still very much in our hands. These are the types of pressure games that you want this young group of players to be playing in and we know we need to put in a big team performance tomorrow.”

Connacht team to face Ulster
15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Danie Poolman
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Bundee Aki
11. Matt Healy
10. Craig Ronaldson
9. Kieran Marmion

1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Rodney Ah You
4. Quinn Roux
5. Aly Muldowney
6. John Muldoon (captain)
7. Eoghan Masterson
8. George Naoupu

Replacements:
16. Shane Delahunt
17. Ronan Loughney
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Ultan Dillane
20. Eoin McKeon
21. John Cooney
22. Miah Nikora
23. Darragh Leader

Unavailable/Injured: Jason Harris-Wright, Sean Henry, Nathan White, Michael Swift, Mata Fifita, Willie Faloon, Jake Heenan, Dave McSharry, Conor Finn, Fionn Carr, Mils Muliaina.

Really looking forward to this one. Seeing Nigel Owens in charge is a pleasant surprise so at least there shouldn't be any significant controversy on that front. Seeing Bundee's name as available will have to have given everyone a lift. Certainly it raised my spirits anyway.

Ronaldson 10 and Bundee and Robbie in the centres looks the only logical call for me. Anything else and I can't see us getting anything out of this game. Not sure why George wasn't in the original squad last weekend but he needs to start. Most of the rest of the team picks itself in some cases due to a lack of alternatives. McKeon coming back and Ronan Loughney being available strengthen the bench which is badly needed. Hopefully Matt Healy is available, hard to know on that front yet.

This will have to be a serious performance to give us a real chance. No performance I've seen over 80 minutes (or at least 60/70) since the Munster game will cut it being honest.

Saturday afternoon games can be a bit flat but its a huge game and hopefully the atmosphere can surpass anything so far this season, tickets are flying out the door. After all the dramas of the last few weeks I just want to see us go out and set the tone for the day from the off. We give these lads 3,7,10 points and we're finished.

Connacht v Ulster - Galway Sportsground Guinness Pro 12 Round 19
Saturday 11th April 2015 Kick Off: 14:40
On TV: Sky Sports

After exiting Europe away to Gloucester on Good Friday, Connacht's attention returns to the Pro 12 on Saturday. Connacht face an Ulster side who have won 5 of their last 6 league games and lie just 2 points behind league leaders Glasgow. Connacht's last victory over Ulster came in April 2012.

Other Match Stats
Ulster’s only defeat to Connacht in their last 17 meetings since 2005 was 21-26 at the Sportsground in April 2012.
Ulster have scored an average of 24 points and conceded an average of 16 points in their league games to date.
Ulster have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 8 of their away games in all competitions this season.

Ulster Stats
Founded: 1879
Ground: Ravenhill, Belfast
Capacity: 18,196
Captain: Rory Best
Coach: Neil Doak

Guinness Pro 12 League Position 2014/15: Position 2nd P:18 Points: 58
Rabo Direct Pro12 League Position 2013/14: Position: 4th P: 22 Points: 70 (Lost 13-9 to Leinster in S/F)

European Rugby Champions Cup 2014/15: 3rd in Pool 3 P:6 Points: 13
Heineken Cup 2013/14: Quarter Finalists: 1st in Pool 5 Points 26 (Lost Q/F to Saracens 17-15)

Previous Results
Ulster 36-17 Cardiff Blues (Pro 12 Round 18)
Dragons 26-22 Ulster (Pro 12 Round 17)
Ulster 25-20 Scarlets (Pro 12 Round 16)
Edinburgh 17-20 Ulster (Pro 12 Round 15)
Ulster 43-3 Treviso (Pro 12 Round 14)

Next League Fixture:
Friday 24th April 2015 19.35 Ulster v Leinster @ Kingspan Stadium (Guinness Pro 12 Round 20)

European Champions Cup (Pool 3)
Toulon 22
Leicester 13
Ulster 12
Scarlets 8

Ulster Ins and Outs 2014/15
Players In
Ian Humphreys from London Irish
Ruaidhrí Murphy from Brumbies
Wiehahn Herbst from Sharks
Dave Ryan from Zebre
Franco van der Merwe from Lions
Louis Ludik from Agen
Charlie Butterworth from Lansdowne
Sean Reidy from Counties Manukau
Devin Montgomery from Wits

Players Out
Tom Court to London Irish
John Afoa to Gloucester
Johann Muller retiring
Niall Annett to Worcester Warriors
Chris Farrell to Grenoble
Adam Macklin to Rotherham Titans
James McKinney to Rotherham Titans
Paddy McAllister to Aurillac
Ian Porter to Connacht
Paddy Wallace retiring
Chris Cochrane retiring
David McIlwaine to Yorkshire Carnegie
Sean Doyle to Brumbies
Stephen Ferris retiring

Previous Meetings

Friday 26th December 2014 Guinness Pro 12 Ulster 13-10 Connacht
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/16340.php#v1akv3ZiIoPJgsFL.97

Friday 11th April 2014 Rabo Direct Pro 12 Ulster 58-12 Connacht
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/14716.php

Saturday 21st September 2013 Rabo Direct Pro 12 Connacht 7-18 Ulster
www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/12893.php

rossie wrote: Most ulster fans are likely to be relieved that he can't play for rest of season.

Almost as relieved as they are that he's (allegedly) off to Quins.

I think that was a different player to the one playing this season though. Most ulster fans are likely to be relieved that he can't play for rest of season.

Early for this but Nick Williams will miss the game anyway which is no harm from our viewpoint. He has done damage against us in this fixture in the past.

www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/pro12/2015/0401/6...hit-with-8-week-ban/