Galway Gales

If you ever go to Galway you will be taken in by the hospitality of its people and the friendliness warmth and charm they exude. You will also be amazed at the weather. While the rest of Ireland is in sunshine Galway will face a tornado of winds and rain the likes of which you would not wish on your worst enemy. Its people will give you the food out of their mouths but do not ask for any favours of them on the rugby pitch. Ulster were highly fancied going down here and arrived with the air of warriors setting about their business in a hailstorm designed to sap their moral fibre and when the sun came out Connacht used the better conditions to cut the visitors in two with a well executed try to put the lid on a dismal afternoon for Ulster Rugby. After the game Matt Mostyn was almost apologetic to me for winning such is the gentle honesty and earthy humility to be found in the Western province.

It was a turn up to say the least and it was far from a fluke that saw Ulster at the wrong end of a convincing score line with 10 clear points the difference between the 2 sides. Connacht did what they have always threatened to do for ages but never quite managing it. They have done it before in the European Challenge Cup season in and season out against some well fancied sides from France and England but had yet to do it in the Celtic League. That all changed on News Years Eve. Connacht played the conditions keeping the ball tight and safely secured in the pack only momentarily letting it out and only doing so when the pack had finished with it. The ball retention was significant and Michael Bradley urging instructions to his charges controlled the whole show from behind the goal line. Not only that but he did his best to control the referee as well. Ulster on the other hand found it difficult to hold on to the ball from any phase of play. Players of the caliber of Harrison, Topping and Bowe were turned over in attacking positions and in the first half 4 throws were lost on attacking lineouts. Add this all together and you begin to get the picture.

Coincidentally it was with the wind to their backs and a hollering gale in the faces of Connacht that saw Ulster attack the home line but from every, and I mean every attacking move the ball was spilled. It was from a series of kicks behind the defence and up and under superbly played by Humphries that Ulster put the home side under serious pressure. The errors were forced on 3 occasions forcing the penalty that Humphries duly obliged and converted adding another before the half and this was to be the last Ulster score. Although in the lead but not in control but with the wind advantage Ulster were being taught a lesson on retention. Connacht were playing the rugby manfully working their way up the pitch time and time again after Ulster lapses let them off the hook just as had happened against Leinster. However it was a Lacey try and converted by Slemen that was to be the only try in the first half. Characteristically it came after a mix up in the middle of the Ulster midfield that led to the break through.

The second half was no better for Ulster this time now facing the elements which were now being a bit kinder but till an advantage saw Connacht take the lead through Slemen in the corner after another line out steal. Connacht were playing pick and drive in their forwards and enjoyed an almost total dominance of the ball with Ulster only seeing the ball in flashes and that was normally when it was dropped on knocked on. It was a well below par performance that should not be forgotten about and even when Rigney was binned for persistent fouling Ulster still could not find a way through the well organising and sturdy Connacht defence. A further penalty by Slemen late on in the game stretched the lead to 10 points and finalised the score to Connacht 22 Ulster 12.

It would have been a long trek home from Galway with several senior players doing some serious soul searching. The Christmas turkey should by now have been long worked out of the system but in Galway the team were only at best 60 percent of full throttle. There was a lacklustre feel about the performance. A theory abounds that it is fatigue which may indeed be the case as the three big impact games pre Christmas has taken its toll. Neil Best was not his usual enforcing self and Tommy Bowe looked to be only in second gear concerning himself more with looking for a gap rather than creating one. The backs for the third week in a row ran predictable lines from flat positions. It is all well and dandy doing this if you do it from fast go forward ball but you might as well package it with a birthday card running slow ball against a well organised and highly motivated defence. Connacht were never committing more than 2 players at a losing ruck, basing their entire defensive plan around this idea. Thus leaving numbers in the middle and close in. The Ulster reply was to half heartedly attempt to barge through the middle with little support for the ball carrier and not even the hint of an off load to get in behind the defence and then let the strike runners rip. The binning of Rigney for persistent fouling was a story in itself as he felt very aggrieved having to be physically encouraged to leave the field by his teammates and Michael Bradley lending a hand. Even when a man playing against 14 men Ulster still did not manage to break Connacht down and showed little creativity behind the tight eight failing to get behind home lines except in the odd moment of unstructured capitalisation. Andrew Trimble was never given the ball at pace and certainly never at full pelt to cause the sort of damage he can. The plus sides and they were a few was the form of Neil McMillan who continues to improve with every game and shone like a lone beacon in the mist almost performing like the human dynamo that wore the 7 jersey before injury.

There is a danger that Ulster could go into freefall; confidence eroding and all the good work at the start of the season go to pot. There were so many things wrong with the performance that it points to one problem, or two at worst. There is a definite lethargy about the team, which is transposing itself into sub standard performances by key leaders, which in turn spreads like virus throughout the side. It either comes from anticipation that all they have to do is turn up and the breaks will happen or else this is a tired team in need of a rest to nurse their bruised bodies.

The end of term report would read. Ulster after a good start have shown the potential to go all the way but must not loose focus and have to work harder.

Ulster: 15 - Bryn Cunningham; 14 - Tommy Bowe, 13 - Kevin Maggs, 12 - Andrew Trimble, 11 - Paul Steinmetz; 10 - David Humphreys, 9 - Kieran Campbell; 1 - Justin Fitzpatrick, 2 - R Best, 3 - S Best (capt), 4 - J Harrison, 5 - Rowan Frost, 6 - Neil Best, 7 - Neil McMillan, 8 - Roger Wilson.

Replacements: 16 - Nigel Brady, 17 - Bryan Young, 18 - Ryan Caldwell, 19 - Stephen Ferris, 20 - Isaac Boss, 21 - Adam Larkin, 22 - James Topping.

Connacht Squad (26):
Forwards Ray Hogan, Adrian Clarke, Stephen Knoop, John Fogarty, Joe Merrigan, Andrew Farley, David Gannon, Christian Short, Michael Swift, John Muldoon, Brendan O'Connor, Matt Lacey, Colm Rigney.

Backs: Chris Keane, Tom Tierney, Conor O'Loughlin, Paul Warwick, David Slemen, Keith Matthews, John Hearty, Andrew Mailei, Gavin Williams, Conor McPhillips, Ted Robinson, Mark McHugh, Matt Mostyn,

Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU). Touch Judges: Ger English (IRFU), Paul Haycock (IRFU).