Negatives:
First half
Positives:
Second half
I’m not
quite sure what it was about us on Saturday but, the 22 phase drive in the
first few minutes aside, we offered so little in the first half that it seemed
like only one side had actually decided to compete. Leicester showed desire and
hunger that we hadn’t seen from them before this season and in my opinion had
they gone in with four tries wrapped up at half-time I’m not sure too many
would have raised a hand to argue.
Yet in the
second half it was all change. Owen Williams got us off to a status quo start,
but after that it was all Ulster. I’m not sure what was said at half-time, nor
do I know just what Neil Doak put in the oranges, but with half an hour left on
the clock the Ulstermen sprung into life as only we know they can. Lightning
quick backs moves and relentless breakdown work combined for a spirited Ulster
comeback which was cut cruelly short by Michael Heaney’s last second knock-on.
The raucous
cheers at full-time were of relief, not jubilation.
Whether
Leicester will be happier with the result is questionable, and is also where I
make my point. For the home side you could argue they’ve gained a valuable four
points and a crucial home win that is a necessity in Europe. On the other hand,
with three tries gained in the first 40 with relative ease, there has got to be
a severe sense of disappointment for Richard Cockerill that his side could not
push on and get just one more try, instead handing the initiative to the
visitors.
Meanwhile,
put the shoe on the other foot. At half-time I think every Ulster fan would
have taken a defeat that didn’t leave them thoroughly embarrassed for the rest
of the week, yet by the time hands were shaken at the end of the game there was
definitely a degree of frustration that we left with just one point. Leicester
were there to be beaten, and Neil Doak knows that.
Errors and a
faltering set piece cost us dearly, and that will have to be addressed ahead of
the visit of Toulon. As for the aftermath of Saturday, I left Welford Road and
arrived back at my hotel still extremely conflicted by what I had watched – the
extreme capitulation of the first half and the sheer brilliance of the second.
It was like watching two different teams, which is probably credit to Doak for
turning it around in the fifteen minutes he had at the break.
In the end,
I guess it’s a case of a point gained more than anything else, and even more
importantly: a rival denied a point. Had Leicester got that fourth try we were
facing an uphill battle to qualify for the latter stages, so to finish with a
4-1 match point deficit is a brilliant return. If you recall after Leicester
took a bonus point away from Ravenhill at this stage last season everyone
claimed they had the upper hand in the pool – could you argue it’s the same for
us now?
The
performance left a lot to be desired, but there is a lot to draw confidence
from in that second period and build upon. Toulon will of course be another
step up from the Tigers with all their mega-bucks stars and their desire to
become the first side to win Europe’s premier competition for three successive
seasons, but if we can continue where we left off from at Welford Road then
Toulon are beatable.
A point at
Welford Road is not a shameful result and a win against Toulon puts us right
back into the mix. In fact, it’s a measure of where we stand in Europe that we
are coming away from Leicester, multiple time champions of this event,
disappointed with a tight loss. With a mindset like that, and a slight
improvement in our play, then there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t cause a
major scalp and take down the reigning champions.
Pool Three is still wide open, and if we play our cards right then we’ll be in with a shout come January. Already the game against Leicester at the Kingspan could go a long way to deciding the future of two sides in this season’s competition…
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