Ulster Rugby Forum - Recent Posts

RE: URC Bulls vs Ulster Saturday Oct 24 12:45pm

forestial — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 18:39:26 +0000

The familiar mixture of poor and very good there. Honestly we didn’t deserve 2 BP but still disappointing to have one taken away on the last kick. Bulls not as good as advertised.

RE: URC Bulls vs Ulster Saturday Oct 24 12:45pm

DS69 — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 21:26:31 +0000

Strong bulls team, I fear we will get destroyed upfront. Can't keep knocking the ball forward and handing them a scrum.

Maybe the best we can hope fore is we get hockeyed in the first half and then they take the foot off the pedal so we can get a few trys for a bonus point. Would happy with anything more than a point, but would not be surprised with 0!

RE: Nations Championship Squad

DS69 — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:27:56 +0000

@forestial Squad is too small to lose that amount of players in the sort term, but long term hopfully more players will get central contracts and free up some money to deepen the squad ( I get that central are only part funded now, but every bit helps)

RE: URC Bulls vs Ulster Saturday Oct 24 12:45pm

DS69 — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:51:35 +0000

1. Tom O’Toole (144)

2. Tom Stewart (C) (79)

3. Keynan Knox (4)

4. Ben Donnell (3)

5. Cormac Izuchukwu (58)

6. David McCann (94)

7. Nick Timoney (185)

8. Juarno Augustus (20)

9. Nathan Doak (113)

10. Jack Murphy (39)

11. Michael Lowry (138)

12. Stuart McCloskey (218)

13. Jamie Benson (4)

14. Chay Mullins (1)

15. Jacob Stockdale (151)

Replacements:

16. Henry Walker (4)

17. Eric O’Sullivan (142)

18. Scott Wilson (58)

19. Eli Snyman (3)

20. James McNabney (23)

21. Matthew Devine (4)

22. Jake Flannery (44)

23. James McKillop (4)

I wasn't far off! Sheridan disappears again. McIlroy still injured then? Carson dropped for Benson. Interesting Stockdale and Lowry switch positions

PHP2Shell Update

DS69 — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:43:35 +0000

You might have read about the critical PHP vulnerably PHP2Shell. The hosting for this site had implemented protections yesterday evening and as of now the official PHP security updates has been rolled out to the majority of the network. At this time no attack traffic related to this issue has been observed on the network.

RE: Nations Championship Squad

forestial — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 01:39:21 +0000

Izzy squeezed out by the return of Ryan Baird I think. Ireland view him only as a 6.

Still 9 players is a great contingent from Ulster (second most of provinces). If all 9 have to fly back after Bulls we won’t have a team for Stormers (this won’t happen, but we’ll still be depleted).

RE: South African rugby player Hyron Andrews found dead in France ahead of Champions Cup match

forestial — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 01:35:02 +0000

Terribly sad. Only 31, wife and two young kids left.

RE: URC Bulls vs Ulster Saturday Oct 24 12:45pm

forestial — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 01:32:40 +0000

Rob B has played 3 times (non-consecutively) for 230 minutes this season. The IRFU cotton wool is being wrapped very thickly! I suspect with the RWC coming up this will continue through the season with these lads being allowed very limited time with Ulster.

RE: Nations Championship Squad

DS69 — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:41:07 +0000

Forwards (19):

Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(33)
Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(73)
Billy Bohan (Corinthians/Connacht)(1)
Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(16)
Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(88)
Sam Illo (Buccaneers/Connacht)(1)
Sean Jansen (Connacht)(2)
Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(51)
Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(26)
James McNabney (City of Armagh/Ulster)*
Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)(3)
Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(24)
Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(79)
Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(11)
James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(83)
Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(41)( captain )
Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(6)
Nick Timoney (Queen’s University/Ulster)(14)
Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(81)

Backs (17):

Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(72)
Rob Baloucoune (Enniskillen/Ulster)(9)
Jamie Benson (Ulster)*
Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(30)
Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)(2)
Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Connacht)(15)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(53)
Mack Hansen (Connacht)(30)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(85)
Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(48)
Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(31)
Jimmy O’Brien (Naas/Leinster)(14)
Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster)(9)
Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(17)
Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(17)
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(76)
Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(43).

So McNabney and Benson in, Izuchukwu out, McCann over looked again, and Bryn must be a few games off. So Benson is the 3rd OH? (a shame for Murphy, pity he hasn't started the season well)

Nations Championship Squad

DS69 — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:48:07 +0000

Squad due to be announced tomorrow.

Surely will get called:

Tom O'Toole, Timoney (apperantly list as an option to cover hooker on the official teamsheets), Stewart, Izuchukwu, McCloskey, Baloucoune, Stockdale, Doak

Maybe get called:

McCann- has been be playing great but keeps getting over looked, if not now can't seeing it happening in the world cup cycle
Benson - has been good for Ulster out of postion, has was training with Ireland over the summer
Murphy - not playing his best, but the 3rd out half place it up for grabs with Crowley And Byrne injured, but hes up against O’Shea, Casper ( out side chance of Carbery) and even Benson
Bryn Ward - depends on how far of he is from injury, also lots of competition in the back row