Last season is dead and buried, we shall dwell on it but momentarily
as we consider what could have been rather than what came to pass. As we
entered April confidence was booming and the team were beginning to take shape
again following a particularly rough injury spell. Alas the clumsy Jared Payne
tackle in the quarter-final against Sarries, and then Anscombe’s decision to
play the aforementioned full-back at outside centre in the Pro12 semi-final,
ultimately cost us a trophy (well, not just those two reasons but you know what
I mean).
I’m not saying we would’ve necessarily won anything come the end of
May given the insurmountable strength of Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon (what’ll the
English media call it now he’s departed one wonders) and the prospect of a
daunting trip to Celtic Park to play the in-form Glasgow Warriors in the Pro12
final, however you cannot deny that we had two trophies placed on the table in
front of us and we somehow managed to fail to look after both of them. Daylight
robbery by all accounts.
And so it is with a burden on their shoulders that Johann Muller and
Tom Court depart Ravenhill (or should that be the Kingspan Stadium?) without
any silverware to show for their valiant efforts. It would take me more than
the 750 words I try to limit myself to every week to try and explain just what
Muller has brought to Ulster, not just in terms of on the field leadership, but
off the field growth too. We may never see the likes of him in Belfast again.
John Afoa arrives in Gloucester trophyless too, but the less said
about that the better perhaps.
But now we look to the future. A shiny new stadium with a shiny new
name (more on that next week) shows signs of things to come as Ulster Rugby
move into the modern era of rugby, boasting marquee signings this season of
Franco van der Merwe and Louis Ludik. Okay, they aren’t quite in the Pienaar,
Afoa, Muller mould, but in a pre-World Cup year you are asking a lot to find
good players who are willing to move north – although Leinster seem to have
done just that with the coup of underrated Wallaby lock Kane Douglas. Kudos to
them.
Alarm bells ring loud and clear with the dawn of a new season though,
for several reasons. First and foremost is the coach – Mark Anscombe. My
opinion is worth nothing so I won’t give it, but what is worth pointing out is
that he’s only on a one-year deal. It’s no secret that he was talking to
Gloucester and Cardiff last season while he was in negotiations with us, and
while he eventually agreed to another year at the helm, it does not bode well.
Is this his last year, full stop? Or is it simply in a competitive climate, one
year is simply all we can afford to offer, with his future in Belfast dependent
on whether there’s something for the cleaners to polish next June? Time will
tell.
All I’m saying is that if he knows this will be his last year with his
hands on the rudder of the good ship Ulster, then there isn’t much motivation
to push his team to glory. Sure, he could go out with a bang yadda yadda yadda,
but in truth this is a dog eat dog world and regardless of how he does in
2014/15 it could be a case of David Humphreys and Shane Logan giving him a pat
on the back, shaking his hand and saying, “Thanks for the memories” as he jets
back off to New Zealand, regardless of the medals he may or may not carry in
his hand luggage.
I’m speculating of course but it is a genuine fear of mine.
The second fear is the talent on the pitch. While I have no doubt
every single player in the Ulster team bleeds white and red for their province,
there’s only so far that dedication can go – that alone will not win you trophies.
Just ask Leinster, they’ve been there and done it and they will confirm to you
that in order to get over the line, sometimes other lines must be crossed.
Competing with the likes of Toulon, Saracens and Clermont Auvergne
will prove difficult as it always has done. The money they are able to flaunt
at players is, to be quite frank, ridiculous, and how the IRB do not step in
and place some sort of regulations on them is beyond me because it is ruining
the game to a certain degree and leading rugby down the road of wendyball
(football for those who don’t know). But
where I worry for Ulster is in the nitty gritty games.
We saw last season when we had Leinster on the ropes in the semi-final
we could not find that killer try to win the game – had we got it we were home
dry and in a second successive Pro12 final. Too many times last season we
simply stood back and let teams pick us apart at will – Scarlets, Dragons and
Cardiff away to name but three. That’s where I worry nothing has changed. Our
new signings are not the kinds of players who will get in there and do the
dirty work for us. As much as we despise how he played, Ulster need someone
like Leo Cullen (happy retirement to him, a good player on his day) who will
just get under the skin of the opposition and rile them.
Those are my initial thoughts on what needs amended for next season. I
worry every season about how we will compete with other teams and every year
the lads always make sure to throw something in that blows us all away – not
necessarily good every time. All I know is we’re in for yet another cracking
season of rugby, be that in the hideously named Rugby Champions’ Cup, or the
Pro12 (whoever it will be sponsored by). And whatever you do, do not expect the
path to be smooth along the way.
It’s a dog eat dog world out there y’know.
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