Ulster Rugby vs Dragons

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, as we all look forward with great anticipation to the start of the Guinness PRO12 campaign.

On behalf of Kingspan I would like to welcome the Newport Gwent Dragons, who put in a hard fought battle against the Ulster men when they last met here in February. We have an exciting game ahead and our Ulster team will be hoping to build on the momentum of last week’s win against Northampton. Kingspan Stadium has become known for a warm welcome that is backed up by a formidable on pitch performance, and I hope you will all join me in making sure that we build on that reputation in typical fashion. On behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the squad and management of Ulster Rugby every success this evening. Enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure this is another Kingspan Stadium night to remember.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME 3 GUINNESS PRO12 WELCOME 4 TONIGHT’S MACOTS 7 ANDREW TRIMBLE 8 PLAYER RECRUITMENTS 13 NEIL DOAK 16 DOMESTIC UPDATE 19 ACADEMY UPDATE 22 ULSTER SQUAD 24 ULSTER TEAM 28 DRAGONS TEAM 33 DRAGONS SQUAD 34 PLAYER Q&A 39 IAIN HENDERSON 42 GUINNESS PRO12 STATS 45 CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY 47 ROD NAWN GUEST ARTICLE 48 URSC CLUB NEWS 51 OURCLUB NEWS 53 ULSTER RUGBY VALUES 55 STADIUM INFORMATION 57 MATCH PREVIEW 58 FIXTURES 59 THANK YOU 60

1

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

2% Cashback on the mortgage gave our home a new lease of life

For new residential customers with 20% deposit on our Cashback mortgage.

Apply in branch or online

All mortgages are subject to status and valuation. The mortgage must be secured by a first charge on the property. Suitable buildings insurance is required. All applicants must be 18 years or over. Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England and Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street, London EC4M 9BE. 10709160518b YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2016/17 OFFICERS John McKibbin President Graf n Parke Senior Vice President Stephen Elliott 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 Director of Rugby

Tonight’s opponents are Newport Gwent Dragons and I extend a warm welcome to their team, coaches, Directors and supporters. Last week the Ulster team put in a tremendous performance in beating a strong Northampton Saints team by 29-19 and supporters will be looking for another such performance again tonight. Ulster has successfully qualified for the PRO12 play-offs for the last five seasons but unfortunately have not been able to lay their hands on that elusive piece of silverware. Hopefully tonight’s game will be the start of a successful season for Les Kiss and the Ulster squad. I would also like to congratulate Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring on being appointed joint captains for the season. Anyone who was at the double header last week would have also seen an excellent performance by the Ulster A team who defeated Canada A by 48-38. This was a highly entertaining game with considerable skill on show. The Ulster A side sponsored by CD Group, included a large number of players from the Hughes Insurance Academy and Kieran Campbell (Academy Manager) and his coaches are to be complimented on the work that they are doing with our young players. The Age Grade Inter-provincials also got underway last week with the Ulster Schools XV, sponsored by Danske Bank, playing their Munster counterparts. Unfortunately they lost narrowly 15-18 but will have the opportunity to make amends when they face Leinster Schools tomorrow in Dublin. Also tomorrow, the Ulster U19 XV face Leinster U19s at Osborne Park (KO 3.00pm) and the Ulster U18 (Clubs) side face Munster at Hatrick Park, Magherafelt (KO 1.00pm). I wish all three teams the best of luck and would encourage any Ulster supporters who can get to these games to go along and support the Ulster teams. Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight as well as the facilities at Kingspan Stadium and remember - “Stand Up For The Ulstermen”. John McKibbin President IRFU (Ulster Branch) It gives me great pleasure as President of the IRFU Ulster Branch to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for the first match in this season’s Guinness PRO12. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

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

3

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Managing Director, PRO12 Rugby Welcome

Ever since Connacht Rugby put a dazzling final touch on an historic Guinness PRO12 Championship campaign in May, the anticipation has been building towards the start of a truly special season. As we enter the 16th Championship season, everyone in our new team at the Guinness PRO12 have been working very hard to make sure this is our most memorable yet. Following our Fans Survey, we have been able to introduce a number of new initiatives. First and foremost, we have altered our fixture list, with regular ‘appointment-to-view’ games on Friday and Saturdays and removed Sunday fixtures which had proved unpopular.ƒ We have also introduced six ‘Big Weekends’ that focus on the rivalries and heritage that supporters cherish. We have also voted in new protocols that ensure that, where possible, Assistant Referees (AR1) and the Television Match OŠcial (TMO) are both neutral as a first step to developing a fully neutral match-oŠcial selection policy. In addition, we have already seen the impact that meritocracy has had on our Championship and now that every match counts we have added to that with our Super Saturday in Round 22, where local derbies will play a big part in deciding who qualifies for the semi-finals and the Champions Cup. Last week at our season launch we confirmed the 2016/17 Guinness PRO12 Final will be at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, May 27. And maintaining our ‘Fans First’ philosophy, we are rewarding supporters who book tickets to the Championship’s flagship event before January 2, 2017 the chance to save up to 20% on selected tickets.ƒ Anyone who was at BT Murrayfield for last season’s finale will tell you what a great day out it was, no matter what team you supported. I’m sure that Dublin will be no di˜erent, so be sure to book your ticket early. We are also delighted to have announced that Guinness will continue their title sponsorship for another four years, this is fantastic news for the Championship and something that enables us to build upon moving forward alongside our other existing partners Specsavers and Rhino Rugby. You may have also noticed that our website, PRO12Rugby.com has been given a lick of paint, and we have also introduced a new Guinness PRO12 Fantasy Rugby game – so be sure to sign up and play against your friends, there are some great prizes to be won. There are exciting times ahead for the Championship and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the sta˜, coaches and players at each club for their relentless work throughout the summer. And finally to you, the fans, for your continued support of the Guinness PRO12.ƒ Enjoy the season, Martin Anayi

27 MAY 2017 I AVIVA STADIUM EARLY BIRD OFFER BUY NOW! SAVE UP TO 20% *

TICKETS FROM€30 ADULTS €5 CHILD ** TICKETMASTER.IE I PRO12RUGBY.COM

* O er ends 02 January 2017 **Terms & conditions apply

2016/17 CHAMPIONS CUP JERSEY

Available now · In store and online

ulsterrugbyshop.com

TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

NAOMI ELWOOD (12) Naomi is from Crossgar and attends

TOMMY SERGEANT (8) Tommy is from Loughgall and attends Birches Primary School. He plays rugby at school and at Tiny Tots and also enjoys football. When Tommy grows up he would like to play sport or be a teacher.

Hunterhouse College. She enjoys playing hockey and bodyboarding. Naomi’s favourite player is Andrew Trimble because he is really fast and good at scoring tries! When she grows up Naomi would like to be a Primary School teacher.

Inspiring Individuals

“Our favourite thing at Campbell College Junior School is sport, sport, sport!” Junior School & Kindergarten

Please call +44 (0)28 9076 3076 to arrange a visit.

www.campbellcollege.co.uk

7

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

It must be a massive honour to be named club captain? Absolutely. It’s not something I’d targeted in my career, so I was surprised when Les approached me and asked me to be captain along with Rob. I didn’t have to go away and think about it, it’s such a huge honour, especially when you look at the past captains. Rory is someone I would like to emulate. It’ll be tough to follow in his footsteps but myself and Rob are really up for the challenge and are very excited about it. Your family must be delighted? Yes, they’re all so pleased, regardless of their background and exposure to rugby, they all know what an honour it is to be named as captain and lead this team. It’s a big honour for both of us ANDREW TRIMBLE Q&A

How has pre-season training gone for you? It’s been up and down. I’ve had a few niggles which I’ve been working through and I’m getting there now. The boys have been training really hard and it’s all come together now, which we saw on Friday night against Northampton. It was a real reminder of where we’re at with our facilities, players, coaches, crowd – everything is up another level. It’s great to see all the hard work of preseason coming to a climax and putting a few tries in against Northampton. Obviously there are a few things to work on, there always will be with preseason games, but it’s a great point to launch us in to the season. We have to hit the ground running, we’re in for a tough start against the Dragons, we have to get going early – you don’t win the league in the last few games of the season, you start at week one. How do you think the team performed in the warm-up games? Great! There were a Charles Piutau obviously tore it up and reminded everybody how good he is. We’ve built a bit of excitement for the season ahead, I can’t think of anyone who didn’t have a good game. We have a lot of depth in the team - there were around 15 guys unavailable for selection against the full strength Northampton side and we still took them apart for 50 minutes and hung in long enough to deliver the win, so there’s a lot of positives. I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting stuck back in at Kingspan Stadium? Absolutely. Friday was a reminder of how great the atmosphere here is. When there’s a big match the home crowd really get the team going. If we turn up and perform well on Friday night we’re a really tough side to beat at home, this is our fortress. I’m excited to be a part of this, especially in a leadership role with Rob. lot of positives. Robert Lyttle’s kicking game on Friday night was fantastic – he proved he’s got a lot of strings to his bow and he’s a very talented player.

to lead the group of guys we have right now, there’s something very special about the potential we have this season, so we’re really looking forward to it. How have the fans reacted to the news? The fans have been supportive considering having a shared captaincy is slightly unorthodox. With

ANDREW TRIMBLE

a leader as strong and respected as Rory the tendency is for the team to always look to him to decide what to do. It’ll be good for the rest of us to take more ownership and lead the team together. We want to take the PRO12 and Champions Cup by the scruff of the neck and move it on. Taking ownership of this team as a group of individuals, friends, colleagues and players is how we want to move forward. How did Les break the news to you? He asked me to stay behind after a meeting, which is more often to deliver bad news than good news! I was racking my brains trying to work out what I’d done wrong but I thought I was whiter than white! He explained his idea to me about moving forward with two captains, which I thought was a great idea, so now I’m really looking forward to seeing what it looks like on the pitch.

8

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

“FRIDAY WAS A REMINDER OF HOW GREAT THE ATMOSPHERE HERE IS. WHEN THERE’S A BIG MATCH THE HOME CROWD REALLY GET THE TEAM GOING”

9

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

The GUINNESS word and associated logos are trade marks © Guinness & Co.2015.

ULSTER RUGBY VISITOR EXPERIENCE

TOUR OF KINGSPAN STADIUM AND THE NEVIN SPENCE CENTRE

Ever wonder what goes on in the stadium when there’s not a match on? Take a behind the scenes tour of Kingspan Stadium and see the players’ gym, match day changing

rooms and ice baths. Sit pitch side in the dugouts and find out some facts from our tour guides.

Visit The Nevin Spence Centre and learn about the history of rugby in Ulster starting in 1854. Explore our digital archive and find out more about schools and club rugby around the province. Meet some of our legends and pick your own DreamTeam.Think you could make Les Kiss’s squad? Try our kicking and tackling challenges!

ENTRY

EXIT

NO

ENTRY

The centre is open Monday to Friday with selected Saturdays and is fully accessible. Visits must be booked in advance. Individual, education and group rates available. Please see our website for details.

ULSTERRUGBY.COM/TOURS CALL 02890 493 222 OR EMAIL TOURS@ULSTERRUGBY.COM

GUINNESS PRO12 PLAYER RECRUITMENTS

As always, there was plenty of player movement in the off-season. Here’s a run-down of the newcomers to each of the Guinness PRO12 clubs…

George Earle Scarlets, Rhys Gill Saracens, Willis Halaholo Hurricanes, Matthew Morgan Bristol, Kirby Myhill Scarlets, Steven Shingler Scarlets, Nick Williams Ulster. CARDIFF BLUES Sam Beard Edinburgh , Marnitz Boshoff Golden Lions , Conor Carey Nottingham , Eoin Griffin London Irish , Cian Kelleher Leinster , Dominic Roberston-McCoy Northland , Josh Rowland Ireland 7s . CONNACHT RUGBY Nick Beavon Melrose, Glenn Bryce, Kevin Bryce, Duncan Weir all Glasgow, Lewis Carmichael Melrose, Viliami Fihaki Sale, Alex Northam La Rochelle, Solomoni Rasolea Western Force, Rory Scholes Ulster, Sasa Tofilau Kirkcaldy. EDINBURGH Jarrod Firth Manukau, Corey Flynn Toulouse, Nemia Kenatale F Constanta, Leonardo Sarto Zebre, Hagen Schulte Buller, Djustice Sears-Duru Ontario, Tjiuee Uanivi Natal. GLASGOW

Robbie Henshaw Connacht, Jamison Gibson-Park Hurricanes, Ian Nagle London Irish, Niall Morris Leicester. LEINSTER Sammy Arnold Ulster, John Andress Edinburgh, Darren O’Shea Worcester, Jean Kleyn Stormers MUNSTER Sam Hobbs , Tom Davies , Craig Mitchell all Cardiff Blues, Sam Beard Edinburgh, Nick Macleod Sale, Patrick Howard Northampton, Darran Harris Rotherham, Ashley Sweet Ebbw Vale. NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS

TREVISO

TRANSFERS

Marty Banks Highlanders, Tommaso Allan Perpignan,

Tommaso Benvenuti Bristol, Tito Tebaldi Harlequins, Michael Tagicakibau Scarlets, Andrea Buondonno ,

David Odiete, Federico Zani, Luca Sperandio all Mogliano, Ian McKinley, Filippo Gerosa both Viadana, Guglielmo Zanini , Giorgio Bronzini, Nicola Quaglio all Rovigo, Tiziano Pasquali Leicester. Charles Piutau Wasps, Marcell Coetzee Sharks, Rodney Ah You Connacht, Kieran Treadwell Harlequins, Brett Herron Bath, Angus Lloyd Dublin University . Joshua Furno, Giovanbattista Venditti both Newcastle, Carlo Festuccia Wasps, Kurt Baker NZ 7s, Lloyd Greeff, Derick Minnie both Golden Lions, Bart le Roux Leopards, Carlo Engelbrecht Blue Bulls, Gabriele Di Giulio, Tommaso Castello, Maxime Mbanda all Calvisano, Mattia Bellini Padova. ZEBRE ULSTER

OSPREYS

Bradley Davies Wasps, Rhodri Jones Scarlets, Hugh Gustafson Dragons, Kieron Fonotia Crusaders.

Jonathan Davies Clermont Auvergne, Rhys Patchell , Richard Smith both Cardiff Blues Johnny McNicholl Crusaders, Werner Kruger Bulls, Jonathan Evans Bath, Tom Williams Cardiff Blues, Rynier Bernardo Ospreys, Tadhg Beirne Leinster . SCARLETS

13

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Does your business team have the edge?

In business as in sport, performance is better when every part of the teamworks seamlessly together.

If your business IT and communications don’t help you to: • Manage your infrastructure from anywhere • Increase productivity, efficiency and collaboration • Reduce costs • Respond faster to customer demands • Keep your business secure and up and running Then you need a new player on your team. Talk to us. Our team will work with you, taking the time to understand your issues and ambitions – so we can come up with the right solution for your business. That’s the edge you need to perform at your best.

BT Business and Public Sector in Northern Ireland. Knowledge that delivers.

Neil Doak is a confident mood ahead of the start of competitive action in the Guinness PRO12, but he is wary of the threat posed by Kingsley Jones’ Dragons outfit this evening. NEIL DOAK

Ulster had a mixed pre-season in terms of results, following up defeats to Leinster and Exeter Chiefs with a clinical 29-19 win over Northampton Saints last weekend. Reflecting on that great win over their English visitors, Doak said: “It was a good performance. In the first half we were excellent; the physicality was massively improved from the previous week against Exeter. I felt we were a little ill-disciplined in the second half and we allowed them to get into our territory and put us under pressure. “We had some quality players out there, but had some missing as well. Even on the Friday morning we had around 14 internationals training on the back pitch, who weren’t available for one reason or another. Last weekend allowed the young guys to come in and mix with the more experienced players. “We scored a variety of tries which involved a mix of set piece plays, some broken field stuff and even a kick play. If we can maintain that variety and creativity going into this game, we will be hard to handle. “Overall, it was great to get the first win, which leads into the Dragons game and the start of the PRO12 competition. The boys are excited to get this campaign underway.” Ulster’s Head Coach admits he was pleased to see young players like Brett Herron, Robert Lyttle and Jacob Stockdale make such a big contribution in front of 13,500 supporters at Kingspan Stadium: “You can train and train but it’s only when you get the guys out on the pitch that you see how they use their skills and how they cope with the pressure. I think Rob, Jacob, Brett and others showed a huge amount of potential. “It’s great that those younger guys can get that exposure in a less threatening pre-season friendly environment and hopefully they will flourish over the next couple of weeks leading into the PRO12 and over the course of the season.” Stockdale and Herron will start again tonight, and Doak was full of praise for how the latter has adapted to life at Ulster following his move from Bath. “It’s a difficult task coming in to occupy a pivotal position like outhalf as it takes time to settle in to the way we play. When you look at some of

the Bath terminology, it seems quite similar to ours in terms of names, so he just had to quickly transfer that to Ulster. On Friday night he proved he’d done his homework and had a really good understanding. “His kicking out of hand was also really pleasing - we gained really good territory with our kicking game and he was central to that. His performance in the first half put us on the front foot. Tommy (Bowe), Andrew (Trimble) and Craig (Gilroy) are really strong at chasing and re- gathering those high balls and moving forward we need to utilise Brett’s skills.” The immediate task for Herron will be to navigate his way through his competitive debut against a well-drilled Dragons side tonight. Ulster won narrowly in both games last season (12-19 away and 17-15 at home), so Doak is acutely aware of the threat posed. “They are a tough side, very physical. If you under-estimate them or are frivolous with the ball, they have some dangerous runners who can cause damage. Particularly someone like Sarel Pretorius at 9, who is a huge threat around the fringes. Up front, Nic Cudd was one of the top turnover guys in the league last season. There are threats across the board. “We have got to make sure that we don’t give them real opportunities. We have got to do our basics well, carry hard and bring tempo to the game. We want to start the season with a win at home and give the crowd something to shout about.” Last season’s early inconsistency contrived to give Ulster another away semi-final in May, and a defeat at the hands of Leinster. Doak is keen to ensure that his side hit the ground running and build momentum in the opening weeks of the season. “Last year it was difficult enough with the World Cup, a few games on, a few games off, players coming back and forth - it was disjointed. This season with everyone in situ, it is imperative that we go into Europe in a strong position and focus on a top two finish in the PRO12. The home games are a perfect place to start and this Friday night we will be aiming to get the points tally off to a great start,” concluded Doak.

NEIL DOAK

16

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

“WE SCORED A VARIETY OF TRIES WHICH INVOLVED A MIX OF SET PIECE PLAYS, SOME BROKEN FIELD STUFF AND EVEN A KICK PLAY. IF WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT VARIETY AND CREATIVITY GOING INTO THIS GAME, WE WILL BE HARD TO HANDLE”

17

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

ONE OF 25 OFFICIAL GUINNESS PRO12 BALLS TO ENTER GO TO FACEBOOK.COM/RHINORUGBY WIN

SONI ULSTER RUGBY PREMIERSHIP UPDATE Club rugby action returned last weekend with a number of re-branded domestic leagues...

The SONI Ulster Rugby Premiership, the new name for the Ulster Senior League, encompasses 11 club rugby teams from across the Province, who will compete across two divisions with each team playing all others in their division once. In the opening round of Division 1 games there was a clean sweep of wins for visiting teams as Banbridge defeated Armagh, while Ballymena and Ballynahinch recorded victories at City of Derry and Dungannon respectively. In Division 2 Malone accounted for Belfast Harlequins at home and Rainey OB secured an away win at Queens, while Bangor had the afternoon off. There was also a full round of fixtures played in the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1, 2 & 3, as well as the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship Conference 1 & 2.

The Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship will be played off under the same format as the previous Kukri Qualifying Leagues, with teams playing each other both home and away. Promotion and relegation structures also remain the same. The Ulster Rugby Provincial Leagues will replace the Junior Leagues and will be played off on a Provincial-wide promotion and relegation format. The Ulster Rugby Regional Leagues replace the old Minor Leagues and will be split into three sections based on geographical regions. For the complete list of club rugby results and upcoming fixtures visit www.ulsterrugby.com and browse the ‘Rugby in Ulster’ section.

DOMESTIC UPDATE

19

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Kieran Campbell, Head of the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy, has announced his squad for the 2016/17 season. HUGHES INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY 2016/17 SQUAD ANNOUNCED

The squad features ten returning players who have retained their place in the Academy, namely David Busby, Peter Cooper, Ross Kane, Michael Lagan, Rob Lyttle, Andy Magrath, Jack Owens, Nick Timoney, Alex Thompson and Craig Trenier. They will be joined by eight new members of the Academy; Conall Boomer, Rory Butler, Aaron Hall, Adam McBurney, Zack McCall, Tommy O’Hagan, Marcus Rea and Jonny Stewart. All players in the Academy are eligible to play for Ireland and indeed a number have already done so with distinction at age-grade level including Boomer and McBurney who were part of the Ireland U20 squad that reached the World Championship Final during the summer. Their fellow Ireland U20 team-mates Johnny McPhillips and Jacob Stockdale are among five of last season’s Academy squad who have joined the senior panel at Ulster along with John Donnan, Lorcan Dow and David Shanahan. Matthew Rea has also been upgraded from the Sub-Academy directly to the senior panel. Commenting on the announcement of the squad, Campbell said: “I am delighted that Hughes Insurance have continued their support of the

Ulster Rugby High Performance Academy Programme. Their sponsorship is essential to ensuring Academy players experience world class service provision enabling them to strive for excellence and perform to the high standards demanded at Ulster Rugby. The success of the partnership with Hughes is already evident with the quality of players achieving recognition with the Ulster Senior squad and we intend to build on this in the forthcoming season.” Brian McDowell, Chief Executive of Hughes Insurance commented: “I have supported Ulster Rugby for many years and am very proud to sponsor the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy. It was great to meet the players, many of whom hope to get the call up to the first team in the coming season. Ulster Rugby and Hughes Insurance share the same philosophy in developing talent and performing to high standards of excellence. I would like to wish all the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy players the very best of luck for the season ahead.” To find out more about Hughes Insurance visit www.hughesinsurance.co.uk

ACADEMY UPDATE

22

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

HUGHES INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY 2016/17 SQUAD

NAME

POSITION SCHOOL/

DOB

H

W

CLUB

(cm) (kg)

Conall Boomer

Back Row

Ballymena RFC

18.05.96

192 102

ACADEMY UPDATE

David Busby

Back Three

Ballynahinch RFC

03.02.94 183 90

Rory Butler

Centre

Queen's RFC

11.03.97

197 99

Peter Cooper

Prop

Belfast Harlequins RFC 22.01.97

182 116

Aaron Hall

Back Row

Ballynahinch RFC

26.06.98 192 96

Ross Kane

Prop

Ballymena RFC

14.10.94

181 116

Michael Lagan

Prop

Ballymena RFC

18.12.95

182 112

Rob Lyttle

Wing

Queen's RFC

28.01.97

181 88

Andy Magrath

Out Half

Banbridge RFC

28.11.96

179 85

Adam McBurney Hooker

Ballymena RFC

05.09.96 181 100

Zack McCall

Hooker

Queen's RFC

10.02.95

179 100

Tommy O'Hagan Prop

Rainey OB RFC

05.10.93

182 118

Jack Owens

Back Three

Malone RFC

04.10.95

189 97

Marcus Rea

Back Row

Queen's RFC

08.09.97 189 105

Jonny Stewart

Scrum Half

Queen's RFC

20.02.98

178 78.5

Alex Thomson

2nd Row

Queen's RFC

21.11.95

199 116

Nick Timoney

Back Row

Queen's RFC

01.08.95

190 108

Craig Trenier

Prop

Ballynahinch RFC

21.01.94

190 121

MANAGEMENT TEAM

2016/17 FIXTURES

HEAD COACH Willie Anderson ASSISTANT COACHES

ULSTER V LEINSTER Friday 2nd September 2016 Shaw’s Bridge, 5.30pm MUNSTER V ULSTER Friday 9th September Thomond Park, 7.00pm ULSTER V CONNACHT Friday 17th September Kingspan Stadium, 7.00pm

Kieran Campbell Jamie Turkington TEAM MANAGER Hugh McCaughey

23

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

MARK BEST Centre 01.04.94 182cm 94kg

JOHN ANDREW Hooker 26.05.93 181cm 101kg

RODNEY AH YOU Prop 27.10.88

187cm 129kg — 3

— —

14 —

TOMMY BOWE Wing 22.02.84 190cm 100kg 136 67

CALLUM BLACK Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116kg 108 — DARREN CAVE Centre 05.04.87 184cm 95kg 179 11 l 11A JOHN DONNAN 2nd Row 16.02.93 197cm 115kg

RORY BEST Hooker 15.08.82

178cm 106kg 184 97

MARCELL COETZEE Flanker 08.05.91 191cm 112kg — SA 28

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 201cm 116kg

14 —

LORCAN DOW Back Row 27.01.95 190cm 108kg 1 — CHRIS HENRY No. 7 17.10.84

ROBBIE DIACK No. 8 12.11.85 195cm 110kg 175 2 l 2A

— —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17 24 CRAIG GILROY Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 132 8 l 2A WIEHAHN HERBST Prop 07.05.88 180cm 120kg 39 — IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 199cm 117kg 58 23 l 3A ROB HERRING Hooker 27.04.90 185cm 102kg 97 1 l 2A

191cm 105kg 150 24

BRETT HERRON Fly half 13.11.95 184cm 92kg

— —

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

CONOR JOYCE Back Row 05.07.93

PADDY JACKSON Out half 05.01.92 180cm 87kg 105 16 l 1A ANGUS LLOYD Scrum half 02.10.92 175cm 80kg LUKE MARSHALL Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 83 8 — —

ROSS KANE Prop

14.10.94 180.5cm 116kg

192cm 106kg 4 —

— —

RICKY LUTTON Prop 26.02.86 182cm 114kg 52 — KYLE McCALL Prop 01.02.92 177cm 111kg 25 —

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 40 —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

PAUL MARSHALL Scrum half 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 174 3 l 2A

STUART McCLOSKEY Centre 06.08.92 193cm 113kg 42 1

STEPHEN MULHOLLAND Back Row 07.04.90 193cm 108kg 2 —

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS Out half 13.04.97 179cm 80kg

— —

JONNY MURPHY Hooker 02.06.92

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 197cm 114kg 25 — CHARLES PIUTAU Utility back 31.10.91 183cm 102kg — NZ 16

PETER NELSON Full back 05.10.92 180cm 88kg

178cm 106kg 1 —

31 —

STUART OLDING Centre 11.03.93 178cm 93kg 48 4

JARED PAYNE Full back 13.10.85 186cm 97kg

68 16

25

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Should’ve gone to Specsavers

Official partner of the Guinness PRO12 referees

©2015 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

SEAN REIDY Back Row 05.10.89

RUAN PIENAAR Scrum half 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 118 SA 88

MATTHEW REA 2nd Row 21.09.93 193cm 110kg

182cm 105kg 31 1

— —

CLIVE ROSS Back Row 14.06.89 193cm 105kg 29 —

JOHNNY SIMPSON Prop 19.08.90 184cm 110kg

DAVE SHANAHAN Scrum half 20.06.93 174cm 90kg 8 — KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 11.06.95 198cm 121kg

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

— —

JACOB STOCKDALE Wing 04.03.96 195cm 96kg 6 —

ANDREW TRIMBLE Wing 20.10.84 185cm 97kg 206 66 l 3A ANDY WARWICK Prop 12.03.91 179cm 110kg

— —

DAN TUOHY 2nd Row 18.06.85 197cm 115kg 134 11 l 4A

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE 2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 117kg 53 SA 1

47 —

SAM WINDSOR Fly half 07.12.87 185cm 94 kg 1 —

ROGER WILSON No. 8 21.09.81 190cm 106kg 207 1 l 11A

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

27

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

15

1

CALLUM BLACK

CHARLES PIUTAU

14

2

ROB HERRING (C)

CRAIG GILROY

13

3

ROSS KANE

STUART OLDING

12

4

PETER BROWNE

STUART McCLOSKEY

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

JACOB STOCKDALE

6

10

CLIVE ROSS

BRETT HERRON

7

9

SEAN REIDY

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 J ANDREW K McCALL A WARWICK A O’CONNOR

20 21 22 23

R DIACK P MARSHALL S WINDSOR R LYTTLE

8

ROGER WILSON

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE MARIUS MITREA FIR 54TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREE’S MATTEO LIPERINI FIR | HELEN O’REILLY FIR CITING COMMISSIONER WAYNE SHERIDAN IRFU TMO STEFANO PENNE FIR

28

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

PIUTAU CHARLES PIUTAU

HARLES

15

1

SAM HOBBS

CARL MEYER

14

2

THOMAS RHYS THOMAS (C)

ADAM WARREN

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS

13

3

CRAIG MITCHELL

SAM BEARD

12

4

CORY HILL

JACK DIXON

11

5

RYNARD LANDMAN

PAT HOWARD

6

10

OLLIE GRIFFITHS

NICK MACLEOD

7

9

NIC CUDD

SAREL PRETORIUS

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 R BUCKLEY T DAVIES L FAIRBROTHER N CROSSWELL

20 21 22 23

L EVANS C DAVIES A O’BRIEN T MORGAN

8

ED JACKSON

33

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

SCOTT ANDREWS

HALLAM AMOS

KEAGAN BALE

Lock 31.06.94 195cm 121kg —

Wing 24.09.94 185cm 98kg Wales 10

2nd Row 30.06.94 155cm 121kg —

JAMES BENJAMIN

ALED BREW

SAM BEARD

Back Row 21.02.94 182cm 96kg —

Wing 09.08.86 185cm 98kg Wales 9

Centre 03.05.90 182cm 93kg —

NICK CROSSWELL

RHYS BUCKLEY

LEON BROWN

Back Row 03.04.86 193cm 111kg —

Hooker 18.06.89

Prop 26.10.96 189cm 112kg

182cm 108kg —

CHARLIE DAVIES

NICK CUDD

JOE DAVIES

Lock 13.11.95 198cm 120kg —

Scrum Half 23.05.90 185cm 97kg —

Back Row 12.10.88 180cm 97kg —

ELLIOTT DEE

OWEN DAVIES

TOM DAVIES

Scrum-Half 05.10.95 177cm 85kg —

Hooker 07.03.94 185cm 104kg —

Prop 10.03.93 188cm 117kg —

JACK DIXON

LEWIS EVANS

LLOYD FAIRBROTHER

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 2016/17

Centre 13.12.94 188cm 106kg —

Back Row 09.07.87 190cm 111kg —

Prop 13.11.91 175cm 124kg —

34

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

LUKE GARRETT

OLLIE GRIFFITHS

BROK HARRIS

Prop 11.0195 180cm 115kg —

Back Row 23.03.95 185cm 105kg —

Prop 22.02.85 185cm 120kg —

ASHTON HEWITT

CORY HILL

DARRAN HARRIS

Wing 20.11.94 180cm 86kg —

Lock 10.02.92 196cm 116kg —

Hooker 11.11.92 180cm 102kg —

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 2016/17

PAT HOWARD

ADAM HUGHES

SAM HOBBS

Centre 27.03.92 188cm 106kg —

Centre 14.02.90 183cm 94kg —

Prop 13.05.88 193cm 125kg —

ED JACKSON

LUC JONES

DORIAN JONES

Back Row 02.12.98 193cm 109kg —

Scrum Half 12.05.94 180cm 86kg —

Fly Half 27.09.91 175cm 86kg —

HARRI KEDDIE

GERAINT RHYS JONES

SHAUN KNIGHT

Back Row 10.07.96 188cm 109kg —

Full Back 23.08.87 178cm 89kg —

Prop 19.02.90 180cm 118kg —

NICK MACLEOD

RYNARD LANDMAN

CARL MEYER

Outside Half 22.02.83 185cm 85kg —

Lock 24.07.86 193cm 121kg —

Full Back 27.05.91 190cm 105kg —

35

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

Official suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

BARNEY NIGHTINGALE

CRAIG MITCHELL

TYLER MORGAN

Centre 05.11.96 178cm 97kg —

Prop 03.05.86 185cm 122kg

Centre 11.09.95 185cm 102kg Wales 3

SAREL PRETORIUS

ANGUS O’BRIEN

PHIL PRICE

Scrum Half 18.04.84 175cm 84kg —

Fly Half 17.09.94 180cm 86kg —

Prop 10.11.88 185cm 114kg —

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS 2016/17

TOM PRYDIE

ASHLEY SWEET

MATTHEW SCREECH

Wing 23.02.92 188cm 95kg Wales 5

Lock 01.04.89 195cm 104kg —

Lock 24.10.92 198cm 116kg —

JAMES THOMAS

THOMAS RHYS THOMAS

ROSS WARDLE

Back Row 17.08.90 193cm 107kg —

Hooker 23.04.82 185cm 104kg Wales 27

Centre 28.04.91 188cm 99kg —

37

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

A leadingEnergy provider offering excellent value Electricity &Gas to Commercial customers throughout NI &ROI

Whatmakes us different; • No switchboard • Personal Account Management • Most competitive priceswithin themarket • Easy to switch • Online Account Management

028 8676 0600

sales @ gopower.energy www.gopower.co.uk

@ GoPower_Energy

ThePower behind…

STUART McCLOSKEY SQUAD Q&A NICK NAME? Big Stu FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? History IF YOU COULD BE A PROFESSIONAL IN ANOTHER SPORT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Basketball, I love watching NBA MOST EXCITING THING YOU HAVE DONE? Playing for Ulster FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? California MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU HAVE BOUGHT? A watch HOW DO YOU RELAX ON YOUR DOWN TIME? Watch TV or play golf FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? Braveheart IF A FILM WAS MADE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOU? Will Ferrell, he’d make me funnier than I really am IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESSERT ISLAND, WHICH PLAYER WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO BE STRANDED WITH? Dave Shanahan, after living with him for three years, being stuck on an island with him would be the final straw!

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT STUART FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @STUART_MC12

39

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

2016/17 LEISUREWEAR RANGE Available now · In store and online

ulsterrugbyshop.com

HENDERSON PRIMED FOR SUCCESS ON AND OFF THE PITCH…

Between the Ireland tour of South Africa and a significant personal milestone, Iain Henderson had a busy summer and he is determined to carry on where he left off…

Reflecting on Ireland’s narrow 2-1 series defeat in South Africa in June, Henderson said, “All in all it was a good tour. It was brilliant to get the win in the first week. The second and third Tests didn’t go to plan but I think we proved we were able to compete at that level, even with a so-called weakened team. “It was great for Sean Reidy to get his first cap and for Stu Olding to get back into an Ireland jersey again. They both played well and really fitted in with the rest of the squad. “It was good to see the Ulster backline get some recognition after the damage it’s been doing for us. In one of the games all bar two of the starting backline were Ulster players,” said Henderson, referring to the second Test when Payne, Trimble, Olding, Gilroy and Jackson were all involved.” It has been an eventful summer for Henderson off the pitch too, as he followed the tour of South Africa with a North American trip… “I was away for a bit with my girlfriend and got engaged. As you can imagine the proposal was a finely executed grand plan, you wouldn’t expect anything else from me would you?” laughed Henderson.

“She said ‘yes’ so that was the main outcome of it. I didn’t realise all the wedding planning started so soon, so that was a bit of a shock, but I’ll leave most of that up to her.” The 24-year-old had some time to celebrate before joining preparations of a different kind - Ulster’s pre-season schedule in advance of the upcoming season. It will be Les Kiss’ first full campaign in charge at the club and that is something Henderson sees as a massive positive. “It’s an exciting time. It’s our first pre-season with him at the helm so he’s been able to lay the foundations for the full season. It was a good opportunity for everyone to get clarity on what he wants us to do, not only the senior squad but right through to the Academy players. “We have been training as a group and I think that’s very important for some of the younger players to pick up that experience. There will be times during the season when internationals are away and boys will be able to step in seamlessly.” Congratulations to Iain and Suzanne!

IAIN HENDERSON

42

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

“IT’S AN EXCITING TIME. IT’S OUR FIRST PRE-SEASON WITH HIM AT THE HELM SO HE’S BEEN ABLE TO LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FULL SEASON”

43

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

GUINNESS PRO12 STATS

The road to the Guinness PRO12 Final in Dublin on May 27, 2017 begins this weekend as a new season opens up with Connacht Rugby defending their title which they won against Leinster Rugby just three months ago.

Last year saw an historic season where positive play was the hallmark of the Championship as the Guinness PRO12 saw the fewest penalties conceded of all three top European leagues and the tournament also registered a decade-high 602 tries in the regular season. WHAT’S AT STAKE Thanks to the introduction of meritocracy, all six matches in Round 22 of the 2015/16 season would had an impact on the Guinness PRO12 play-offs and qualification for the Champions Cup. No team can afford to get left behind as every one of the 132 regular-season games counts in the battle to become Guinness PRO12 champions. Powered by Opta Statistics & SFMS Metres gained Tiernan O’Halloran (Connacht Rugby) 1,648 Carries Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby) 276 Clean Breaks Craig Gilroy (Ulster Rugby) 32 Defenders Beaten Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby) 88 Most Tackles Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues) 254 Most Turnovers Won James Davies (Scarlets) 30 Try Assists Hadleigh Parkes (Scarlets) Sam Davies (Ospreys) 7 each Top Try Scorers Craig Gilroy (Ulster Rugby) Matt Healy (Connacht Rugby) 10 each Top Points Scorer Rhys Patchell (Scarlets) 174 points Rhino Golden Boot (accuracy for 30 or more attempts) Gareth Anscombe 81.25% TOP PERFORMERS 2015/16

FIXTURES

FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER 2016 Leinster Rugby v Benetton Treviso 7.35pm, TG4 Ospreys v Zebre 7.35pm, BBCW Ulster Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons 7.35pm, BBC NI SATURDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2016 Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby 7.35pm, S4C, BBC Alba Connacht Rugby v Glasgow Warriors 5.15pm, Sky Sports Scarlets v Munster Rugby 3pm, Sky Sports

PRO12 STATS

45

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Hi. We’re Hughes.

For a great deal on your insurance Talk to us.

hughesinsurance.co.uk We’ll take care of it like it’s our own.

Hughes Insurance proudly supporting Ulster Rugby

HALF TIME RUGBY

Welcome and good luck to the Centra Half Time mini rugby teams from...:

CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY

BALLYCLARE RFC Club colours: Red/Gold & Navy Stripe 1. Max Scott 2. Ewan McKinty 3. Aaron Craig 4. Harry Archer 5. Neil McCrea 6. Yannick Mulot 7. Daniel Graham 8. Lewis Kennedy 9. Angus Catherwood 10. Jack Coyle 11. Matthew McCourt 12. Jacob Charlton COACHES

COOKE RFC Club colours: White/Black 1. Teddy Brown 2. Oscar Hunter 3. Adam Cuthbert 4.

Max Hammersley William Sproule

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Luke Brown Charlie Burns Sam Allison

Harvey Begg 10. Zayan Iman 11. Thomas Lowry 12. Oliver Neil

COACHES Noel Brown

Paul McKinty Uel Kennedy Tommy Scott

Gordon Cuthbert Stephen Hunter

INSTONIANS RFC Club colours: Black/Yellow/Purple 1. Andrew Collins 2. Charlie Barrett 3. Christian Chandler

MALONE RFC Club colours: White/Navy/Red 1. Shea Scullion 2. Manus Gargan 3. Ivan Clarke 4. Adam Hunter 5. Cullam Campbell 6. Leo Roberts 7. Mark Anderson 8. James O’Donnell 9. Emmet Rodgers 10. Tommy Healy 11. Leo McShane 12. Tom Beattie

4. Dan Kernohan 5. Flynn Morrow 6. Jacob Boyd 7. James Dick 8. James Hilman 9. Joshua Smith 10. Rory Ellerby 11. Will Kernohan 12. Zak Pallin COACHES John Kernohan Mark Smith Damian Chandler

COACHES Gary Hayes Harry Hayes Mark Scullion

47

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

September, the first Friday evening, a perfect Kingspan Stadium surface, an expectant crowd – it must mean competitive rugby for Ulster’s players and their legion of supporters. SLAYING THE DRAGONS IS FIRST PRIORITY

And with all the pre-season preparations more- or-less in place, the team which inspires such fierce loyalty begins another quest for Guinness PRO12 glory. The opposition first-up is the Newport Gwent Dragons, a club which has survived the wealth of problems in the Welsh game – political and financial – to remain one of the fortresses of the game in the Principality. It is a club with a rich history and it believes that it is on the way to restore past glories. Only Zebre and Treviso finished lower in the table last season, and four wins from 22 outings is – by any measure – a paltry return for a side which has an age profile many others would envy and for a club which has invested heavily in youth. Throughout the Rodney Parade panel are scattered players who’ve already represented Wales at every level, including the senior 15, but it is those currently emerging from the age-group teams which offer a very firm and positive view of the long term. At the helm is the hugely-respected coach Kingsley Jones, a proven master of developing younger players into mature and skilled performers, and in flanker and new captain Lewis Jones – in his eleventh season at the club – there is a prime example of local talent being nourished to the top level. Jones, ever the innovator, decided that the Dragons skipper should be sought out by seeking applications from within the squad, and there were at least eight players who held their hands up for the position. The coach professes himself delighted that Jones emerged as the leading candidate, and he’ll have the experienced help of previous captain Thomas Rhys Thomas, the hooker, and of a second vice-captain, lock Nick Crosswell. With wing Pat Howard, and international Adam Warren on the opposite flank, promising centre Jack Dixon, the experienced South African pivot Sarel Pretorius, flanker Nic Cudd and new front- row addition Tom Davies, there is clearly the spine of a more consistent and robust Dragons line-up this season. With props Boris Stankovich and Sam Hobbs in the panel, Jones and his forwards coach Ceri Jones believe the 2016/17 campaign will be much more rewarding.

Despite the disappointment of the previous campaign in the PRO12 it should not be forgotten that rarely were the Dragons totally unravelled by opponents, and there were memorable wins over Leinster and Munster to offer testament to what the squad can offer. The previous year a European Challenge Cup journey went all the way to the semi-finals, so the Dragons may have been less than flaming recently but they have the strength in depth now to really ignite. The welcome to Kingspan Stadium will be warm, perhaps even as fiercely hot as any dragon would produce, but the focus of attention for the mass of the big crowd will be on the team Director of Rugby Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak send out to open a season nobody denies is one where expectations on and off the pitch are high, reasons to be cheerful great. The coaching staff doesn’t deal in the currency of excuses, it never has, and it starts a new campaign as it knew it would without several important players because of their Ireland international tour commitments in the summer, while the inevitable tranche of injuries which are the consequence of a high-impact, contact sport denies Kiss, Doak, Allen Clarke and Niall Malone the ‘full deck’ they might hanker after. But they believe that this year resources at Kingspan Stadium are greater, deeper and of higher quality than ever. Bryn Cunningham has fitted as snugly into his role as Director of Operations as he did the No. 15 jersey for Ulster for a decade, and over the last 18 months has added to the squad while keeping more than a watching brief on the ambitious crop emerging from the Academy. Of course, the signings he and the management made, which have caught the imagination are those of Springbok breakaway Marcell Coetzee – a ball-carrying, wrecking-ball New Year present for the fans if his untimely injury rehabilitation goes to plan – and of Charles Piutau, the young All Black for whom the term ‘utility back’ is a gross misnomer. Since his arrival was announced over a year ago, supporters have been watching his displays at his temporary ‘home’ at Wasps with increasingly moist lips! The English Premiership had never seen his like, and now the Guinness PRO12 is about to see its

ROD NAWN

48

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

profile raised with the appearance of a player with a power and pace which is as adept in attack as defence, and whose deftness of pass was surely best demonstrated with the wondrous off-load, after a scything run from halfway, which sent one of the up-and-coming youngsters, Jacob Stockdale, in for Ulster’s fourth try of a good night ‘at the office’ last weekend. Of Piutau - of the fast-returning Tommy Bowe, Wiehahn Herbst, Peter Nelson, Ricky Lutton and the rest of the currently side-lined – we will hear more this season: that is something to savour. The last month has seen a swathe of players get their chance to put down a marker in the games with Leinster, Exeter Chiefs and, on first viewing in Belfast, against Northampton Saints last weekend. Rodney Ah You’s arrival from Connacht to offer international-class support at tight-head prop could prove, in some ways, as key as the stars from overseas. With a disciplined approach to his craft and his wellbeing Ah You could become not just a pillar of the Ulster front row but of Ireland’s scrum for many years to come. His promise is that great. No Payne, Trimble, Luke Marshall, Olding, Gilroy, Best, Reidy or Henderson as they go through the Irish Player Management protocols, and frustrating as their absences may seem for now their refreshed, fully-fit return to the squad will be timely and justify the hopes of everyone in the Kingspan Stadium coaching box and in the seats and on the terraces at the league’s best-equipped stadium. For supporters who have seen their favourites come agonisingly close to bring much-wanted silverware to Kingspan, particularly in the last two seasons, there is both hope and expectation for the 2016/17 season. But those two great emotions must be leavened with patience and understanding. Patience in that the players on duty tonight and in the immediate future must be given their chance to gel as a unit, to accommodate the new and the different. Understanding, in that fans who have been so faithful and only intermittently dissenting must appreciate the quality of player being generated by, and brought to, Ulster. A journey which promises to be thrilling and spectacular starts in earnest this evening and

for this game – and scores more – captain Rob Herring deserves to have his side hear the famous roar of encouragement for a full 80 minutes. It is going to be a night when all the old passions and ambitions are reignited, so let the Ulstermen on the pitch hear those on the terraces and in the stands make their enthusiastic support heard. This could be the year when the jigsaw falls into hugely successful place. We can all help put the vital pieces together.

49

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com