Stand Up Magazine - Issue 38 - Ulster Rugby Supporters' Club

www.ursc.co

The start of a new season was on the horizon a few months ago, but to be honest I did not have much appetite for it, even with all the hype around a new Celtic League competition writes Richard Mulligan in his latest Mulligan’s Musings .*

The summer was a hectic month for sport with some big events, among them the Irish Open golf at Portstewart, the British & Irish Lions series and the UEFA Under-19 Women’s Championship finals in Belfast. Then throw in the Rugby Women’s World Cup and trying to spend a bit of time with the family so they remember who I am - the start of another rugby season was not a priority. The Stand-Up editor will confirm that lack of appetite, as when he initially asked me for my regular slot I said if you are stuck, okay then. He cajoled me with some kind words and here I am. But then in the week just ended, as I write this with the Rugby Women’s World Cup knockout stages in Belfast just ending, a new domestic season in clubland kicking off and the launch of the revamped Guinness PRO 14 in Dublin - I suddenly got excited again and I ask myself where to start… British & Irish Lions tour - a short summary: We gave the tourists little chance of beating the All Blacks on their patch. Warren Gatland will end up in charge of the All Blacks once Hansen goes. Iain Henderson never got the Test time he deserved, Rory Best either. While the tour was exciting, the standard of rugby on display was low. The Lions should have done the honourable thing and kicked for touch and not for the posts in the final Test. Go for it! A chance to win a Test series in New Zealand, a chance to really roar the Lions brand. Nope let’s just “meow”, take the points and a draw which ensures it is a drawn series. Of course, if Owen Farrell had not gone for the kick and the Lions had lost, we all know what the media would have been saying. Roll on 2021. Ireland summer Tour to USA and Japan: Aside from the woeful commentary on EirSport I was grateful to them to actually be able to see the games. Ireland ticked the boxes. John Cooney looks comfortable at that level and with a bit more game time with Ulster will push his case behind Conor Murray. Luke Marshall was always under-rated. Let’s hope he gets the chance again in November. Joe Schmidt has a bit more strength in depth, but Joe Carberry and Simon Zebo are still overrated! Rugby Women’s World Cup: I am sure many URSC fans were at Kingspan Stadium or Queen’s University for the knockout games, or indeed, even in Dublin for group games. What a fantastic event it was and wonderful to see it in Ireland. The Irish girls may not have lived up the expectation of the public, but for those who follow it a bit more regularly than going out for a day and having a pint in the fanzone and then the stands, it perhaps was what it was. Unfortunately the spotlight switched to the coaching staff when the knockout stage reached Belfast. Observations: The four teams in the semi-finals were certainly four of the best in the competition, with Canada who took fifth, probably unlucky not to be contesting higher than the fifth place play-off against Australia, which they won. England, New Zealand, France and the USA, along with Canada and Australia are probably at a different level to the other six competing. Hong Kong were there

by default and the way they were demolished did nothing for their confidence. Yes Ireland were former

I personally think it is good to have a bit of a change in the competition, and conferences was probably the only way to do it. It offers a new travel venue for fans (even if it is a bit costly), it goes back to the good old days of touring rugby when you just do not fly in and out to play games, and it brings freshness along with new challenges.

What of Ulster Rugby? The season ended abruptly last time around, no knockout stages and

Grand Slam champions and beaten semi-finalists at the last World Cup, but the women’s game is still in its infancy. It was clear to see on Saturday after the loss to Wales, the anguish the squad were feeling, not just at perhaps underperforming as fifth seeds going into the tournament and finishing up eighth, but being the host nation and feeling they had let their public down. Three years ago there were about nine clubs in Ulster with women’s teams attached to them. This season there are 19. There is growth there and it has to be encouraged. The World Cup being in Ireland as it was may encourage more players. Perhaps we should all help it by attending a few club games as well as provincial and international matches. Finals Day on Saturday was memorable. France against USA for third place produced a thrilling game. Interesting to note that there were about four scrums in the entire game as the teams moved the ball about quickly and skilfully. And the final - wow. England and New Zealand put on a great display. Thoughts have now turned to Ireland hosting the men’s 2023 World Cup - after two days of the women’s version in Belfast, can you imagine how fantastic that would be. And Ireland have a really good chance of winning the rights to host it. Definitely not time to retire the pencil and notepad just yet! And so to the new Guinness PRO 14. Excited? As I said I had not really given it the attention others had, with so many diversions elsewhere. But when I arrived home - this is going to be big. The Celtic League is going global. It is history in the making, the Northern v Southern Hemisphere. Ulster the first club to play against one of the South Africans. It’s historic! The Cheetahs and the Kings will bring a new style, brand and culture to this competition - something which was probably needed. Interestingly, and some of you may recall this. Way back when Alan Solomons was coach of Ulster, at a press conference a journalist asked him to shed some light on the suggestion in a paper that morning about the possibility of South African teams joining the then Celtic League. When Solly replied he knew nothing about it, the reporter suggest he ask yours truly to explain, as it was all over the back of the Newsletter! I will park that one there. in Dublin for the launch and saw the promotional video, spoke to the Cheetahs and Southern Kings representatives - it suddenly hit

there were cries of crisis all around Ravenhill Park and further afield. The summer of discontent has passed perhaps. It is all about new arrivals. John Cooney, Jean Deysel and of course that most superb acquisition of Christian Lealiifano to name but a few on the playing front and of course the backroom team has a few changes too.

Director of Rugby Les Kiss has perhaps got a couple of pebbles out of his shoe since his arrival. Jono Gibbes and Dwayne Peel are his new coaching team along with Aaron Dundon, so can we expect a change of fortunes? Pre-season losses against Wasps and Northampton Saints have not perhaps filled everyone with great hopes, but they were friendlies and have to be treated as such. Conceding 13 tries in two games, however, is a bit of a concern and perhaps on the back of last season it is difficult to feel the same level of expectation that we might normally do at this time. The strength in depth of the squad will become apparent over the next few weeks when Ulster go into the PRO 14 without some of their key players due to player welfare management or injury - although the profile of the latter is much better than it has been for a while. The fixture list at the start of the campaign is mixed. Champions Scarlets are due to visit in Round 3 when players are due to return, but with Treviso, Zebre and Connacht among the early hit-outs, one would expect a start similar to last season - flying high. First up though is the Toyota Cheetahs, one of the newbies from South Africa. They were impressive in the Currie Cup on the weekend and from chatting to their director of rugby, Rory Duncan, they are expecting great things while meeting the challenges of the competition. It is an historic occasion for Ulster and one we all look forward to being a part of. However, performances will be watched carefully as we wait hopefully for our expectations to be lifted.

Keeping the Faith and still Standing Up for the Ulstermen! Enjoy the season.

*Mulligan’s Musing are an opinion piece and may or may not represent the views of the URSC, or indeed, any, some or all of its members!

Pictures courtesy of The News Letter.

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