Hello all,

This is my first post on the new forum, though had been a member of UAFC.

I agree that the first half performance was a disgrace – how could they all be done after 10 minutes?

Edinburgh were faster and tougher. Stu seems to be Ulster’s only reliable ball carrier (plus Augustus possibly).

the team selection was crazy – starting with McKee in stead of Devine, playing Benson at 12. Playing the new number 7 (Maloney?) – he was invisible all match. He and McNabney were outclassed by their opposite numbers. Murphy was very poor in the first half – I suppose there’s no chance of Benson starting with Devine as half backs If Doak is not back next match.

Lots of new players but same old Ulster _ too many players just phoning it in.

when Edinburgh finished 3 places below Ulster last year they cleared out their assistant coaches and brought in 3 from southern hemisphere. Ulster brought in Dermody but only when Duffy decided to move to Munster.

Reckon it will be a season much like the previous year.

@sir-ivor I was thinking the same about Moloney during the game but afterwards I read that he made 33 tackles, by far the most in the game. I think our tactics at the breakdown were much too passive; we made the tackle and quickly got out to rejoin the defensive line rather than going after the ball. As a result Edinburgh were able to just keep coming at us and eventually got the line breaks. You can’t go after every ruck (and the word is that refs now are not favouring the jackal) but we went too far with that. I don’t think either McNabney or Moloney are jackal specialists.