Ulternative Alster Fan Club

Same old story?  

Here we are in the midst of the RSB 6 Nations and our players taking advantage of a hard earned break to get some holidays in prior to the return of the main business, the Celtic League. It has been a bit of a topsy turvey sort of season so far with an awesome start coupled with something less than mediocrity that developed after the Munster game and finally culminated in the defeat against Biarritz at home in the HEC. However, most of it can be related to the in and out form of Davy Humphreys as well as the yet again off-form of the respective hooker at key moments. But against Biarritz there were signs that the hearts were being worn on the sleeves and the guys were remembering what it means to play for the white of Ulster.

The referees have been very much a mixed bag with the introduction of Mr Allen into the fray at Llanelli. After a shaky start, where he lost his way more than a little, he managed to get a hold of the situation before coming off the pitch with his head held high. He was the first referee to stamp on deliberate slowing down of the ball and to punish teams that went over the top in their physicality. But still we find ourselves bathed in inconsistency and the great Ulster malaise of forcing the pass when either attack or defence is not organised to advance as required. I am concerned about the Humphreys issue as to who replaces him and as to his persistent off-form games. But not at all concerned at this stage about the perceived lethargy of an off-form of the team. This is a side that has only just come together and with an average age of 24 has not yet got the physical stamina to survive a full season without the odd breech of the dam. Take that against Biarritz, one of the best sides in Europe who rock in at 28 years of age average and together for four years plus and you begin to get the idea. In the Falklands war it was the late 20 something’s and early thirties soldiers who were fit to take the harsh physical struggle. The Ulster team is not yet ready for its assault on Europe.

We are also vexed with the Humphreys issue as to his replacement. Adam Larkin is steady but not the answer as those outside him see a psychic prior to playing to see if they end up creamed or not. There is a player with real talent and flair whose lack of physical bulk is damaging his confidence. I watched Paddy Wallace score a wonderful try against Stade 2 seasons ago to win the game and then proceed to play fullback where he was, to put it mildly disastrous. Gerry Thornley described him as the most talented player not to play in the RWC a couple of seasons ago. But Paddy has never really been given the chance to have a run at out half and see what he can do. When Humps plays, Paddy stays on the bench and then cameos at fullback and muffs it. Not at all reasonable. If you are talking about consistency Davy Humphreys has consistently been inconsistent.

Have we improved? Yes we have. This is a long and arduous journey that has been undertaken and the boys have shown that they can do the business with the big names but for the moment are unable to sustain it. We went down to Munster and did the unthinkable and won. The home HEC record went but records were meant to be broken. However there is an air and a buzz about Ulster Rugby that has been missing and these young men feel it is their destiny to bring back the Holy Grail to their faithful supporters.

Meanwhile our cousins in Munster and Leinster have surpassed the odds by beating quality opposition from the much-vaunted Guinness Premiership to warrant a place in the quarter finals and thus the only Celtic League teams to do so. Leinster, despite a very much below par performance at the RDS and a few dodgy decisions by the referee had it all to do in Bath, and do it they did without relenting to the normal bluster and trench warfare associated with Bath, they turned in a virtuoso performance and did it with plenty of gas left in the tank, and must be glad they signed the Kangaroo Circus. But left wondering as to what might have been had they played with a bit more grit in the home leg and away to Bourgoin where they left it just a fraction late. Munster on the other hand beat the runaway Sale at Thomond the grave of so many who passed that way before them. Remember Gloucester a few years back, they may wish to forget it. Rumour has it that Declan Kidney takes the boys to the Blarney Stone before the big games to give them super human powers. So often the bridesmaid and never the bride, Munster according to Stephen Jones will never reach their destination while they have O’Gara and Stringer at halfback.

The shortcomings of the former were there for all to see when he gifted France 14 points in a lamentable performance by Ireland. Unfortunately the comeback inspired by the players will let Eddie O’Sullivan off the hook. France ran out of steam after a sensational 60 minutes of high scoring rugby gifted in the main by inept Irish defence. A long list of below par performances culminated in this display that was the daddy of them all. The game eventually degenerated into a sevens slugging match with Ireland getting the better part of a highly entertaining if not for the purists encounter. Not only did O’Gara gift 14 points but he missed tackles by the bucketful and when Ireland badly needed the ball he was turned over time and time again in the final 10 minute feeding frenzy. While O’Gara has for many seasons now epitomised all that is bad with Ireland there is no real alternative as the only remote challenger is plagued with inconsistency and any other contenders are so far away on the horizon that they do not count. According to Tom English this was the season Paddy Wallace was to challenge O’Gara but sadly he has fallen of the platform and finds himself playing club rugby, not even given the chance at out half by Mark McCall. However, he is good enough to play for Ireland A and his performances for Ballymena have been sparkling and inspirational. Ulster have no real alternative to David Humphreys whose imbalance of the performing arts takes the shine off a decent side that ranges from the impoverished to the sublime depending on how Humph plays it tactically.

Fortunately there is a bit of light at the end of the Irish tunnel. The way they came back certainly speaks volumes for the likes of O’Callaghan, O’Connell, and Leamy who were a few bright spots. O’Driscoll and Darcy were also immense with their creative juices flowing like the Liffey. Meanwhile the timely inclusion of Simon Best steadied the scrum and his general play about the field added more that the grunting and groaning normally associated with the black art of front row play. Simon seemed to take a fair degree of responsibility and control in the Irish pack. However I would argue that while Brian O’Driscoll is a world-beater he is not the man to captain his country. What Captain embroils himself in a brawl with a burly Welsh forward as his side capitulates and then in France and in Dublin gets involved in clearing out play that his pack should be sorting? It will hopefully give the side a lift and some confidence that has so badly been missing in the past. At last they know that they have a lethal three quarters line capable of inflicting devastation. They learned the lessons from Italy by exploiting the space and the pace of the excellent Horgan in variations that ought to have been used last week. There was a variation of back play, which had it happen last week would have put 20 points on the Italians. But you have to wonder why those decisions were not made then. You also have to wonder why it took the Irish side ages to work out that the forwards have to exude some sort of dominance prior to unleashing the war dogs. Far too often the ball was forced to move across the backs without a lash from the pack to create go forward possession. Any schoolboy will tell you about this. But my favourite moment came today and it was also the moment I cringed the most when O’Gara tried to grubber kick the French defence only for them to catch his poor efforts and score for yet another seven pointer. He pathetically bleated to the referee that here was a knock on. Tony Ward almost screamed: “Would you away and catch yourself on”. Kind of summed it up really.

Yer Man In The Stand.