Kiss not to blame for Ulster’s identity crisis
Cultural confusion is an issue for northern side’s motley crew
LES KISS is in deep trouble at Ulster. The second-half fightback against Munster kept the wolves at bay, for a few days at least, but it was victory handed to Ulster by Munster’s lack of discipline, one-dimensional play and criminal failure to take their kicks.
Ulster were abject in the first half, lucky to be only 17-0 down at the break and, while they deserve credit for turning things around, this victory was defined by Munster’s failings more than anything else.
Leinster will not be so forgiving tomorrow. Whatever side Leo Cullen selects will be too organised and skilful for even a tooled-up Ulster to handle and a heavy loss will see the heat ratchet up further on their director of rugby — the likelihood of subsequent defeats at home to La Rochelle and away to Wasps may render his position untenable.
But Ulster’s problems go a lot deeper than Kiss — there is an identity crisis in the province undermining everything they are trying to achieve.
There was a lot of Father Ted on offer over the Christmas period and there are Craggy Island echoes to Ulster’s travails.
Specifically, the memorable scene where Ted, after causing deep offence to the island’s Chinese community, tries to win them back courtesy of a specially prepared slideshow.
The slides include pictures of the Great Wall of China, Mao Zedong, a random Maori, Cato from The Pink Panther, Ming the Merciless and Mister Miyagi — the Japanese mentor from The Karate Kid.
Cultural confusion not a million miles away from Ulster’s current motley crew of a playing roster.
The Ulster starting XV against Munster featured only five players brought up through the province (Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey and Rob Lyttle in the three-quarter line and prop Kyle McCall).
The rest of the side was a South African, Australian, English and Kiwi cocktail (Irish qualified and otherwise) garnished by leftovers from Leinster (John Cooney, Alan O’Connor, Greg Jones and Nick Timoney).
Ireland’s professional franchises benefit from the traditional sense of representative pride associated with playing for ‘your’ province, which goes back to the amateur era.
Leinster are the standard-bearers in this regard, with minimal use of imported talent, but Munster are defined by it also.
Connacht’s historical status as the runt of the Irish rugby litter — who the IRFU once tried to put down — gives the Westerners their sense of identity.
Ulster have lost theirs.
They used to have it — a deep sense of independence enhanced by the political baggage inherent in their existence in a different state, with Ulster historically viewing itself as a separate fiefdom within the boundaries of Irish rugby.
That sense of place and pride has never been more essential in the era of cheque-book rugby, as practised in England and France, and has helped to narrow the gap amid fears a couple of years ago that European club rugby had become a twotiered, money-driven operation.
Ulster’s lack of identity has been an issue since the disastrous decision to axe Brian McLaughlin as head coach in 2012. The schoolteacher was immersed in Ulster rugby all his life, playing in the Ards back row in the 1980s alongside Philip Matthews and Nigel Carr, and worked his way up through the ranks, including time as Ireland assistant coach, until he got the provincial top job. He brought Ulster all the way to the 2012 European Cup final and, while that side benefited from quality imports of the calibre of captain Johann Muller, John Afoa and Ruan Pienaar, the experienced core of the team was homegrown (Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry, Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble) with a head coach who knew how press their cultural triggers.
And yet, McLaughlin was unwanted, amid a raft of big talk about Ulster need to ‘move forward’ to grow into one of Europe’s elite clubs.
They had the money to do it (helped by government grant injections from the United Kingdom) but in the process of bringing in Kiwi Mark Anscombe to replace McLaughlin and another stream of imports — mostly South African — they have gradually lost touch with their roots and suffered as a result.
The most disappointing aspect to the McLaughlin incident was that David Humphreys, who had pushed through the decision as director of rugby and spoke relentlessly about it being part of his plan to take Ulster to the ‘next level’, then took up a lucrative deal to take over operations at Gloucester.
Stephen Ferris, who turned to punditry after his premature retirement through injury, has been superbly forthright on the
‘Five of the XV were brought up through the province’
issue of Ulster identity, swimming against the tide among a notoriously one-eyed and parochial media pack.
The former Ireland and Lions flanker has questioned the lack of homegrown influencers in the Ulster set-up — from a management team featuring an Australian (Kiss), a New Zealander (Jono Gibbes) and a Welshman (Dwayne Peel) through a senior squad where Ulster accents are in short supply.
While Ulster employees and supporters found it easy to close ranks against ‘outside’ criticism over the years, hearing it from one of their own — particularly a provincial icon like Ferris — was a shuddering reality check.
The disenchantment around Ravenhill is now palpable — mutterings on the terraces graduating into roared anger and headlines like ‘Last Kissmas’ appearing in the local media.
It is hard to see Kiss surviving at this stage, but changing the head man is not going to solve the problem.
Whether he possesses the ruthless edge needed in the top job is up for debate but Kiss is an excellent, proven coach who is a victim of an operation suffering from cultural erosion over an extended period.
There is a loss of identity that needs to be recovered from the grassroots up for Ulster to progress.
There is plenty of individual ability but, collectively, Ulster look like a team that does not truly believe in what they are playing for and Kiss is poised to pay the price.