Tuesday 22 October 2013

IRISH ON THE UP

Contender for greatest Ulster win in the Heineken Cup ever? Probably.

Just look at the stats: Montpellier hadn’t lost at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in eighteen matches, and they’d never lost at home in the Heineken Cup. Look at the players they had in their team too, no less than eleven internationals in their starting line-up and a further three on the bench. Combine that with the fact that many were tipping Montpellier as dark horses for the title, and it just amounts to one absolutely incredible win for Ulster.

It harks back to last season’s win away to Northampton where we dismantled them at Franklin’s Gardens. On Saturday we did exactly the same to one of the strongest home teams in Europe – we outthought them, played exactly the right tactics to counter them and, quite honestly, we outplayed them in all aspects of the game. It wasn’t a perfect performance, no, but it was very close to it.

What Ulster fans will be hoping though, is that this is unlike the Saints game. Last season we were playing some irresistible rugby up to and including that game. From there we dropped our performance levels and ultimately missed out on a home Heineken Cup quarter-final, while narrowly missing out on winning the Pro12. This season, we are playing a controlled brand of rugby, maybe not the most attractive, but more importantly it is winning us games. Hopefully it will continue.

Most of the credit has to go to Mark Anscombe and his coaching staff. Tactically, they couldn’t have done any better, and despite being criticised before the game for choosing Robbie Diack over Iain Henderson, they were proved right in their selection as the former did a brilliant stand-in job for the injured Nick Williams.

What has this win done? It’s put us firmly in control of Pool Five, and means we are only one of three teams remaining who can go six from six in the pool stages (along with Toulouse and Leinster). With two wins over Treviso (bonus points or not) and another win over Montpellier at Ravenhill, that would probably be enough to take us to the quarter-finals. However, that’s not the main goal.

With a crucial away win in the Heineken Cup registered, Anscombe and his team will have to be looking at getting a quarter-final to Ravenhill come next April. Having missed out last season, and then losing to Saracens at Twickenham, Ulster were kicking themselves. This season there must not be such a mistake made. The stats don’t lie – the vast majority of sides that have had home quarter-finals have progressed to the semi-finals. It pays dividends not to have to travel.

We could end up looking at a crucial match at Welford Road in January against Leicester depending on how their matches go. But presuming they go as predicted we may find ourselves having a knockout match before the knockout round, and what a game it will be if both sides can get their full teams back and raring to go.

But before that, we are back to Pro12 action against Cardiff next week, and there’s the Heineken Cup double-header in December against Treviso to navigate as well. What you can say though is that we have a lot of exciting rugby to look forward to this season, and hopefully we will be treated to lots of great games, all Ulster wins of course!

And it wasn’t just Ulster who were in the winning mood this weekend, as all four Irish provinces were victorious in what was a Super Saturday of rugby for Irish rugby fans.

First up were Connacht who made the trip to Italy to take on Zebre. Thanks to tries from George Naoupu and Mata Fifita, along with twenty-three points from the boot of Dan Parks gave the Westies an impressive 33-6 win which keeps their Heineken Cup dreams alive, although with back-to-backs against Toulouse in December, they may be over sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, it’s good to see Connacht getting another win against any opposition, especially in the Heineken Cup.

Next up were Leinster who took complete control of Pool One with a win over Castres. Admittedly I didn’t see the game as I was watching our match (obviously), but it seems like the Leinster bandwagon is back on track once more and they are just as good under Matt O’Connor as they were under Joe Schmidt. However, their back-to-backs against Northampton will be must-wins if they want a home quarter-final.


And finally it was Munster’s turn to make it four from four, which they did so with a controlling victory over Gloucester at Thomond Park. Rob Penney will be very happy his side got off the mark in the Heineken Cup at the second attempt, although similarly to Leinster, if they want to have any chance of being at home in the quarters then they definitely have to win away in Perpignan – easier said than done.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

NO FEAR IN FRANCE

My initial reaction after the game on Friday night was slightly upset. You’re probably wondering why considering we’d just beaten the current Aviva Premiership champions, and slightly convincingly at that too. However, on the other hand, we let them away with something that may prove extremely crucial at the end of this pool campaign: the losing bonus point.

I think even the Leicester fans will admit that we probably were the better side in that match and we deserved to win it, however they will be absolutely delighted to leave with the point from the game. They came to Ravenhill with that aim firmly in mind. A win would have been a bonus, but to leave with the point probably puts them in pole position in the pool.

In what is a very competitive pool, bonus points may prove crucial, as they did two years ago. To let them away with the losing bonus point at the very end of the game is very disappointing, and as much as Mark Anscombe will defend that we are happy with just winning the game, but the unavoidable (and annoying truth) is that Leicester will be more than happy with the point (as highlighted by David Mele kicking the ball out at the end) and Ulster will be angry that they got it.

On the other hand, you have to win your home games in the Heineken Cup and that comes first. Four points on the board is exactly what Ulster required and it means we go to Montpellier next weekend with a chance to take a massive step towards the knock-out round. It will be a massive ask too, but one that we are perfectly capable of answering.

It’s a good job we won in Castres last season though. If we were going to the bearpit that is the Stade Yves-du-Manoir with the French hoodoo still hanging over us then I doubt we’d be as confident as we are right now. With the boost of a solid comeback win over the Ospreys and that controlled win over Leicester, right now we could easily return from the south of France with the win.

However, Montpellier are a very very strong side. They have signed well over the summer – Nicolas Mas is a massive acquisition for their squad, while in the backs Jonathan Pelissié has been a superb signing at scrum-half, while Anthony Tuitavaké and Wynand Olivier have added another dimension to their back line. They aren’t many people’s favourites to win the Top14 outright for no reason.

Therefore, Ulster will have to be at their very best to even leave with a bonus point on Saturday, which is definitely the minimum that they must leave with. You saw Leicester’s joy when they left Ravenhill with a losing bonus point – I will be that happy if we do the same this weekend. As Clermont and Toulouse have found out, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir is a difficult place to go to and get a result.

However, it all depends on the team Montpellier put out. I reckon it will be a strong team, however considering they are doing well domestically it wouldn’t be completely surprising if they put out a weakened team to keep them fresh for their league campaign instead. No matter what team they put out, Montpellier will probably be the biggest test we have faced this season so far.

Slightly confident this week. Emphasis on slightly.

Heineken highlights
I’m going to sum up the Heineken Cup weekend in three S’s.

SUNDAY – What a Sunday that was. Firstly we had Exeter steamrolling over Cardiff, then Cardiff coming back in the second half to take the try bonus point. That was some game, one that couldn’t be repeated, right? Wrong! Only half an hour later, the exact same thing happened in Toulon as the home side crushed Glasgow in the first half, only for Glasgow to score the four tries in the second half. You’ve got to love the magic of the Heineken Cup.

SCARLETS – Hands down the win of the weekend. The misfiring Scarlets haven’t been in the greatest form, but inspired by Liam, Scott and Jordan Williams, the Llanelli side romped to a 33-26 victory at the Twickenham Stoop, against an also-misfiring Harlequins side. Conor O’Shea said after the match he was “furious” at his team and rightly so, they never got out of the starting blocks and they were rightly beaten. A massive blow for the Quins who went 6 from 6 last season, their chances at reaching the quarters have been hugely reduced.


SHOCKS – And not big shocks like you expect. OK, there was one as winless Edinburgh managed to take all four points at Murrayfield against Munster who now face an uphill battle to get a home quarter-final. Connacht nearly beat Saracens at the Sportsground on Friday night, while Treviso managed to limit the superstars of Montpellier to just two tries and Racing Metro managed to defeat Clermont Auvergne. The Heineken Cup never fails to disappoint.

Tuesday 8 October 2013

HEINEKEN HISTORY

So here we go, what could be the final season of the Heineken Cup ever. It’s rather sad isn’t it, to think that what is one of the standout competitions in rugby history could be finished at the end of the season without so much as a whimper. But it’s not gone yet, and we’ve got another season of European rugby to look forward to, and I've done a bit of a preview for you. Enjoy!

Pool One: Leinster Rugby, Northampton Saints, Ospreys, Castres Olympique

Oh what a pool this is. The RaboDirect Pro12 champions, the Top14 champions and the Aviva Premiership runners-up going head-to-head in a classic tussle. And hey, why not add in the Ospreys too? This pool is going to depend on how much Leinster miss Sexton and Nacewa. If Madigan and Kirchner can step up and fill the gap then they should have the pool under wraps, but if not then the Saints and the Ospreys will fancy their chances – especially with the Welsh side’s record in Dublin. I fancy Leinster to do it, however they will have to be wary as the Saints will pose them a lot of questions and the Ospreys can pull off results when they need to, especially at the Liberty. Sadly I think Castres will have to start well or they could simply throw it in the latter stages as per usual. Disappointing too – they are a quality side on their day.

Prediction: Leinster

Pool Two: RC Toulon, Cardiff Blues, Glasgow Warriors, Exeter Chiefs

Anybody who isn’t backing defending champions Toulon to come out of this pool with a perfect record is either deluded or should be in a mental asylum. As far as pools go, they could not have got much of an easier path to the quarter-finals and barring a miracle from one of the other sides, they probably have top seeds in the knockouts wrapped up as well. That leaves the other three fighting it out for second and if Glasgow can carry over their superb Pro12 form to the Heineken Cup then they could well take one of the best runner-up spots. Cardiff haven’t threatened much in Europe for a while so I think they’ll be out of the equation, but don’t rule out Exeter either. They ran both Leinster and Clermont quite close last season at Sandy Park for a while, so expect travelling sides to struggle, and maybe they can cause an upset.

Prediction: Toulon

Pool Three: Stade Toulousain, Saracens, Connacht Rugby, Zebre

It’s a two-horse race for top spot in this pool and both Toulouse and Saracens will fancy their chances. With twenty points (probably) racked up from the Connacht and Zebre games, it’s more than likely that both giants will reach the knockouts, but who finishes top is another question entirely. Saracens have started the season stronger so I’ll back them to finish top (just), but Toulouse will push them all the way. Meanwhile Connacht will probably hold off Zebre for third place, but boosted by their first Pro12 win, I can see the Italians getting a first European win too.

Prediction: Saracens to win pool, Toulouse to be one of the best runners-up

Pool Four: ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins, Scarlets, Racing Metro 92

This is a tighter pool than a lot of people think. On paper you would presume that Clermont would be the easy winners here, but Harlequins didn’t go six from six last season for nothing, and the big-spending Racing will certainly have something to say about that too. However Clermont usually have enough power to see the pool through and the relative inexperience of the other two sides may haunt them in the big games. Harlequins may take one of the best runner-up spots but they will probably have to win away in France at least once. The Scarlets will have to front up big time to even get on the board this time around.

Prediction: Clermont

Pool Five: Ulster Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Montpellier Herault, Benetton Rugby Treviso

How could I predict anybody else to win the pool but Ulster? Even so, this will be a massive test for Ulster as they come up against the unmistakable might of Leicester and the upcoming brilliance of Montpellier, a side who have hammered Clermont 43-3, not an easy task at all. Nevertheless, I back Ulster to have the firepower to just sneak the pool. If Montpellier are lagging behind early on then they might throw the pool like Castres, but Leicester will fight to the death (always good to see!) and will push the Ulstermen all the way. It could boil down to who can take their bonus points from Treviso in the end.

Prediction: Ulster to win the pool, Leicester to be one of the best runners-up

Pool Six: Munster Rugby, USA Perpignan, Edinburgh Rugby, Gloucester Rugby

How Ulster wish they could have got this pool and not Munster. If Munster do not go through as pool winners here then they are in big big trouble because this is pretty much as easy as you get. Perpignan are one of the easier French sides in the competition this year, Edinburgh are on a complete decline and Gloucester are yet to return to the lofty heights they were at. In essence, Munster will easily reach the quarter-finals, and will only be stopped from being top knockout seeds by Toulon. Perpignan will have the “French factor” on their side to finish second, while Gloucester should have the muscle to oust Edinburgh into third. But really, this pool is more about who can limit Munster to the least points, than who can qualify.

Prediction: Munster

Ruan is an Ulsterman
Thank heavens that he did not sign for Toulon, and thank heavens that he is staying at Ulster until 2017!

I’d say I was always confident he’d stay, but I’d be lying! Nevertheless it is absolutely incredible news for Ulster, especially with the current Heineken Cup debate going on, and what a boost it will provide the Ulstermen with ahead of their biggest game of the season so far. And to be honest, I don’t think I could be happier right now!


Stand up for the Ulstermen, and stand up for Ruan Pienaar!

Tuesday 1 October 2013

OSPREY HUNTING

Another week, another win for the Ulstermen. Five tries on the board was very impressive against a vastly improved Treviso side, and with the rotation policy going on at Ulster, it’s good to see that even without John Afoa and the influential leadership of Johann Muller on the pitch, a convincing win isn’t out of our grasp.

Mark Anscombe will be very happy with what he saw on Friday. It may not have been perfect but it was definitely a big step in the right direction. Considering in the Dragons match his side played absolutely terribly, to finally be playing well will be a welcome relief for the Kiwi coach. Now he has to start getting his side to get over the line in the big matches, unlike what they did against Glasgow.

What he will be very happy about though is the quality in his back line. Michael Allen has really put his hand up for selection this week with yet another great performance on the wing, and with Craig Gilroy impressing at full-back, Darren Cave may be looking at a spell on the bench if he keeps up those kinds of performances. Luke Marshall and Jared Payne had a superb partnership in the midfield as well – it just shows the selection headaches that Mark will have this week.

It was also refreshing to see Tommy Bowe and Rory Best back in the white shirt again, and getting a try apiece on their return to Ravenhill (even if Bowe’s was slightly fortuitous). Good to see that neither are showing any sort of rustiness either. After a few months of not playing any rugby it would have been natural to assume it would take a game for them to get up to speed, but both played very well and are ready to take on the Tigers in the Heineken Cup!

Well, actually, first up are the Ospreys in Swansea. And the more you think about, the more you realise this is going to be an incredibly difficult match. The Ospreys are unbeaten this season, including a 29-29 draw in the RDS against Leinster – no mean feat considering we hadn’t won there for thirteen years until last season.

They’ve done very well so far – people thought they would struggle having lost Kahn Fotuali’i to the Northampton Saints over the summer, but they have signed Tito Tebaldi from Zebre who has proved to be a very good replacement, and also Canadian international Jeff Hassler who has been in red-hot form so far.

However the player that is always the dangerman for the Neath team has been fly-half Dan Biggar. How he doesn’t start consistently for Wales I’m not sure, because Biggar is one of the best fly-halves in Europe. Well, in my opinion anyway. He deservedly passed the 1,000 point mark on Saturday against Connacht, proving he is one of the league’s best, and if Ulster cannot nullify his impact on the game then we stand no chance this week.

In fact, if we’re not at 100% on Friday then we stand no chance this week. After a disappointing 2012/13 season, the Ospreys are determined to win the Pro12 again, and they’ve certainly started the right way. In order for Ulster to come away with even the losing bonus point from the Liberty Stadium then they will have to step up their game another level from the Treviso win – we’re now playing the big boys, and it will be the two best sides on the field as well.

But Ulster are coming back now. Starting with two losses has almost shocked the team into life and with a controlled win over Connacht backed up by a very convincing performance against Treviso, it’s fair to say that the Ulster bandwagon is gathering momentum. Good job, with the Heineken Cup beginning next week.

But let’s remind ourselves of what happened last year – a late try last season from Paul Marshall gave Ulster a deserved 16-12 win early in the season, part of the thirteen-match winning streak. This season Ulster fans will be hoping that the win will be a little bit more secure near the end of the game. However, as I said, the Ospreys have been playing very well – any win will be acceptable to Ulster fans.

Second plays fifth this weekend. It’s not very often you get such a match-up so early in the season, and with two full strength sides out ahead of the Heineken Cup next week, this will be an incredible match. A battle between two of the league’s heavyweights never goes amiss, and what great preparation this will be for the Leicester match.


Dewch ar Ulster!