Ulster can go the distance and land silverware this season, says Treadwell

FAST starts are nothing new to Ulster Rugby in recent seasons. Last season it was wins in the first four until a surprise defeat to Zebre, the year before they stood five from five leading up to being caught cold by Connacht in Galway.

So while, thanks in no small part to the boot of John Cooney, Dan McFarland’s men are two from two this season, one of only two sides in Conference B with a full complement of wins so far, it is understandable that nobody is getting ahead of themselves just yet.

“We’ve had two good wins right at the death there and it’s good to see,” said lock Kieran Treadwell who again starts in the engine room against Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth tomorrow (1.15pm kick-off ).

“It’s been a full squad effort and hopefully we can roll on and win these next two.

“I think it shows the good character, the likes of Cooney getting that kick at the end. We do have those kinds of characters within the team that have cool heads. I think it shows a lot about the team and where we can go from here.”

Treadwell understands that, in the past two seasons in particular, quick starts have not translated into play-off positions come the end of the season.

Leinster remain the league’s gold standard, with their enviable depth the key to their continued success from start to finish in seasons when their international contingent are called away for months at a time. Much has been made of the fact that the champions used more than 50 players last season

“We always start well and don’t carry it on, but now we have the squad that can bring it through. Obviously with guys going away for the autumn internationals, we’d like to have that depth come through and carry on our winning ways, which we showed in our last two games, we had our finishers come on and win us those games,” he said.

“We are competitive within the squad, there are many names you could throw in the hat for starting or being on the bench, and that competitiveness is good for us, it keeps the squad fresh and competitive.

“It’s quite early but we can take confidence from that. We take it on a week-to-week basis, we go out and prepare for each team individually and we go out there with the mentality that if we play our best game, no-one can stop us.”

Certainly few will be expecting Southern Kings to manage it, even in their first home game of the new season.

Ulster were given a fright in Port Elizabeth a year ago though, needing a late try from Robbie Diack to edge a 43-36 barnstormer, and those memories will be fresh enough to guard against any complacency.

“I don’t think there’s ever an easy game in this league. We want that bit more control (than in last season’s contest),” he said.

“We know what they’ll bring, they’re a dangerous side and they have got better this season from what we’ve seen.

“They’ve got bags of pace on the outside and in the forward pack, and they’re a powerful bunch. So hopefully we can control our game and that’ll do us.”

Centre Darren Cave is another who believes the South Africans are already looking to be an improved outfit from the one who managed just a solitary win in their first season in the PRO14.

In direct contrast to Ulster, Deon Davids’ side have lost both of their opening fixtures, but did manage to take a pair of bonus points from last week’s defeat at the hands of Dragons at Rodney Parade.

“From what I’ve seen of the Kings in their last two matches they are much improved from last year,” said the centre.

“These games away from home are always tough. If we get our stuff right we can put other teams under pressure and we’re very aware they are quite unstructured with loads of pace. Kings took 11 points in all of last season but already have two this year. They both came from the loss to Dragons last week, the only side the Port Elizabeth outfit have ever beaten in the PRO14, but this remains a side that don’t have the quality to compete in this league. The province showed the dangers of not approaching this fixture in the right fashion a year ago but should still expect a handy win. One perhaps even without the need for late heroics from John Cooney (above).