So far so good

Last Saturday’s defeat against a very much rejuvenated Leinster team ably coached by the Kangaroo Circus, was greeted with some sucking of gums as it was not a true reflection of what Ulster are capable of. Every time we won possession we gave it back to Leinster. Do that against a team like that and you will get stuffed. What was amazing was that it was not a cricket score. This speaks volumes about the newly instilled character of this side and the gutsy endeavours of the boys in defence. Tommy Bowe was soundly rounded by Gordon Darcy. Darcy is probably one of the most exciting players in world rugby if not a little precocious and injury prone. I have seen him countless times in tighter spaces flick his hips, click his heels and he is off whistling to the tune of the leprechauns leading you a merry dance up the field while all you can do is lie in his wake, admire his immense skill and hope he either trips or drops the ball as he crosses the line. Tommy Bowe will learn from that and will be a better player. As will Andrew Trimble who danced to his own tune a few times showing Shane Horgan that he too had better watch out. All Horgan could do was slap him on the ground.

But let us not be despondent as Ulster are in much better shape than they were this time last year. Our fortress was coming down with dry rot or maybe a touch of egomania, take your pick. But the upsurge in fortunes may be traced back to last Christmas when we narrowly lost to Leinster at Donnybrook. I hope the reverse cannot be said! We could not score a try for love nor money. This year give them a sniff of the line and all they want to do is score. The surging runs of Bowe and Trimble have been frightening in pace and power. But apart from Saturday Dr David has been in splendid form kicking us deep into the opposition half before the boys cut loose normally after 50 mins or so. But the character and aspiration of the side have been a revelation. Underestimate the influence of Justin Harrison the big lad from down under at your peril. He has proved to be a great team player and has bought into the club Ulster concept with all of his being. Not only has he been highly conspicuous at Meet The Fans events but on the park his attitude, strength and experience has brought out even greater performances from the likes of Neil Best, Rory Best and Matty McCullough to name a few. Typical of the guy was his leading of the players over to applaud the fans on Saturday after the game. Peter Bills in a fit of petulance remarked that rugby would be better of without the Big Lad. So what have you got to say now Peter? The Big Lad is certainly not afraid of the power of the press either. The story goes that after the London Irish game certain journalists capitalised on an incident and the Big Lad’s reputation. Well he was straight on the phone wanting to know what they were on about. Suffice to say he got an apology.

His other half in the summer signings Justin Fitzpatrick does not seem to be the force he once was. He has appeared to be having a rough time of it on his side of the scrum on several occasions. I suppose arriving 2 stones overweight does not help. I would hope Fitzy would be capable of sorting himself out. Although in fairness he has been useful around the pitch. But we are left with the ever present conundrum of Paddy Wallace. Indeed there were raised eyebrows amongst IRFU dignitaries in both Belfast and Dublin on his inclusion in the Irish Training Squad. Incredibly talented but unreliable as a fullback; trouble is he is a confidence player and after three good outings and one poor one it is likely to dent his fragile self belief. I can see the logic in giving him match time but it needs to be at out half. He epitomises another Ulster malaise: catching the high ball, or rather avoiding it at all costs. Saturday was a sad day if you were a ball catcher. Several times players avoided it with finesse, letting it bounce between them and in a gentlemanly fashion leaving it for the other. This was a problem last season when Bryn Cunningham was not playing. Neil McMillan even thought he could toe poke it into the Leinster net 75 meters away. Once again possession was needlessly gifted away.

However I digress too much. It could just be that another reason for the better start is the cull of players that have said farewell to us never to be again seen racing up and down the sacred turf of Ravenhill. Like all of these things it is a culmination of factors and not just a simplification. Mark McCall and Allen Clarke have now a year under their belts and while it is not perfect it is better. Although Mark did look very vulnerable on Saturday in Dublin when confronted by Gavin Mairs and Richard Mulligan both going for the jugular after Jim Neilly had extracted his pound of flesh. Maybe Richard was asking him out for a drink (or several) and Gavin was the heavy mob malevolently grinning over his shoulder aka Norman Tebitt. But from what I hear it was the departure of some of the old and bold that have also assisted Ulster into adopting a more serious approach and training has become a lot more professional without the coaches having to vie for their authority amongst the senior players. And talking of Ulster old boys is it not great to see Alan Solomons doing so well again out in South Africa. He has teamed up with his old partner in crime the Reverend Robbie Kempson to turn his old club around. Alan is returning to the province in the very near future, with or without the Reverend remains unclear although I did hear a rumour however it is not one I would put my own name to. I heard this in a pub and although the source was partially reliable, he was very very very drunk at the time. This mate of mine reckons that Solly is coming back to replace Mike Reid. It may be another Mike Reid but I first thought of our esteemed Chief Executive. My source does have a connection with Ulster Rugby but ..................

In the Principality it looks like the Welsh wizards are struggling to overcome injuries mainly around the groin area and are unable to bless us with their appearances in the Celtic League or the Powergen. This may or may not have anything to do with the reported loss of Gavin Henson’s mobile and pictures of his celebrity girl friend Charlotte Church doing the rounds of the Wales dressing room. Ms Church will soon be better known for her private life than the voice of an angel. However despite all of our collective cynicism at the start of the season the Welsh are making quite a success of the Powergen. All bar the Ospreys have made a very successful start. Notably the Dragons beat Leicester quite convincingly. Maybe Celtic rugby is better than given credit for or a good strength Leicester side did not take it seriously. But to be fair the results have been very consistent. To the uninitiated it would look as if English rugby is in turmoil with the row over contracts and control over players rumbles on. They may look across the shuck with envy at our centralised contract scheme.

On the international front we look forward to the autumn internationals that seem to be increasing in importance every year. It should be an interesting prospect as four year Eddie does not seem to have changed his side very much. Foley is still there as large as ever. In Cardiff had he been a bit more nimble he might have made the line and turned the game. Peter Stringer will still hold on the number 9 shirt no matter how much he fails to impress. In the 6 Nations Ireland just about deserved to avoid the wooden spoon with some lack lustre performances over dire sides. Logically speaking if the personnel remain the same so should the song. Unless of course four year Eddie has undergone the equivalent of a conversion on the road to Damascus as a result of his little trip to New Zealand. Do not hold your breath. But Ill see you all at Ravenhill on Friday night where we will Standup For The Ulstermen.

Yer Man In The Stand.