try bonus for ulster after 63 mins, now 34-5

alot of injuries.
1) williams was ment to start but pulled out.
2) henderson off after 18mins
3) allen off after 22
4) stevenson after 49
5) marshall after 62

now another try, mccomish broke and nice of load to McKinney to touch down. the outhalf then converts his own try, 7 from 7.

now 41-5!

anyone who watched leinster A over the years, might remember the small blonde scrum half, now on for ulster. dave Shanahan.

now bbc saying Cave is gone? no subs left.

edinburgh try, 41-10. cave back on.

jesus how long has it taken me to write this so much happening

ANOTHER TRY edinburgh, 41-17
ill post marshall try when i get clip, pass and volley and try.

rossie wrote: IMO Marshall is a good impact player to be sprung from bench when you want to change tempo in final qtr. No more no less.

Couldn't agree more. He's taken til his mid/late 20s to get established as back up scrum half at Ulster, and most of last year's heroics were in the last 15 minutes against knackered opposition.

I only saw him start twice last year - against Castres in the HEC, when he was (big stripey) pants, and for the Wolfhounds against the Saxons, when he looked physically outmatched, to put it mildly.

He's probably the 5th best scrumhalf Ireland have available (1-4 being Murray, Marmion, Boss, Reddan IMHO) and I wouldn't be surprised if Sheridan overtook him this year.

Has he even played 80 min of rugby?

IMO Marshall is a good impact player to be sprung from bench when you want to change tempo in final qtr. No more no less. Redd in fulfils that role for Ireland and to date does it better

This year? As in the 2013-2014 season that we are 2 games into?

rossie wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: From what I understand Wilkinson is retiring at the end of the season but even so you would think they are more than stocked. If I were anscombe I'd probably play pienaar a lot less this year he's already away a lot, will be missing for the AIs, and I don't think marshall is the answer so might as well see what the kids behind him are made of. Having said that its very very difficult to leave a player with the talent of pienaar out of a match 23, but he's been a bit up and down since even before the rabo final imo and it might not be any harm to use him sparingly.

Is this the paul Marshall that people here and elsewhere were calling for to be included in the Irish squad ahead of Murray. If I remember rightly he was a victim of deccies pro Munster bias!

No it's the Paul Marshall who was excellent last year and deserved all the plaudits but is absolutely mince this year and it's ok to say it.

rossie wrote:

phatguerilla wrote: From what I understand Wilkinson is retiring at the end of the season but even so you would think they are more than stocked. If I were anscombe I'd probably play pienaar a lot less this year he's already away a lot, will be missing for the AIs, and I don't think marshall is the answer so might as well see what the kids behind him are made of. Having said that its very very difficult to leave a player with the talent of pienaar out of a match 23, but he's been a bit up and down since even before the rabo final imo and it might not be any harm to use him sparingly.

Is this the paul Marshall that people here and elsewhere were calling for to be included in the Irish squad ahead of Murray. If I remember rightly he was a victim of deccies pro Munster bias!

I think Marshall is a very good SH, but not instead of Murray. Instead of Reddan though, as they are similar players but Marshall seems sharper IMO.

phatguerilla wrote: From what I understand Wilkinson is retiring at the end of the season but even so you would think they are more than stocked. If I were anscombe I'd probably play pienaar a lot less this year he's already away a lot, will be missing for the AIs, and I don't think marshall is the answer so might as well see what the kids behind him are made of. Having said that its very very difficult to leave a player with the talent of pienaar out of a match 23, but he's been a bit up and down since even before the rabo final imo and it might not be any harm to use him sparingly.

Is this the paul Marshall that people here and elsewhere were calling for to be included in the Irish squad ahead of Murray. If I remember rightly he was a victim of deccies pro Munster bias!

When they go after Marmion we won't be laughing

I'm just waiting for some Ulster fans to get upset about Toulon having a sugar daddy and a shit ton of expensive South Africans...

From what I understand Wilkinson is retiring at the end of the season but even so you would think they are more than stocked. If I were anscombe I'd probably play pienaar a lot less this year he's already away a lot, will be missing for the AIs, and I don't think marshall is the answer so might as well see what the kids behind him are made of. Having said that its very very difficult to leave a player with the talent of pienaar out of a match 23, but he's been a bit up and down since even before the rabo final imo and it might not be any harm to use him sparingly.

They really have an embarrassment of riches at half back - Wilkinson, Giteau (playing out of his skin atm), Michalak, Tillous-Borde, Claasens. Don't see why they need Pienaar as well, he'd be a huge loss to Ulster.

l'equipe say the deal is done, he will move at the end of the season. Now will this shake ulster on their way down here or galvanize them? :S

Toulon are reported to be after than pienaar. That will be him off then.

Ulster have just lost 15-8 away to dragons.

Blindside flanker, Stephen Ferris, has signed a six-month contract extension with Ulster and Ireland that will see him remain at Ravenhill until at least the end of 2013.

doesnt the japan league and super xv pre seasons start early in the new year? mmmm!

Well that is the purpose of having him on the staff isn't it?

Very even match so far, if ulster lose by less than five it will be Diack's fault imo, turned back into sexton when he should have dived for the line, really cost Ulster at that point.


edit; george just said to move pienaar to 10 what a man.