Ulster Rugby v Harlequins

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

unsatisfactory. The nature of the performance at Harlequins renewed a lot of faith in the Kingspan and travelling Ulster congregation, and it was positive proof that the coaches and players work hard and intensely. That’s never been questioned, but consistent selection has not characterised the season, and Kiss and new Head Coach Gibbes have been hampered by the absence of important players due to summer tours and, that bane of all managements, injuries. New blood, recruited and from the Academy, has flowed into the Ulster senior team’s veins, the priceless virtues of John Cooney and Christian Leali’ifano provided almost instant succour at half- back, while Greg Jones, Aaron Hall, John Andrew, Nick Timoney and Matt Dalton, for instance, have hinted at being considerable home-grown influences in the future. Leali’ifano, so sadly, leaves the northern hemisphere very soon, Ulster has indeed been fortunate to have him even for such a short time, while quite apart from his all-round intelligence at scrum-half, Cooney’s boot has been an enormous bonus. As he demonstrated, right on cue on his return to Ulster from Ireland duty, Jacob Stockdale’s star soars, the latest addition to Ulster’s imposing production line of superb wingers. Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Rory Best are also at the core of the international squad, while Stuart McCloskey, Sean Reidy, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Jared Payne hopefully, and Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe evidence a depth of top-class talent available to Ulster. That they all – Payne apart – have seen competitive action might be interpreted as encouraging, and Kiss and Gibbes would certainly support that thesis. Sport is – as the cliché has it – all about opinions, and we all have views, mostly well-meaning, constructive and always interesting, about who we’d like to see out in the middle in the white jersey. Against Harlequins a page was turned as the side which compete weekly in the draining arm- wrestle that can be the Aviva Premiership were often outmuscled and certainly out-thought by Ulster. Perhaps more evidence does need to be presented but the side at The Stoop offered a provoking prima facie case!

The arrival in the summer of prop Marty Moore from Wasps and of Leinster breakaway Jordi Murphy will literally and metaphorically add weight to the belief that, boldly managed, Ulster will have an ‘eight’ – and more! – to take on the best in the PRO14 and in Europe. By any standards, Operations Director Bryn Cunningham has done good business in a ruthless marketplace, and that Charles Piutau, Coetzee, Leali’ifano, Cooney, Jean Deysel and Schalk van der Merwe have signed in at Kingspan Stadium is testament to the undeniably good case – and deals – he made on behalf of the coaching teams of recent years. Kiss, Gibbes, Dwayne Peel, scrum coach Aaron Dundon and acute analyst Niall Malone have the resources, playing and material, and the Director of Rugby insists the players and management are at one, convinced that the first full third of the season has been navigated more-or-less safely and that the primary target of the PRO14 knock-out stages in May is in view. The Champions Cup was not ever a sideshow, and any Ulster coach would have long-term aspirations to add lustrous European gloss to his tenure and fulfil every fan’s dream. What last Sunday brought was unexpected cheer and, if moderate and considered, fans can throw themselves full- voice into the Champions Cup fray – starting this evening! Next weekend the festive PRO14 Inter-Provincial feast travels down to Galway to eat at the Connacht table, and the intensity doesn’t take a breath as Munster arrive at Kingspan Stadium on New Year’s Day. So there’s much to play for, literally, and constancy in fervent support home and away will be deserved. It goes without saying that the Ulster crowd can play a real role in getting what could be an important result this evening against Harlequins. All Together Now, sang The Farm back in 1991 in relation to far more devastating events than a game of rugby. But the call is as relevant this evening so, let’s hear that Kingspan Stadium congregation in chorus! And, oh, a very Merry Christmas, one and all!

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