So this is it! Win on Friday and its been a fantastic season, lose and while an improvement over last season, still a disappointment. Pressures on
Of the top of my head I don’t remember seeing any worrying injuries on Friday and we should have Jude + Augustus fresh to start. I also hear a rumour that Stu is 50%/50%, but I would be surprised if thats true.
Montpellier are 2nd in the top 14 on 74 points, but Pau and Stade Francais are on 73 points each and they play Pau the next week, so there is a good chance they might rest some players for that game, while French teams seem to always prioritise the top 14 over Europe, specially the challenge cup, Montpellier have won the Challenge Cup twice.
Considering what’s at stake, its their last game this season ( last game for Ulster for Bell and Kok) and we have been playing well recently against the top 2 teams in the league I feel we have a good chance.
But…. bookies currently have Montpellier as 7 point favourites
Aye we’re underdogs here definitely but it’s great that the season doesn’t peter out with the disappointment of those last few minutes against Glasgow.
I wonder if Rob Herring will be fit? Looked like a foot injury maybe (took his boot off). His recent problem was a calf so don’t know if this one is related.
Saw a post that Baloucoune and McCann are back in full training 💪🏼
Baloucoune in mix for Ulster selection for Challenge Cup final · The 42
saying the same
they are also saying Herring, Stockdale and McCloskey are out ( which we all thought anyway)
Angus Bell (16)
Tom Stewart (75)
Tom O’Toole (141)
Harry Sheridan (61)
Cormac Izuchukwu (54)
David McCann (89)
Nick Timoney (Captain) (183)
Juarno Augustus (16)
Nathan Doak (109)
Jack Murphy (34)
Zac Ward (29)
Jude Postlethwaite (46)
James Hume (118)
Robert Baloucoune (78)
Michael Lowry (135)
Replacements:
James McCormick (19)
Eric O’Sullivan (137)
Scott Wilson (56)
Charlie Irvine (14)
Bryn Ward (19)
Conor McKee (22)
Jake Flannery (40)
Ethan McIlroy (77)
Baloucoune is back! hard on Kok
Pretty much as expected
Montpellier:
15. Tom Banks, 14. Gabriel N’Gandebe, 13. Arthur Vincent, 12. Auguste Cadot, 11. Donovan Taofifenua, 10. Domingo Miotti, 9. Ali Price, 1. Enzo Forletta, 2. Jordan Uelese, 3. Mohamed Haouas, 4. Florian Verhaeghe, 5. Tyler DuGuid, 6. Lenni Nouchi, 7. Alex Becognee, 8. Billy Vunipola (c)
Replacements:
16. Lyam Akrab, 17. Baptiste Erdocio, 18. Wilfrid Hounkpatin, 19. Adam Beard, 20. Marco Tauleigne, 21. Leo Coly, 22. Thomas Darmon, 23. Jon Echegaray
Looks like they have gone as strong as they can!
Nerves kicking in now. No reason why we cannot win this.
Nerves kicking in bigtime….Lets fuckin go Ulster
Checked the odds again, slight increase in Montpellier favour, I thought that the team they announced would move it more as they have gone very strong, also its seems its going to be very hot ( over 30c), which maybe suits Montpellier more as they would be used to the heat more. I think we need a strong start, make their heavy pack move around, tire them out and hope that we have a big enough lead for the last 20mins when we start to tire and when our bench comes on (which is weaker than theirs bar Bryn). I’m nervous because of the champions cup qualification, if we had that, I would just be happy that we are in a final, but its the double hit of no cup and no champions cup next season if we lose which is going to put me in bad form for the summer.
Kind of feel bad for Connacht if we do win as they have done so well in the 2nd half of the season, would love for them to win the URC if that happens ( getting way ahead of myself)
good start, and we can score on broken play, but too many mistakes ( knock ons etc) and once their defensive line set, we are just going side to side or backwards. Seems like anytime Montpellier are in our half it seems inevitable they are going to score. We need to start the 2nd half really well but i fear Montpellier will just pull away now ( especially in the last 20mins)
Devastated.
yeah, but once I saw their team, and the temp forecasts I thought we were in big trouble. Remember this is the team that beat Bordeaux twice this season and are 2nd in the top 14. We are still rebuilding getting to a final should be seen as a bonus, but not makes champions cup next year, that’s the real disappointment.Devastated.
To many mistakes in the first half, we needed to get well ahead of them to shake them up. Zack had a bad game, worrying trait for him, when the pressure is on he does not preform well ( like the ireland A game), hopefully a coincidence. Bobby was good it bits, clearly not 100% match fit. A lot was made about no stu, and while he would have made a difference I don’t think a enough to have changed the result.
Yeah it’s really tough to watch that and see the positives but the season as a whole was so much better than last year. We just don’t have the power to stop teams like that who have endless big lads to run at us (the Stormers game was similar). We should have a bit more depth next year and the young fellas will have learned a lot. Big job for the coaches to lift them again but I think they can do it.