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Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:23 pm
by The Feral Goat
Ulster has to be our target for the play off places, so league fixture summary to end of season for us and them as follows

5 Jan
ER v kings
Leinster v Ulster

9 Feb (6N)
ER v Leinster
Ulster v Kings

16 Feb (6N)
Ulster v ER

23/24 Feb (6N)
Dragons v ER
Scarlets v Ulster

02 Mar (6N)
ER v Munster
Ulster v Glasgow

WE of 23 Mar
Connacht v ER
Cardiff v Ulster

WE 6/7 Apr
ER v Ulster

WE 13/14 Apr
ER v Scarlets
Ulster v Ospreys

27 Apr
ER v GW
Munster v Ulster

ER 5 Home games (6 if you count Glasgow match)
Ulster 4 Home games (and still in the mix for Champions Cup qualification as well which could be a factor).

Think we have the slightly better run in, the 2 head to head matches obviously huge, not sure if being away to them during the 6N is better or worse for us.

Without wanting to be disrespectful I would expect both to pick up BP wins v Kings so how we do respectively against Leinster (us at home during 6N, Ulster away prior to) is a chance for us to perhaps close up the points gap.

We do have 3 home games to finish but all against tough opposition Ulster, Scarlets and Glasgow.

Win our home games, get Myrside packed out on 06Apr for Ulsters visit and we should be in the hunt come the final games…it is going to be interesting.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:42 pm
by Tichtheid
I assume Graham and Kinghorn are too old for the U20s now?

WE might lose SH-C and Burleigh, depending on injuries, but I can't see too many other backs being away with Scotland, it's too soon for Bennett who I hope we'll see on Friday, at least from the bench.

Will Fordy be fit by then? Rambo is the first name on the Scotland team sheet for my money, so we definitely won't have him, but Cochrane and Fenton are able bodies, I must say I liked the look of Fenton earlier.

Will Crosbie be eligible for the U20s? I guess we will have dibs on him if we are short.
Any props we get back will be headed straight over to Murrayfield, so we will likely be looking at a front row akin to the one that didn't do so well in Glasgow, we will have Carmichael, Fraz, Hunter-Hill, Mata, Ritchie (maybe, depending on who is still crocked wrt to Wilson and Swinson) ditto CDP, We might have Hardie available, Bradbury, and ?

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:17 pm
by dolf_lundgren
We need to live the cliché, eachgame as it comes. We don't have a good history of putting together long runs so we need to work on each game now. The good news is there is no game which I look at and think we have no chance.

Head to heads will likely be crucial. I wouldn't put it past us to go on a run and throw it away against the likes of Cardiff!

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 8:25 pm
by gunneria
+1
Definitely one game at a time, don't want to get to look ahead further than next game. Also need to let Ulster's games take care of themselves where we are not playing them.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:35 pm
by GaryIPA
gunneria wrote:+1
Definitely one game at a time, don't want to get to look ahead further than next game. Also need to let Ulster's games take care of themselves where we are not playing them.


Spot on. We only have control of our games

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:26 pm
by New Gunner
GaryIPA wrote:
gunneria wrote:+1
Definitely one game at a time, don't want to get to look ahead further than next game. Also need to let Ulster's games take care of themselves where we are not playing them.


Spot on. We only have control of our games


True, but I enjoyed watching the Ulster game last night with the vested interest of wanting Munster to win to improve Edinburgh's position. Ultimately frustrating, but sport is more enjoyable when you're 'invested'.

Agree Edinburgh have to control the controllables, but it's still valid to hope Ulster lose other games...

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:56 pm
by germain
dolf_lundgren wrote: I wouldn't put it past us to go on a run and throw it away against the likes of Cardiff!


At least, this won't happen as we won't play Cardiff anymore. :D

But welsh opponents could still be key, when both us and Ulster travel to Wales on february the 23th... Or when we both receive welsh opponents on april the 13th...

The Feral Goat wrote:it is going to be interesting.

Indeed.
It will be fascinating to see how the two teams go till the end of the season : with a 8 points handicap, we have no joker. The game at Kingspan stadium could be a defining moment in our season. It's an exciting prospect.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 8:08 pm
by GaryIPA
Does this mean L’fano will be away?

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 8:27 pm
by biffer
germain wrote:
dolf_lundgren wrote: I wouldn't put it past us to go on a run and throw it away against the likes of Cardiff!


At least, this won't happen as we won't play Cardiff anymore. :D

But welsh opponents could still be key, when both us and Ulster travel to Wales on february the 23th... Or when we both receive welsh opponents on april the 13th...

The Feral Goat wrote:it is going to be interesting.

Indeed.
It will be fascinating to see how the two teams go till the end of the season : with a 8 points handicap, we have no joker. The game at Kingspan stadium could be a defining moment in our season. It's an exciting prospect.


I think you’ll find it’s a three point handicap :D

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 10:45 pm
by Crichton Gunner
Maybe not entirely relevant to this thread, but Benetton are only 8 points behind us. It may not be a 2 horse race for 3rd place, and even 4th place is far from assured yet.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 11:14 pm
by New Gunner
Crichton Gunner wrote:Maybe not entirely relevant to this thread, but Benetton are only 8 points behind us. It may not be a 2 horse race for 3rd place, and even 4th place is far from assured yet.


Was thinking exactly the same thing. Cockers has been consistent in saying we should lookup the league not down, but Benneton's performance should keep us on our toes. Especially so as we have played all of our easy / easier games (Kings H&A, Zebre H, Benneton H&A, Dragons H, Ospreys H). To be fair we've also played our toughest games (Leinster, Scarlets & Glasgow away), but we don't have 'banker' 5 pointers left.

I'm sure there will be no complacency, we really need to win our home games and pick up LBPs away, ideally maybe squeezing a win at Connacht or Ulster.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:50 am
by Wottie
I know it's a different format to the league this year but when was the last time we found ourselves with any interest in the league by the middle of January!

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:39 am
by biffer
So, are we all cheering Ulster on against La Rochelle this weekend? A Champs Cup QF distraction for them during the run in would be a very useful distraction. Otherwise we’ll be playing more games than them in all probability.

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:36 am
by Wottie
biffer wrote:So, are we all cheering Ulster on against La Rochelle this weekend? A Champs Cup QF distraction for them during the run in would be a very useful distraction. Otherwise we’ll be playing more games than them in all probability.


Yes, and also going to be cheering on the Scarlets, Blues and Orspreys against them, which is just wrong isn't it :wink:

Re: Edinburgh and Ulster Remaining Fixtures

PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:56 am
by Wottie
Wottie wrote:I know it's a different format to the league this year but when was the last time we found ourselves with any interest in the league by the middle of January!


Actually, thinking about it, the RWC season just past we were right up there at the turn of the year before the wheels came off in spectacular fashion in the 2nd half of the season!