Ulster aim to cap off fine week
This is a team that tends to follow good with bad
IT’S been a good week for Ulster and their new head coach Dan McFarland. First came the narrow win over a powerful Scarlets side last Saturday — the performance was certainly founded more in perspiration than inspiration but, given the desperation around Ravenhill for a clean break with last season’s torment, the win was all that mattered.
Then came the news that Ireland internationals Rob Herring and Leinster capture Jordi Murphy were in the mix for this weekend — a significant boost for McFarland — followed by a powerful interview by scrum-half John Cooney where he stated that he had no intention of ever returning to his native Leinster.
Fresh from kicking his adopted province to victory the previous weekend, Cooney (who left Leinster in 2014 having been given scant chance to prove himself by then-coach Matt O’Connor) did not mince his words.
‘I don’t see a future for me in Leinster, it’s probably that chip on my shoulder, it’s probably how I’m going here. Ulster is the club for me, I’ve really bought into their values and I see myself as an Ulsterman,’ said Cooney.
Sweet music to the ears of McFarland as he sets about installing a new culture in the battered province, with Cooney backing up his statement by yesterday agreeing a long-term deal to stay at Ulster until 2022.
A good week, then. However, history has shown that this is a team that tends to follow the good with the bad and tonight’s visit of Edinburgh carries plenty of danger.
The Scots have been revitalised by Richard Cockerill and go into the clash determined to prove themselves having been scalded by the Ospreys in Swansea last weekend.
‘We’ve worked really hard this week. We need to be better across the board, especially away from home,’ said Cockerill.
‘We know that the Ulster crowd will be vocal and will be behind their team, so we need to control the game and field position, keeping that support as quiet as possible.’
Ordinarily, these early season Pro14 results are not ones to get too worked up over. The marquee names are away, there is still plenty of time to get into the playoff mix and there is a prevailing sense of getting the eye in before the season really kicks off with the inter-pros and European openers in October.
However, given where Ulster are coming from, huge significance is now attached to every outing and a packed Ravenhill will be yearning to have something tangible to cheer for.
What will have encouraged the Ulster supporters against Scarlets was the team’s refusal to allow themselves be bullied by their accomplished opponents — a doggedness that has been absent too often in the past. It is something that McFarland, the former Connacht and Scotland forwards coach, lays down as the foundation for everything else.
The word from Belfast is that the new boss has been working his charges relentlessly to be more competitive in all battles for possession — particularly the breakdown — while former midfield kingpin-turned-coach, Jared Payne, is concurrently hammer- ing home the need for greater aggression in defence.
A decent way to set the tone but McFarland, Payne and attack coach Dwayne Peel also know Ulster have to show more invention than they managed last weekend.
Between Will Addison, Craig Gilroy and flying Wallaby Henry Speight (who has the potential to become a Ravenhill cult hero), there is real pace in the Ulster back three, while a key man tonight, and through the season, will be Stuart McCloskey at inside centre.
McCloskey has considerable incentive to prove himself this season. After an excellent debut against England in 2016, the giant No12 has only won one further cap, slipping down the pecking order behind Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki and Rory Scannell.
However, just turned 26, McCloskey can become a figurehead for this developing team and nights like tonight are the perfect time to show it.
Throw in Murphy bringing international ballast to the backrow and Marcel Coetzee getting back up to speed and McFarland’s men are poised to round off a good week in style.