Ulster team for Edinburgh is named

Posted on Mar 2, 2012 in Irish Rugby, Ulster

Brian McLaughlin has been forced into making some changes to his starting XV for the visit of Edinburgh to Ravenhill on Friday night (kick off 7.05pm).

Centre Nevin Spence has been ruled out of the RaboDirect PRO12 clash with a hand injury, so McLaughlin has been forced to re-shuffle his backline. Ian Whitten is moved from the wing to midfield, where he will partner captain Paddy Wallace. Stefan Terblanche moves to fill the wing berth vacated by Whitten, meaning Adam D’Arcy earns a recall at fullback. Paul Marshall and Ruan Pienaar will form the half back partnership for the second consecutive week, while Craig Gilroy remains on the right wing.

There are fewer changes up front; Chris Henry will travel to Paris with the Ireland squad so Pedrie Wannenburg moves to the side of the scrum and Robbie Diack gets a run out at No8. The front five is unchanged from the side that started in the 15-14 win over Ospreys last weekend.

With Simon Danielli also ruled out after picking up a hamstring injury against Ospreys, young backs Luke Marshall and Chris Cochrane are also named among the replacements. Neil McComb and Mike McComish have been called up to the bench to provide cover in the forwards.

McLaughlin believes a win would be a massive boost to his side’s hopes of reaching the play offs in May: “We were in the top four briefly last week and that’s where we want to be. We need to be at our best but if we get the win it will give us something more to build on as were target the PRO12 semis. But Edinburgh are a very good team and they are ranked above us in Europe.”

He continued: “They’ve proved how good they are by qualifying for the quarter finals if the Heineken Cup and they like to play a good style of rugby under Michael Bradley. We played very well against them at the turn of the year and we will have to produce something similar at Ravenhill. For us, the 20 minute period after half time will be crucial. That’s when we have to step it up and keep improving through to the end of the match.”

McLaughlin is disappointed that the names of Spence and Danielli have been added to a growing injury list but insists it will provide opportunities for others to stake a claim. “We have a bit of a break after this game so we are hoping to have quite a few of the injured players back for the match against Treviso later this month.”

The Ulster coach is delighted to be playing at Ravenhill on consecutive weekends, where his side have lost only once in their last 18 matches. “The players get a huge lift from playing in front of their home crowd and there is no doubt it has a positive effect on results. As always, we are determined to produce a performance for the fans and hopefully get the result,” concluded McLaughlin.

There are still tickets available for Friday’s game. They can be bought online at www.ulsterrugby.com or by calling the ticket office on 02890493222 (ticketing option). Alternatively, you can pay at the gate on match night.

Ulster Rugby is appealing to supporters to be mindful of local residents and to avoid parking in the immediate vicinity of the Ravenhill Grounds on match nights.

From 2nd March 2012 there will be parking, by permit, for residents only along the following roads: Onslow Parade, Onslow Park, Ravenhill Park, Ravenhill Park Gardens, Ravensdene Park, Ravensdene Crescent and Ravensdene Park Gardens. Any cars parked along these roads and not displaying a valid resident parking permit will be ticketed. There will also be restrictions in the Castlereagh area (Mount Merrion Avenue).

Supporters are encouraged to make use of the complimentary Park’n’Ride facilities on Ulster Rugby match days located at Pirrie Park on the Ravenhill side of the ground, and along Montgomery Road, on the Mount Merrion side of the ground. There is ample parking at both locations and they are just a short distance from the ground. Supporters can either walk or take advantage of the free buses that run to and from the parking areas and the ground from 90 minutes prior to kick off until 90 minutes after the final whistle.

If required, the PSNI will also close the two main approaches to the ground, Onslow Parade and Mount Merrion Avenue at peak times of entrance and egress to and from the ground. For more information please contact our ticket office on 02890493222.

Ulster Match Day Squad to face Edinburgh, Friday 2nd March 2012, Ravenhill (kick-off 7.05pm)

(15-9): A D’Arcy; C Gilroy, I Whitten, P Wallace (capt), S Terblanche; R Pienaar, P Marshall;

(1-8): P McAllister, A Kyriacou, J Afoa, L Stevenson, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, W Faloon, R Diack;

Replacements (16-23): N Brady, C Black, A Macklin, N McComb, M McComish, I Humphreys, L Marshall, C Cochrane

Unavailable due to injury: J Payne (Achilles), D Fitzpatrick (neck), D Cave (foot), J Muller (calf), A Birch (knee), N Spence (hand), S Danielli (hamstring)

Ulster squad named for Edinburgh fixture

Posted on Feb 28, 2012 in Latest Rugby News

Brian McLaughlin has named a 33 man panel ahead of Ulster’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Edinburgh this Friday night at Ravenhill (kick off 7.05pm).

Simon Danielli has been ruled out of the fixture after picking up a hamstring injury in Friday’s 15-14 win over Ospreys. The Scottish international entered the fray as a substitute but limped off after just 10 minutes.

Chris Henry has been training with the Ireland squad in Dublin this week but may be available for Ulster on Friday. Paddy Wallace has been installed as captain against Edinburgh to ensure minimal disruption to the match preparations.Outside Half Paddy Jackson and second row Iain Henderson have been added to the squad as Ireland U20s have no game this weekend. Former Ireland U20 captain Niall Annett has also been included.

Edinburgh’s RaboDirect PRO12 form is in stark contrast to European success. The Heineken Cup quarter finalists occupy 11th spot in the table after picking up just 4 wins in 16 outings. The Scots have suffered five straight defeats in the PRO12 since their 23-all draw at home to Glasgow on Boxing Day, whilst if they fail to win this game they will equal their record for the longest winless run – set in 2010.

Ulster have won four of their last five fixtures with Edinburgh, whilst the Scotsmen have not been victorious at Ravenhill since September 2009. The Ulstermen have lost just one of their last 18 encounters at Ravenhill in all competitions since December 2010: 12-23 to Treviso on 7 October. Friday’s win over Ospreys moved Ulster up to 5th in the table, just two points off the top four play off spots.

Tickets for Friday’s match are still available at the Ravenhill Ticket Office, by calling 028 9049 3222, or online at www.ulsterrugby.com. Tickets will also be available at the gate on match night.

Ulster Rugby is appealing to supporters to be mindful of local residents and to avoid parking in the immediate vicinity of the Ravenhill Grounds on match nights.

From 2nd March 2012 there will be parking, by permit, for residents only along the following roads:

Onslow Parade, Onslow Park, Ravenhill Park, Ravenhill Park Gardens, Ravensdene Park, Ravensdene Crescent and Ravensdene Park Gardens. Any cars parked along these roads and not displaying a valid resident parking permit will be ticketed. There will also be restrictions in the Castlereagh area (Mount Merrion Avenue).

Supporters are encouraged to make use of the complimentary Park ’n’ Ride facilities on Ulster Rugby match days located at Pirrie Park on the Ravenhill side of the ground, and along Montgomery Road, on the Mount Merrion side of the ground.

There is ample parking at both locations and they are just a short distance from the ground. Supporters can either walk or take advantage of the free buses that run to and from the parking areas and the ground from 90 minutes prior to kick off until 90 minutes after the final whistle.

If required, the PSNI will also close the two main approaches to the ground, Onslow Parade and Mount Merrion Avenue at peak times of entrance and egress to and from the ground. For more information please contact our ticket office on 028 9049 3222.

Provisional Ulster Squad to play Edinburgh, Friday 2nd March, Ravenhill (kick off 7.05pm):

Forwards:

Callum Black, Adam Macklin, John Afoa, Jerry Cronin, Paddy McAllister, Niall Annett, Andi Kyriacou, Nigel Brady, Lewis Stevenson, Iain Henderson, Dan Tuohy, Tim Barker, Neil McComb, Pedrie Wannenburg, Mike McComish, Willie Faloon, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry

Backs:

Paul Marshall, Ruan Pienaar, Ian Porter, Ian Humphreys, Paddy Jackson, James McKinney, Paddy Wallace (capt), Luke Marshall, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Stefan Terblanche, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, Chris Cochrane, Adam D’Arcy

Unavailable due to injury:

Declan Fitzpatrick, Jared Payne, Darren Cave, Johann Muller, Ali Birch, Simon Danielli

Edinburgh sell a record number of tickets for HEC QF

Posted on Feb 27, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scottish Rugby

Edinburgh Rugby’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse will be played in front of a Scottish record crowd for the competition it was confirmed today, some six weeks out from the big match at Murrayfield.

Tickets for the Easter weekend encounter (Saturday 7 April, kick-off 3pm) have been in unprecedented demand since the club topped their pool with a 34-11 win over London Irish and booked their place in the last eight in front of a then record cup crowd of 10,892.

With sales nearing 13-thousand, the upper and lower decks of the stadium’s east stand are now completely full, with the club opening three more sections as it approaches the country’s all-time club rugby attendance record of 17,174, set when Edinburgh Rugby faced Ulster in the 2003 Celtic Cup final.

To coincide with the opening of the new sections the club announced details of a special thank-you offer for the next round of available seats.

The buy-early discount has been extended to Thursday 5 April for the trackside standing area and seats behind the goals, while the upper west stand will go on general sale this Thursday (1 March) at the game’s pre-match prices.

Chief executive Craig Docherty, said: “I’d like to thank all those who have shown their support and snapped up their tickets in advance.

“The interest and enthusiasm for the match is tremendous, with the whole event shaping up to be a landmark day in the history of the club and rugby in Scotland as a whole.

“We’re working hard on some very exciting plans to make this match a huge occasion and are delighted to be able to offer a choice of ticket categories to allow as many fans as possible to take in this great game.

“It’ll be a massive day and certainly one not to be missed.”

Yesterday’s RBS 6 Nations match added some extra spice to the cup clash with national captains Ross Ford and Thierry Dusautoir and try-scorers Lee Jones and Maxime Medard four of the 16 Scottish and French internationalists returning to Murrayfield for the quarter-final in April.

Scottish Rugby Union President Ian McLauchlan, added: “I’d like to congratulate Edinburgh Rugby on their latest landmark, the first of many I’m sure as they prepare to host the first ever quarter-final on Scottish soil, contributing significantly to another season of record sales across the last eight.

“The atmosphere and excitement generated among Scottish supporters by the guile and style played by Edinburgh Rugby, combined with a giant four-time champion French opponent in Toulouse means that this match has all the hallmarks of another classic Heineken Cup encounter.”

ERC Chief Executive, Derek McGrath, said: “The ERC has been delighted to see the Edinburgh Rugby fan-base increase this season and those supporters are now embracing the unique opportunity to experience what will be a memorable European club rugby occasion when they clash with four-time Heineken Cup champions Toulouse at Murrayfield.

“This quarter-final has all the makings of being the biggest game in Edinburgh Rugby’s history.”

Red hot Green and Whites ready for the Blues

Posted on Feb 24, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby, Nottingham

Nottingham Rugby head to Goldington Road to complete their regular season campaign against second placed Bedford Blues on Saturday (25th February).

The Green and Whites are in a good run of form, having won their last three league matches despite the inconvenience of having to play three matches in seven days due to the bad weather.

Glenn Delaney changed his entire starting line-up for the visit of Leeds Carnegie yesterday (22nd February) and his team didn’t disappoint as they put in a robust defensive display and took their chances when they came to record a 24-11 victory.

Nottingham’s Director of Rugby, Glenn Delaney said, “It was a good win against Leeds in difficult conditions. The strong wind meant that we had to play a tight game and it made life difficult for the kickers. Our set piece was very strong and that gave us a good platform to control the match.”

Captain for the match, Brent Wilson, put in one of his best displays for the club and he said, “It was a tough match today. The wind made things tricky and it was definitely a case of grinding out a result given the conditions. After the brilliant start given to us by Andrew Savage’s try, we never really looked back, despite them getting close on the scoreboard at the beginning of the second half.

“We had some close moments in defence, but the lads dug in really well. Whenever Leeds were in a good position our defence caused them to make errors. I’m proud of the way we played and we’re now ready for the test that Bedford will bring.”

Bedford recorded a good away win against Moseley in their last outing and currently lie second in the table on points difference. They will be looking to secure their position heading into the play-offs as they can still be caught by Cornish Pirates and London Welsh.

Delaney continued, “Bedford have a lot to play for on Saturday. If they can secure their second spot, they go into Pool B of the play-offs as the top seeds. That’s a great incentive for them. We’re also looking to get the best finish we can, so we’ll be ready for whatever they throw at us. If it’s anything like the opening match of the season against them, it’ll be a great game.”

Nottingham have rotated their squad again ahead of this fixture, so the line-up that secured the victory against Plymouth last weekend get another chance to impress. The only change sees Dante Mama move to the wing in place of the suspended Rhys Crane. Joe Munro comes into the centre.

Nottingham team to face Bedford:

Forwards: 1 Matt Parr 2 Matt Holloway 3 Ben Prescott 4 Craig Hammond (c) 5 Callum Green 6 Rupert Cooper 7 Phil Eggleshaw 8 Alex Shaw

Backs: 9 Nathan Jones 10 Kieran Hallett 11 Dante Mama 12 Joe Munro 13 Ayoola Erinle 14 Mike Penn 15 David Jackson.

Replacements: 16 Ollie Taylor 17 Matt Shields 18 Sione Kalamafoni 19 Nic Rouse 20 Finlay Barnham 21 James Arlidge 22 Juan Socino

Moseley to focus on performance

Posted on Feb 24, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby, Moseley

Moseley travel to the far south-west for their last match in the regular Championship season with a side showing several changes to that which lost at home to Bedford Blues last week. On that occasion Moseley showed good team spirit, but were unable to stop Bedford from achieving a bonus-point victory.

Coach Kevin Maggs is using this match to try some new permutations after a month in which his team will have played against the top three sides. “We need to stay positive and focus on our performance at all times” he said. “We lost by a small margin to Bedford, and but for one or two defensive lapses would have taken points from the game”.

Starting 15: 01. Marshall GADD; 02.Adam CAVES; 03. Craig VOISEY; 04. Dan SANDERSON; 05.Paul SPIVEY; 06.James TYAS; 07.Michael ELLERY; 08.Chevvy PENNYCOOK; 09. Sam BROWN; 10. Bradley DAVIES; 11. William ROBINSON; 12.Andy REAY; 13.Greg KING; 14. Anthony CARTER; 15. Oliver THOMAS
Replacements: 16. Colin QUIGLEY;17. Anthony O’DONNELL; 18. David LYONS; 19. Michael MALTMAN; 20.Ben PONS; 21.Jack ADAMS; 22 Ryan de la HARPE.