CHAMPION MATERIAL

As Toulon and Clermont battled it out at a half-empty Twickenham on Saturday, I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

It is a sad reflection on how the Champions’ Cup has fallen astoundingly short of the hype that surrounded it, and now that it has finally come to its disappointing finish – Clermont’s self-implosion capping off another Toulon dominated tournament – we can focus on the only tournament we have a chance of winning this season, the Pro12.

 

Maybe it is because Ulster were knocked out back in January, but certainly the Pro12 has provided a lot more excitement than the Champions Cup this season, and the excitement continues this weekend with the visit of Munster continuing the road to the play-offs as we look to secure that home semi-final that could be the difference between being at the Kingspan on the 30^th May for the final itself or watching it on TV at home.

 

Now is not the time to mess up.

 

So far this season we have been exemplary at home – thirteen games played, twelve wins; our only defeat against Toulon who, on the day, were phenomenal. That record simply has to continue if we want to stand any chance whatsoever of finishing in the top two given the fact we have Glasgow away next weekend – it’s win against Munster or we will be on our travels in the semi-finals, a position from which no side has ever advanced to the final.

 

We did very well to see off Leinster, however I think in the back of our heads we were all thinking “Leinster were tired”. Even so, we played them perfectly and, as a result, we got the right outcome on the night and sent them back to Dublin knowing that they would not play any part in the play-offs. Tactically, we got it right a couple of weeks ago – this week we need to be equally as smart when Axel Foley and co. arrive in town.

 

Munster will be more of a challenge than Leinster were. On paper Leinster maybe look like the stronger side, but mentally and physically Munster will be a step above what Leinster were when they played us, and Doak will be aware of that. They will be equally as fresh as we are, probably more so as they only had to play Treviso while we had to see off Leinster, and since they have a home semi-final to compete for as well, they are just as aware as we are as to what they require to achieve that.

 

But this is where Ulster earn their stripes.

 

We are still the form side in the Pro12 and we should fear nobody at the Kingspan Stadium nowadays, given the fact that we haven’t been beaten there so far this season by any Pro12 club. It’s a goal that I feel we should be achieving every year so one more victory will guarantee us that success. And with our recent record of results there should be absolutely no doubt in our mind that we can indeed take down the Munstermen on Saturday.

 

Iain Henderson has been a revelation for us since returning from injury and is revelling in his free reign at blindside flanker, and he has improved a dominant pack led by Rory Best – and they will be sternly tested by Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony’s forward division who are renowned for being one of the most physical units in the whole league. However, we have the pack to take them on and beat them, as we have done to teams all season when we weren’t given a chance.

 

And then of course our backs are possibly the most potent in the entire of Europe, and they are only getting stronger as the weeks go on. Craig Gilroy is in the form of his life on the wing and is scoring tries for fun while Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson are linking up like neither were ever injured this season and are really getting the men outside them moving.

 

Suddenly our side looks like a well-oiled machine that could just spark into a phenomenal performance that shocks the rugby world into submission.

 

Currently, you would be a very very brave man to bet against us notching a third consecutive interprovincial victory and propelling ourselves into the top two of the Pro12. Still, it’s always wise to guard against complacency, especially given this will be possibly our toughest test of the season so far and with so much at stake anything can happen in front of the Sky cameras on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Don’t look away for even one second.