For three weeks we watched as Ulster spluttered past average opponent
after average opponent, and finally on Sunday we were made to pay for our poor
play as the Dragons swept past us with what looked to be relative ease – and
based on how we performed on the day, it was fully deserved. It was so poor
that I couldn’t even stand to watch Stephen Watson and the BBC analysts try to
explain the reasons for Ulster’s defeat.
They didn’t have to. Ulster were simply not anywhere near good enough.
The first thing that struck me came in the second half after Jonathan
Evans had ghosted through for the Dragons’ second try – it was that the urgency
that seemed non-existent in the first half suddenly sparked into life. For the
first 60 minutes we looked like (and probably thought we were) a side who just
had to show up and the four points was ours. We were lacklustre, wasteful, and
more than likely complacent.
It took us to concede two tries and fall outside of bonus point range
in order for us to finally start attacking the Dragons at pace, and at this
level that lack of urgency is unacceptable. We should have been punished
against Edinburgh, yet we were saved by their inability to realise how to score
with two extra men on the field. Against the Scarlets only Craig Gilroy’s
brilliance saved our blushes – had he not scored that there is a distinct
possibility that we wouldn’t have had the momentum to kick on and win. This
week lady luck did not smile upon us.
One bad game does not make a bad team, not at all. For Ulster however,
this is number four in as many weeks. Although we’ve been winning, the
performances have been sub-par and we’ve been extremely fortunate not to be
found out in the results, and it is nothing short of a miracle that we’ve been
playing so poorly yet still inhabit second place in the Pro12 – something that
is maybe more of a reflection on the league than us.
It’s very easy to overlook weaknesses when you’re getting victories,
and for several years I think we’ve done that. Now that we’ve finally fallen
from grace, things suddenly look a lot bleaker and a harsh inspection of our
resources is being done. But certainly the fans are not happy bunnies, and
there will have to be a lot done to win them back around, because even though
hypothetically a trophy this season is still, believe it or not, a realistic
possibility, it does not look that way.
Is an overhaul needed?
There is certainly a case of ditching several players for being below
the standard we expect them to be. Tactically Ulster seem to be lacking too. And
as far as commitment goes, we saw it in abundance in those last five minutes
against Edinburgh – not too much since. Yet we were still winning which is the
most puzzling thing. Even though we mightn’t have faced the sternest of
opponents, to come away from Murrayfield with all four points was a good result
and putting away the Scarlets was no mean feat either.
Changes, however, must be made. On this form we do not stand any sort
of a chance against Leinster and Munster next month, and on our current form I
would expect Connacht to be fancying our scalp in Galway too. It would do us no
harm to get Paddy Jackson back on the field as soon as possible, and the sooner
Chris Henry can be reintroduced to competitive rugby the better – we have
desperately missed him at openside flanker.
Sadly all that can be said is that Sunday was the culmination of four
weeks of disappointment and the day our luck packed its bags and ran for the
hills. And in my opinion, it’s a good thing we lost otherwise we would have gone
another three weeks believing that we were still “producing the stuff of
champions” which is one of those ridiculous statements that is always brought
up when we’re not playing great but winning.
We now see our team for what it is – lacking in many areas. Les Kiss, working with Neil Doak and Joe Barakat,
has the potential to improve us immensely when he arrives in Belfast and takes the reins as
Director of Rugby, but for now we need to seek short-term solutions for our problems
in order for us to have a feasible dream of turning over Leinster, Munster and
Glasgow and reaching the Pro12 semi-finals.
Where those solutions are coming from is anybody’s guess…
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