Just a little Sunday article for my fans.
Many of you are recovering from a big night on the duck sauce, others have just
listened to a Sermon at the local Eglise. Anyway enough of that - here is my
second blog.
What can I say my last blog was right on the
money and to be honest I know most of my fans out there wouldn’t be surprised,
as my rugby brain is second to none! The White Knights did get a victory on
Friday night 22-16 and yes the ‘Ginger Prince’ Jackson pulled strings like a puppet
as I predicted. Richard Cockerill and
Paul Burke or should I say JohnJo Shelvey left Belfast with only a single point
on Friday night. However I did happen to see Miles Benjamin in the Ollie’s VIP queue
on that night with his kicking coach so clearly he fancied an extended trip
before he headed back to the East-Midlands. There were no tears and rain for
Ben Youngs this time, however just before the interval good old Paul Marshall Mathers
danced round him producing a stunning break to create a great platform for
Ulster to generate quick ball. My favorite part of the night was seeing the
‘lads’ on the big screen, Mcllroy, Ferris and Afoa and of course my good mate
Adam Macklin was getting Sky game time which is great for an up and coming prop.
However I did hear someone from the stand shout ‘why is Jerry Cronin back with
Ulster?’ The Ulster faithful didn’t let me down on Friday and combining this
with the band, it’s the16th man, which makes all the difference. I
even managed to see a Ricky Flutey being played in the crowd, which is a first!
Key
Match Ups
Fitzpatrick
vs. Mulipola
At times over the last few seasons, many
have asked if Fitzpatrick prefers to be in the stand rather than on the pitch.
However on Friday night the Owen Hargreaves of Ulster rugby came into his own.
His heroic battle with Mulipola aka Shane Byrne was great to watch, even if Fitzpatrick
did have face-paint on for 70 minutes.
Mulipola gained the upper hand early on and was rewarded for this with a
try in the far corner. Fair play to Benoit Baby Face Fitzpatrick he fought back
with resilience and proved to the Ulster faithful he is worth his place.
Cave
vs. Goneva
Let’s set the record straight with Darren
Cave. ‘Golden balls’ might not have Usain bolt’s spikes however if you don’t
appreciate what he offers Ulster Rugby then your rugby knowledge needs to be
addressed. Yes, I understand Declan Kidney would rather have picked Dennis
Hurley or even a Munster Junior Cup player at 13 for Ireland, but that’s a
different kettle of fish for another day. It’s not only his defensive
attributes but his link up play and his awareness on the pitch can’t be
ignored. I just hope for Cave that Joe Schmidt
is a Blackburn fan and likes ‘away days’ to Elland Road because with ‘Irelands
‘local hero’ and ‘headband king’ Fergus McFadden in the mix this appears to be
a real stumbling block. His opposite man Goneva has varied his game massively
in the last 12 months and looked sharp. He has made the transition from wing to
centre and looked for the outside break time and time again. It was great
viewing however I felt Cave edged it on Friday.
Payne
vs. Morris
I am not sure if the Kiwi can get any
better. The difference in class between the two Full Backs was very obvious. When I first saw Morris run on to the pitch I
actually thought he was looking for the Velodrome in his Red Lycra undershorts.
He battled hard for 80 Minutes, however the gaps in-between him and his wingers
were enough for the 7A bus to stop and get pensioner Johan Muller a ticket into
town and back before the Leicester wingers returned. Payne was exquisite and
covered every blade of grass for 80minutes his tactical kicking and positional
play is superb. I am sure Ireland can’t
wait for next June when he becomes eligible to wear the green jersey.
Jackson
vs. Flood
I can’t write a blog without mentioning the
tens, but I will keep this match – up short. On Friday night the ‘Ginger
Prince’ had a great tussle with Tobias Flood.
The two internationals showed their class varying their game and their decision-making
throughout the night. However I have to mention Tobias and his five-minute goal
kicking routine, you would think he is in the Kop End watching Michael O’Neils
green and white army, as he does the bouncy at least three times before he
strikes the ball.
Overview
As I predicted it was a ‘special night’ and
if Mourhino didn’t watch it Mcllroy did. Next for Ulster is a trip to France to
see, Jim Nagusa and his mates. Montpellier are a quality outfit with Francois
Trinh- Duc steering the HSS ship.
Prediction - The White knights to fight and
gain a losing bonus point.
Once again thanks for reading …….SUFTUM
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