Ulster Rugby v Dragons

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, where tonight the Ulster squad will be taking on

the Dragons as they look to continue their unbeaten run in the Guinness PRO14. The Dragons will be hoping to build on their success last weekend where they outscored Connacht and will prove a stiff test for the Ulster squad. With Ulster lying second in Conference B, a win tonight would continue to heap pressure on leaders Leinster who are just 2 points clear going into tonight’s fixture. The Friday evening atmosphere at Kingspan Stadium is famous. Let’s keep that tradition alive and show our support to the Ulster Rugby squad who entertain us with incredible skill and bravery week after week. The Dragons squad and travelling supporters also deserve a very warm welcome and we look forward to a thrilling game. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team the very best this evening as they continue to give their all in every facet of the game. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure that this is an evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

www.kingspan.com

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CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO14 WELCOME

3 4 7 8 11

TONIGHT'S MASCOTS

TOMMY BOWE

WHAT'S ON

CHRIS HENRY Q&A MATCH REVIEW AARON DUNDON ULSTER U18 SCHOOLS

13 14 18

20 24 26 30 32 35 36 43 45 47 50 53 55 56 59 60 61 62 63 64 41

ROD NAWN

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

ULSTER TEAM

POSTER

DRAGONS TEAM

DRAGONS SQUAD PROFILES

ABOUT THE DRAGONS ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY

ULSTER AGE-GRADE TEAMS

GIVE IT A TRY

JACOB STOCKDALE

SUBWAY HALF TIME TEAMS

URSC NEWS

OUR CLUB NEWS

ULSTER RUGBY VALUES

STADIUM MAP

STADIUM INFORMATION

PRO14 PREVIEW

FIXTURES

THANK YOU

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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2017/18 OFFICERS Graf n Parke President Stephen Elliott Senior Vice President Gary Leslie Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan Chief Executive Chris Webster Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson Financial Controller Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss

We extend a special welcome to all the Dragons players, officials and supporters travelling over for this evening’s game. We hope you have a very enjoyable experience in Ulster. Following on from an exciting and hard fought win over the Scarlets at Kingspan Stadium last Friday, we look forward to another great game this evening. Ulster has enjoyed an excellent start to the season with three wins from the opening three games, leaving ourselves and Leinster as the only teams currently unbeaten in Conference B. At half-time this evening we are pleased to welcome on to the pitch the all-conquering Ulster Juniors squad who won the Junior Inter-Provincial Championship at the end of last season thanks to wins over each of the other three Provinces. Congratulations to all the players, coaches, managers and officials on an outstanding achievement. Tonight we will also be recognising a significant milestone for our longest serving member of staff, Lesley McGaughey, who recently marked 30 years in the Ulster Branch. Congratulations and many thanks, Lesley. Tomorrow, our 12 All Ireland League clubs are back in action for the second round of this season’s competition. In the opening round last weekend, seven Ulster based teams recorded wins, with five losses. There is once again a full programme of fixtures in our local leagues this weekend, so we would encourage you to get out and support your local team. In our youth section we are pleased to report that a total of 96 teams have entered in the boys leagues across U18, U16, and U14 level - the future is bright! Lots of friendly games are currently being played with the Ulster Carpets Youth League games due to commence on 30th September. On Saturday afternoon the Danske Bank Ulster Schools side play Leinster Schools at Donnybrook, while the Ulster U18 Clubs host Connacht at City of Armagh RFC in the last of the Age-Grade Inter- Provincial fixtures. We extend our best wishes to both teams. SUFTUM! Graffin Parke President IRFU (Ulster Branch) As President of the IRFU Ulster Branch, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium for tonight’s Round 4 game in the Guinness PRO14 Championship. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

Director of Rugby Bryn Cunningham Operations Director

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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As the Guinness PRO14 season begins to settle into its groove we have another juicy round of Championship action to enjoy this weekend across all five countries. Already we can see some of the early title contenders hit their stride with four of our former Championship winners – Glasgow Warriors, Munster, Leinster and Ulster – still undefeated as they stake their claim to challenge Scarlets for the crown. Scarlets went down narrowly to Ulster last week in a super game at Kingspan Stadium, which was a great advert for the Guinness PRO14. This weekend, their rivals, Glasgow Warriors and Munster, meet on that quick pitch at Scotstoun in a clash that will likely end one team’s unbeaten start. In Italy, Benetton Rugby will host Ospreys and the Italians will be full of confidence after their come-from-behind win against Edinburgh, while Steve Tandy’s men will be on their guard after they came unstuck on their last trip to Treviso in March. The Toyota Cheetahs welcome Leinster to Bloemfontein in a game that promises plenty of attacking play. Last weekend, the Cheetahs showed their flair, scoring eight tries against Zebre in a 13-try thriller against Zebre, and given Leinster’s ambitious style of play this should be a fantastic match-up. The expansion into South Africa has brought with it the introduction of a Conference system and an extended Guinness PRO14 Final Series. The Top 3 from each Conference will qualify which gives your team an even greater chance of reaching the knock-outs and emulating Scarlets’ sensational title win. It’s also great for us to have SuperSport on board to broadcast our games in South Africa while Eurosport have also continued on as our broadcast partners in Italy which is terrific news for fans right across the Championship. In fact, their addition to our stable of broadcast partners means that the Guinness PRO14 is available in over 155 countries and territories across the world. We’ve also worked closely with our unions to schedule those Derbies away from international windows, too. Like you, we want to see the best players in the best games because we are hugely proud of the 295 Internationals who played in the Championship last season, not to mention the 26 called up for the British & Irish Lions tour. You only have to look at our recent champions in Scarlets, Connacht, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster to see the type of adventurous rugby it takes to win our title. Looking back to the previous campaign we saw a record number of tries scored (711) while crowds were up and nowhere was that more evident than at the Final at Aviva Stadium. A new record attendance saw Scarlets’ scintillating play prove too much for Munster in a game that showcased the attacking calibre of our Championship. That’s one of the reasons that makes it so exciting to bring the first ever Guinness PRO14 Final to Dublin on May 26, 2018. I’m also delighted to say we will again implement an Early Bird oŸer for fans who decide to back their teams and buy their tickets well in advance on www.ticketmaster.ie where prices start from €5 for Children and €30 for adults. Martin Anayi Chief Executive O¢cer

TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

HARRY McCONKEY (10) Harry is from Belfast and attends Downey House School. He plays Mini Rugby for Belfast Harlequins and also enjoys swimming and sailing. Harry is looking forward to walking out onto the pitch as a Mascot and seeing all the supporters cheer for Ulster. Andrew Trimble is Harry’s favourite player because he is so fast. Harry would like to be a paleontologist when he grows up.

JACK GLASS (9) Jack is from Dromore and attends Dromore Central School. He plays Mini Rugby, participates in 2km Park Runs and enjoys cycling. As a Season Ticket holder, he would love to lead the Ulster men out at Kingspan Stadium. Jack’s favourite player is Charles Piutau because he is quick and has an impressive scoring record. Jack hopes to play rugby for Ulster some day.

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QUESTION TIME WITH TOMMY BOWE

We spoke to the two-time British and Irish Lion to get his thoughts on Ulster’s start to the season, the challenge posed by the Dragons and how he is managing to juggle his family commitments with his other great love, rugby.

Les Kiss and Dwayne Peel came to me with the idea of playing at 13. I had played a lot of 13 over in Wales and on a few occasions for Ulster and I enjoy the challenge - you get a little bit more involved and you get your hands on the ball a little bit more. We have such strength and depth throughout the backline meaning the competition is so fierce while the option of being able to play on the wing and centre is a good asset to the squad. We saw some nice pictures of you with your wife and baby daughter after the game on Friday night. How are you juggling those new family commitments with your rugby? Emma has been at 1 or 2 of the matches. It does get her out of her rhythm but she seems to be enjoying it and isn’t kicking off too much. She is six months old now, so she’s getting big. She’s a lot more alert and smiling, which makes it a lot more fun to come home to as opposed to the early months when it was very difficult not getting much sleep. I found those initial months difficult, the training and pre-season was tough, meaning I was coming home very tired and poor Lucy was having to do the majority of the work. But now the matches have started, we’ve found our routine, I’ve a little bit more free time at the weekends so I am enjoying the opportunity to help out more. Tonight, we face the Dragons at Kingspan Stadium, what sort of challenge do you think they’ll pose? The Dragons will be difficult. They’re always a difficult team to come up against. They have a lot of young guys coming through who are playing some great rugby at the minute so there are a lot of fellas that we’re going to have to keep an eye on but to be playing at home again is something we are up for. The team love playing in front of the home crowd. The atmosphere at the last two home matches has just been unbelievable and we hope that we can keep putting on a good show for the crowd, to deliver high class rugby to keep them coming back and standing up for the Ulstermen.

With three wins from three in the opening PRO14 games, how does the team feel about the start to the season? We’re delighted. Obviously, a winning start is very important and we’ve been playing some good rugby. There is still a lot to work on but we are all really enjoying it. Pre-season went well, we put in a lot of hard work and hopefully we will continue to see the rewards of that work. To have beaten last year’s champions, the Scarlets, at home was a great win for us and something that we’ll keep trying to build on over the next few weeks Looking back at the Scarlets game in particular - it wasn’t the perfect performance, but the team showed tremendous fight to grind out the win against a quality opposition? It was always going to be a difficult match against the Scarlets. They are a team on form and as I said, last season’s title winners. The game highlighted what we need to work on but I think that the fact that we went behind twice in the game to then come back and win shows the fight within the squad. Mentally the squad are in a great place, there’s huge belief within the team and hopefully we can spring board on from that. We know there will be bigger games to come so we’ll learn from last weekend, grow from there and be ready for those bigger games when they come. You’re getting plenty of game time under your belt now. How are you enjoying being injury free? I broke my fibula in March during the Six Nations so to miss the end of the season was very frustrating. But I’ve had a really good pre-season, I’m really enjoying my rugby and hope to get more game time over the next couple of weeks. I’m in a good place at the minute, the body feels good and I’m just focusing on enjoying my rugby - that’s what it’s about. Ulster supporters would be more used to seeing you playing on the wing, but you’ve started 2 of the 3 games of the new season at centre. Firstly, how did that come about, and secondly, how are you enjoying the fresh challenge?

TOMMY BOWE

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WHAT'S ON

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THE ASHES

CUP

ITALIAN FOOD / CHINESE FOOD TALIAN FOOD / CHINESE FOOD MOVIE / THEATRE STAR WARS / INDIANA JONES EUROPE / AMERICA HIKE / BIKE BUNGEE JUMP / SKY DIVE UP EARLY / LIE IN SUPER MARIO / SONIC PLAYSTATION / X BOX IRON MAN / CAPTAIN AMERICA SUPERMAN / BATMAN X FACTOR / STRICTLY COME DANCING DOG / CAT Iain Henderson can play the accordion WHAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS FACT OR PHRASE YOU KNOW? If you keep your goldfish in a dark room its colour will fade PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA - YAY OR NAY? Yay WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Heights DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS? Positive. Considerate. Social QUICKFIRE WHICH TEAMMATE IS THE WORST DRESSER? Tommy 'XV Kings' Bowe WHO IS THE BIGGEST COFFEE SNOB? Callum Black (AKA Mr Guilt Trip) WHO IS THE WORST ROOMMATE TO HAVE ON AWAY TRIPS AND WHY? Darren Cave because he likes to hide kettles, phones and TV remotes in my bag WHO IS THE SMARTEST ON THE TEAM? Iain Henderson WHICH PLAYER HAS THE MOST USELESS TALENT AND WHAT IS IT? CHRIS HENRY ANSWERS FAN QUESTIONS

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CHRIS FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @CHRISHENRY678

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MATCH REVIEW

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PRO14 MATCH REPORT

ULSTER RUGBY V SCARLETS

GUINNESS PRO14 2017/18 ROUND 3 FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2017 KINGSPAN STADIUM

MATCH REVIEW

ULSTER RUGBY

STATS

SCARLETS

L LUDIK A TRIMBLE

L HALFPENNY J McNICHOLL H PARKES S WILLIAMS S EVANS R PATCHELL G DAVIES R EVANS K OWENS S LEE J BALL T BEIRNE A SHINGLER W BOYDE J BARCLAY REPLACEMENTS R ELIAS W JONES W KRUGER

PERFORMANCE METRES GAINED CARRIES PASSES TACKLES MADE MISSED TACKLES TURNOVERS PENALTIES CONCEDED

582 61 229

327 27 134 160

L MARSHALL S McCLOSKEY J STOCKDALE C LEALIIFANO J COONEY K McCALL R HERRING W HERBST K TREADWELL A O’CONNOR C HENRY S REIDY M REA REPLACEMENTS J ANDREW A WARWICK R AH YOU R DIACK C ROSS P MARSHALL P NELSON T BOWE

57 14 16 6

16 19 8

SCORING TRIES CONVERSIONS PENALTIES DROP GOALS

2 1 5 0

2 2 2 0

D BULBRING J MACLEOD

DISCIPLINE YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

J EVANS R JONES J DAVIES

0 0

0 0

2017-2018 - GUINNESS PRO14 - CONFERENCE B

TEAM

PL

W

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

L

PF

PA DIFF TF

TA TB

LB PTS 0 15 0 13

1 Leinster Rugby 2 Ulster Rugby

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

3 3 2 2

0 107 35 72 14 0 90 53 37 11 1 118 47 71 15 1 72 48 24 8 2 37 72 -35 4 2 55 82 -27 3 3 30 120 -90 4

2 7 4 3 11

3

1

3 Scarlets

2

1 1 1

11

4 Edinburgh Rugby 5 Benetton Rugby

1

10

1 1

0

5 4 0

6 Dragons

10 0 17 0

0 0

7 Southern Kings

0

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ONE BALL. FOURTEEN TEAMS

TRUST. INNOVATION. PERFORMANCE.

DUNDON ENJOYING LATEST CHAPTER OF FLEDGLING COACHING CAREER

As one of three new faces to join the Ulster Rugby coaching team during the summer, Scrum Coach Aaron Dundon is settling well into life in the Province.

Jono for a number of years in Leinster so I had a good relationship with him there. This was the first time that I’ve met Dwayne (Peel) but we’re all getting along and it’s great. The experience they’ve had in their careers, playing and coaching, it’s great to pick their brains and we’re all helping each other push forward.” Having notched off three wins from the opening three rounds of the PRO14, Dundon admits the team are happy with the results, but also acknowledges there is still plenty of room for improvement. “We’re happy with where we’re placed, but we’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves. As a coaching team it was good to measure ourselves against the Scarlets after their success last year and their form this season already, as we expect them to be there or thereabouts again this year. I don’t think we’re at the level they are yet, that’s where we’re aiming to get to, but it’s good to see where we are. Three wins is good but there’s still a lot to work on and the players know that.” Reflecting on the win over the Scarlets last Friday, Dundon refered to the fifth anniversary of the death of former Ulster player Nevin Spence, which fell on the day of the game, and how this effected the players’ performance. “I think, for the day that was in it, we probably would’ve beaten anyone that day. The emotion of the occasion drove us on to the win rather than us playing brilliantly. We know we can’t rely on that every week so we need to keep working hard to prepare for the challenges ahead.” Dundon is keen that the improvements in performance will continue tonight against the Dragons, as he pits himself against a familiar face in the opposition coaching box. “I know the Dragons coach, Bernard Jackman, quite well - he was the Director of Rugby for me at Grenoble last season. They’re still learning the system he’s wanting them to play, and you can see some similarities to what he tried to play in France. We need a good performance from the forwards, better than we showed last week. We weren’t happy with some of the opportunities we presented the Scarlets last week, particularly some of the easy outs from inside their 22. We need to keep growing as a team and keep this momentum going.”

The surroundings of Kingspan Stadium are familiar to the New Zealand born former hooker, who played there on several occasions with former club Leinster, where he racked up 49 appearances as well as an impressive 10 tries. “Previously I wouldn’t have spent much time up here - I would’ve just been coming up for games then back down to Dublin the same day so it’s nice to get to see more of the Province. We’re living a bit outside the city and we’re really enjoying it so far. But most of all I’m enjoying being at Ulster, in an environment that’s really thriving at the moment, with a team that has a lot of aspirations to go further.” Dundon joined Ulster along with Head Coach Jono Gibbes and Assistant Coach Dwayne Peel during the off-season, and he feels the coaching ticket are gelling well together. “As Scrum Coach I’m obviously focused on the scrum as well as working with the hookers on their throwing, but I’m also enjoying chipping in with the other coaches. I think we work really well together as a coaching team. The experience the other boys have, I’m learning loads from them and adding what I can. We get on really well with each other, we have a bit of craic together, but we knuckle down with what we need to do.” At just 35 years old, Dundon cut his teeth as Forwards Coach with Dublin based club side Clontarf, winning two All Ireland League titles, before joining up with his fellow former Leinster hooker Bernard Jackman at French Top 14 outfit FC Grenoble. “I learned loads in France, especially from the scrum. You’re playing against world class front rows, week in, week out. The refereeing is different over there so you’ve got to come up with strategies to stop the scrum and the opposition players so I feel that’s really good experience that I’ve brought over here.” With that experience behind him, Dundon is enjoying the new challenges at Ulster, and enhancing his personal development alongside his new colleagues. “It’s great working with these guys and helping them any way I can. I knew Les (Kiss) from when he was in the Ireland setup then obviously I played under

AARON DUNDON

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The Danske Bank Ulster U18 Schools squad will travel to Donnybrook on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 2.30pm) knowing that a win over Leinster would secure the U18 Schools Inter-Provincial series title. ULSTER U18 SCHOOLS SET FOR INTER-PRO DECIDER WITH LEINSTER

With Munster having picked up 5 points from their 4 games, Ulster and Leinster go into Saturday’s final

their situation. Fifteen minutes after the restart they got some reward for their enterprise when Cian Prendergast touched down for a try, converted by O’Gara, to make it 18-10. Ten minutes later their impressive scrum half, Ben Murphy, ran in for a try, once again converted by O’Gara, to leave the minimum between the sides at 18-17. With just five minutes of the game remaining the Leinster team threw everything at the Ulster team, however, Ulster captain, John McKee, ensured his players maintained their discipline and defensive skills to ensure a hard earned, but ultimately well-deserved, 18-17 win. ROUND 3 ULSTER 16-12 MUNSTER SATURDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER OSBORNE PARK Last Saturday, the Ulster Schools’ team avenged their narrow opening round loss to Munster with a 16-12 win in the return fixture at Osborne Park, in what was an absorbing contest. Nathan Doak gave the Ulster team a 3-0 lead in the early stages of the game when he converted a penalty opportunity. Four minutes later the Munster team drew level when Cian Whooley converted a penalty kick of his own. On 9 minutes Doak edged Ulster back into the lead with his second penalty of the game. The Ulster team had a lot of possession throughout the remainder of the half but the Munster defence remained solid, restricting Ulster to just one more Doak penalty just before half-time to make it 9-3. Early Munster pressure after the restart was rewarded when Whooley notched successive penalties to level the sides at 9-9. Midway through the half a clever kick from Robbie Armstrong saw the Ulster team take opposition just outside the Munster 22m area. From the Munster throw Ulster regained possession and finished some great hard yards work with a try from Kevin McNaboe. Doak added the conversion to establish a 16-9 lead. Back came Munster and seven minutes from the end Whooley was successful with his fourth penalty of the game to reduce the Munster deficit to 16-12. Ulster then went on the attack and denied Munster any real territory or possession in the final few minutes of the game, to secure the valuable win.

game on 9 and 10 points respectively. ROUND 1 MUNSTER 10-9 ULSTER MONDAY 28TH AUGUST THOMOND PARK

Following two preparation games against Saracens and Gloucester, the Danske Bank Ulster Schools squad travelled to Limerick for the opening game of the Inter-Provincial series. Munster took an early 3-0 lead with a successful fourth minute penalty, before Nathan Doak levelled the score at 3-3 with a penalty of his own two minutes

ULSTER U18 SCHOOLS later. On 12 minutes the Ulster team spurned a golden try scoring opportunity when the ball was spilled with the Munster try line at their mercy. Four minutes later Doak gave the Ulster team a 6-3 lead when he converted a penalty opportunity. Just before the interval a loose Ulster pass was intercepted by Munster who finished off with a converted try to give the home team a 10-6 lead just before the interval. The second half was another evenly contested affair with Doak converting his third penalty of the game to reduce the Ulster arears to 10-9 with just nine minutes of the game remaining. Ulster piled on the pressure in the remaining minutes and had opportunities to win the game, however, the Munster defence remained intact and the home team celebrated their hard earned 10-9 victory when the final whistle sounded. ROUND 2 ULSTER 18-17 LEINSTER SATURDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER CAMPBELL COLLEGE

The Ulster Schools’ team started their Round 2 game against Leinster in positive fashion, putting the visiting defence under pressure in the early stages. The Leinster defence was well-organised but eighteen minutes into the game the Ulster team took a 5-0 lead when full back, Ben McCaughey, finished off a flowing move with an unconverted try. Continued pressure from the home team forced the visitors into conceding a penalty, which Nathan Doak converted, but Leinster responded with a Mick O’Gara penalty to reduce their arrears to 8-3. The Ulster lead was increased to 11-3 when Doak was successful with another penalty kick. On the stroke of half-time Ulster’s flying winger, Aaron Sexton, scorched in for a try which Doak converted for an 18-3 lead at the break. The second half proved to be closely contested with the Leinster team working hard to improve

ROUND 4 LEINSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER DONNYBROOK AT 2.30PM

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ULSTER U18 SCHOOLS

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Last week the Kingspan faithful gathered, as always in hope, but rather less in expectation given the previous unconvincing outing in Treviso. FANS CAN ROAR DOWN DRAGONS’ FIRE

But at the end of an emotional Friday evening there was no mistaking the positive mood and the sense of a faith restored as reigning champions Scarlets were beaten in a thrilling, confident and even swashbuckling finale. With players rising to the challenge of sweeping the doubters aside a famous 27-20 win, achieved with a character which some might have suspected had been permanently bruised, and with the crowd rediscovering its authentic voice this was an evening which somehow aptly crowned an occasion when the memory of the lionheart which was Nevin Spence was so splendidly celebrated. It’s early in the campaign in the new and rather sophisticated Guinness PRO14, but Ulster sits snugly behind Leinster at the top of Conference B, and naturally there is just a sneaking hope that this might be the year when solid reward will find its way to Kingspan. The defeat of Scarlets was a real stepping-stone for the squad Director of Rugby Les Kiss has assembled: it confirmed that the potential of some players was alive and well, not dormant and awaiting an elusive, long-awaited spark. But what contributed so much to last weekend’s drama was the clear intent to take the game to opponents, to take no resort in the absence of some big ‘names’ who are yet to be regularly available and those who are making their way back from injury. What Head Coach Jono Gibbes will have found reassuring, as he assesses the depth and quality of his resources, is that Ulster- bred products such as Kyle McCall, Matty Rea and John Andrew are not just capable reserves: with many others they have the ambition and talent to be genuinely in selection contention for competition in the PRO14 and in Europe. Yes, Marcell Coetzee, Jean Deysel and Charles Piuatu are wondrous players and it would be naïve to think that with their pedigrees and very particular skillsets they, like Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave and more, won’t figure early and prominently each week. But form, injuries and getting those fabled combinations right will dictate – just like the protocols sent down from the international set-up – that the ‘local heroes’ will feature more and more, and on merit.

But this week brings a new and different set of challenges. First, the most recent form and spirit must be maintained and developed because the PRO14 is a marathon with few chances to catch a breath or to take the foot off the improvement accelerator. To do that is not easy as the euphoria which comes from a win where so many virtues were on display has to be channelled into a more practical and consistent vein of hard work, champions, the quality of the side confirmed by a late-season run last year which caught rivals off-guard to an extent. This evening the opposition is again from Wales but the Dragons – for finally and legally that is the club’s name from this season! – pose different questions, have their own reshaped ambitions to fulfil, and we know from past experiences that if Ulster sometimes wants to free-wheel to success that can be undone by the sheer cussedness of the Rodney Parade team. Unquestionably the visitors cannot call on the resources they face tonight, but while they have been notably unsuccessful in league and in Europe since the inaugural Celtic League campaign they have a painful habit of spiking the hopes of better- equipped but less patient opponents. This is a new Dragons set-up in more than just name. Bernard Jackman, the former Ireland hooker, has been installed as Head Coach, his time at Grenoble in the Top 14 judged overall as a success. He took the post with the very public backing of his old Connacht mentor, Warren Gatland, the most powerful influence in the Welsh Rugby Union’s purchase of the club this summer. And Jackman, as hard-as-nails a competitor that there’s been in rugby, arrives at Kingspan with a team fresh from its opening win of the PRO14 season, the defeat of Connacht last weekend featuring the characteristics its coach would have demanded: organisation, cohesion, power up front and a gritty resolve for a full 80 minutes. From such solid foundations the players will be determined to expand their game, and though perhaps lacking in star-laden names there are some eye-catching individuals who will certainly have been given some extra attention by the Ulster discipline and cementing confidence. Second, the Scarlets are current league

ROD NAWN

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ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

coaching team this week. The skipper Cory Hill is a Welsh international lock who loves to make his presence felt in the setpiece, and hooker Elliott Dee and South African prop Brok Harris provide just a hint of a steely and resilient front row. Behind the scrum there is real competition at scrum-half, with Sarel Pretorius the man in possession, and the half-back partner to one of the game’s most colourful figures, the hugely talented but surely unfulfilled Gavin Henson. At 35, Henson is showing glimpses of the gifts which once made him the organiser-in-chief of the Wales backline, his kicking is as accurate and inventive as ever and if he’s lost a yard of pace he still sees opportunities which others cannot even imagine. Tyler Morgan is an international centre and winger Hallam Amos has played for Wales and is a prolific try-scorer, as he showed against Connacht with an early strike. One player who’ll hope to be fit and available to feature tonight is South African fullback Zane Kirchner, very familiar and potent figure for Leinster for so many years. So the Dragons may be developing an ‘X Factor’ with such a sprinkling of experienced but proven players but Jackman will want his team to set the tone with some early, exhausting tussles up front. So, the Dragons may be embarking on a defining chapter in a rich and not always harmonious history but in this new, still rather complex reshaping of the Guinness PRO14, the club is determined on a course which will at last bring silverware to Rodney Parade and which will fire its long-held European ambitions. To reach the knockout stages of the Champions Cup for the first time ever is a target in the medium-term, and to even have access to that Jackman’s side must defy its league history and claim one of the top three spots in Conference B. Ulster’s immediate challenge is to stall the visitors’ hopes but, more pertinently, call upon the character, the belief and the concentration on the game’s principles to ensure that last weekend’s superb exhibition of all these can be the template for what has the potential to be a key stage in the growth of this group of players and coaches. Individually there has been much to admire,

especially in the displays of the newly-arrived half-back pairing of Christian Leali’ifano and John Cooney, a scrum-half whose relish for the battle has already established him as a fans’ favourite at Kingspan. Kiss and Gibbes have managed to give ‘game time’ to much of the squad and there are other strong personalities yet to be integrated over the coming weeks. The focus will be on winning games, a habit beloved of supporters, and with Zebre and Connacht to face before Europe calls in October the next few weeks are – like so many before! – very important. If the stadium can be as passionate a cauldron as it became a week ago, if the players respond to situations with the same positive instincts, then the Dragons will not at all relish the game tonight. The fans were rewarded last Friday evening, their faith can be underpinned with another demonstration that Ulster has rediscovered its mojo.

ROD NAWN

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JOHN ANDREW

RODNEY AH YOU

RORY BEST

Hooker 26.05.93

Prop 27.10.88 186cm 128.1kg 21 3 Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116.8kg 130 —

Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 105kg

180cm 99.1kg 30 —

198 104

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 200cm 115.8kg 32 —

TOMMY BOWE

CALLUM BLACK

Wing 22.02.84

191cm 98.6kg 153 69

DARREN CAVE

AARON CARINS

DAVID BUSBY

Centre 05.04.87 182cm 93kg 194 11

Scrum Half 07.10.92

Back Line 03.02.94

176cm 84.9kg 1 —

179cm 89.8kg 2 —

JEAN DEYSEL

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN COONEY

Back Row 05.03.85 191cm 118kg 2 SA 4

Flanker 08.05.91

Scrum Half 01.05.90 177cm 88kg 3 —

191cm 122kg 5 SA 28

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18 26 Wing 11.03.91 182cm 94kg 149 10 Prop 05.07.88 177cm 120.9kg 57 — CHRIS HENRY No. 7 17.10.84 187.cm 105.5kg 168 24 ROBBIE DIACK No. 8 12.11.85 193cm 110.8kg 196 2

IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 200cm 117kg

CRAIG GILROY

74 32

ROB HERRING

WIEHAHN HERBST

Hooker 27.04.90

182cm 106kg 123 1

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

ROSS KANE

BRETT HERRON Out Half 13.11.95

CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO Out Half 24.09.87 180cm 91kg 3 AUS 19

Prop 14.10.94 179cm 113.5kg

183cm 89.9kg 7 —

11 —

ROB LYTTLE

LUKE MARSHALL

LOUIS LUDIK Full Back 08.10.86

Wing 28.01.97

Centre 03.03.91 180cm 98kg 106 11 Centre 06.08.92 190cm 108.8kg 61 1

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

174cm 86.2kg 8 —

182cm 92.4kg 57 —

PAUL MARSHALL

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

Scrum Half 26.07.85

Prop 02.01.92 177cm 106.7kg 38 —

170cm 76.0kg 196 3

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS Out Half 13.04.97

PETER NELSON Full Back 05.10.92 180cm 87kg 40 —

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 195cm 113.2kg

180cm 88.9kg

— —

41 —

TOMMY O'HAGAN

JACK OWENS

CALLUM PATTERSON

Prop 05.10.93 182cm 120kg

Wing 04.10.95

Centre 10.08.92

189cm 98.6kg 1 —

181cm 93.3kg

— —

— —

MATTHEW REA

JARED PAYNE Full Back 13.10.85 187cm 94kg

CHARLES PIUTAU Full Back 31.10.91 186cm 103.5kg 24 NZ 17

No. 8 21.09.93 193cm 110.8kg 3 —

78 20

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Should’ve gone to Specsavers

Official partner of the Guinness PRO14 referees

©2017 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

SEAN REIDY

CLIVE ROSS

DAVE SHANAHAN

Scrum Half 20.06.93

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 98kg 220 70 Prop 19.08.90 182cm 108.3kg 4 — Back Row 10.05.89 182cm 103kg 61 2

Back Row 14.06.89 190cm 107.2kg 53 —

174cm 77.4kg

15 —

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 06.11.95 198cm 115kg 23 2

JONNY SIMPSON

Centre 03.04.96 190cm 102kg 26 2

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

ANDREW TRIMBLE

SCHALK VAN DER MERWE

ANDREWWARWICK

Prop 04.12.90 184cm 110kg

Prop 12.03.91 177cm 113kg

— —

75 —

Keep up to date with the latest player pro les, career stats and squad news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

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15

1

CHARLES PIUTAU

KYLE McCALL

14

2

TOMMY BOWE

ROB HERRING

13

3

RODNEY AH YOU

DARREN CAVE

12

4

STUART McCLOSKEY

ROBBIE DIACK

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

JACOB STOCKDALE

ALAN O'CONNOR

6

10

CLIVE ROSS

PETER NELSON

7

9

CHRIS HENRY C

PAUL MARSHALL

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 J ANDREW A WARWICK W HERBST I HENDERSON

20 21 22 23

M REA D SHANAHAN B HERRON R LYTTLE

8

NICK TIMONEY

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE DAN JONES WRU, 10TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREES IAN DAVIES WRU | ADAM JONES WRU TMO JOHN MASON WRU

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A FUTURE BUILT WITH OUR PEOPLE

With over 10,000 employees worldwide Kingspan is committed to providing a safe, enterprising and exciting workplace for all employees.

www.kingspan.com

Working Together

1

15

THOMAS DAVIES

CARL MEYER

14

2

ADAM HUGHES

GERARD ELLIS

DRAGONS

3

13

THRETTON PALAMO

LLOYD FAIRBROTHER

4

12

PAT HOWARD

MATTHEW SCREECH

5

11

GEORGE GASSON

RYNARD LANDMAN

6

10

MAX WILLIAMS

DORIAN JONES

7

9

OLIVER GRIFFITHS C

OWAIN LEONARD

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 R BUCKLEY P PRICE B HARRIS J DAVIES

20 21 22 23

L GREGGAINS D BLACKER A O'BRIEN W TALBOT-DAVIES

8

ROBSON BLAKE

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SCOTT ANDREWS

HALLAM AMOS Fullback 24.09.94 186cm 97kg —

KEAGAN BALE

Lock 30.06.94 196cm 123kg —

Prop 29.09.95 180cm 117kg —

JAMES BENJAMIN

LIAM BELCHER

SAM BEARD

Flanker 21.02.94

Hooker 28.04.96

Centre 03.05.90 183cm 93kg —

182cm 100kg —

175cm 105kg —

RHYS BUCKLEY

LEON BROWN

ROBSON BLAKE

Hooker 18.06.89 183cm 108kg —

Prop 26.10.96 190cm 127kg —

Back Row 15.05.95 190cm 125kg —

JOE DAVIES

NIC CUDD

CHARLIE DAVIES

DRAGONS 2017/18

Lock 13.11.95

Flanker 12.10.88 180cm 98kg —

Scrumhalf 23.05.90 186cm 97kg —

197cm 125kg —

THOMAS DAVIES

JACK DIXON

ELLIOT DEE

Centre 13.12.94 188cm 105kg —

Hooker 07.03.94 186cm 105kg —

Prop 10.03.93 188cm 118kg —

GERARD ELLIS

LLOYD FAIRBROTHER

LEWIS EVANS

Hooker 25.10.92

Prop 13.11.91 175cm 122kg —

Flanker 09.07.87 191cm 110kg —

181cm 120kg —

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LUKE GARRETT

BROK HARRIS

OLLIE GRIFFITHS

Prop 22.02.85 186cm 117kg –

Prop 11.01.95 180cm 117kg —

Flanker 23.03.95 185cm 103kg —

Centre 01.02.82 183cm 93kg — GAVIN HENSON

ASHTON HEWITT

CORY HILL

Wing 20.11.94 180cm 90kg —

Lock 10.02.92 195cm 118kg —

DRAGONS 2017/18

SAM HOBBS

PAT HOWARD

ADAM HUGHES

Wing 14.02.90 183cm 95kg —

Wing 27.03.92 189cm 106kg —

Prop 13.05.88 195cm 120kg —

DORIAN JONES

HARRI KEDDIE

ZANE KIRCHNER

Flanker 10.07.96 188cm 110kg —

Fullback 16.06.84 186cm 94kg —

Flyhalf 27.09.92 175cm 87kg —

TAVIS KNOYLE

RYNARD LANDMAN

LLOYD LEWIS

Lock 24.07.86 196cm 118kg —

Scrumhalf 02.06.90 185cm 95kg —

Wing 05.09.96 177cm 93kg —

CARL MEYER

TYLER MORGAN

BARNEY NIGHTINGALE

Fullback 27.05.91 190cm 107kg —

Centre 05.11.96 182cm 98kg —

Centre 11.09.95 186cm 104kg —

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ANGUS O'BRIEN

SAREL PRETORIUS

PHIL PRICE

Scrumhalf 18.04.84 175cm 85kg —

Flyhalf 17.09.94 180cm 89kg —

Prop 10.11.88 185cm 116kg —

MATTHEW SCREECH

DAN SUTER

JARED ROSSER

Lock 24.10.92 198cm 117kg —

Wing 31.12.97 183cm 97kg —

Prop 29.06.93 180cm 114kg —

DRAGONS 2017/18

JAMES THOMAS

ASHLEY SWEET

ADAM WARREN

Centre 07.03.91 181cm 93kg —

Lock 01.04.89 195cm 115kg —

Lock 17.08.90 108cm 110kg —

Lock 02.04.98 195cm 115kg — MAX WILLIAMS

Keep up to date with the latest player pro les, career stats and squad news at www.dragonsrugby.wales PLAYER STATS

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The Ultimate Driving Machine

THE KEY TO A NEW BMW COULD BE IN YOUR POCKET. RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL £2,000 OFF A NEW LOWER EMISSION BMWWHEN YOU TRADE IN YOUR OLDER DIESEL CAROF ANY MAKE OR MODEL.*

BAVARIAN. www.bavarianbmw.co.uk

Official fuel economy figures for the BMW Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) range: Combined 83.1-148.7mpg (3.4-2.0l/100km). CO 2 emissions 294-44g/km. Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle using a combination of battery power and petrol fuel after the battery had been fully charged. All figures are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. Plug-in Hybrid vehicles require mains electricity for charging. *£2,000 Lower Emissions Allowance towards new BMWs with CO 2 emissions of 130 g/km (NEDC) or below. New vehicle must be registered by 31 December 2017 and in the same name and address as trade-in vehicle. Trade-in vehicle must be diesel, any brand, EU4 emission standard or older and owned for at least 12 months. Retail customers only. Participating Retailers only. Can be used in conjunction with other offers. Terms and conditions apply.

THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW… ABOUT THE DRAGONS!

01

08 09

Previously known as Newport Gwent Dragons, the WRU this summer purchased the club and its Rodney Parade ground and officially registered the side as the Dragons. Former Ireland coach Declan Kidney was appointed Head Coach in 2004 – but before taking charge of a game he had a change of heart and instead took up the reins at Leinster. The Newport-based club’s most successful year in the new Celtic League was its first – finishing 3rd in 2003/4. As one of Welsh rugby’s five new regional sides in 2003 the Newport Gwent Dragons was intended to draw its players from the Ebbw Vale and Newport clubs. Number 8 Michael Owen famously skippered Wales to its first Grand Slam in 27 years in 2005. Dragons' Gareth Cooper and Michael Owen toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2005 in New Zealand, and in 2013 Dan Lydiate and Taulupe Faletau played in Australia. The club has played in three European Challenge Cup semi-finals and reached the last four of the Anglo-Welsh Cup once.

The club’s record points-scorer is Jason Tovey with 776 points, while winger Aled Brew is the record try-scorer with 43. After guiding the Dragons to its best ever finish in the league in 2003/04, Head Coach Mike Ruddock was appointed as Wales’ coach and immediately won the Six Nations Championship Grand Slam. This season’s captain, lock Cory Hill, was one Warren Gatland’s so-called ‘Geography Five’ - called in to the Lions’ 2017 tour of New Zealand as short-term injury cover.

DRAGONS

02 03 04 05 06

10

07

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ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY

ACADEMY SQUAD 2017/18

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY JOHN McCUSKER

NAME John McCusker DOB 06.07.1998 PREFERRED POSITION Lock PREVIOUS TEAMS Rainey Old Boys, Magherafelt HONOURS

Ireland U18 & U19 caps COURSE STUDYING Architectural Engineering at UUJ RUGBY INFLUENCES Paul O’Connell RUGBY AMBITION Play for Ulster, then Ireland, then the Lions BEST ADVICE If in doubt, carry hard and straight DESCRIBE MYSELF IN 3 WORDS Tall. Funny. Large. STRONGEST AREA OF MY GAME Lineout AREA TO WORK ON Receiving restarts THINGS I ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUGBY Running into people OTHER HOBBIES Travelling FAVOURITE MOVIE Lord of the Rings / Saving Private Ryan CHEAT MEAL No such thing as a cheat meal

43

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ULSTER ACADEMY & AGE-GRADE TEAM FIXTURES

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY

18.08.2017 24.08.2017 01.09.2017

Leinster

30 - 34 10 - 22 29 - 21

Ulster

Donnybrook

3.30pm 6.30pm 5.30pm

Ulster

Ulster Club Select

Banbridge RFC Thomond Park

Munster

Ulster

ULSTER AGE-GRADE TEAMS

DANSKE BANK ULSTER U18 SCHOOLS

28.08.2017 02.09.2017 16.09.2017 23.09.2017

Munster

10 - 9 18 - 17 16 - 12

Ulster

Thomond Park Campbell College

Ulster Ulster

Leinster Munster

3.00pm 1.30pm 2.30pm

RBAI

Leinster

-

Ulster

Donnybrook

ULSTER U18 CLUBS

09.09.2017 17.09.2017 23.09.2017

Ulster

0 - 45

Leinster

City of Armagh RFC

1.00pm 1.00pm 2.30pm

Munster

32 - 7

Ulster

Thomond Park

Ulster

-

Connacht

City of Armagh RFC

ULSTER U19

03.09.2017 09.09.2017 16.09.2017

Connacht 27 - 21

Ulster Ulster

Sportsground Donnybrook

1.00pm 2.30pm 3.30pm

Leinster

59 - 15 21 - 22

Ulster

Munster

RBAI

ULSTER U18 GIRLS

24.09.2017 30.09.2017 07.10.2017

Ulster

- - -

Connacht

Virginia RFC

3.00pm 1.30pm 3.00pm

Leinster Munster

Ulster Ulster

North Kildare RFC

Barnhall RFC

45

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COME & GIVE IT A TRY

GIRLS INVITED TO 'GIVE IT A TRY' AS PART OF WRWC LEGACY

Ulster Rugby is inviting young female participants to 'Give it a Try' as Kingspan Stadium hosts a five-week introductory rugby programme for girls, aged 10-17 (P7 - Year 13).

GIVE IT A TRY

The initiative is aimed at girls who have never played rugby before or those who perhaps played mini rugby but never as part of a female structure. It will run for five consecutive weeks at Kingspan Stadium from Saturday 23rd September. Led by Ulster Rugby Coaches, in collaboration with local clubs, and funded through Sport Northern Ireland's Every Body Active 2020 programme in partnership with Belfast City Council, the participation project emerged from the hugely successful legacy of the Women's Rugby World Cup in Belfast.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GET INVOLVED!

If you are female, aged 10-17 years old, available on Saturdays (1pm- 2pm) from 23rd September to 21st October and interested in trying rugby for the first time, please email Jennifer.Boyd@ulsterrugby.com.

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TRAVEL TO SOUTH AFRICA with Killester Travel Group

SOUTHERN KINGS v ULSTER RUGBY SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2017

COSTS: Belfast from £1185 per person sharing Dublin from £1125 per person sharing Tailored trips can be arranged on request including Cape Town and other activities like wine tasting, safari, whale watching and golf.

TRIP DATES Tuesday 31st October 2017 to Sunday 5th November 2017

INCLUDED: » Economy flights with BA and South African Airways » Belfast or Dublin departure to Port Elizabeth via London and Johannesburg » 4 nights BB twin sharing in Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth » Airport transfers » Match ticket

Please contact Paddy Baird on rugby@killestertravel.com for details.