Ulster Rugby v Southern Kings

DWAYNE PEEL ON THE SEARCH FOR CONSISTENCY

Having joined Ulster from Bristol Rugby last summer, Dwayne Peel was part of the new coaching ticket that led Ulster into the 2017/18 season. A season which it’s fair to say, has offered mixed results on the scoreboard, but one in which Peel insists the Ulstermen have made improvements. “I think, above all, we’ve worked really hard. We’d a new setup this year and we’ve worked hard on certain structures which we’ve started to see coming through in games. It has taken us a while and obviously, we have had mixed results. The Christmas period for us with the two losses against Connacht and Leinster were disappointing, beyond that I think there’s been some good patches in games and it’s about us finding consistency. “To go into the last round of Champions Cup still alive and top of the pool was great. It was a tough group with La Rochelle, Wasps and Harlequins so it was great to put ourselves in that position but unfortunately, if we’re honest, it was an average performance over in Coventry. I think the biggest thing for us is that we continue to work on what’s left of the season now and focus on the big run in for PRO14.” With January done and dusted, Ulster now faces another important block of games as the PRO14 heads towards the final straight. According to Peel, it’s business as usual, whether competing in one or two competitions simultaneously.

While Southern Kings have yet to win a match in the PRO14 competition, as a South African side they still pose a strong physical threat and have great pace, something which Ulster know a little about having faced them in November. “From the November game and the games we’ve seen of the (Southern) Kings, they’re prepared to throw the ball around and they can be dangerous given space and time, so we have to respect that. It’s obviously difficult coming into a new competition but I think they’re performing well in long periods of games and we need to be on the money tonight. We can’t give them cheap possession because if we give them cheap possession they’ve got the ability to hurt you because they’ve got good pace in the team.” The competition for PRO14 playoff places is fierce and with just a few points difference separating 3rd placed Ulster and Edinburgh in 4th. Peel is acutely aware of the importance of defeating Southern Kings tonight. “This block of games is crucial for the remainder of the season. We’ve got 3 home games in this period and a trip down to Scarlets as well. It’s really important to get off to a good start but it’s also really important we speak of consistency. If we have any ambition of going further in the competition, we have to have that going forward. It’s exciting we’re giving ourselves a chance, we’re in the mix and it’s in our hands how we approach it and how we do.” Professional sport is a fast paced industry and it is not unusual for coaches to move on. Ulster Rugby last week said farewell to Director of Rugby Les Kiss, who had given Peel the opportunity to coach at Ulster. “From a personal point of view, I’ve got massive admiration for Les. I think he is a great guy and I was lucky enough for him to give me an opportunity to come here so from my perspective I can’t speak highly enough of him. He’s a good man and he had Ulster Rugby at heart and worked tirelessly daily to improve the place so I’m sad to see him go, but this is the business of professional sport and these things happen. “For us, it’s a case of having to prepare well for the next game and that’s how Les wanted it as well. He had great support for us doing what we are here to do - and that’s the attitude we’ve taken. There’s been no down time, we’ve just moved on and prepped the team well because of the challenge ahead.”

INTERVIEW: DWAYNE PEEL “We didn’t prepare any differently for the European games than we did for the PRO14 so having the focus entirely on the PRO14 doesn’t affect anything as such; we just keep going as is. I think consistency on the field comes from the level of consistency in preparation. We constantly speak about performing well in training and that giving you the confidence to go into the game. As we have tried all year, we’re aiming to keep that level of consistency so when it

comes to matches we’re ready and prepared. “First and foremost after Wasps it was important to have a bit of a time away really, to recharge the batteries and get back into it fully. The boys have been working hard on generic stuff, like skill work, which is massively important to us, then there are some things that we’ve worked on and tried to put into place for the forthcoming games. Obviously, we’re under no illusions - February is a big month for us, it’s massive in terms of the games, and we all recognise the importance of putting ourselves in a good position, so it’s all systems go.”

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