What the Papers Say 2012/2013

[Mac]

Thursday 9th May................2 x Team News

BBC

Ulster make changes for Scarlets semi as John Afoa misses out.......................

Ulster have made four changes to the team for Friday's Pro12 semi-final against the Scarlets at Ravenhill.

Kiwi prop John Afoa is ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in the win over Cardiff last week and is replaced by Declan Fitzpatrick in the front row.

Irish internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court and Dan Tuohy are recalled.

Jackson's inclusion allows Ruan Pienaar to switch to scrum-half with Paul Marshall, Iain Henderson, Callum Black and Afoa the players to drop out.

Scarlets are sweating on the fitness of Wales and Lions winger George North, who took a blow to the chest in the shock defeat to Treviso last week.

He went off reporting breathing difficulties after the game.

Fly-half Rhys Priestland in a position to make his first start since recovering from major surgery.

He has played just 52 minutes of rugby since recovering from a Achilles tendon injury before Christmas.

Ulster: J Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, T Bowe, P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams

Replacements: R Herring, C Black, R Lutton, I Henderson, M McComish, P Marshall, M Allen, P Nelson.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22466674

TheFlipSide

Scarlets spirit set to seize opportunity in big Belfast semi-final....................
The Scarlets travel to Ulster on Friday night for their RaboDirect PRO12 play-off with their minds firmly fixed on stepping up for their very best performance this season.

The Scarlets may go into their first encounter of the knockout phases of the RaboDirect PRO12 as underdogs against an impressive and award winning Ulster side this season; but the challenge of overcoming the league leaders at home is a position the travelling Scarlets team will relish.
After 22 rounds of the competition, the Scarlets have achieved their target set out at the start of the season of being one of the four teams from twelve to go forward to the knockout phase in the quest to find the RaboDirect PRO12 champions of 2012/13.

The Scarlets will take confidence from a series of big away wins over the course of the league season including results on the road in Glasgow, Munster, Edinburgh and Connacht.

The Scarlets expect a big battle knowing that top seeds Ulster spent 15 of the 22 rounds leading the table, and having slipped down to third during March, bounced back up to lead for the final three rounds.

The Ulstermen have lost just one of their last six encounters in the competition against Edinburgh in late March 8-14. Their only defeat to a Welsh region was against the Ospreys in February 12-16.

The Scarlets had won five games in a row in the competition before their defeat to Treviso last Friday. Ulster have won five of their last six contests against the Scarlets - the West Wales region's last victory over the Irish province came in October 2011 at Parc y Scarlets 24-17.

Simon Easterby said: "All that happened last week against Treviso has been firmly put to bed now. We are one of four teams that have 80 minutes of rugby in front of them to prove their ability and battle for a place in the final.

"This is where we wanted to be this season, we've achieved a top four finish, now we have to bring everything we have to this game to back up all the hard work we've put in throughout the season."

Simon Easterby opts for just three changes to his match day squad from last weekend against Treviso; with Wales international outside half Rhys Priestland returning to the starting line-up after two appearances from the bench on his return from injury. Hooker Emyr Phillips replaces Matthew Rees on the bench (groin injury) and Gareth Owen comes onto the bench for Gareth Maule (thumb injury). Back row Rob McCusker who was withdrawn late against Treviso with a rib injury returns to captain his side.

Scarlets Team v Ulster; Friday 10th May 2013 kick off 7.45pm at Ravenhill 15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Scott Williams, 11 Andy Fenby, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Aled Davies, 1 Phil John, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Samson Lee, 4 George Earle, 5 Johan Synman, 6 Aaron Shingler, 7 Josh Turnbull, 8 Rob McCusker (capt).

Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Jacobie Adriannse, Jake Ball, Sione Timani, Gareth Davies, Owen Williams, Gareth Owen.

The last time West Wales rugby held the trophy was in the Celtic League's first season in 2004 however history lessons and memory lane have not formed part of the preparations this week from Head Coach Simon Easterby who lifted that trophy as the region's captain.

He said: "Most of our players would have been young teenagers at that time, so I'm not sure that those great games are really very relevant. What we have looked at this week are games were the unexpected has happened; we'll take strength from some of the big away wins we've achieved this season at tough grounds like at Munster, Glasgow and Connacht.

"We have played some good rugby to get ourselves to this position and some strong winning rugby at places we were not expected to win at and that's our focus going into this game. We've used last Friday as a motivator to produce the sort of performance you'd expect from a top four side and from the Scarlets jersey.

"We have plenty to face in coming up against Ulster. They have been pretty much unbeatable this season and they are in the driving seat at home.

"What we have to bring is our commitment, ambition and desire to win. That has to be in body as well as mind and shown in our work rate and intensity on the field.

"Sides will be threatened by the players we put on the park, there's a good mix in our team and we know the quality that key Scarlets players can bring to our performance.

"We'll have a good travelling support out there who will get behind us and make their voices heard. We want to give them a performance they can really cheer about after the disappointment of our final home game.

"It's going to be a huge night for us as Scarlets - we have this opportunity in front of us now and we'll give it everything we have."

http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/rugby/5770.php

[Mac]

Thursday 9th May......................Cont'd

Newsletter

Ulster team named for ‘last stand’ in old Ravenhill........................

Paddy Jackson returns at outhalf on Friday night when Ulster face Scarlets in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final at Ravenhill.

The Ireland flyhalf was rested last week, but returns to the team for the vital clash in Belfast.

However, New Zealand prop, John Afoa, was ruled out with having failed to receover from a hamstring injury against Cardiff Blues.

Head Coach, Mark Anscombe, made four changes and one positional switch to his side for the first of the weekend semi-finals.

Along with Jackson, there are starts for Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy, with Ruan Pienaar switching to scrumhalf.

Paul Marshall, Callum Black and Iain Henderson, who all started last week, are named as substitutes for the game.

The game will also mark the end of an era at Ravenhill as Ulster fans bid farewell to the ground’s historic grandstand.

It opened on 12th January 1924 and has witnessed almost 90 years of Ulster rugby. Demolition work will begin on the stand next week as part of the ongoing £14.7 million redevelopment of the ground.

Meanwhile, Scarlets coach Simon Easterby opts for just three changes to his match day squad from last weekend against Treviso; with Wales international outside half Rhys Priestland returning to the starting line-up after two appearances from the bench on his return from injury.

Hooker Emyr Phillips replaces Matthew Rees on the bench (groin injury) and Gareth Owen comes onto the bench for Gareth Maule (thumb injury). Back row Rob McCusker who was withdrawn late against Treviso with a rib injury returns to captain his side.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5076994

PlanetR

The first RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final of the weekend comes from Ravenhill this Friday as Ulster go for a win hat-trick over the Scarlets in 2012/13.

The Ravenhill outfit defeated the Welsh region both home and away during the regular-season.

And with the Scarlets coming into this fixture having been comprehensively beaten on home soil by Treviso, Ulster will enter as favourites.

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe has made four changes and one positional switch for the contest as Ireland internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return to the side, while Ruan Pienaar switches to 9.

Paul Marshall, Callum Black and Iain Henderson, who all started last week, are named in the 23.

However, in a major blow, tighthead prop John Afoa was unavailable for selection, having failed to recover from the hamstring injury that he sustained against Cardiff Blues last week.

Meanwhile, the Scarlets will take confidence from a series of big away wins over the course of the season including results on the road in Glasgow, Munster, Edinburgh and Connacht.

And while last week's loss to Treviso hurt, prior to that game they were on a five-match winning run so coach Simon Easterby is keen to move on and put in a good display.

"All that happened last week against Treviso has been firmly put to bed now. We are one of four teams that have 80 minutes of rugby in front of them to prove their ability and battle for a place in the final," he said.

"This is where we wanted to be this season, we've achieved a top four finish, now we have to bring everything we have to this game to back up all the hard work we've put in throughout the season."

Easterby makes three changes to his matchday squad, with Wales international fly-half Rhys Priestland returning to the starting line-up after two appearances from the bench.

Hooker Emyr Phillips replaces Matthew Rees on the bench (groin injury) and Gareth Owen comes onto the bench for Gareth Maule (thumb injury). Back-row Rob McCusker, who was withdrawn late against Treviso with a rib injury, returns to captain his Welsh side.

Form: Ulster finished on top of the pile in the RaboDirect PRO12 table this season to qualify for a first Play-Off since 2010/11. The Ulstermen have lost just one of their last six encounters in the competition; 8-14 at Edinburgh on 22nd March. Ulster's solo defeat to a Welsh region in their last nine such matches was 12-16 at home to Ospreys on 8th February. Scarlets five game winning run in the PRO12 came to a shuddering halt with their 17-41 reversal at the hands of BenettonTreviso at Parc y Scarlets in round 22. The Welshmen's last five fixtures against Irish provinces have all been won by the home side on the day. This is Scarlets first appearance in the Play-Offs. Ulster have won five of their last six contests against Scarlets with the Welshmen's only success during that time being 24- 17 at Parc y Scarlets on 29 October 2011. Scarlets have not been victorious at Ravenhill since the opening round of the 2008/09 season.

Ones to watch:

For Ulster: We go for the sole British and Irish Lion in the line-up, Tommy Bowe. The Ireland international is a big-game player and therefore we expect him to go well. A likely try scorer.

For Scarlets: In only his third game back from injury, a lot will rest on the shoulder of Rhys Priestland. Just how far he is down the Lions pecking order is unclear but if he can dominate at Ravenhill, head coach Warren Gatland may bump him up the standby list.

Head-to-head: Two full-backs who love to run will clash on Friday as Jared Payne takes on Liam Williams. Payne this week put pen to paper on a new Ulster contract so he will want to rubber stamp that deal with a strong performance. Williams meanwhile is a quality runner, as we will see this week and also against Japan for Wales during their June Tests.

Prediction: Scarlets will respond from last week but it won't be enough. Ulster by 5!

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2588 ... 45,00.html

Pro12

Scarlets head coach Simon Easterby believes he has the armoury at his disposal to strike fear into all other sides in the RaboDirect PRO12 - challenging his side to show it against Ulster on Friday.

The Scarlets head to Belfast to face Ulster, who finished top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table, for a first ever semi-final, having finished in fifth place in the last two seasons.
They limped over the line however, going down to a thumping 41-17 defeat on home soil at the hands of Treviso and had to rely on Leinster beating Ospreys to end up in the top four.

Scarlets have not won at Ravenhill since the 2008/9 season and they have lost five of their last six matches against Ulster, including both times this season - going down 47-17 in the away fixture.

But prior to their defeat by Treviso, they had won their last five RaboDirect PRO12 matches and having finally reached the semi-finals, Easterby has called on his side to play without fear.

"We have played some good rugby to get ourselves to this position and some strong winning rugby at places we were not expected to win at and that's our focus going into this game," he said.

"We've used last Friday as a motivator to produce the sort of performance you'd expect from a top four side and from the Scarlets jersey.

"We have plenty to face in coming up against Ulster. They have been pretty much unbeatable this season and they are in the driving seat at home.

"What we have to bring is our commitment, ambition and desire to win. That has to be in body as well as mind and shown in our work rate and intensity on the field.

"Sides will be threatened by the players we put on the park, there's a good mix in our team and we know the quality that key Scarlets players can bring to our performance.

"We'll have a good travelling support out there who will get behind us and make their voices heard. We want to give them a performance they can really cheer about after the disappointment of our final home game.

"It's going to be a huge night for us as Scarlets - we have this opportunity in front of us now and we'll give it everything we have."

Scarlets have made two changes to the side that lost to Treviso with Rhys Priestland making his long-awaited return to a fearsome backline that also boasts British & Irish Lions Jonathan Davies and George North, having made two appearances off the bench.

Ulster, making their first play-off appearance in two years, have lost just one of their last six RaboDirect PRO12 matches and head coach Mark Anscombe has made four personnel changes to the side that downed Cardiff Blues to rubber-stamp their hold on top spot.

Ireland internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return to the side, while Ruan Pienaar switches to scrum-half.

"(Scarlets) have worked hard all year and they've earned the right to be in the semi-final," Anscombe told the Irish Independent.

"Past performances and games against them count for nothing. It will be down to whichever team takes their chances and goes about their work in the right way.

"Certainly there has been a good attitude in training this week. You can feel the buzz and the positive attitude. The players are excited and that's what you want.

"It's not about changing anything; it's about keeping our focus and emptying the tank. If we do that, we have a good chance of making the final."

At Ravenhill, 7.45pm. Live on BBC NI/RTE/S4C
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU, 58th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Andrew McMenemy, Adrian Graves (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Douglas Hunter (SRU)
TMO: Jim Yuille (SRU)

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/matchcentre/16547.php

Ulster's Jackson would swap plaudits for silverware................................

After an 11-game winning streak to start the season and some breathtaking performances along the way, Ulster have collected many plaudits this term - but fly-half Paddy Jackson admits they have won nothing yet.

Jackson has been among the stand-out performers this season for an Ulster side that has dazzled the RaboDirect PRO12, ending the regular season in top spot.
Nick Williams and Luke Marshall have been singled out for honours - scooping the players' player of the season and the young player of the season awards respectively.

But across the board they have been electric with Andrew Trimble running in tries for fun of late, Ruan Pienaar in devastating form at half-back, and Jackson marshalling the troops in the No.10 jersey.

It's credit to the 21-year-old that he has had such an impressive campaign - earning his first Ireland caps along the way - after he was thrust into the starting line-up in last year's European Cup final and received his fair share of criticism for his performance.

But that defeat clearly still does not sit well with Jackson, who is desperate to add some silverware to the Ulster trophy cabinet with Friday's semi-final with the Scarlets looming large.

"I think the start of the season is forgotten about really," said Jackson. "We move on and we leave that in the past, it's the next game that matters.

"Our last match against the Blues, we didn't start as well as we wanted to and they definitely made us work for the [37-13] victory and we will need to improve against the Scarlets.

"We beat them earlier in the season handsomely but the Scarlets are a team that can beat anyone on their day when they get things right.

"But we're determined to make sure that we can keep our form going and get some silverware into the trophy cabinet.

"We went of Europe so there is this chance now to come up with some performances and be successful."

While Ulster started the season in emphatic fashion, an inevitable mid-season blip ensued with only one win in five matches during February and most of March.

Injuries did not help - players such as Jared Payne, skipper Johann Muller, Paddy Wallace, Darren Cave and Tommy Bowe were all sidelined - while Ulster's early season form ensured a number of players were absent on international duty during the Six Nations.

But a 22-18 victory over Leinster in Dublin - in which Jackson excelled and outshone counterpart Ian Madigan - bucked their losing trend, and Jackson admits that match was a catalyst for Ulster getting back to their best.

"I think that Leinster was game was important in getting our confidence back, we played well and got a good result which we knew we were capable of," he added.

"We had a lot of internationals missing and plenty of injuries but we've got those players back now and we feel like we're on form again."

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/16561.php

[Mac]

Friday 10th May 2013..............Pro12 Semi

Times

Ulster look to produce grandstand performance against Scarlets in Pro 12 semi-final ...................
Ulster’s set-piece will be crucial to providing the quick ruck ball and offloading game that has caused problems for so many teams

It is up to Ulster to decide whether tonight’s match represents a milestone or a millstone. There is massive expectation, justifiably so, borne of a stunning 14-match unbeaten run, and the character shown in regaining their playing equilibrium after a mid-season speed wobble.

The manner of their exit from the Heineken Cup is a reminder past performance is no guarantee of future success. They’ll have to earn their place in the Pro12 final by dint of what they bring to the pitch tonight.

There is no collateral to be gleaned from the fact they have already beaten the Scarlets twice in the tournament or that the Welsh club reserved a shockingly inept display for their final home match last weekend, a 41-17 trouncing by Benetton Treviso. The Scarlets could have missed out but Leinster’s victory over the Ospreys ensured they didn’t.

That performance was more likely an aberration because a club that finishes fourth over 22 matches can hardly be described as lucky. Motivation comes in many forms but last weekend’s display and the booing that accompanied the final whistle will still smart and tonight offers a shot at absolution.

One change
Scarlets’s coach Simon Easterby makes one change to the team from the Treviso match with Welsh outhalf Rhys Priestland restored to the starting line-up after a couple of appearances off the bench. Emyr Phillips and Garth Owen take over from Matthew Rees (groin) and Gareth Maule (thumb) among the replacements.

Llanelli’s backline possesses pace and guile and contains two Lions who will be travelling to Hong Kong and Australia in George North and Jonathan Davies. While the eye is naturally drawn to the Welsh side’s backs, their openside flanker Josh Turnbull maintains that the pack stand up favourably to comparison.

“People have written our scrum off but we have turned that into a bit of a weapon while our lineout is the best in the league. To be fair Danny Wilson (forwards’ coach) has really put pressure on the boys to know their roles. It is down to us to . . . prove everyone wrong and there have been times this season when we have done that. Hopefully we can produce the ball for what people say is one of the best backlines in Europe.”

Ulster selection
Ulster coach Mark Anscombe makes four changes and a positional switch; Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick all return while Ruan Pienaar switches from outhalf to scrumhalf. John Afoa has not recovered from his hamstring injury. Ulster’s set-piece will be crucial to providing the quick ruck ball, and offloading game that has caused problems for so many teams this season.

Stuart Olding has played with a maturity and vision that has complemented his obvious ability. He faces a tough physical challenge against Welsh international Scott Williams in what promises to be an interesting midfield duel, where Darren Cave will measure himself against Davies.

Ulster fullback Jared Payne is a beautifully balanced runner who glides through gaps, possessing the spatial awareness and timing to bring out the best in Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble. Ulster will look to control the game at halfback, maximising Pienaar’s game management skills.

Ulster supporters will stand shelter in the Old Grandstand for a final time tonight, an edifice that was first opened on January 12th, 1924. Demolition works begins next week but supporters will hope their team that dons the hard hats tonight.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/u ... -1.1387815

Tele

Jackson wants to end seesaw season on high.......................

Like every career, there are peaks and troughs to be navigated.

Paddy Jackson has already had intimate exposure to both and has also shown considerable fortitude to absorb the hurt and just move on.

The 21-year-old's game has come under considerable scrutiny this season as he made his Six Nations debut in what proved to be the dying embers of Declan Kidney's time at Ireland's helm while, back at Ulster, he is no longer the primary placekicker thanks to the presence of Ruan Pienaar.

It seems painfully intrusive to point all this out, but he knows it's coming and faces his interrogation with the same matter of fact approach that was also present in the immediate aftermath of last season's losing Heineken Cup final.

"I try not to listen to it all too much," he says when the criticism directed at him over the Six Nations is mentioned.

"It's hard not to hear it but you just kind of, well, there's not much you can do about it, what's said is said. "I know I believe in myself and I think I'm good enough to play at this level and all that matters is what you think and your family and friends. That's the way I see it."

His talent and ability is undoubted as is his mental toughness – he is hoping to make Ireland's summer tour to America and Canada to both challenge Ian Madigan's rise and to clearly impress new coach Joe Schmidt –and there are few complaints over having surrendered the primary kicking duties to Pienaar.

"Yeah it's a bit of a difference," Jackson admits over knowing that the Springbok is taking the shots at goal while also occasionally playing in place of him at out half. "But with Ruan in there, well, he's one of the best kickers around so there's not much I can do about that. It's a bit harder to get into the game with not having the kicking but it's been working well for us and I just really looking forward to playing.

"I think everyone's feeling fresh enough even though it's the tail end of the season so this is really the last big push now," he adds while the conversation steers towards the more reassuring ground of tonight's RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final with Scarlets.

"I'm glad to be involved," he says. "There's an added pressure with the final beckoning but you've just got to put that to the back of your mind and just play it like another game.

"We've been a bit slow out of the blocks this season so it's something we need to do address for Friday so we're really hoping to put them to the sword early," Jackson added.

Even though he had made his senior Ulster debut that season, Jackson played no part in Ulster's 2011 league semi-final appearance when they were beaten by Leinster at the RDS.

He was however still kicking points in both Ulster's wins over the Scarlets earlier in the season and though the last time the west Wales side turned up at Ravenhill, in January, they were tanked 47-17, Jackson won't speculate that this scoreline will be repeated on Friday evening even though Simon Easterby's side were also badly turned over last week at home to Treviso.

"I think they were booed off their own pitch but we're not reading too much into any of that and there's bound to be some form of reaction from them. I'd say they'd be very up for it."

No better time for him to remind us of his worth

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 53612.html

Ulster star Nick says cheers to 'last chance saloon'...............................

It's been a rather tortuous journey towards finding redemption. Nick Williams delivers one of those languid smiles and in softly spoken tones – the complete contrast to the wrecking-ball presence he has brought to his work this season – tries to bring substance to how he has turned his career around in just one campaign to bring the 29-year-old to the verge of making the RaboDirect PRO12 final if the Scarlets are seen off in tomorrow night's Ravenhill semi-final.

The baseball cap sits reversed on his head and he is in good form and is as willing to talk as he is intent on larking around with his team-mates.

"I'm looking forward to the game on Friday night, but at the moment I'm just enjoying the sun," is the Ulster number eight's take on the day that's in it before an even bigger smile accompanies his next observation.

"As long as I see a blue sky I know I'm still on Earth."

It's all been quite a story. After notably indifferent spells on the books at both Munster – who he was with for two years after coming on board in 2008 – and Aironi, Williams was brought to Ulster with his stock being pretty close to rock bottom.

Now, less than a year later, that backdrop has been utterly altered and he finds himself being lauded by his peers with Sunday's RaboDirect PRO12 Players' Player of the Year gong coming the Auckland native's way while last night he made a double after also being up for the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association (IRUPA) Players' Player of the Year.

"I'm just really humbled by it, humbled and grateful," is his take on all the awards stuff.

You get the impression, though, that when it comes to doing these ceremonies, and hitting the road to Dublin twice in one week while leaving his pregnant fiancee – who is due to give birth in July – and daughter behind, he could probably take it or leave it.

For him, what has happened on the pitch is of much more significance and, as he explains, it has also been no easy task to arrive somewhere new, especially with his career baggage, and just rapidly turn it all around to become a huge favourite at Ravenhill.

"Obviously I knew the stick I was getting when people heard I was going to sign for Ulster and that was fair enough after the seasons I had down south and in Italy," he added.

"It was a huge challenge and I've just plugged away.

"I've done a lot of work off the field to try and get my body right and to utilise it come game time." There's no escaping the fact that Ulster were pretty much the last chance saloon for the former Junior All Black to make a positive impression and he also knew he just couldn't afford to let down Mark Anscombe – his former coach from back home and the man who was instrumental in getting him snapped up after Aironi folded last season – or put in more underachieving efforts around his new team-mates.

"I came here and I changed my mentality towards how I approached the game of rugby," he says before going off on an unexpected tangent.

"It was the fun factor, I took it too seriously sometimes when I was playing down south and over in Italy and it was just not working for me.

"What I really wanted to do was play and just enjoy it.

"It's not a long career and it has to be enjoyed while it's here and that's the one thing that's different in my game," says the man who can claim the maverick Sonny Bill Williams as his cousin.

He can't close the subject matter without paying tribute to his team-mates, who have fully embraced him as a key member of the squad, and, of course, his Ulster coach Anscombe.

"Me and Cowboy (Anscombe), we have a history together back in New Zealand and he knew what I was capable of," he said.

"He's a coach I respect a lot and he can get it out of me and it's worked here."

No argument there as Williams's seven tries – though he has not scored since suffering a knee injury in January which kept him out for two months which interestingly happened to coincide with most of Ulster's PRO12 slump – attest to a player who opponents have, at times, simply found close to unstoppable.

And along with crossing the line himself, his unorthodox one-handed ball-carrying, with accompanying off-loads, have also helped create other scores for those around him as well as, occasionally, gifting ball to the opposition. If Williams can finish the season on a high and continue his form into the next campaign, then his strong Christian faith has to also be attributed to assisting his turnaround in fortune.

He kneels in prayer on the pitch before each game though he admits to previously straying and suffering the consequences.

"At the beginning of my career I kind of went away from the Church and I let it all go to my head a little bit," added Williams.

"But I know things must be done in moderation and that's how I now live my life nowadays.

"You've got to have fun, but it's all got to be balanced."

So far, Williams is certainly making up for all that lost time.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 53611.html

Ulster captain Johann Muller wants grandstand finish on home turf......................

Ulster captain Johann Muller wants a grandstand finish on home turf on Friday — in more ways than one.

The Ravenhill men want a vociferous home crowd to roar them on as they aim for a place in the RaboDirect PRO12 final at the expense of the visiting Scarlets.

But this is also the last match at Ravenhill before the iconic 89-year-old grandstand is pulled down as part of the redevelopment programme.

And Muller would certainly like the sell-out evening to be remembered for all the right reasons.

The big Springbok’s CV may include leading South Africa against the All Blacks in the course of a stellar rugby career, but the chance of lifting the PRO12 trophy with Ulster genuinely excites him.

“This is why we play rugby — for matches like this,” said Muller.

“To have finished top of this league after 22 matches is good.

"But there are no trophies for it. We need to go all the way, to finish the job.

“That is why this match is the most important of our year; if we are to win a trophy we must win this game.”

He added: “It’s knock-out rugby now and if we lose we cannot win anything.

"Success gets measured by trophies, so while we have improved and have done really well as a side, at the end of that we have nothing to show for it.

“We want to put ourselves in a situation where we play in a final.

"As a team and as individuals, we want a trophy,” Muller insisted.

This is Ulster’s second PRO12 semi-final in three seasons, but things are very different than in 2011 when they qualified in third and had to face second-placed Leinster at the RDS as a result.

This time they have finished top of the pile, entitling them to a Ravenhill semi-final pairing with a side they have beaten home and away this season.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 55148.html

ScotsMan.com

Scarlets know they must be at their best to beat Ulster..........................

The Scarlets travel to Ulster tonight for their RaboDirect PRO12 play-off with their minds firmly fixed on delivering their best performance of the season.

The Scarlets go into the knockout phase as underdogs against an Ulster side who led the table for 15 of the 22 rounds and finished top.

The Scarlets had won five league games in a row but slipped up to Treviso last Friday. Ulster have also won five of their last six contests against the West Wales region.

Scarlets coach Simon Easterby said: “All that happened last week against Treviso has been firmly put to bed now. We are one of four teams that have 80 minutes of rugby in front of them to prove their ability and battle for a place in the final.”

Easterby has made three changes with Wales stand-off Rhys Priestland starting after two appearances from the bench on his return from injury. Emyr Phillips replaces injured hooker Matthew Rees on the bench and Gareth Owen comes onto the bench for Gareth Maule, who has a thumb injury. Back row Rob McCusker who picked up a rib injury against Treviso returns as captain.

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe makes four changes and one positional switch to the team that beat Cardiff last weekend. Irish internationals Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return, while Ruan Pienaar switches from No 10 to scrum-half.

The game will be the last in front of Ravenhill’s historic grandstand which opened in 1924. Demolition work starts next week as part of a £14.7 million ground redevelopment.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/top ... -1-2925513

BBC............9th May

Adam D'Arcy to leave Ulster at the end of the season........................

Ulster fullback Adam D'Arcy is to leave Ravenhill at the end of the season.

Head coach Mark Anscombe confirmed that the Australian, who has spent three seasons with the province, will depart when his contract expires in June.

Back row Ali Birch is also on his way out of Ravenhill while former Ulster Academy players David McIlwaine and James McKinney will return from Bristol and Rotherham Titans respectively.

D'Arcy and Birch played just four times each for Ulster this season.

D'Arcy impressed during a two-week trial period at Ulster in the summer of 2010 and was given a one-year contract.

He played 24 times for Brian McLaughlin's team in the 2010/2011 season and was rewarded with a new two-year contract.

He made 26 appearances last season but has seen little game time under Anscombe this season, starting just once in the Pro12 game away to Munster last December.

His last appearance for the province was a replacement in the victory over the Dragons last month.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Jared Payne, who will qualify to play for Ireland in a year's time, had agreed a new three-year contract to stay at Ulster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22471165

TheFlip Side

BBC

Scarlets can stun Ulster, says flanker Josh Turnbull.....................

Flanker Josh Turnbull says the Scarlets can upset the Pro12 play-off semi-final odds against Ulster on Friday by following Treviso's example.

The Italian side posted a 17-41 win at Parc y Scarlets last Friday.

But Turnbull says his side should take confidence from making the last four, adding: "Treviso came over here on Friday and had nothing to lose and threw it around.

"Possibly we've got to have the same sort of game as that."

Five-times Wales capped Turnbull, 25, also points to the Scarlets boasting a Pro12 double over Munster this season as proof of their credentials.

"We've gone to Munster this year and done the double over them.

"We've beaten some tough teams at home and away and we know we're capable of doing it.

"[But] we've got to bring our A game."

Even so the versatile back-five forward, who plays open-side at Ravenhill alongside fellow Wales internationals Aaron Shingler and skipper Rob McCusker in the back-row, admits the Scarlets were a "little bit lucky" to reach the play-offs.

On the night they lost to Treviso, Welsh rivals the Ospreys' hopes of successfully defending their crown ended at Leinster.

"We're a little bit lucky, really, especially knowing that the Ospreys are capable of going out to Leinster and getting a W after they won out there in the final last year," said Turnbull.

"We're pretty relieved that we've ended up getting in the play-off.

"But I think we've been close in the last couple of years and we wanted to finish off this season with a bang."

Turnbull says the Scarlets must contain Ulster scrum-half Ruan Pienaar and outstanding number eight Nick Williams.

He added: "If we can close those two players down, it'll make our life a little bit easier.

"They've got a really good set piece and to be fair they've played some pretty exciting rugby.

"It's a great place to play, but we've got to go out there full of confidence that we've earned the right to be in the top four this season."

But while the Scarlets head to Belfast in the knowledge that they lost heavily there in January, Turnbull other teams have mounted serious challenges to Friday's hosts.

"They gave us a bit of a thumping [but] if you look at some of the results they've had against other teams - they haven't beaten them by a lot of points.

"And Treviso even had a draw against them and they thumped us last weekend."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22470933

Newsletter

Priestland is fit and firing again for Scarlets.........................

Rhys Priestland suffered the most serious injury of his rugby career in December when he snapped his Achilles’ tendon and looked set to miss the remainder of the season.

His only realistic hope of making it back before the summer would be if the Scarlets could manage to reach the PRO12 play-offs, and after Simon Easterby’s side did exactly that, Priestland insists he is feeling as fresh as he has done in a few years after having time to shake off the nagging bumps and bruises.

He made his return to action off the bench against the Blues at the end of last month, before again featuring in the thumping 41-17 home defeat to Treviso.

But having got into the play-offs as a result of the Ospreys’ defeat in Dublin, Priestland insists he will be fit and firing ahead of the clash against Ulster, having been named in the starting line-up.

He said: “I thought this group would get into the play-offs and I targeted trying to get back before the end of the season and play some part in the play-offs.

“I’ve enjoyed the break, it’s a part of rugby. I’ve taken it for what it is, but I’m fit now, fitter than I’ve been for a while, my body feels good apart from my Achilles which still feels a little stiff. I’ve really enjoyed coming back into the environment with the team.

“I had to hit some targets before coming back to play and a lot of those were fitness targets so it’s been some of the best scores I’ve done down here. It’s been nice to have a rest and the body is feeling the way it should do.

“I felt good before the injury happened, in the last two games of the autumn I felt really good and was looking forward to having a good Christmas with the Scarlets and making a push for the play-offs.

“Throughout my career I’ve been quite fortunate, this is my first serious injury.

“I’ve been carrying a lot of bumps and niggles over the last year or however long but it’s a part of rugby and I’ve got to take the positives from it.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5078536

SW EveningPost

Scarlets skipper Rob McCusker insists his side will throw everything into play-off battle against Ulster............

SCARLETS skipper Rob McCusker has vowed his side will throw the kitchen sink at Ulster in their first taste of the Pro12 play-offs.

Having finished fifth in the previous two seasons, the Scarlets have finally achieved their goal of breaking into the knockout stages of the cross-border tournament.

A 41-17 hammering at the hands of Treviso last weekend wasn't how they wanted to secure that little slice of Scarlets history.

But McCusker insists a line has been drawn under that forgettable Friday night at Parc y Scarlets and his men will be fired up at Ravenhill this evening.

"Hopefully there will be a big reaction, we have to use Treviso as a motivation," said the Wales back-rower, who returns to the starting XV after missing last weekend's defeat with a rib injury.

"We got what we deserved on the night, but ultimately we've got what we've deserved from the season.

"We have taken a step forward, we have improved year on year and have finished fifth in the last two seasons, now we have made that extra improvement to make the top four.

"But even though we have now made this step it is not job done, we are going for it. Now we are here we are desperate to do something.

"We have got nothing to lose and all to gain. We will be chucking the kitchen sink at Ulster.

"If we win we have another game to play, if we don't we are done."

Meanwhile, Ulster coach Mark Anscombe believes the fact his side finished the regular season as top seeds gives them a further boost going into the match.

"We led for most of the year so we've kept our heads above water and finished best of all the teams. That has to give us confidence and belief in ourselves."

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story ... z2SiDgbt7o

Rhys is handed reins for ulster............................

RHYS Priestland has been handed the job of steering the Scarlets to a shock Pro12 semi-final triumph over Ulster at a packed Ravenhill this evening (7.45pm).

The Wales fly-half has been handed the keys to number ten for the first time since recovering from a long-term Achilles injury.

Priestland replaces Owen Williams as the Scarlets look to upset the odds following their woeful performance against Treviso last weekend.

The bookmakers, unsurprisingly, have Ulster as overwhelming favourites, but Priestland believes that is not a bad thing for the West Walians.

"Last weekend was a big wake-up call for us. We know if we are anything near like that against Ulster we will be embarrassed again," he said. "It is going to be a tough ask, but a bit of the pressure is off us now. What we have to do is match them physically and be on edge throughout."

Priestland's words were echoed by head coach Simon Easterby, who has also recalled skipper Rob McCusker at No. 8 as one of two changes to his starting XV.

"What we did up until quarter to eight last Friday night was play some good rugby and play winning rugby," he said.

"We need to make sure we hold onto that, use last Friday night as a bit of a motivator and put on a performance that is deserving of being a top four side and of wearing the jersey.

"We mustn't forget what got us into this position.

"Ulster finished top after the regular season and deservedly so, but anything can happen in one-off games.

"I don't think too many people will give us a chance and we know we have to be near our best to win.

"But while they have some quality players, so do we.

"You look at the other teams in the top four and we are battling against bigger budgets, but we have got to the top four by hook or by crook in the end and now we are here we want to kick on and make the most of the opportunity."

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story ... z2SiDgbt7o

WalesOnLine

Scarlets outside-half Rhys Priestland vows region will bounce back against Ulster after Treviso shocker.............
Rhys Priestland – who missed Wales’ successful Six Nations title defence – has appeared twice as a substitute since returning from injury.

George North goes head-to-head with Lions wing rival Tommy Bowe when the Scarlets head to Ulster for tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 play-off semi-final.

Ireland star Bowe, a Test hit for the Lions in South Africa four years ago, has been named out of position on the left wing for Ulster.

And the former Ospreys ace’s duel with North could be an appetiser for the battle for a place in Warren Gatland’s team to face Australia this summer.

North, twice a Six Nations champion with Wales, has usually featured on the left for his country since the retirement of record try-scorer Shane Williams, but Gatland is sure to take note of events in Belfast with the 21-year-old on the right tonight.

The Northampton Saints-bound powerhouse had a hugely disappointing final home appearance for the Scarlets against Treviso last week.

North has been declared fit after taking a bump in the chest against Treviso and is part of a backline that will be orchestrated from the start by Rhys Priestland for the first time since rupturing an Achilles’ tendon in December.

Priestland – who missed Wales’ successful Six Nations title defence – has appeared twice as a substitute since returning from injury.

“I thought this group would get into the play-offs and targeted getting back into the team for them,” he said.

“I have enjoyed the break. Injury is part of rugby and I’m just looking at it for what it is.

“I feel really good, apart from my Achilles, which is still a bit stiff.

“I had to hit fitness targets in training before coming back to play.”

Priestland has recorded personal bests with the Scarlets during those exercises and, as a team, they will have to hit similar heights to beat firm favourites Ulster during their first foray into the championship play-offs.

The Scarlets, who haven’t touched silverware since lifting the inaugural Celtic League (now Pro12) title nine years ago, have consigned their shock 41-17 setback against Treviso to the dustbin.

“After that game everyone was disappointed and embarrassed at the way we performed,” said Priestland.

“I don’t think we could understand where it came from.

“I think we turned up and just expected it (a win) to happen. It wasn’t the case we were playing Treviso – I think it would have happened whoever we were playing.

“We really took our foot off the pedal and it was a big wake-up call.”

And he warned of the consequences of a repetition against Ulster, stressing: “If we are anywhere like that it’s going to be embarrassing again.”

“But I’m sure no-one wants that to happen again.

“The pressure is off a bit, it’s just about turning up and making sure we give a good account of ourselves.

“Ulster did pretty much the exact opposite of what we did last week by beating the Blues 37-13. We have got to be on edge over there because we know, if we are not, they could run away with it.

“We have got to be physical but not put pressure on ourselves.

“We must put pressure on them, be disciplined, not give penalties away in the range of Ulster goal-kicker Ruan Pienaar and control territory.

“But the main one is physicality. It has got to be huge in the collisions – we have to match Ulster’s physicality.

“They have got a big pack and some exciting backs, and obviously Bowe is a real threat.

“He’s playing really well and I’m sure he will have a point to prove before the Lions.

“No team is unbeatable, though. Saracens beat them quite convincingly in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and Northampton did the same to them over there.

“But it’s going to be a big ask at Ravenhill, especially as we have not been in the knockout stage of the Heineken or the Pro 12 for the last five years.”

Physical skipper Rob McCusker missed the clash with Treviso because of rib damage, but has been declared fit and replaces Kieran Murphy at No. 8.

Wales centre Scott Williams has overcome a shoulder problem to start, but there are two changes on the bench with hooker Matthew Rees (groin) and utility back Gareth Maule (thumb) sidelined.

The promising Emyr Phillips will cover hooker with Gareth Owen filling in for Maule.

Ulster have won five of their last six contests against the Scarlets with the Welsh region’s last victory over the Irish province coming in October 2011.

Heineken Cup holders and Amlin Challenge Cup finalists Leinster host Glasgow Warriors in the other semi-final tomorrow evening.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugb ... ws-3567464

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[Mac]

Friday 10th May 2013..............Pro12 Semi Cont'd

Indo

Pressure on Anscombe to ensure Ulster reach next level.......................

As Ulster prepare for an eminently winnable Pro12 semi-final at Ravenhill, it is nearing the time for a definitive assessment of Mark Anscombe's first season in charge.

Tasked with following in the footsteps of a popular indigenous coach, the bar had clearly been set high, however unexpectedly and, perhaps, unrealistically.

The surprise decision of the Ulster branch – under rugby director David Humphreys – to cull Brian McLaughlin certainly ruffled feathers among the supporting flock and an obvious question was posed: what if his successor could not at least equal last year's European progress?

Ulster staff will argue that they were looking at the bigger picture; rugby favours medium- to long-term planning rather than a staccato shotgun approach to hiring and firing. Yet supporters still queried that point: was McLaughlin's progress last season not itself then an accurate indicator of a bright future after almost a decade of predominantly wasteful neglect following the 1999 European success?

Ulster, via the ambitious Humphreys and his chief executive Shane Logan clearly demurred; that nirvana signposted 'the next level' to which all clubs aspire was the clear intention behind McLaughlin's re-routing to the academy (where, as an aside, his methods are already bearing fruit).

Consistency

Hence the recruitment of Anscombe, a forwards specialist, to ensure that Ulster would eke out much more consistency in terms of performance as well as ensuring that the squad was deployed more effectively.

Anscombe has ticked both boxes – reaching the knockout stages of both competitions and, after being exposed beyond the XV that started and finished last season's famous Heineken Cup win in Munster, there has been a greater depth in playing options.

But the bottom line is that Ulster have failed to match last season's success in Europe and the resonance of their flat flop against Saracens still reverberates around Ravenhill.

For these are the standards that are now demanded of Ulster, perhaps best summed up by these words: "How do you measure success? Success is what Leinster have done over the last couple of years: silverware, making finals consistently over a number of years. It's the same with Munster, winning the same thing. Leicester, the same thing. Toulouse, the same thing."

This may seem like the urgent, well-worn pleas of the impatient terrace terrier. It is, in fact, a direct assessment of Ulster's encroaching priorities as delivered by Anscombe himself before a ball was kicked in this term's Heineken Cup.

After a 13-match winning run before Christmas, Ulster's mid-season dip cost them the Ravenhill Heineken Cup quarter-final that ultimately ended their interest, while a raft of injuries undermined their once impregnable leadership of the league standings.

Now, having missed out on repeating last year's final appearance in Europe, Anscombe and his squad will demand to reach the only other showpiece showdown available to them. More than that, their players, who have spoken all season of winning silverware to justify their lofty pretensions of becoming an established European heavyweight, will want to win it to claim that this season has been successful.

Anscombe amplified this week the innate fears that he and his squad could fall short on their self-assessed competitive targets. "My biggest fear is that we don't turn up and don't do justice to what we are capable of," he said. "We don't always perform in the way we train, so it's about fronting up.

"What we need is clarity. We need to keep things simple with the players backing themselves and go into the game in the right frame of mind.

"Certainly there has been a good attitude this week in training. Semi-finals are sometimes played in the mind, but you can feel the buzz and the positive attitude."

That attitude may have been jarred somewhat with the confirmation that they must plot without their World Cup-winning prop John Afoa, as they make four changes to the side that eventually thwarted Cardiff in the final regular game of the campaign.

Paddy Jackson, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick and Dan Tuohy all return to the side, while Ruan Pienaar switches from out-half to scrum-half.

The Scarlets include wing George North, while Rhys Priestland starts at fly-half after recovering from injury.

"The players are excited and that's what you want," continued Anscombe ahead of tonight's challenge.

"It's about keeping our focus and emptying the tank. If we do that, we have a good chance of making the final."

It will be the very least that Ulster and their supporters expect in a year where the expectations have inevitably become linked to what happened in 2012. Only the class of 2013 can alter the nature of that conversation.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/r ... 55653.html

Jackson aims to rise above criticism and get spark back...........................

Ulster out-half Paddy Jackson has admitted that he found it hard to take some of the criticism for his role in Ireland's dismal Six Nations downfall.

"It's hard not to hear some of the comments," said Jackson, whose struggles from the kicking tee against Scotland masked a decent all-round game as Ireland crumbled to Murrayfield defeat in a torturous debut for the 21-year-old.

"You cannot sidestep all the comments that are made. In the end, it's what your team-mates, friends and family think of you as a player. Most importantly, it's what you think of yourself," he said.

"Of course, some of the media criticism dented my confidence at times and it was hard to come back from it. Now, I'm just keeping the head down and learning.

"I'm still young and I know I still have a lot to prove in the game. I'm now intent on getting that sparkle back in my game that I had at the start of the season.

chance

"But playing for Ireland is what I always wanted. I just hope that I get another chance to win a few more caps."

And Jackson, set to joust with Ian Madigan for the starting No 10 jersey on Ireland's tour to North America, is determined for Ulster's season to finish on a high.

"Playing in the Pro12 semi-final (against Scarlets tonight) is something that we had earmarked from the start of the season. So it is good that we have achieved one of our goals. It's all about getting a trophy now."

Opposite him will be an equally talented out-half in Rhys Priestland, who starts a game for the first time since snapping his Achilles tendon late last year.

"I thought we would get into the play-offs, so I targeted trying to get back before the end of the season and play some part," says the 26-year-old Welsh international.

"My body feels good apart from my Achilles, which still feels a little stiff. I've really enjoyed coming back into the environment with the team."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/j ... 55654.html

Newsletter

Ulster are cautious of Scarlets ahead of PRO12 semi final..................................
Defeat is not an option for Ulster.

They have topped the PRO12 league talbe after the completion of the 22 regular match season.

They have home advantage for tonight’s semi-final against Welsh side, Scarlets.

Ulster are firm favourites to win a first PRO12 play-off game and secure a place in the May 25 final against either Leinster or Glasgow Warriors at the RDS in Dublin.

It is not just a matter of turning up at Ravenhill on Friday night however and while there was a quiet confidence within the camp this week - as there is in Llanelli - Ulster are not displaying arrogance, but approaching the tie with caution against the Welsh side who finished fourth after the regular campaign was completed last week.

While Ulster crushed Cardiff Blues 37-13 after a strong second half display which secured a bonus point win, the Scarlets were walloped in their own back yard by the ever improving Italian side, Benetton Treviso 41-17.

Not the sort of performance the Scarlets - who Ulster have beaten twice this season wanted to finish phase one off with.

As their video review this week as part of the preparations for the semi-final, Ulster did not watch the Italian mauling but instead watched the Scarlets beat Glasgow Warriors in a recent game.

That gives the Irish Province a bit more perspective on what to expect from the Welsh side tonight.

Skipper, Johann Muller, rightly pointed out that the league campaign is not one game but 22 .

“We finished on top and that is a tremendous achievement.

“The Scarlets finished in fourth and like any side in the top four we all know that one can win the title outright.

“There are four quality sides remaining so if anyone thinks we are underestimating the challenge Scarlets will present, they are very wrong.”

He added: “It many ways their result last week is a probably a bad thing for us.

“If we were in their shoes and lost by that margin at home, I know how desperate we would be to put things straight and come out with all guns blazing.

“We have no doubt they are a quality side, they have exciting players throughout the squad and they have some players returning for the challenge this week.

“We know that if we are even five per cent off our game, then we will not win. It is as easy as that. We will not even be close.”

There is an expectancy that Ulster will progress to the final and eventually get their hands on a some silverware.

Muller agrees that there is a need for the squad to achieve that.

“We have had some experiences of big knockout games in the past two or three seasons.

“We have learned from those and continue to do so.

“But the time for learning is starting to drop off and it is time put things in practice onto the pitch and show that we have learned from the past and not just keep on learning.”

Home and away in the league, Ulster have proved the most consistent side in the league having finished top after last weekend’s games.

But they also finished top in their Heineken Cup pool, but ended up with an away draw and then crashed and burned in the quarter-final with hardly a whimper against Saracens in Twickenham.

Muller said one could not just put the finger on why things did not happen on the day sometimes.

“I think the crucial think is that we have go out and express ourselves, enjoy the occasion, stick to the game plan and play some rugby.

“At the end of the day if we go out on to that pitch, play well and give it our best but still lose at least we know we give it out best shot.

“But if we go out there and lose and come off the field thinking if only we had done that or this or did not try as hard as we should, then there will be massive disappointment as a squad to have let our selves down in that way on another big occasion.”

Head coach, Mark Anscombe echoed some of those sentiments and agreed that a one-off challenge presented a different presence and attitude.

“We know that in knockout footie it is all about on the day and in our last big challenge this season, you are dead right, we failed.

“I think there were circumstances ahead of that Euro tie that made it more difficult, but we are not in the business of making excuses.

“But we must not also lose sight of the fact that we finished top of the PRO 12 table.

“We played 22 games and were the best team in the league. So we have to recognise that achievement.

“This season we played 29 games and only lost six. That is a pretty good record.

“But we know that this week it is a one off game, there are no second chances.

“We have a great opportunity in front of us and we also have that chance in front of our own support.

“The fans have been fantastic all season and you know we have probably not always played as well at home as we did on the road, but those fans have stayed with us, they keep coming back.

“Yes, we as a team want something to have at the end of this season, but we would also like to reward our remarkable supporters as well.

“We all want this occasion to be one everyone enjoys and remembers.”

He added: “We have made progress, but I think the guys want to take it on to the next stage and that is winning a trophy. It is how your success is judged.

“We have prepared well and it is a matter of now going out and getting the job done.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5078534

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[Mac]

Saturday 11th May 2013...............Semi Final Result

Ulster 28 - 17 Scarlets

Tele

Ulster reach final..............................

Ulster booked their passage to the RaboDirect PRO12 final with relative ease with a 28-17 victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill - even though they only outscored the visitors by three tries to two.

First-half tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack along with another score early in the second half from Tom Court paved the way for Mark Anscombe's side to progress to the league's showdown while South African Ruan Pienaar kicked 13 points from three penalties and two conversions.

Ulster's cause was also bolstered by storming displays from Nick Williams and man of the match Rory Best while an eye-catching display from Ulster's sole Lions representative Bowe also helped the home side on their way. The Scarlets looked out of it for most of the game until late scores from Gareth Davies and Sione Timani made the score more respectable.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 58084.html

Ulster cruise ..........................

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Ulster have made the final of the RaboDirect Pro12, trumping the visiting Scarlets 28-17.

Mistakes were made in the opening 20 minutes when the home side gave away a penalty, Owen Williams kicking the visitors ahead on 4 minutes.

But Ruan Pienaar levelled the game with a penalty on 6 minutes and a second penalty attempt by Williams hit the bar.

It was in the 25th minute the men in white began to take control - Tommy Bowe brought home a try in the corner after a beautiful pass from Pienaar, who then kicked the conversion to make it 10-3.

Ulster really started to assert some authority on the pitch with a second try from scoring machine Robbie Diack.

Unfortunately Ruan Pienaar missed the conversion but another penalty from the South African secured the first half, leaving the table-toppers dominant at 18-3.

Half time: Ulster 18-3 Scarlets

Tom Court opened the second half with a third Ulster try, ramping up the scoreline to 23-3 before Pienaar added the extra 2 points.

A try from Scarlets' Gareth Davies, converted by Owen Williams, claimed 7 points and signalled the start of a shaky second half for Ulster.

Ruan Pienaar kicked another penalty from right in front of the posts, making it 28-10.

The visitors then made a respectable attempt to drive home more points, Timani crossing for Scarlets' second try and Williams adding the conversion.

But it wasn't enough and Ravenhill erupted with the final whistle, Ulster finishing 15 points clear of the Welsh side and claiming their place in the final.

Full time: Ulster 28-17 Scarlets

The game marked the end of an era at Ravenhill as Ulster fans bid farewell to the ground's historic grandstand.

Ulster hooker and Man of the Match Rory Best, who admitted he’ll miss the atmosphere created by the old grandstand, said: “Ultimately this is where we want to be.

“We want to win silverware this year and this is our last crack at it now.

“This team, we felt at the start of the season, was good enough to win something — we wanted to win everything, but this is our thing now and we’re delighted to be in the final.”

Ulster will play the winner of tomorrow's Leinster v Glasgow match in Dublin on Saturday, May 25.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 57955.html

Indo

Bowe outshines North as Ulster through to Rabo decider.........................

Ulster booked their passage to the RaboDirect PRO12 final with relative ease with victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill even though they only outscored the visitors by three tries to two.

First half tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack along with another score early in the second half from Tom Court paved the way for Mark Anscombe's side to progress to the league's showdown while South African Ruan Pienaar kicked 13 points from three penalties and two conversions.

Ulster's cause was also bolstered by storming displays from Nick Williams and man of the match Rory Best while an eye-catching display from Ulster's sole Lions representative Bowe also helped the home side on their way.

The Scarlets, who were making their first appearance in the play-offs, produced another flat display in the wake of last week's home thumping by Treviso and their failure to score any points between the third and 60th minute told its own tale.

The Scarlets opened the scoring with a third minute penalty from Owen Williams - a late replacement for Rhys Priestland - but Ulster quickly equalised through Pienaar two minutes later.

After that it was cagey stuff from both sides with the primary option being to largely just kick the ball at each other.

This situation pretty much continued until Williams had a shot at goal after 17 minutes but the ball hit the right upright and Ulster cleared.

That seemed to up the ante and shortly after a tremendous break from Jared Payne, a melee in the Scarlets 22 saw referee Alain Rolland send Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams to the bin though Payne had just managed to touch down from a Pienaar cross-kick.

Ulster then began to turn the screw with Nick Williams - winner of two end of season awards earlier this week - in the thick of it and after the Kiwi had driven on from a lineout near the Scarlets line, Pienaar switched the attack to the blindside and Bowe stepped inside fellow Lions squad member George North to score.

Pienaar added a marvellous conversion and Ulster looked well on top at 10-3 though that lead should have been increased but Pienaar was wide with a 29th minute penalty attempt as both sides returned to full complements.

Five minutes later, though, Ulster scored again with Diack touching down at the back of a rumbling maul off a lineout close to Scarlets' line in the same corner as Bowe's earlier effort. Pienaar's conversion hit an upright keeping Ulster's lead at 15-3.

But after Williams helped force a turnover and a huge scrum from Ulster the half ended with Pienaar slotting a straightforward penalty and the home side trooped off leading 18-3.

Three minutes after the restart, Court drove over from close range after Darren Cave's inside burst, both of which followed a mix-up in the Scarlets defence allowing Trimble and Rory Best to take the ball into the visitors' 22.

The TMO was brought in on the decision, despite the referee initially awarding the score, and Pienaar converted to take it to 25-3.

The game then appeared to settle down into a fairly uneventful period which was only altered by substitute Gareth Davies dancing through on the hour mark to score the visitors' first points since the third minute with Williams converting.

Pienaar then nailed a 62nd minute penalty to push Ulster up to 28-10 and most of the remainder was about both sides emptying their benches and Ulster players avoiding injury ahead of their final appearance at the RDS the week after next.

The Scarlets, though, did finish the stronger and substitute Sione Timani got over in the 78th minute for a consolation score with Williams again adding the extras.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/bowe-ou ... 58071.html

Times

Ulster do the hard work early to break Scarlets ............................
Visitng Welshmen second-best all over the pitch as table-toppers book league final berth.

Robbie.jpg (127.43 KiB) Viewed 2562 times

Ulster ensured an RDS final, with an even split of 9,000 tickets each if it is to be Leinster opposing them next Saturday, by predictably putting the Scarlets to the sword.

The latter were up for a fight, but a three-try, 22-point salvo after the first quarter took the sting out of the visitors and league form was rubberstamped as Ulster won, in truth, pulling up.

The night, and Ulster’s performance was a fitting farewell to Ravenhill for the season and to the ground’s grandstand, which opened on 12th January 1924.

Demolition work will begin on the stand next week as part of the ongoing £14.7 million redevelopment of the ground. Judging by the scale of the two stands at either end, it’s going to be a helluva stadium when it’s finished.

Andrew Trimble, though he has scored a dozen tries this season, swapped wings with Tommy Bowe but to no avail, as Bowe, the League’s all-time leading tryscorer, scored his 51st try of the competition.

Much of the constant denominators applied. Collectively, Ulster’s work-rate on and off the ball was inestimably better, as was their discipline, focus and work at the breakdown, where the Scarlets often worked in not so splendid isolation.

Rory Best, not surprisingly, took out his Lions’ frustration on the Scarlets with a huge game, Johan Muller ruled the air, while Chris Henry (superb in the tackle) and Robbie Diack were indomitable. The cool Ruan Pienaar oozed control and his alliance with Paddy Jackson again gave the lie to the conventional wisdom south of the border that the Ulster backs work better with a Paul Marshall-Pienaar axis.

Crowd favourite Nick Williams was at his barnstorming best, and there was grunt to go with the flash. Thunderous hits were intermingled with big, paw-like carries and once, while being held static around the ankles swatted away Ken Owens like a showboating prize fighter. The unfortunate Scarlets’ hooker had earlier been emptied by Williams and would later be stretchered off.

Once again we were left mystified as to how some of Scarlets’ Welsh title winners and Lions can become a pale shadow of themselves for their regions _ and in this instance it can’t be the colour of the jerseys. Jonathan Davies’ sometimes poor passing was again exposed while George North was beaten with embarrassing ease by Bowe for the latter’s try.

Rhys Priestland, who was a hot favourite to accompany Jonny Sexton on the Lions tour until rupturing his Achilles tendon last December, was named to make his first start since then after two appearances off the bench but the same Achilles stiffened up in the warm-up.

His replacement, Owen Williams, opened the scoring in the fourth minute, although the break-out from inside their own 22 was down to a fairly blatant, if undetected, forward pass by Jonathan Davies. In any event, that was as good as it got for the visitors.

Pienaar soon drew the sides level before the temperatures cranked up after Owen Williams’s second penalty hit the upright. A searing break up the middle by Jared Payne off turnover ball, leaving Josh Turnbull in his slipstream, was the catalyst, before his touchdown off a Pienaar crosskick was rendered immaterial by a preceding punch-up. This resulted in yellow cards for Trimble, the instigator with a push-off that was interpreted as a punch, and Scarlets’ fullback Liam Williams, for a retaliatory flurry of punches.

In their absence, Ulster struck. An initial attacking lineout maul having been held up, Ulster went to the corner again as Best found Johann Muller in the middle. Williams reached out for the line, but with his bear like paws still contorted himself to present the ball, and Best showed good footwork for his carry, before Pienaar reverted to the blind side where Bowe easily stepped inside North.

Pienaar converted from the touchline and as the Scarlets conceded a torrent of penalties, Ulster went to the corner again. Rob Herring, on temporarily for Best, located Muller and with the Scarlets’ forwards on the deck or fanning out. Ulster drove for the line for Robbie Diack to score.

Pienaar’s touchline conversion hit the post, but he closed out the half for an 18-3 lead after a potent Ulster scrum - created by Henry and Williams combining for a choke tackle - that, as was the case with the previous try, was unaffected by Callum Black temporarily replacing Tom Court.

The Scarlets weren’t helped by another couple of enforced changes in their backline, and one of them resulted in Aled Thomas, on for Liam Williams at fullback, and captain Rob McCusker colliding under Pienaar’s box kick. Andrew Trimble pounced and although Jonathan Davies hauled down Best, Darren Cave carried strongly off a switch with Trimble from the ensuing scrum and Court picked and drove over for the try.

A couple of lengthy stoppages for Owens and Gareth Earle and a welter of replacements took the energy out of the game and the crowd, and it wasn’t entirely surprising when Gareth Davies showed a turn of foot and good footwork to dance through a flimsy Ulster line for a try which revived the visitors.

Pienaar tagged on an insurance three-pointer and a late try by Sione Timani scarcely even constituted a consolation.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/u ... -1.1389327

BBC

Ulster's first-half display set up a largely comfortable victory over a battling Scarlets outfit in the opening Pro12 semi-final at Ravenhill.

Tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack helped Ulster lead 18-3 at the break although Bowe's score came after an apparent trip on Aled Davies.

Tom Court's score put the game beyond the Scarlets' reach before scores from Gareth Davies and Sione Timani.

Ulster will face either Leinster or Glasgow in the final on 25 May.

The Scarlets suffered a blow before the start as fly-half Rhys Priestland was forced out after suffering a recurrence of the Achilles injury which ruled him out of the Six Nations.

Priestland's replacement Owen Williams kicked the Scarlets into a fifth-minute lead but Ulster were quickly on terms as Pienaar slotted a penalty after Alain Rolland had penalised Johan Snyman for holding on in the tackle.

As the Scarlets showed early enterprise, Williams missed a chance to put them ahead again when he hit the post from a 35-metre penalty.

Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams were then both sin-binned after exchanging punches with the Welsh outfit being awarded the relieving penalty after Jared Payne's initial break.

The Scarlets were entitled to feel aggrieved about Ulster's opening try in the 25th minute Rolland and his officials missed a clear trip by Diack on Aled Davies in the build-up to the score.

Instead, George North was penalised moments later and after Ulster opted for the line-out, Pienaar's long pass set up Bowe to score as the home side had numbers out wide.

Pienaar's conversion extended Ulster's lead to 10-3 as one sensed that the match had turned in the home team's favour.

Ulster's decision to turn down another certain three points was vindicated in the 34th minute as Diack rumbled over after Johann Muller's fetch in the line-out from the throw of blood replacement hooker Rob Herring.

Herring was on for the outstanding Rory Best at that stage but the Ireland hooker was soon back on the pitch as he delivered a man-of-the-match display with Nick Williams also impressive for the winners.

Pienaar missed the conversion but the South African extended Ulster's lead to 18-3 by the interval as he kicked another penalty in injury-time.

The Scarlets needed to score first after the break to keep any hopes alive but instead Court's try effectively finished off the contest.

Centre Darren Cave almost got the score himself as he jinked his way towards the Scarlets line but the finishing yard was supplied by Ireland prop Court as he barged his way over, with the TV official confirming the try.

With the Scarlets already losing Scott Williams to injury in the first half, their bench options were being exhausted as hooker Ken Owens, George Earle, Aaron Shingler and Aled Davies were all forced off by knocks.

Hooker Owens had to be stretchered off after a clash of heads although he was able to sit up before being taken off the field.

The match then entered a lull after all the stoppages but Scarlets replacement scrum-half Davies ran a superb solo try in the 63rd minute after picking up possession on the Ulster 10-metre line.

Williams's conversion reduced Ulster's lead to 25-10 but Piennar quickly stretched the margin again with a penalty.

Amid a plethora of changes, Ulster's performance became ragged in the closing stages with the Scarlets, boosted by scrum domination, added a further try with replacement Timani supplying the finish.

Williams added the conversion but it was little consolation for the Scarlets.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22432032

Newsletter

Ulster see off Scarlets to book place in PRO12 showpiece final...........................

Ulster booked their passage to the RaboDirect PRO12 final with relative ease with victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill even though they only outscored the visitors by three tries to two.

First half tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack along with another score early in the second half from Tom Court paved the way for Mark Anscombe’s side to progress to the league’s showdown while South African Ruan Pienaar kicked 13 points from three penalties and two conversions.

Ulster’s cause was also bolstered by storming displays from Nick Williams and man of the match Rory Best while an eye-catching display from Ulster’s sole Lions representative Bowe also helped the home side on their way.

The Scarlets, who were making their first appearance in the play-offs, produced another flat display in the wake of last week’s home thumping by Treviso and their failure to score any points between the third and 60th minute told its own tale.

The Scarlets opened the scoring with a third minute penalty from Owen Williams - a late replacement for Rhys Priestland - but Ulster quickly equalised through Pienaar two minutes later.

After that it was cagey stuff from both sides with the primary option being to largely just kick the ball at each other.

This situation pretty much continued until Williams had a shot at goal after 17 minutes but the ball hit the right upright and Ulster cleared.

That seemed to up the ante and shortly after a tremendous break from Jared Payne, a melee in the Scarlets 22 saw referee Alain Rolland send Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams to the bin though Payne had just managed to touch down from a Pienaar cross-kick.

Ulster then began to turn the screw with Nick Williams - winner of two end of season awards earlier this week - in the thick of it and after the Kiwi had driven on from a lineout near the Scarlets line, Pienaar switched the attack to the blindside and Bowe stepped inside fellow Lions squad member George North to score.

Pienaar added a marvellous conversion and Ulster looked well on top at 10-3 though that lead should have been increased but Pienaar was wide with a 29th minute penalty attempt as both sides returned to full complements.

Five minutes later, though, Ulster scored again with Diack touching down at the back of a rumbling maul off a lineout close to Scarlets’ line in the same corner as Bowe’s earlier effort. Pienaar’s conversion hit an upright keeping Ulster’s lead at 15-3.

But after Williams helped force a turnover and a huge scrum from Ulster the half ended with Pienaar slotting a straightforward penalty and the home side trooped off leading 18-3.

Three minutes after the restart, Court drove over from close range after Darren Cave’s inside burst, both of which followed a mix-up in the Scarlets defence allowing Trimble and Rory Best to take the ball into the visitors’ 22.

The TMO was brought in on the decision, despite the referee initially awarding the score, and Pienaar converted to take it to 25-3.

The game then appeared to settle down into a fairly uneventful period which was only altered by substitute Gareth Davies dancing through on the hour mark to score the visitors’ first points since the third minute with Williams converting.

Pienaar then nailed a 62nd minute penalty to push Ulster up to 28-10 and most of the remainder was about both sides emptying their benches and Ulster players avoiding injury ahead of their final appearance at the RDS the week after next.

The Scarlets, though, did finish the stronger and substitute Sione Timani got over in the 78th minute for a consolation score with Williams again adding the extras.

PlanetR

Ulster put in a classy performance to defeat the Scarlets 28-17 at Ravenhill on Friday, booking their spot in the RaboDirect PRO12 final on May 25.

Tries from Tommy Bowe, Robbie Diack, and Tom Court helped an industrious Ravenhill outfit secure the trip to the RDS in Dublin on May 25.

The Ulstermen, who led at half-time, were not at their fluid best, but had enough in the locker to overcome the tenacious and determined Scarlets.

The Welsh responded through Gareth Davies and Sione Timani, but ultimately were unable to match the intensity of the Irish side. Thus the first PRO12 semi was a little more one sided than anticipated. But Ulster will be exhilarated at their progress.

The home team got off to a promising start, exhibiting some efficient passing and lines of running. But the fluency of their play was hampered by some messy handling errors.

As it was, it was the Scarlets who opened the points-scoring proceedings on four minutes, through a well-taken kick by late replacement, Owen Williams. Pienaar leveled the scoreline two minutes later through his trusty boot.

Williams had a golden opportunity to increase the Scarlets' advantage on 16 minutes, but his well-struck effort careered off the woodwork.

Both sides were unnecessarily impeded on 18 minutes, when Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams were yellow-carded for a scuffle. The disruption unquestionably benefited Ulster more, as the hosts camped themselves in the visiting 22. After a series of infringements, Ireland winger Bowe squeezed in at the corner on 23 minutes. Pienaar duly converted to make it 10-3.

Pienaar squandered a gilt-edged chance to extend their advantage on the half-hour mark, but miscued his kick.

Although the Scarlets were competing ferociously in every facet of the game, it was hard to resist the conclusion that Ulster were achieving ascendancy in this phase of the game. That promise was delivered on 34 minutes when South African blindside Diack crashed over for the second try of the evening. Pienaar missed the subsequent conversion, however.

The hosts' scrum was now putting the Welshmen under all sorts of pressure. One such effort extended Ulster's lead on the cusp of half-time, as Pienaar slotted a penalty on the 40-minute mark to make it 18-3. Few could deny that the Irish province, although scrappy, were well worth their lead.

The hosts started the second-half in similar vein, pressurising the Scarlets' 22. Their intensity yielded dividends on 43 minutes, when Irish international loosehead Court bulldozed over from close range. Piennar nailed the conversion, making it 25-3.

The Scarlets' effort was not assisted by a couple of injuries at the outset of the second period. The match now took on an altogether more ragged complexion, as the conditions began to deteriorate under foot. Both sets of kickers resorted to a round of territorial ping-pong. But it was the Scarlets that broke the monotony on 60 minutes when Gareth Davies elegantly danced through the Ulster cover to score.

The Welshmen undid their good work two minutes later by conceding a penalty straight in front of the Ulster posts. Pienaar punished the visitors for their profligacy to make it 28-10.

It has to be said that the Welsh visitors displayed remarkable tenacity, and definitely were the superior team in the final quarter. Replacement Timani scored a thoroughly deserved consolation on 78 minutes, with his effort being converted by Owen Williams. But the hosts clung on to secure the final berth they coveted so much.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2588 ... 83,00.html

Examiner

Ulster bring curtain down on Ravenhill stand in win over Scarlets .......................

Ulster motored effortlessly into the RaboDirect Pro12 final after a predictable, but far from one-sided battle with Scarlets at Ravenhill last night.

They will now face the winner of this afternoon’s gig between Leinster and Glasgow at the RDS on Saturday 25 May.

On Monday, the main grandstand, which has looked down on nearly 90 glorious years of history at Ravenhill, will be razed to the ground in preparation for the completion of the €17.5m project that will turn the Belfast stadium into a 18,200-seated arena next season. Not a better way to bring the curtain down — victory, just like one back in 1924 when Ulster defeated Leinster 14-6.

Apart from a sluggish opening period, Ulster never really looked like losing this game with tries from Tommy Bowe, Robbie Diack, Tom Court and 13 points from the boot of Ruan Pienaar, who again oozed class in everything he did.

On a perfect night for rugby and in front of a large and raucous home crowd, there was a furious pace introduced into the game right from the off and following a counter-attack by the Scarlets and Owen Williams, who had come in as a very late replacement for Welsh fly-half Rhys Priestland, slotted an easy penalty.

Ulster replied immediately with Pienaar landing a similar effort as both teams attempted to gain control up front. In the opening quarter, it was Scarlets who looked the more confident in their ability while Ulster appeared nervous and appeared to be forcing things.

A Williams’ penalty in the 17th minute rebounded off the right-hand upright and soon Jared Payne speared through a gap to settle Ulster into the Scarlets’ red zone. However, after a little midfield battle of handbags in the 20th minute both Andrew Trimble and visitor’s full-back Liam Williams were binned

The game was a little frenetic at times but Ulster had snatched the initiative and they were finally rewarded in the 25th minute when Pienaar found Bowe with a long pass and the Lions’ winger side-stepped inside his touring partner George North to score in the corner. Pienaar converted from the touchline, but immediately afterwards missed a penalty which is normally well within his compass.

But it mattered little as Pienaar found a wonderful touch from a penalty and from the line-out, flankerDiack powered his way over as Ulster moved into a 15-3 lead in the run-up to half-time. That ended with a second Pienaar penalty after the Ulster scrum destroyed the Scarlets in fronts of their own posts.

Ulster started the second half in a real rush and after Rory Best and Darren Cave were dragged down just short, Court crashed over after a visit to the TMO. Pienaar converted and at 25-3, the big crowd immediately went into carnival mode.

On two occasions the game was held up for long periods, first when Scarlets’ hooker Ken Owens was stretchered off in a neck brace and soon after lock George Earle staggered off after running into Dan Tuohy. Ulster, though, were not too sympathetic and they really should have pressed home their advantage but ignored continual overlaps. In fact one would say that Ulster had packed up for the night.

However, it was the Scarlets who drew the next bit of blood on the hour when replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies weaved his way over for an excellent try which Williams converted. That appeared to awaken Ulster from their slumber and after a typical charge by number eight Nick Williams, Pienaar rifled over his third penalty.

With both teams running their benches, play was a little ragged, but the visitors showed they were far from finished as they stepped up the pace and finally made Ulster’s defence work hard for their money.

Ulster never ventured out of their own 22 except for a restart following a try by Scarlets’ replacement lock Sione Timani which Williams converted. By then it was job done.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugb ... 31005.html

Rugby365

Pienaar's imperious form wins it .......................

Ulster romped into their first-ever Pro12 Final thanks to a display full of power and poise at Ravenhill, putting the Scarlets to the sword with a 28-17 victory.

The Pro12 table-toppers scored three fine tries through Tommy Bowe, Robbie Diack and Tom Court and while livewire Gareth Davies scored a delightful solo effort and Sione Timani grabbed one late on for the Scarlets, Ulster were too strong for their Welsh opponents.

Ruan Pienaar was in imperious form at scrumhalf, while No.8 Nick Williams was at his destructive best and with Jared Payne's broken-field running lighting the touch paper, Ulster blew the Scarlets away.

But the Scarlets, keen to improve on last weekend's poor showing against Treviso, began the brighter and enjoyed the better of the early possession, taking the lead with a fourth-minute penalty after Dan Tuohy was offside.

Owen Williams, a late addition to the starting line-up after Rhys Priestland failed to come through the warm-up, made no mistake and booted the visitors into a 3-0 lead.

It took less than two minutes for Ulster to hit back however and good work from the Ulster forwards saw Scarlets lock Joe Snyman pinged for holding on - Pienaar kicking the penalty to level things up.

As the half wore on, it was the Scarlets who continued to carry the fight to Ulster but too many errors from both sides crept in and near could create any clear try-scoring opportunities.

But the game was brought to life on 19 minutes with a scything run from Ulster fullback Payne, who signed on for another three years this week, as he romped his way through the Scarlets defence before putting the grubber through and only desperate defence from George North prevented fellow British & Irish Lion Bowe from gathering the ball.

A minute later, both sides were reduced to 14 men when Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams were sent to the sin bin for fighting and it was Ulster who dealt better with the numerical disadvantage.

Pienaar kicked a long-distance penalty to the corner and after his forwards set the position up, the South African fizzed a pass to Bowe on the left who this time beat North to score his 51st try in the competition.

Pienaar added the conversion and Ulster, led by Williams, who was named the Pro12's Players' Player of the Season, turned up the heat.

Pienaar struck the upright with a penalty after Jonathan Davies was offside but when he kicked to the corner on 33 minutes, a textbook Ulster lineout move saw a rolling maul cut through the Scarlets defence before Diack dotted down his seventh score of the Pro12 season.

The conversion from Pienaar struck the post again but he added a penalty on the stroke of half-time after a powerful Ulster scrum to give the hosts an 18-3 lead at the break.

Just three minutes into the second half came the score that appeared to end the match as a contest - Ulster centre Darren Cave making a piercing run following a scrum and while he fell just short of the try-line, prop Court quickly picked up the ball and dotted down.

Pienaar added the extras before a extended passage of stop-start play - thanks in no small part to a serious-looking injury to Scarlets hooker Ken Owens.

On the hour mark replacement scrumhalf Davies danced his way through to go over under the posts to give the Scarlets a glimmer of hope but a Pienaar plenty soon after kept them at arms' length.

The Scarlets refused to throw in the towel and did finish the game the stronger, with Timani powering over from close range but they could not get close enough, ensuring Ulster will face either Leinster or Glasgow Warriors in the Final.

http://www.rugby365.com/article/53810

TheFlipSide

ThisIsSouthWales

Scarlets coach Simon Easterby admits "We were our own worst enemy" after play-off loss in Ulster...............

SCARLETS head coach Simon Easterby admitted his side had been the architects of their own demise in falling to a 28-17 Pro12 play-off defeat to Ulster.

But Easterby also pointed the finger at referee Alain Rolland in the wake of the Ravenhill loss.

"Their physicality made a difference in the first half and our error count and turnover rate was too high," said the former Ireland international.

"We were our own worst enemy at times and that just fed them. You combine that with some indifferent calls from the referee and you are always going to be on the back foot.

"I was so proud of the players the way they came back in the last quarter. They were out on their feet and showed a huge amount of character to come back into the game.

"We don't want to use the referee as an excuse. We contributed to our own downfall, but when you come to a place like Ravenhill what you have got to expect is a bit of consistency."

The Scarlets had gone into the match as rank outsiders following their hammering by Treviso at Parc y Scarlets a week earlier.

But they started brightly thanks to a fine touchline run from wing Andy Fenby which led to a penalty from fly-half Owen Williams.

Williams had come in as a late replacement for Rhys Priestland who had been withdrawn after his Achilles problem had flared up in the warm-up.

South African Ruan Pienaar responded with a penalty for the home side, who began to assert control on the match, bossing the breakdown and winning countless penalties as a result.

The Ulster pressure eventually told when former Osprey Tommy Bowe stepped inside soon-to-be Lions team-mate George North after Liam Williams and Andrew Trimble had been shown yellow for a dust-up close to the Scarlets line.

And it got worse for the Scarlets when flanker Robbie Diack was driven over from a close-range line-out drive.

A second penalty from Pienaar made it 18-3 at the interval and matters deteriorated straight after the break when a mix-up between replacement Aled Thomas and No. 8 Rob McCusker allowed Ulster to get straight back on the front foot with prop Tom Court touched down for number three, although television replays suggested Court had been short of the line.

The Scarlets problems were compounded when hooker Ken Owens was stretchered over with a neck injury and a groggy lock George Earle had to be helped from the field with a broken nose.

At that stage it looked like Ulster were going to pile on the misery.

But to their credit, they dug deep in the final half hour, keeping Ulster out and scoring two tries of their own – a fine individual effort from replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies and a late score from another sub Sione Timani.

It gave the final scoreline a semblance of respectability, but the Ulster faithful had long known they were heading to Dublin for a Grand Final.

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story ... z2SiDgbt7o

[Mac]

Saturday 11th May..............Match Result Cont'd

BUT FIRST..............

UR

Nevin Spence named Ulster Rugby personality of the year at Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner 2012/13........

Nevin Spence, who was tragically killed in a farming accident on 15th September 2012, has been named Ulster Rugby Personality of the Year at the club's annual awards.

Spence, who was a hugely talented and much loved member of the Ulster rugby team, died along with his brother Graham and his father Noel.
He represented the Province 42 times and was destined for great things. There is little doubt that he would have gone on to play for the Ireland senior team.

The award citation said: ‘Nevin’s presence has been with the Ulster Rugby team throughout this season. Although he is no longer here in person, his spirit continues to inspire and motivate each and every member of the squad.’

Ulster winger, Andrew Trimble, was named Bank of Ireland Player of the Year and the Ulster Rugby Supporters Club’s Outstanding Player of the Season. Trimble has had one of his best seasons in an Ulster jersey. He has scored 12 tries, a personal record for the winger for one campaign and won his 150th cap for the Province against Glasgow.

Iain Henderson, was named BT Young Player of the Year. Henderson has proved himself to be one of the most dynamic forwards in the RaboDirect PRO12. He won his first cap for Ireland in the Autumn International series and has played a key role in Ulster’s success.

Robbie Diack won the Belfast Telegraph Award for the Most Improved Ulster Player this Season. Competition for places in the Ulster backrow this season has been high, but in recent months, Diack has been one of the first names on the starting XV. He scored vital tries against Scarlets, Zebre, Leinster and Cardiff and won his 100th cap against Cardiff.

Stuart Olding was named Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy Player of the Year. Just 20 years old, it has been a remarkable few months for the ex-BRA pupil. He made his first senior start for his Province in February against Ospreys and has gone on to play ten more times, scoring four tries and winning two man-of-the-match awards.

In other awards, Ballynahinch RFC was named Kukri Sports, Club of the Year, for a season that has seen the County Down club win Ulster Bank All Ireland League 1b and the Ulster Senior League.

Ashleigh Baxter won the inaugural Women’s Player of Year. The Harlequins player was a member of the historic Ireland team that won a Grand Slam. She is also a member of the Sevens team bidding to make the Olympics in 2016.

Ballynahinch centre, Stuart Morrow, won the Ken Goodall Award for Outstanding Club Player of the Year. As well as his play with Ballynahinch, he was selected for the second year in a row for the Irish club side. He scored a dynamic intercept try in the game against England at Templehill.

Ross Workman was awarded the Dorrington B Faulkner Award for services to rugby, sponsored by Perennials RFC. He was described as a man ‘who has truly given a lifetime of service to the sport of Rugby Football and to the Ulster Branch in particular.’

Campbell College winger, Jack Owens was selected as the Danske Bank Schools’ Player of the Year. Jack was the stand-out school boy of the year. His tries in the final helped his school win the Subsidiary Shield and he was rewarded with a place on the right wing in the Ireland Under 18s School team.

Luke Lewis was named Ulster Youth Player of the Year Award. Lewis is a great ball-carrying prop forward with tremendous power and strength. He can play on either side of the scrum and was a valuable asset to Ballynahinch this season.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11469.php

TheScore

As it happened.........................

IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT, rugby night in Belfast.

Ulster are in Ravenhill for the last time this season with the sole aim of seeing off another Welsh challenge and taking their place in the RaboDirect Pro12 final after spending almost the entire season on top of the league.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the match. E-mail Sean@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

Ulster 28 – 17 Scarlets

19.32 – A very, very good evening folks and welcome along to the first of this weekend’s Pro12 semi-finals.

Fourth seed Scarlets are in Belfast hoping for a better result than their other two meetings with Ulster this season.

Here are the teams, lets have your predictions.

Ulster XV: J Payne, A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, T Bowe, P Jackson, R Pienaar: T Court, R Best, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (C), D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams;

Replacements: R Herring, C Black, R Lutton, I Henderson, M McComish, P Marshall, M Allen, P Nelson.

Scarlets XV: L Williams,g North, J Davies, S Williams, A Fenby, R Priestland, A Davies: P John, K Owens, S Lee, G Earle, J Synman, A Shingler, J Turnbull, R McCusker (C).

Replacements: E Phillips, Rhodri Jones, Jacobie Adriannse, Jake Ball, Sione Timani, Gareth Davies, Owen Williams, Gareth Owen.

19.38 – Whoa. Scratch the below line-ups. Rhys Priestland has had to withdraw. Owen Williams will wear the number 10 in his stead.

19.45 – Scarlets are on the field, now here comes Johann Muller and Ulster to the sweet sound of SUFTUM.

19.48 – KICK OFF: Jackson’s kick goes 12 metres and is won back by Declan Fitzpatrick and Stuart Olding is able to get the backs moving.

Rory Best makes a good burst after two phases, but the follow up is knocked on and Scarlets have the scrum.

19.51 – Scarlets initially struggle to make any yards, but in broken play they persist and Paddy Jackson is left to chop down Andy Fenby after he makes 30 metres up the left wing.

The red shirts pour on and Dan Tuohy is penalised for slowing the ruck down.

PENALTY: Ulster 0 – 3 Scarlets ( Williams ‘ 5)

19.53 – Another profitable restart. Snynam is called for holding on by Rollaind and Pienaar ties the game up from 30 metres.

PENALTY: Ulster 3 – 3 Scarlets

19.55 – Uncharacteristic error from Andy Trimble there, knocking on Williams’ restart. The Red scrum is disrupted by a fierce effort from Fitzpatrick. As their backs scramble, Earle is pinged for holding on as the Ulster back-row do their thing at the breakdown.

Pienaar’s kick brings the play down to the 10-metre line.

19.56 – There’s a marker. Pienaar’s upand under is taken by North, but he is swarmed and bundled into touch.

Game, well and truly, on.

19.59 – We’re going at a frantic pace at the minute, even a quick spell of kick-tennis has a bit of breathlessness about it.

Williams forced a penalty and Pienaar gives the line-out a base on the Scarlets 22.

20.00 – Williams spins out of a ruck and looks to make a one-handed offload. He thinks again and Muller flops in from the side.

20.03 – Rust? Maybe a touch of nerves. Either way, Ulster are just a fraction short of their usual selves with ball-in-hand. Unable to string enough phases together to build a head of steam.

Muller is whistled again, this time for not rolling away after tackling Turnbull. And this time, it’s within kicking range…

20.05 – Oooh! Off the post from Williams.

The replacement connected well enough, but the pill just started to veer left in the final 15 minutes of its journey and Jackson clears.

20.07 – A near miss at the other end after a brilliant break in midfield from Jared Payne.

The Kiwi grubbered in behind North and Tommy Bowe was only too happy to skip around him. There wasn’t enough room, however, and the ball skids into touch with Bowe claiming North pushed him in the back.

20.08 – Fight Fight Fight Fight!

20.09 – Sin bin: Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams.

20.12 – Rollaind makes it clear that Williams started that row, but both men are binned. Ulster still in attacking territory.

20.15 – Best takes a short line-out and look to rumble over from five-metres. North is penalised for dragging it down.

Another line-out, this one is to Mullers and the white shirts are set again.

Pienaar pulls the strings, first to best on the charge, then to Bowe on the left wing and he shows his finishing ability with a quick step and dive over the line.

The Springbok makes his contribution even better with a stunning conversion from the touchline.

TRY: Ulster 10 – 3 Scarlets (Bowe ’25 )

20.17 – That feisty opening quarter from the Scarlets was just that, a quarter. The hosts well on top now even with Rory Best in the blood bin.

20.20 – A big miss from Pienaar there with a penalty from the right wing.

The sin-bins have expired and we’re back to 15 v 15.

20.21 – Liam Williams’ first touch back is a stumble under a high ball. And who should slam into him with a tackle than his old mate Trimble.

20.23 – TRY: Ulster 15 – 3 Scarlets (Diack ‘ 34)

Boldly, Pienaar passes up a kick at goal in favour of drilling the ball at the corner flag. From there, Rob Herring’s dart is 10 accurate and the maul steam-rolls its way through the red defence.

Pienaar’s kick veers right again, but this time it hits the post and bounces back.

20.27 – In the build up to that try Nick Williams was tackled and, comically, stood up straight and had a look round before casually handing the ball to a team-mate.

20.31 – Awards season hasn’t taken its toll on Nick Williams. The big man is having a stormer. First he rolls off a solid scrum, allowing Pienaar keep play in the Scarlets 22.

Once there, the Kiwi, Henry and Best execute a choke tackle and the resulting scrum brings a penalty.

Very, very efficient work from the Ulstermen tonight.

20.32 – PENALTY: Ulster 18 – 3 Scarlets (Pienaar ’40)

HALF-TIME: Ulster 18- 3 Scarlets

Phew! Did anyone else think that 40 minutes flew by?

20.46 – No sooner is the second half under way than Ulster are pouring forward again with Rory Best just caught 15 metres from the line.

Anscombe sent them out in no mood to be reeled in.

20.48 – TMO: But Tom Court looks like a certain try-scorer.

20.51 – TRY: Ulster 25 – 3 Scarlets (Court ’42)

The initial barrage found no gaps, but after a white scrum Cave took a sensational line against the grain and came agonisingly close to grounding.

Court was following up and he did manage to dive over the defenders and.

The TMO took his sweet time, but eventually Rollaind is allowed award the score a second time.

21.00 – Bit of a lull in play here as Ken Owens receives treatment.

While you’re waiting, have a look at two of Ulster’s tries here.

21.04 – Owens is stretchered off. Hopefully that’s precautionary.Emyr Phillips is on in his place and he is tasked with a defensive five-metre line-out.

As the rain pours in Belfast, Ulster look to attack through Bowe after he receives the clearing kick. Scarlets are looking for the exit here.

21.11 – We won’t lie to you: With that rain we mentioned, two injury stoppages and little or no sign of a Scarlets comeback this game has settled into a very sedate pattern.

30 minutes remain, here’s hoping the home side can round off a terrific season at Ravenhill in style.

21.15 – Oh Andy!

Trimble looks to inject some life into the game, chipping and chasing into the Scarlets half.

Unfortunately, the move comes to an embarrassing end as the wing stubs his toe in the turf rather than the ball. North America for him, so.

21.16 – Deccie Fitz is called ashore. He’s had a huge game in John Afoa’s absence. Ricky Lutton is in at tight-head.

21.22 – TRY: Ulster 25 -10 Scarlets (Davies ‘ 60)

Hello.

Game on again as Gareth Davies scythes his way through the white defence and under the posts.

21.24 – PENALTY: Ulster 28 – 10 Scarlets (Pienaar ‘ 62)

As you were. The hosts calm things down with some solid pick and drives forcing a straight-forward penalty for Pienaar.

21.30 – The Ulster bench is emptied now with McComish coming on for Nick Williams who receiving a standing ovation from the faithful in the old stand in Ravenhill.

He’s nailed on to win man-of-the match. Robbie Diack and Rory Best have not put a foot wrong either, though, and in the back-line Darren Cave has looked a threat ever since the Scarlets went on the back foot.

21.33 – A province holds its breath… sort of.

Yeah, he said semi-final, but you know what he means. Exciting times.

21.35 – Ulster caught napping in defence again and Jared Payne is forced to slow the ball down. Penalty to Llanelli in front of the posts, but they need much more than three and they need it fast.


21.39 – Scarlets attempt a cheeky dink to the corner, North looks favourite, but Iain Henderson has the angle and is able to shepherd the ball out of play.

21.41 – Two minutes to go and Scarlets have another breakthrough.

TRY: Ulster 28 – 17 Scarlets ( Timani ’79)

21.43 – Time for a scrum to the hosts in the attacking third for Ulster, but the clock is near enough red for Muller and his pack to wind it down and accept the victory.

It feels like an anti-climax after that second half, but Ulster are in the RaboDirect Pro12 final.

FULL TIME: Ulster 28 – 17 Scarlets

Over to you, Leinster and Glasgow.

21.52 – That’s it from me for the night folks. Apologies for that second half, Ulster clearly with an eye on the final which will now definitely take place in the RDS.

All the good work was clinically done in the third quarter. Rory Best, to our pleasant surprise accepting the man of the match award with his son Ben, bemoaned a lack of ruthlessness. However, knock-out rugby doesn’t require pretty patterns, only winning scoreline.

Here’s hoping for an all-Irish Pro12 final in two week’s time.

Safe home.

http://www.thescore.ie/live-ulster-scar ... 5-May2013/

Battle-scarred Best calls for Ulster improvement........................

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ULSTER HOOKER RORY Best has pointed out areas for improvement despite his side cruising into the RaboDirect Pro12 Grand Final at the expense of Llanelli Scarlets last night.

Best delivered a man-of-the-match display as the northern province produced an impressively professional performance in the first half of their 28-17 win over the Welsh club.

However, having led 18-3 at half time, the final 30 minutes amounted to an anti-climax as Ulster were out-scored 3-14 in Ravenhill’s final match of the season.

“We’d probably be disappointed with the last 20 minutes – half an hour.” Best told BBC Sport after the final whistle. “We kind of went to sleep a little bit.

“We talked on the pitch about being ruthless, putting them to the sword. I think that’s a little disappointing, put a bad tint on it.”

However, with his son Ben in his arms, the battle-scarred hooker was able to take stock of his side’s achievement of following up last year’s Heineken Cup final place with a berth in this year’s domestic final.

“Ultimately, we played 50-60 minutes of great rugby and we’re into the final.” He said.

“We knew they came here with a very exciting back-line, we had to try and exert a little bit of dominance up front. I think we did that in large parts.”

‘This is our thing’

Best added: “At the end of a long hard season, we put ourselves in the position to get a home semi-final – this is where we want to be. We want to win silverware this year and this is our last crack at it.

“In two weeks’ time, we go to the RDS and we want to win.

“This team, we felt at the start of the season were good enough to win something. Obviously we wanted to win everything, but this is our thing now. We’re delighted to be in the final.”

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/pro12-bat ... 7-May2013/

SKY

Ulster too classy for Scarlets.........................

Regular season table-toppers Ulster saw off Scarlets 28-17 at Ravenhill to claim their place in the RaboDirect PRO12 final.

Ulster finished the season 15 points clear of the Welsh side and that gulf in class was clear as the game progressed on a rain-swept night in Belfast.

There was nothing between the sides until Tommy Bowe crashed over for the game's first try on 25 minutes but from then on Ulster took control and despite two late tries for Scarlets, the hosts always looked set to reach the final against either Leinster or Glasgow on May 25.

The Scarlets, who were making their first appearance in the play-offs, produced another flat display in the wake of last week's home thumping by Treviso, failing to score any points between the third and 60th minutes.

They opened the scoring with a third minute penalty from Owen Williams - a late replacement for Rhys Priestland - but Ulster quickly equalised through Ruan Pienaar two minutes later.

After that it was cagey stuff from both sides until Williams had a shot at goal after 17 minutes but the ball hit the right upright and Ulster cleared.

But the game came to life after a tremendous break from Jared Payne and a melee in the Scarlets 22 saw referee Alain Rolland send Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams to the bin, though Payne had just managed to touch down from a Pienaar cross-kick.

Ulster then began to turn the screw and after Nick Williams had driven on from a lineout near the Scarlets line, Pienaar switched the attack to the blindside and Bowe stepped inside fellow Lions squad member George North to score.

Rumbling maul

Pienaar added a marvellous conversion and five minutes later Ulster scored again with Robbie Diack touching down at the back of a rumbling maul off a lineout. Pienaar's conversion hit an upright but he kicked a penalty after the Scarlets scrum collapsed as first-half time expired.

Three minutes after the restart, Tom Court drove over from close range after Darren Cave's inside burst, following a mix-up in the Scarlets defence allowing Trimble and Rory Best to take the ball into the visitors' 22.

The game then settled down into a fairly uneventful period which was only altered by substitute Gareth Davies dancing through on the hour mark to score the visitors' first points since the third minute, with Williams converting.

Pienaar then nailed a 62nd minute penalty to push Ulster up to 28-10 and most of the remainder was about both sides emptying their benches and Ulster players avoiding injury ahead of the final at the RDS.

The Scarlets, though, did finish the stronger and substitute Sione Timani got over in the 78th minute for a consolation score from a quick tap penalty 10 metres out, with Williams again adding the extras.

http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/mat ... _1,00.html

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Pro12

Ulster romp into first RaboDirect PRO12 final.......................

Ulster romped into their first-ever RaboDirect PRO12 final thanks to a display full of power and poise at Ravenhill, putting the Scarlets to the sword with a 28-17 victory.

The RaboDirect PRO12 table-toppers scored three fine tries through Tommy Bowe, Robbie Diack and Tom Court and while livewire Gareth Davies scored a delightful solo effort and Sione Timani grabbed one late on for the Scarlets, Ulster were too strong for their Welsh opponents.
Ruan Pienaar was in imperious form at scrum-half while No.8 Nick Williams was at his destructive best and with Jared Payne's broken-field running lighting the touch paper, Ulster blew the Scarlets away.

But the Scarlets, keen to improve on last weekend's poor showing against Treviso, began the brighter and enjoyed the better of the early possession, taking the lead with a fourth-minute penalty after Dan Tuohy was offside.

Owen Williams, a late addition to the starting line-up after Rhys Priestland failed to come through the warm-up, made no mistake and booted the visitors into a 3-0 lead.

It took less than two minutes for Ulster to hit back however and good work from the Ulster forwards saw Scarlets lock Joe Snyman pinged for holding on - Pienaar kicking the penalty to level things up.

As the half wore on, it was the Scarlets who continued to carry the fight to Ulster but too many errors from both sides crept in and near could create any clear try-scoring opportunities.

But the game was brought to life on 19 minutes with a scything run from Ulster full-back Payne, who signed on for another three years this week, as he romped his way through the Scarlets defence before putting the grubber through and only desperate defence from George North prevented fellow British & Irish Lion Bowe from gathering the ball.

A minute later, both sides were reduced to 14 men when Andrew Trimble and Liam Williams were sent to the sin bin for fighting and it was Ulster who dealt better with the numerical disadvantage.

Pienaar kicked a long-distance penalty to the corner and after his forwards set the position up, the South African fizzed a pass to Bowe on the left who this time beat North to score his 51st try in the competition.

Pienaar added the conversion and Ulster, led by Williams, who was named the RaboDirect PRO12's Players' Player of the Season, turned up the heat.

Pienaar struck the upright with a penalty after Jonathan Davies was offside but when he kicked to the corner on 33 minutes, a textbook Ulster lineout move saw a rolling maul cut through the Scarlets defence before Diack dotted down his seventh score of the RaboDirect PRO12 season.

The conversion from Pienaar struck the post again but he added a penalty on the stroke of half-time after a powerful Ulster scrum to give the hosts an 18-3 lead at the break.

Just three minutes into the second half came the score that appeared to end the match as a contest - Ulster centre Darren Cave making a piercing run following a scrum and while he fell just short of the try-line, prop Court quickly picked up the ball and dotted down.

Pienaar added the extras before a extended passage of stop-start play - thanks in no small part to a serious-looking injury to Scarlets hooker Ken Owens.

On the hour mark replacement scrum-half Davies danced his way through to go over under the posts to give the Scarlets a glimmer of hope but a Pienaar plenty soon after kept them at arms' length.

The Scarlets refused to throw in the towel and did finish the game the stronger, with Timani powering over from close range but they could not get close enough, ensuring Ulster will face either Leinster or Glasgow Warriors in the RaboDirect PRO12 final.

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/matchcentre/16572.php

TheFlipSide

Scarlets Official

The Scarlets travelled to Ravenhill for their RaboDirect PRO12 play-off against Ulster knowing they had a big challenge ahead and needing their best performance of the season.

With an electrifying atmosphere at Ravenhill on what was a historic day in Ulster Rugby's history the Scarlets had the first word in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi final as replacement outside half Owen Williams slots a penalty after only four minutes to get their score underway.
Scarlets and Wales international Rhys Priestland pulled up in the warm up and so Williams stepped in to the breech with Aled Thomas replacing him on the bench.

With the Scarlets heading into their first encounter of the knockout phases of the RaboDirect PRO12 as underdogs taking the first points of the game will have helped settle the nerves.

Master with the boot Ruan Pienaar brings Ulster back level just seconds later as Scarlets are penalised in their own 22.

Aled Davies, Owen Williams Jonathan Davies get the ball out quickly through the hands but it was over the touch it went with Ulster capitalising with a line-out.

With quarter of an hour gone Scarlets have good possession and are playing with gusto and urgency at the breakdown. Ulster are penalised and Scarlets get another attempt at goal through the boot of young Williams. It hits the right post and score remains at three apiece.

Ulster looked dangerous with ball in hand in Scarlets' half. Pienaar was instrumental in working the ball through the backline before a neat chip kick into the dead ball area. Despite a near save by Scarlets wing George North Ulster crossed the line but were called back to the five metre line for a penalty.

Liam Williams and Andrew Trimble were sent to the bin as tempers flared and Gareth Owen replaced centre Scott Williams.

Ulster push the ball down deep into Scarlets territory once again and waste no time in kicking for touch when they win a penalty.

The homeside win their line out and despite a strong defensive effort by the Scarlets Irish international Tommy Bowe brushes past his counterpart North on the wing. Pienaar converts to take Ulster's lead to 10 points to 3 after 26 minutes.

At the half hour mark Pienaar unusually misses an attempt at goal and the score remains at 10-3 to the homeside.

The homeside gave the vocal crowd something to cheer about as they walked over a try scored by flanker Robbie Diack to take the score to 15-3. Pienaar couldn't add the conversion but the scoreline, and quite possibly the result, seemed to be slipping away from the Scarlets.

The Scarlets responded well to the pressure running with ball in hand and winning territory inch by inch in Ulster's half but once again referee Rolland give the homeside a penalty stopping the Scarlets - and any momentum - in their tracks.

It wasn't over for Ulster for the first half as they pushed back into Scarlets' half and won yet another penalty - this time in front of the posts and an easy one for scrum half Pienaar.

Half time: Ulster 18 Scarlets 3

Both teams returned to the field to a deafening cry of Stand Up for the Ulstermen and it seemed to work a treat for the home side as they capitalised on a Scarlets mistake with outside half Paddy Jackson hurtling towards the visiting defenders.

New Lions call-up Jonathan Davies put in a try saving tackle but a big scrum for Ulster saw loosehead prop Tom Court cross the line for their third try. Pienaar adds the conversion to take the score to a mountainous 25-3.

The clock is stopped at 46 minutes as Scarlets and Wales hooker Ken Owens is stretchered off the field just as the heavens open over Ravenhill.

It's all Ulster again once the game is restarted before the game is halted once again for an injury to second row George Earle. He's replaced by Jake Ball and the ball is back in play.

With 50 minutes gone a decision goes the Scarlets' way and outside half Williams kicks down field and finds the safety of touch. Replacement hooker Emyr Phillips throws in but Ulster win the ball and it's Pienaar who's there once again for the homeside.

North catches the up and under but Rolland gives possession back to Ulster for a Scarlets knock-on.

Five minutes of aeriel ping-pong comes to an end with an Ulster line-out but Scarlets scramble the ball with replacement scrum half Gareth Davies leading the charge. It's soon back in Ulster hands however and another defensive battle for the visitors before returning to the aerial tactics.

The last replacement Rhodri Jones makes his way to the field for Scarlets veteran Phil John.

Replacement scrum half Gareth Davies lights a spark for the Scarlets as he catches Timani's pass off the top of the line out and beats three Ulster defenders from 40 metres to cross the line under the posts. Williams wastes no time in converting and the Scarlets are up to 10 points - now trailing 15 with just under 20 minutes to go.

The homeside head back down field and soon win another penalty after second row Joe Snyman is penalised at the breakdown. Pienaar adds the three points from in front of the posts which takes the score to 28-10.

The Scarlets push Ulster's defensive line hard with quarter of an hour to go as they look to build on Davies' try but Ulster once again win the penalty and kick for territory down field.

Despite an 18 point deficit the Scarlets gave it their all in the remaining ten minutes of the game with scrum half Gareth Davies once again instrumental in mobilising the players into moving forward and pushing the home defenders.

A big scrum under the posts and the main attraction once again is Rolland's whistle. Ulster kick down field but Scarlets keep plugging away and move the ball towards the Ulster 22. Gareth Davies and Phillips combine well before the homeside are penalised for holding on in the tackle.

It's all or nothing for the Scarlets as they go for another big scrum under the posts. It's a loose ball and despite a neat tap kick by Aled Thomas North can't get to it before it crosses into touch.

Another big scrum in the dying moments goes amiss as the ball once again isn't gathered. The Scarlets are putting up a good fight deep in Ulster territory as the home fans start to meander their way out of the historic Grandstand on what will be its last outing for Ulster Rugby.

Rolland plays Scarlets advantage and Timani uses all his power to cross the line for Scarlets' second try of the evening with Williams converting. Despite it being little consolation to the scoreline the Scarlets finish strongly in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi final.

Final score Ulster 28 Scarlets 17

After 22 rounds of the competition, the Scarlets achieved the target set out at the start of the season of finishing in the top four of the RaboDirect PRO12 but sadly that was to be the end of the journey for the West Wales region in 2012-13.

http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/news/5772.php

ThisIsSW

As feared, Ulster too good for under-strength Scarlets......................

RAVENHILL'S iconic old grandstand may be facing demolition, but it was the Scarlets who saw their Pro12 title hopes crushed to rubble in a one-sided play-off semi-final in Belfast.

A week after being bulldozed at their own ground by Treviso, Simon Easterby's side at least avoided similar ignominy with a spirited late showing that made the final score 28-17.

But for the most part, Ulster had been dominant in all facets of play to book their place in the Grand Final later this month.

Apart from a bright opening 20 minutes and a gutsy finale, the Scarlets were outmuscled, out-thought and outgunned by a superior home outfit possessing too much guile and grunt all over the park.

Their cause wasn't helped by a glut of injuries that included Wales squad members Scott Williams and Ken Owens, who was stretchered off early in the second half, and South African lock George Earle, who could barely keep his feet as he was helped from the field.

And after a season that had started with so much promise, it was a sobering way to finish for Easterby and his squad.

Brilliant

A brilliant solo try from replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies and a late score for Tongan Sione Timani provided some cheer for the travelling Scarlets contingent.

But ultimately the bookmakers had got it spot on in making the last remaining Welsh region rank outsiders.

To their credit, the Scarlets dug deep in the second half to give the scoreline some respectability when it could have been a rout.

But they made far too many errors to give themselves any chance of making a first Grand Final appearance.

Much had been said in the build-up about proving points and bouncing back in the wake of last weekend's humiliating 41-17 home defeat to Treviso.

The most significant, though, was uttered by Easterby, who had admitted it was not about talking a good game, it was going out there and delivering in a one-off knockout.

All too often this season the Scarlets have failed to rise to the big occasion — league defeats to the Ospreys and Heineken Cup losses to Leinster and Exeter among them.

This clash at Ravenhill offered the West Walians an opportunity of redemption.

Overwhelming underdogs beforehand, the Scarlets could at least draw inspiration from their form on the road in the Pro12 this season with wins at Glasgow, Connacht, Munster and Edinburgh ultimately the reason why they have reached this stage for the first time.

The Scarlets, though, were dealt a cruel blow before kick-off.

Wales international Rhys Priestland was due to make his first start at fly-half since returning from a ruptured Achilles, but he didn't feel comfortable with the injury in the warm-up and was withdrawn minutes beforehand.

It meant Owen Williams was restored to the No. 10 jersey and Aled Thomas was drafted in on to the bench.

Early adventure from the Scarlets, which saw wing Andy Fenby race 40 metres down the touchline, led to a fourth-minute penalty from Owen Williams.

But the lead was quickly erased when the visitors were penalised at the breakdown and Pienaar slotted over from straight in front.

There was a great atmosphere at Ravenhill with a vocal band of travelling Scarlets supporters making themselves heard amongst a 10,000-plus crowd.

And, for a short while they had plenty to shout about as the Scarlets, with a typical Ravenhill wind behind them, enjoyed the better of territory and possession.

Williams struck the upright with a penalty on 17 minutes, then a scything break from Ulster full-back Jared Payne almost led to the game's first try.

While a scuffle broke out five metres from the Scarlets line, Payne appeared to have touched down after North had failed to gather a crossfield kick.

But referee Alain Rolland had already blown up and after initially awarding the Ulster the penalty, he showed yellow to the warring factions, Liam Williams and Andrew Trimble, and proceeded to reverse the decision.

It was a big let-off for the Scarlets, but the respite was shortlived.

Further pressure from the home side led to former Ospreys favourite Tommy Bowe stepping inside his soon to be Lions team-mate North for the try, and when Pienaar converted superbly from the touchline Ulster were firmly in the box seat.

The home dominance was stemming from the breakdown area with the Scarlets, crowned the Pro12's 'Collision Kings' at the league's annual awards dinner, coming off very much second best in contact.

Another penalty saw Pienaar drill a kick into the corner and from the resultant line-out catch and drive, flanker Robbie Diack touched down.

Pienaar hit the upright with the conversion, but after the Scarlets scrum was driven back on their 22, the Springbok added another three points to leave the visitors with a mountainous challenge in the second period, 18-3 behind.

The Scarlets desperately needed a strong start to the second half, but a horrible mix-up between Aled Thomas, on as a half-time replacement for Liam Williams, and skipper Rob McCusker allowed Ulster to set up a prime attacking position.

And from a five-yard scrum there was an inevitability about the home side's third try, with prop Tom Court crashing over from close-range after a clever switch between Andrew Trimble and Darren Cave.

Pienaar's conversion made it 25-3 and if it hadn't been already, the game was already in the bag for the home side.

To compound the Scarlets' misery, hooker Owens was stretchered off and then moments later Earle, who had been one of the visitors' standout players, hit the deck after coming off second best in a thunderous collision.

Even with half an hour remaining it was all about damage limitation as Ulster created chance after chance.

Replacement scrum-half Gareth Davies did manage to stun the home crowd with a sparkling individual try on the hour mark.

Davies collected a line-out 40 metres out, sliced through two Ulster forwards before stepping past the final defender to the posts.

Williams converted, but Ulster's response was swift, Pienaar adding another penalty after ill-discipline from Joe Snyman.

More good work from Davies almost brought the Scarlets a second try, but after being held up short, they were penalised by Alain Rolland at the ensuing scrum, much to the frustration in the visiting ranks.

But the Scarlets' perseverance was rewarded when Timani ploughed over in the closing stages.

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story ... z2SiDgbt7o

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Sunday 12th May 2013

TheScore

Anscombe plans another blitzkrieg start for Pro12 final showdown.........................

ULSTER COACH MARK ANSCOMBE smiled as Rory Best’s son, Ben, held a press conference of his own under the old stand in Ravenhill. The hooker, nursing a deep eyebrow gash, encouraged his boss to plough on. Always works a treat on the Best homestead.

In a game containing scrapping wingers and fullbacks, a TMO, five tries and some impressive Ulster driving mauls, Anscombe highlighted his team’s first half, and 10 minute blitz after the break, as where the Pro12 semi-final was won.

“Job done,” he told TheScore.ie. “The work was done in the first 50 minutes I suppose. That gave us the victory. A couple of crucial injuries slowed us down and we lost our way a bit after that. It got a bit messy.

“At the end of the day, we did the job in that 50 minutes and I think some of the rugby that we played was superb. We only had one thing to do today and that was get the win; we did it.”

The gameplan, said Anscombe, for the final, on 25 May at the RDS, will be to get another lead and ‘keep the foot on the throat for 80 minutes’. Best revealed that there was on-pitch talk of ‘taking Scarlets to town’ after they went 25-3 up but was at a loss to explain why performance levels tailed off.

Anscombe is hopeful that John Afoa will be fit to play in the final in Dublin and, with Luke Marshall out for the season, there is a chance that Craig Gilroy could also feature.

Having lost the Heineken Cup Final to Leinster last year, Best believes it will be a true mark of his side’s progress if they are to finish the season with some silverware. He credited Ulster’s foreign players, such as Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Jared Payne, for buying into that mentality and driving the team on.

Best added, “We’ve known for a while now that if we got to the final, it wouldn’t be at home but the big thing for us is that it is on the island [of Ireland]. It’s just a short trip down the road… a lot of us [Irish internationals] are used to Dublin being our home ground. It is what it is.”

As the press briefing ended, Best scooped up his son and, as the young man continued to chat, joked ‘I blame the parents’.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/pro12-fin ... 6-May2013/

Craig Gilroy not expecting Lions stand-by role but focused on Ulster success......................Fri 10th
“It’s been a good, but also a strange, season.”

THERE WERE HEINEKEN CUP tries against Aironi and Leicester Tigers last season but it would be fair to say that Craig Gilroy announced himself to Europe with the scintillating solo try he scored against Munster in the cup quarter-final on 8 April 2012.

The Belfast winger scored six tries in 29 appearances for Brian McLaughlin’s men, as they reached the final, but still missed out on a summer tour to New Zealand. A hat-trick against Fiji in a non-cap international forced the international issue and Gilroy was scoring on his Ireland debut a week later.

This season, with Ulster falling at the quarter-final stage in Europe but pressing for league honours, the 22-year-old’s contribution has been more of the stop-start variety. Andrew Trimble, the man he replaced in the Ireland set-up, has enjoyed his best ever season for Ulster while Tommy Bowe has commanded a starting role when fit.

While Gilroy could expect to start for Ireland in the internationals against Australia and New Zealand this Autumn, he declares his comfort with the squad player role under Mark Anscombe at Ulster. Gilroy told TheScore.ie:

It’s been a good, but also a strange, season. I’ve had a lot of up and, certainly, a lot of downs to go with it. I’ve absolutely enjoyed my first year with Ireland and loved getting my first cap and my first try – that was great. It is great to play along with two guys, Tommy and Andrew, that I get along with really well.”

“Andrew has had a fantastic season,” he added. “I think 10 tries was his best beforehand and has 12 now before the season is over. He has done really well for someone who has been left out, almost, of the Irish set-up. To come back and do that was amazing and it is something a few of the younger lads can learn from.”

While Gilroy misses tonight’s Pro12 semi-final with Scarlets through injury, the ‘younger guys’ included Stuart Olding, who starts at inside centre, and backline replacements Michael Allen and Peter Nelson. The Scarlets back five features two Lions, George North and Jonathan Davies, while Welsh outhalf Rhys Priestland is back from a long-term injury.

“Scarlets are one of the best teams in the competition and, like ourselves, they’ll be up for it,” said Gilroy. “George North is an outstanding player and has been ever since he announced himself on the world stage against South Africa. They’ve a great backline, a really big pack and some good depth in the squad.”

Despite the attacking brand of rugby and laundry list of victories, Ulster’s sole Lions representative is Tommy Bowe. In mid-April when Anscombe said he expected ‘a few’ Ulstermen to travel Down Under and take on Australia, he has Bowe and Rory Best in mind, with Gilroy and Iain Henderson his other hopefuls.

Gilroy was delighted to hear of Bowe’s call-up and jokes about his gruesome experience of throwing animal hearts to hungry lions for a photo opp. at Belfast Zoo. To be honest, the winger concedes, he did not think his name would be in the selection frame despite a return of two tries in five Test matches this season.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to be in the frame. The wingers that are going are more than capable and deserve to go. As for close calls, there is certainly the likes of Tim Visser, who I rate very highly, and Simon [Zebo] himself.”

He admits that both Visser and Zebo may be ahead of him on the stand-by list before expressing his excitement at the changes about to take hold in Irish rugby, first under Les Kiss then new head coach, Joe Schmidt. “I’m excited to see what he brings to the mix and I’ve heard good things about him from the Leinster boys,” said Gilroy before adding, “I just hope he picks me.”

http://www.thescore.ie/ulster-glasgow-p ... 7-May2013/

Scarlets see red over Tom Court try that was ‘clearly short of the line’.........................
Coach Simon Easterby believes Ulster would be delighted to see Alain Rolland refereeing the Pro12 Final.

LLANELLI SCARLETS COACH Simon Easterby and captain Rob McCusker were incensed by a heavy penalty count and a controversial Tom Court try that went against them in their Pro12 semi-final defeat by Ulster.

A late Scarlets fightback was not enough to claw back a scoreboard gap that stretched to 22 points after Court barreled over their line to dot down. Irish referee awarded a try but then asked the TMO if there was any reason why he should not award the prop’s effort.

Almost two minutes and 16 replays passed before the call ‘you may award the try’ came down. The angles either seemed to show Court’s momentum had taken him over for the score. Others were obscured. However, a final angle surfaced second before the try was awarded, appearing to show a Scarlets knee knocking the ball loose, just short of the line.

Speaking post-match, Easterby told TheScore.ie, “I’m not sure whether you guys say that third try and the video referee decision. I don’t see how that can be given when it is clearly short of the line. You expect some calls to go against you but… there is a clear decision, where it obviously isn’t a try and it takes the game out of your hands.”

He added, “We’ve got to deal with this. This will make us that bit hungrier next season… there’s a fair bit of emotion in the dressing room after the match and, I think, rightly so.

Easterby was asked if Ulster could go on to win the final on 25 May. “Yeah, they certainly can,” he responded, “especially if they get the rub of the green with the referee like they did [tonight]. I think they’d probably look forward to having Alain Rolland refereeing the game again.”

Scarlets captain Rob McCusker lamented the amount of turnovers and penalties his side gifted to Ulster and conceding two first half tries that gave the home side ‘a quality head-start’. McCusker, too, had issues with the match officials.

We did well during the week; we knew how he was going to ref those areas but I don’t think we dealt with the Ulster defence as well as we would have hoped.

McCusker was asked by a Welsh journalist why a neutral [Scottish or Italian] referee was not in charge for the semi-final between Scarlets and their Irish opponents. He responded, “We are told that they are professional enough to be impartial yet you don’t have that for an international so I don’t know why we do for a club game.”

Easterby, a former Ireland flanker, interjected, “I think we have to be careful that we are not using him as an excuse. At best I’d say [Rolland] was, I won’t say. We contributed to our own downfall. I think it was a combination of things but when you come to a place like Ravenhill what you’ve got to expect is a little bit of consistency.

“Like Rob said, we focused and analysed aspects of his refereeing during the week and that actually came out. We’ve got to deal with that on the pitch and react to it if we are not getting the calls.”

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ulster-sc ... 0-May2013/

ERC

Leinster Rugby were left battered and bruised after beating Glasgow Warriors 17-15 in the RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final at RDS.

Centres Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy both limped out of the game with injuries and provided coach Joe Schmidt with worries ahead of Friday night's Amlin Challenge Cup Final in Dublin.
O'Driscoll was the first to leave the fray when he went off after only 13 minutes after suffering a back spasm, while fellow international D'Arcy had to be helped off the fielding the second half with a calf injury.

"We will have a look at Gordon and assess him in the next 48 hours and find out the real extent of the problem. Brian's back tightened up and he couldn't fully stretch out," said Leinster coach Schmidt.

"He wanted to carry on, but it wasn't really an option against a back line like Glasgow's. I wouldn't be too concerned, and I'm normally concerned about everything, so that's a good sign.

"We will get the glue and sticky tape out so we can put a team together for Friday and the final the week after."

As well as their two centres, Leinster saw man of the match Jamie Heaslip pick up a cut eye, hooker Richardt Strauss take a know to his knee that caused swelling and British & Irish Lions prop Cian Healy was winded.

Schmidt decided to give back row man Sean O'Brien another week to sort out his injury worries ahead of the clash with Stade Francais Paris.

We didn't want to risk playing Sean against Glasgow, but hopefully he will be alright by next Friday. I don't know we will be doing a lot in the first half of the week and we'll probably restrict our training to Tuesday and Wednesday," said Schmidt.

The RaboDirect PRO12 final will be a repeat of the 2012 Heineken Cup final with Leinster taking on Ulster Rugby at the RDS. Ulster beat the Scarlets 28-17 at Ravenhill on Friday night and will be hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins over their Irish rivals this season.

It is the fourth successive RaboDirect PRO12 final Leinster have reached, but they have yet to win one.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/21064.php

PlanetR

........or is it his knee.............

Brian O'Driscoll's participation in the Lions tour could be in doubt after he suffered a knee injury in Leinster's Rabodirect PRO12 semi-final against Glasgow.

O'Driscoll was forced off the field after just 13 minutes of the contest after receiving a blow to his knee.

The extent of the injury was not immediately known but with the Lions' clash with the Barbarians just three weeks away, an injury of any substance could see the centre sidelined.

O'Driscoll's Leinster and Lions team-mate Sean O'Brien was forced out of the encounter after suffering a recurrence of a calf muscle injury.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2588 ... 97,00.html

Thougts with Family

Boy, 8, dies after being hit by SUV in rugby club car park...................

AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy has died after he was hit by a SUV in the car park of Enniscorthy Rugby Club in Wexford last night.

The boy was seriously injured when he was struck by the sports utility vehicle in the car park of the rugby club at around 7.15pm last night, according to gardaí.

He was taken by ambulance to Wexford General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

http://www.thejournal.ie/boy-killed-enn ... 8-May2013/

[Mac]

Monday 12th May 2013

Newsletter

Rory Best praises Ulster’s pack for impressive display against Scarlets.....................

Ireland hooker Rory Best praised the pack for setting up the platform for victory against the Scarlets as Ulster booked their place in the Rabo Pro12 final.

“We talked a lot this week about the forwards and ultimately we wanted to win the semi final and it doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty, we knew if we won the game it would be down to the hard work of the forwards and if we lost it would be down to the fact we didn’t perform,” said Best.

“We put a bit off pressure on ourselves to get our set piece right, to be good at ruck and to be good at slowing their ruck down.

“For 50 minutes we were very good at that, we were physical and dominated them, on the pitch when that long break was happening we talked about taking our foot off the pedal and being ruthless.

“For some reason we slipped off a bit which was disappointing and you have to give Scarlets credit but we’re in the final and it came from a very solid 50 minutes.”

“They are very physical, we knew they would come at us up front and we knew if we didn’t get dominance there they had some very exciting backs so we didn’t want to give them front foot ball, we wanted to be physical and for the large part we did that.”

Best was delighted that Ulster won their final at Ravenhill before the bulldozers move in especially as it was a semi final.

“We have had a few barren years here at Ulster, we reached the final last year but we didn’t get to where we wanted to be and we have put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win something.

“We topped the table we wanted the home semi final, we wanted or last game in front of the old stand to be a knockout game and it means a lot for the home bred players.

“But it also means a lot to the boys that have come in Johann, Nick, Ruan and Jared the way they have bought into everything has been outstanding.”

“In the changing room it means as much to them to win in front of the old stand as it does to the likes of me Trimby and Tommy.”

Ulster won their Heineken Cup semi final in Dublin last season and beat Leinster at the RDS in March and Best believes going south for the final won’t hold any fears.

“It is what it is, in professional sport you have to go where you can get the crowds in and we’ve known about it for a while if we got to the final it wouldn’t be at home but the important thing is it’s on the island, it’s a short trip down the road to Dublin and it’s no big deal for us.”

“In professional sport you get used to these things and a lot of us are used to playing in Dublin and a lot of us are used to playing in Dublin as a home ground

“We’ll have a lot of support that will come down the motor way, it’s something we’re got our head round

“We played home and away in the league to earn the right to be top seeds and that will give us confidence going to Dublin now.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5084720

Scarlets coach Simon Easterby points finger at referee after defeat...................

Simon Easterby questioned referee Alain Rolland’s performance as his Scarlets side’s season end with defeat to Ulster at Ravenhill in the Rabo Pro12 final.

“There were some different calls from the referee, I can’t see how the video referee has given their third try when it is clearly short of the line.

“You expect some calls to go against you but when there is a clear decision when obviously it isn’t a try and that takes the game really out of our reach even thought when we came back we made a good fist of it and I’m proud of what the players achieved,” said Easterby.

“We have got to deal with this and it will make us that much more hungrier to go on next year and repeat our semi final appearance.

“We have to make sure we learn from these nights, there was a fair bit of emotion in the dressing room.

“It’s been a good year and we’ve learned a lot about ourselves and I am proud of what the players showed they were capable of in the last 15 minutes.”

Easterby had a simple answer when asked could Ulster go on and win the final.

“Yeah they can go on and win it especially if they get the rub of the green with the referee as they did and they will probably look forward to Alain Rolland refereeing the game again.”

Easterby wasn’t happy with how his team started the game.

“Our error count and discipline in the first half allowed them to gain the advantage, they won the gain line in the first half and our turnover rate was too high

“At half time we had given away nine penalties and they had given away three.

“We’d given away 15 turnovers and they gave away three so we were our own worst enemy at times.”

The former Ireland flanker refused to blame Rhys Priestland’s late withdrawal as a contributory factor for the defeat.

“It was a bit of a disruption but to be fair Owen Williams has gone very well and has been a stand out player for us over the last couple of months.

“His kicking in particular has got us to us to this position, there was a little bit of disruption but I wouldn’t say it had a bearing on the result.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5084721

TheScore

Ulster have home dressing room option for Pro12 Final at Leinster’s RDS..........................
Mark Anscombe’s men could turf the Blues into the ‘Away’ shed on 25 May.

OFFICIALS FROM LEINSTER and Ulster are set for some interesting discussions this week as the northern province prepares for their ‘home’ Pro12 Grand Final on 25 May.

Ulster, who defeated Scarlets in their semi-final on Friday, earned the right to have the final at their home ground. With the main stand at Ravenhill scheduled for demolition in the coming days, the club, with permission from Leinster, designated the RDS as their ground of choice for the final. The opponents, awkwardly enough, are Leinster.

Ulster hooker Rory Best tells TheScore.ie that playing in Dublin, in front of a sizeable travelling contingent of supporters, is not a daunting prospect. “Throughout the season,” he said, “throughout 22 games, we earned the right to be number one seeds and we’ll take that confidence into the final.”

Best added that Ulster’s 22-18 league win over Leinster, at the RDS earlier this year, was ‘a monkey off the back’. The victory ended a 13-year wait for an away win over the Blues.

Weekend off

Leinster coach Joe Schmidt must focus on Friday’s Challenge Cup Final against Stade Francais [also at the RDS] before the Pro12 finale comes into focus. Ulster, however, were not far from his thoughts. Following his side’s 17-15 win over Glasgow Warriors, Schmidt said:

We beat them three times last season, they’ve beaten us twice this season. That would suggest they are doing better than we are and that is why they finished top of the league table. It’s going to be a really good test for us. They’ve also got the luxury of a lead-in [to the final] of 15 days.

“That’s going to be a really tough challenge for us because we have to head out against Stade Francais on Friday night and I think that is going to be an incredibly tough game. They’ve got nothing left to play for… they tore Bath apart in the quarter finals of the Amlin Cup.”

Asked if he had learned from the experiences of playing European and domestic finals in the past two season, Schmidt remarked, “I’ve learned that this job is going to kill me.”

“It’s heart in the mouth stuff,” the Kiwi added. “It’s such an exciting time and you’re delighted that you’re not on holiday. The players can’t wait until the next 24, 48 hours so they can walk again and this going to be a massive game.

“Last year we had an eight-day turnaround to the Pro12 Final and we were terribly unlucky. Maybe we got a bit of luck tonight and if we can buy a bit more in the next week or two I’ll be delighted.”

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/pro12-gra ... 0-May2013/

SetantaSA

Best relishing RDS challenge.............................

Rory Best feels that Ulster are in strong position to upset Leinster in the RaboDirect Pro 12 final in a fortnight’s time.

Ulster, after finishing top of the table, defeated the Scarlets 28-17 to book their place in the decider, which will take place at Leinster’s home ground.

Leinster beat Glasgow 17-15 on Saturday evening to secure a place in the final.

"We put ourselves in a position to get a home semifinal, and we knew that the support would be massive for us and ultimately this was where we wanted to be," said Best.

"We wanted to win silverware this year, and this is our last crack at it.

"In two weeks' time, we go to the RDS and we want to win. We felt this team was good enough to win something at the start of the season and while obviously we wanted to win everything, this is our thing now so we're delighted to be in the final."

Ulster dominated much of the clash on Friday evening, as tries from Tommy Bowe, Robbie Diack and Tom Court put the host in a commanding postion.

However, scores from Gareth Davies and Sione Timani saw the Scarlets reduce the deficit in the closing stages, and the Welshmen’s comeback concerned Best.

"We had to try and exert some dominance up front because they have a very exciting back line and I thought we did that for large parts, " he said.

"When we look at it we'll be disappointed about the last 20 minutes or half an hour but ultimately we played 50/60 minutes of great rugby and we're into the final."

http://www.setanta.com/africa/Articles/ ... id-160153/

TheFlipSide

Times

Injury Update................

It may not be quite the double they wanted, and the one they’ve come up a game short of in the last two seasons, but regardless of that another unbroken, unyielding run of end-of-sequence knock-out games is again already underlining how difficult a RaboDirect PRO12/Amlin Challenge Cup double will be for Leinster, even with both finals at the RDS.

In reaching the final of the former before turning their attention to the latter against Stade Francais next Friday, Leinster will spend the next 48 hours or more anxiously patching up their squad after a nerve-jangling, sapping and costly 17-15 semi-final win over Glasgow at the RDS on Saturday.

Gordon D’Arcy is their most acute concern, a nasty looking calf injury possibly ruling him out of both games. “Gordon cramped up pretty badly,” admitted Joe Schmidt. “They think it’s possible there’s a tear there but we’re not going to know until he’s been examined. So we’ll have a look and find out within the next 48 hours.”

As ever when Brian O’Driscoll goes down and reluctantly departs the fray, crowd and medical staff alike would have been immediately fretting like mother hens over the great man’s back injury, though Schmidt did not seem too perturbed.

“Brian just tightened right up and couldn’t really stretch out. He was keen to continue but really, it just wasn’t an option. Against the guys they’ve got, if you’re trying to catch hold of Hogg, Maitland or DTH van der Merwe – I won’t name their whole backline but they’re a handful. I wouldn’t be overly concerned and I’m normally concerned about most things, so hopefully it’s a good sign.”

Richardt Strauss and Fergus McFadden will have to manage knee and shin injuries, while Schmidt was hopeful Seán O’Brien, ruled out with a calf strain here, will come into the equation for the Stade game.

“To be honest I don’t know if we’ll be doing a lot in the front half of the week, we have six guys who are off to the Lions, to London, for the whole of Monday, so our training will be restricted probably to Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Medical staff
Asked if this was the week Leinster’s medical staff will come into their own, Schmidt quipped: “They didn’t do too well today! They need to work on their fitness; there were a lot of guys going down. But they do a super job and they’ll have the glue and sticky tape out, and hopefully that will mean we can piece together a team for next week and then the week after, when we’re just delighted we’re not going to be on holiday.”

Verily, though, this was not what the doctors ordered six days before the first of those RDS finals against a rested Stade Francais, an occasion which, alas, will not be illuminated by a last appearance in European rugby by one-time Leinster icon Felipe Contepomi, as Stade have not registered him for the competition. Against that, former Leinster prop Stan Wright may feature.

Such was the ferocity of the collisions and unrelenting tempo of Saturday’s game that players began dropping like flies from the moment O’Driscoll’s back seized up early on, and ultimately eight of the substitutions made by both sides, whether temporary or permanent, were injury-enforced.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/g ... -1.1390739

[Mac]

Tuesday 14th May 2013

Tele

Scrum for Ulster Leinster RaboDirect clash tickets.......................

The RaboDirect PRO12 rugby final between Ulster and Leinster is an eagerly awaited clash between the two most exciting provincial sides in the country. It therefore seems strange that the crowd will be limited to a mere 18,000 at the RDS stadium in Dublin.

Ulster took nearly double that number of supporters to London for the Heineken Cup match against Saracens and would surely expect to fill the ground with their own fans alone. Instead both teams will have a maximum of 9,000 supporters each.

Many fans have been left scratching their heads in bafflement as to why the match is not being held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin which has a 50,000-seat capacity. This is Ulster's only chance of silverware this season and the team's loyal supporters would turn out in force for the game. Is it too late for a rethink and a switch of venue?

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opini ... 64149.html

Mark Anscombe and Rory Best warn Ulster can't afford to relax.......................

Within minutes of the final whistle of his side’s semi-final victory over Scarlets, Ulster coach Mark Anscombe’s thoughts were on completing the job.

If they are to do that on May 25, he knows Ulster must put in a full shift. For 50 minutes on Friday night his side out-classed their Welsh opponents but in the final half-hour they eased off, allowing the guests to score two converted tries.

“That’s a reminder to us that you can’t afford to relax. You can’t afford to take your foot off the throat; you’ve got to play for the full 80 minutes and we know we’ll have to do that in two weeks time,” the Kiwi said. Man of the match, hooker Rory Best highlighted the pack’s role in securing a place in the final.

Nursing a badly swollen left eye and surrounding cuts, Best said: “Ultimately we knew that if we won the game it was going to be down to the hard work of the forwards and if we lost it that would be because we didn’t perform the way we wanted to.

“We put a bit of pressure on ourselves this week to get the set-piece right, to be good at the ruck and to be good at slowing their ruck down. I think for 50 minutes we were very good at that and very physical. We dominated them.”

Ulster were up to a full head of steam when an injury to Best’s opposite number, Ken Owens, forced a lengthy break. When play resumed, Ulster never quite managed to get back to where they had been.

“On the pitch when that long break was happening we talked about not taking the foot off the gas, we talked about being ruthless and taking them to town. But for some reason we just slipped off a wee bit which is disappointing.

“But ultimately we’re in the

final which is where we wanted to be.”

It turned out to be quite a night for Andrew Trimble. Yellow-carded with Scarlets’ full-back Liam Williams at the end of the first quarter, the big wing went on to collect two prizes at the post-match Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards — Player of the Year and Supporters’ Club Player of the Year.

Explaining what had happened on the pitch, Trimble told compere Stephen Watson: “I started it and I got a hiding!”

Robbie Diack won the Belfast Telegraph-sponsored Most Improved Player of the Season.

Iain Henderson was the BT Sports Young Ulster Player of the Year, with Stuart Olding romping away with the Hughes Insurance Ulster Academy version.

History was created with Personality of the Year Award going posthumously to Nevin Spence.

The award citation read: “Nevin’s presence has been with the Ulster Rugby team throughout this season. Although he is no longer here in person, his spirit continues to inspire and motivate each and every member of the squad.”

Ulster prop Paddy McAllister collected the award on his close friend’s behalf.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 62846.html

Newsletter

Little Ben Best upstages famous dad Rory at Ulster media session.......................

RaboPro12 man of the match Rory Best was the centre of attention at the end of Ulster’s 28-17 victory over Scarlets.

However, someone else was determined to get in on the post match goings on and not have the Ireland hooker taking all the limelight.

Rory’s son, Ben, who had accompanied him around the pitch as the players saluted the fans after securing a place in the RaboDirect PRO12 final against Leinster on May 25 in Dublin, joined his battle scarred father in the media centre for the post match conference along with Ulster head coach, Mark Anscombe.

PressEye photographer, Darren Kidd, was assigned the task of keeping Ben amused while the press conference got underway, with Mark and Rory fielding questions from the media

However, five minutes in, Ben, who turns three next month, decided it should be him taking pictures of his dad.

Armed with the camera he walked around to the front of the media table and after several cries of “daddy, daddy, daddy” and a “DADDY!”, Rory finally broke off his question and said “Cheese”, which is what his son was requesting.

Several of the pictures Ben took have been published on this page.

Ulster coach Anscombe could barely contain himself, along with other members of the media.

The only person who did not see the funny side of it all was Scarlets coach, Simon Easterby, who stood straight faced to the side as he waited his
turn.

The episode with Ben was the perfect way for the last media conference in the old stand, and another of the great memories – one of those ‘Best moments’ – associated with Ravenhill as the bulldozers prepare to move in today and begin the demolition work.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5085995

TheFlipSide

Watch............

Examiner

O’Driscoll set to be fit, D’Arcy out for Amlin final..................

Brian O’Driscoll is expected to overcome injury in time for Leinster’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais on Friday night, butGordon D’Arcy’s season looks to be all but over.

Both centres were helped offduring last Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final win againstGlasgow Warriors at the RDS, with O’Driscoll falling victim to a back spasm that allowed him feature for just a dozen minutes.

“Brian O’Driscoll is a lot morecomfortable,” said Joe Schmidtyesterday. “His back tightened right up and he was unable to stretch out at all. It has happened a couple of times over the last three to five years.

“Therefore that’s something that’s come right within 48 hours (before). So he’s a lot more comfortable now and we’re hopeful he’ll be right to train [today]. If he’s training then, you’d expect him to be right forFriday.”

No doubt Warren Gatland will be breathing easier but there was no comfort for D’Arcy who sufferedeither a grade two or three tear inhis calf which rules him out thisweek and leaves him “highlyunlikely” for next week’s PRO12decider.

Sean O’Brien, rested againstGlasgow because of his own calf problem, has been declared fully fit while Schmidt also dismissedconcerns about Richardt Strauss (knee) and Cian Healy.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugb ... 31252.html

[Mac]

Wednesday 15th May 2013

Newsletter

Andrew Trimble wants ‘special group of Ulster players’ to go on and finish the job................

On the pitch, not everything had gone the way Andrew Trimble would have wanted as Ulster secured their place in the final of the RaboDirect PRO12 Championship.

Ulster blew the Scarlets away with a quality opening 50 minutes - just as Trimble had blitzed Cardiff Blues a week earlier in the final regular league season game.

The Irish winger did not managed to get on the scoresheet on this occasion and at least he was able to laugh at himself when his foot caught in a divot as he was chasing a loose ball and intending to hack on - had he connected with the ball there was every chance he would have gone on to score.

There was an unusual dropped ball from a high kick in the first half.

However, after the match and following the Ulster Rugby Awards held in the nearby Aquinas School, Trimble left Ravenhill with a broad smile and over laden with trophies.

Less than a week earlier he had been presented with the RaboDirect PRO12 ‘try of the season’ award.

He added the Ulster ‘player of the year’ accolade to that as well as the Ulster Rugby Supporters’ Club ‘outstanding player of the season’ accolade.

“This year has meant a lot because of things that have happened, particularly at the start of the season. This is a special group of players,” said Trimble.

“It would be perfect now to top it off by lifting the trophy for the RaboDirect PRO12 on May 25.”

Trimble has scored 12 tries during the season - 10 of them in the PRO12 which was just one short of PRO12 chart topper, Tim Visser.

“It is the most I have scored in one season. Maybe if we can get over the line in two weeks time and get it up to 13 it would be great,” added Trimble.

Looking ahead to the final at the RDS on May 25, Trimble said it would be a tough assignment but one that they were capable of achieving against Leinster.

“The win over the Scarlets came based on a good 50 minutes. We had done enough.

“Last week it took us to half time to really get going and then against Scarlets we played really well for 50 minutes but maybe we then took our eye of it for a while.

“There is no doubt we will need a massive performance in two weeks time, but we know we are capable of doing it.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5087194

Tele

Ulster rugby fans scramble for RaboDirect Leinster final tickets at RDS............................

The outcome of the game will be decided by the guile, power and skill of those taking to the pitch.

But the scrum for tickets in the run-up to the RaboDirect PRO12 final looks set to be just as big a struggle for Ulster fans keen to secure a place in Dublin's RDS stadium.

The ground – home of Ulster's cup final rivals Leinster – has been selected to stage the showpiece game.

With a capacity of just 18,500, the clamber for tickets has already begun.

Ulster's victory over Scarlets on Friday evening, followed by Leinster's win over Glasgow the following night, secured an all-Ireland final clash on Saturday, May 25.

Priority booking opened yesterday to current season ticket holders and will run until Thursday. Around 500 tickets have been designated for corporate supporters, with the remaining 18,000 equally divided between both provinces.

Eyebrows were raised that the game is not taking place at the 50,000-capacity Aviva Stadium in the Irish capital.

A number of fans took to social media yesterday to express their worries over missing out.

"It seems odd to play a final in a relatively small ground when you can play in one more than twice the size in the same city," one posted.

Another said: "Everything crossed I get my hands on a ticket. Stand up for the Ulstermen."

Last month Ulster Rugby confirmed it had put the RDS as its preferred 'home' ground should the team qualify for the final. This was because the home of Ulster Rugby, Ravenhill, does not yet have the required capacity of 18,000 stated by the competition's organisers to host the final.

With just two weeks between the semi-final and the final, rugby chiefs, both in the Ulster camp as well as the league organisers, opted for the RDS.

Sources within Ulster Rugby said the decision was taken as it was deemed unrealistic to expect to draw a sell-out crowd to the Aviva in such a short period of time. Indeed, Leinster failed to sell out the RDS for their semi-final match.

"The league ultimately makes the decision so we had to nominate," the Ulster source told the Belfast Telegraph.

"Leinster were also saying not to take it to the Aviva, as it is so hard to sell out. There will be 50/50 capacity, so while the final will be played at Leinster's home ground, it certainly won't be a larger home support.

"It won't be quite Ravenhill, but we will be aiming to make it as close to that as possible."

Ulster's Rory Best said he was unconcerned about playing the final in Dublin.

"We've known for a while that if we got to the final it wouldn't be in our home, but the big thing for us was that it's on the island," he said.

"It's only a short trip down the road to Dublin. It's no big deal for us. It's going to make it a wee bit more difficult for us because Leinster are going to be in their home ground, but with professional sport you get used to these things.

"A lot of us are used to playing in Dublin, a lot of us are used to Dublin being our home ground and we'll have a lot of support going down the motorway."

Having beaten Leinster at the RDS at Easter, Best said confidence is high in the Ulster camp of a repeat result in the showpiece final.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 64048.html

Newsletter

Luke Marshall agrees three year with Ulster Rugby......................

Ulster centre, Luke Marshall, has signed a new three-year deal with the club that will see him remain at Ravenhill until at least the summer of 2016.

Marshall, who is 22, was recently named the RaboDirect PRO12 young player of the year. Having only started five league games before this campaign, he has played 16 times in all competitions this season, establishing himself as one of the most important members of the Ulster squad.

His excellent form for Ulster has seen him break-through into the Ireland side. He scored a try against Fiji in the Autumn international at Thomond Park and he won three caps in the RBS 6 Nations, making his full debut against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Marshall has also represented Ireland at Under-20 level and is a graduate of the Hughes Insurance Ulster Academy.

His season was cut-short after he suffered three concussions in three games and he will miss Ireland’s tour of North America in the summer.

Commenting on the signing, Ulster’s Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, said: ‘I am extremely pleased that Luke has committed to Ulster for another three years. He is an excellent young player and he has been superb for us this season. Luke is a prime example of what we are trying to achieve here – he is from Ulster, he has come through our Academy system, he has received excellent coaching and through his dedication and hard-work he has gone on to excel at provincial and international level.’

Luke Marshall said: ‘I am delighted to staying with Ulster. I have really enjoyed my rugby this season and I am looking forward to August already and to getting back out onto the pitch. We have a fantastic squad here at the club and I am pleased that I will be part of it for the next three years.’

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5091438

BBC

Ulster centre Luke Marshall signs new three-year contract.............................14th May

Ulster centre Luke Marshall has signed a new three-year deal which will keep him at Ravenhill until at least 2016.

The 22-year-old made his full Ireland debut against Scotland in February and won the Pro12 Young Player of the Season award earlier this month.

"I am delighted to be staying with Ulster - I have really enjoyed my rugby this season," said Marshall.

"We have a fantastic squad here at the club and I am pleased that I will be part of it for the next three years."

Having only started five league games before this campaign, Marshall has played 16 times for Ulster in all competitions this season.

His excellent form for Ulster saw him break into the Ireland side and he scored a try against Fiji in the Autumn international at Thomond Park

Marshall won three caps in the Six Nations, making his full debut against the Scots at Murrayfield.

His season was cut short after he suffered three concussions in three games and he will miss Ireland's tour of North America in the summer.

"Luke is an excellent young player and he has been superb for us this season," said David Humphreys, Ulster's Director of Rugby.

"He is a prime example of what we are trying to achieve here - he is from Ulster, he has come through our Academy system, he has received excellent coaching and through his dedication and hard work he has gone on to excel at provincial and international level."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22527503

TheFlipSide

Watch...........

Indo

Fresh final fears for O'Driscoll as recovery from back injury stalls.......................

Brian O'Driscoll's chances of featuring in the Amlin Challenge Cup final at the RDS against Stade Francais on Friday appear to be receding as his recovery from a back spasm remains worryingly sluggish.

Having been instructed to rest for 48 hours following his premature withdrawal from last Saturday's Pro12 semi-final win against Glasgow, the four-time Lions selection did not appear at Leinster training yesterday.

And, with Gordon D'Arcy confirmed as an absentee from the rest of Leinster's double tilt – and presumably also this summer's Irish tour to North America – Leinster may have to fill a gaping midfield chasm against the French.

"Brian is recovering," said Leinster assistant coach Richie Murphy. "It is a little bit slower than we would have liked. It is still progressing reasonably well. A decision won't be made on him until later on in the week."

The bottom line is that O'Driscoll will have to declare himself fit when Leinster undertake their last training session before the final tomorrow morning.

"He is a bit tight through the lower lumbar area. It probably hasn't reacted as quickly as he would have liked," added Murphy.

While O'Driscoll (above), conscious of the Lions tour, will be allowed to make the final decision himself, Murphy insists Leinster can cope with his absence.

"If Brian is fit for the weekend, he'll be considered," Murphy said. "If he's not, we'll just move somebody else into his spot.

"You can't play a game without missing someone like Brian but the player that will slot into his role will understand exactly what's needed of him. And they'll deliver."

Leinster's other walking wounded – Cian Healy, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip, Dave Kearney, Fergus McFadden and Richardt Strauss – have all been declared fit for the sold-out final.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/f ... 67528.html

Times

D’Arcy gone for season while O’Driscoll is a major doubt for Challenge Cup final ......................
Recovery slower than hoped after epidural to treat back spasm.

Gordon D’Arcy’s campaign is over, paving the way for Ian Madigan to wear the number 12 jersey in Friday’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais, but a decision on Brian O’Driscoll’s back injury will be postponed until tomorrow morning.

“Gordon is finished for the season,” confirmed Leinster assistant coach Richie Murphy.

The 33-year-old’s availability for Ireland’s North American tour next month is also in doubt. That squad will be announced on Sunday.

O’Driscoll has been unable to train this week and received an epidural anaesthetic to treat a problem that, according to the Leinster management is not overly serious even though it flares up on an annual basis.

More commonly known as an injection used in childbirth, the epidural is to produce a loss of sensation below O’Driscoll’s waist to assist his recovery.

Progressing
When it wears off and presuming he is fit to take part in tomorrow’s captain’s run, he will start in midfield, most likely, alongside Madigan.

“Brian is recovering, it is a little bit slower than probably what we would have liked but he is progressing reasonably well,” said Murphy.

“It’s one of those things that comes and goes. He is a bit tight in his lower lumbar area of his back. He is not going to run today. We’ve a squad of players here. If Brian O’Driscoll is fit for the weekend he’ll be considered but if he is not fit we will move another player into his slot.

“We’re going to miss him. There is no doubt about that . . . but the big thing for us is the players who slot into his role will have a clear understanding of what’s needed.”

There is, however, a shortage in the position. Eoin O’Malley (knee) and D’Arcy (calf) are unavailable, leaving Fergus McFadden primed to shift from the wing as Brendan Macken is only recently back after fracturing his hand.

“I’ve played most of my rugby on the right wing this season,” said McFadden. “Joe put me into the centre when Brian went off last week and I was more than happy to do a job.

“I had done most of my training on the wing and with Brian going off so early I got thrown in the deep end a bit.”

Thankfully he can swim.

“I love the physicality in there.”

Returned to training
That opens the road for Munster-bound Andrew Conway to play on the wing, although Dave Kearney also returned to training yesterday after a severe concussion.

Another concern is Friday’s opponents have had two weeks’ preparation. Leinster, due to the British and Irish Lions gathering on Monday, only have one and half sessions on the field to get themselves ready for their third consecutive European final.

“Having said that, we’ll be there and we’ll be ready,” Murphy added. “It is a luxury to be able to play a European final in the RDS, in front of our own crowd. It’s going to be a fantastic occasion.”

Recently-selected Lions flanker Seán O’Brien has also been deemed fit to return on Friday night.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/d ... -1.1393291

Indo

Leinster hopeful BOD will be fit for final showdown.................

LEINSTER are optimistic about Brian O'Driscoll being fit for Friday night's Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais in Dublin.

The Leinster and Ireland centre suffered a back spasm during the RaboDirect PRO 12 play-off victory over Glasgow three days ago.

He did not attend yesterday's initial British and Irish Lions squad gathering in London.

Leinster, though, say O'Driscoll is currently rated as having "a good chance" of being available for Friday's game.

O'Driscoll is among six Leinster players selected for the Lions tour to Hong Kong and Australia, being joined by Rob Kearney, Jonathan Sexton, Cian Healy, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip.

Flanker O'Brien is expected to face Stade Francais after he missed the Glasgow encounter due to a calf muscle injury, but centre Gordon D'Arcy has been ruled out of the final due to calf trouble.

Leo Cullen, Kevin McLaughlin, Fergus McFadden and Richardt Strauss, meanwhile, are recovering from a variety of bumps and bruises, but should all be in contention.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/l ... 66305.html

[Mac]

Friday 17th May 2013

Examiner

Drico will be ready to face Ulster..................

Concerns over Brian O’Driscoll’s fitness heading into a Lions summer were reduced yesterday following Joe Schmidt’s assertion that the centre is expected to be fit for Leinster’s RaboDirect PRO12 final against Ulster tomorrow week.
O’Driscoll, pictured, will miss tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais at the RDS after failing a fitness test due to a back spasm but Schmidt insisted he “wouldn’t have too many concerns” about his availability in eight days time.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/dric ... 31563.html

Times

Coach Joe Schmidt confident 34-year-old’s injury will improve before Ulster’s visit next week ...............

Brian O’Driscoll is determined to drag a 15th season out of a body that deserves retirement more than your average athlete after a glorious career littered with bone shuddering collisions.

Perhaps influenced by the ever increasing speculation, O’Driscoll and IRFU yesterday allayed public curiosity by announcing a one-year contract extension.

The email came two hours before incoming Irish coach Joe Schmidt confirmed O’Driscoll would not feature in tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais at the RDS.

Schmidt remains confident the 34-year-old’s back problem, which required an epidural, will have subsided before Ulster’s visit to Dublin tomorrow week for the Pro 12 final.

The next challenge for the Leinster medics is to get him back training by Monday, ahead of the Ulster invasion in eight days. “I wouldn’t have too many concerns about next week,” said Schmidt. “I’d be really confident”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/b ... -1.1396384

Newsletter.............15th May

Aviva Stadium was always an unlikely option for RaboDirect PRO12 showdown...................

Celtic Rugby, the organisers of the RaboDirect PRO12 competition, had already ruled out the possibility of staging the final at the Aviva Stadium prior to it being known two Irish clubs would be contesting the showpiece event.

Ulster and Leinster will meet in the PRO12 Championship final on Saturday, May 25 at the RDS, Dublin.

That is the home ground of the Leinster club - who are appearing in their four consecutive final.

However, Ulster, as the highest finishers in the league had the right to choose the venue.

They opted for the RDS as it was the closest ground which fell within the competition regulations for staging a final -primarily a stadium which had a capacity in excess of 18,000.

There was always going to be the possibility that the final would be an all-Ireland affair, particuarly after Ulster and Leinster finished first and second respectively after the regular 22-match league programme.

With a 50-50 split in the ticket allocation for the final, there are 9,000 tickets for both clubs and there are already several disappointed fans in both clubs with the question being asked why the Aviva had not been put forward as an alternative.

Yesterday, Celtic Rugby said Ulster, as the ‘home’ club had never made a formal request for the Aviva Stadium to be considered.

However, the News Letter understands that officials from the club were told at a previous meeting with organisers that the Aviva would not be an option.

A source told the News Letter that due to the considerable logistical challenges and the financial risks involved in switching the final to the Aviva Stadium once the finalists were known was too great.

The News Letter understands that the Aviva Stadium, which hosts an all French Heineken Cup final on Saturday, has to be booked well in advance and that a deposit of almost half a million Euros has to be made.

It is also believed that 40,000 seats of the 50,000 available have to be purchased to ‘break even’.

Last year, for a semi-final involving Ulster and Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup, over 45,000 attended, with 90 per cent of those being Ulster fans.

Sources at Leinster did admit that they had difficulty in selling tickets for an Aviva based fixture in the past, and the Blues were unable to sell out their semi-final last Saturday against Glasgow.

The News Letter understands Ulster did make a further request following last week’s semi-finals but were not told it was not possible to switch the final to the bigger venue.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5095722

Tele

A grand way to say goodbye to Ravenhill's iconic stand......................Tyrone

Last Friday evening signified an historic moment at Ravenhill with the last home game before the 90 year old main grandstand gets hauled down.

The use of the word 'grand' is apt – my goodness it has seen some rugby in its time.

My father grew up hanging over the front railings watching his heroes in white – I was weaned on legendary tales of Jack Kyle and Jimmy Nelson, those two Ulster and Ireland greats, who contributed to the first Grand Slam in 1948.

It was graced by the likes of Mike Gibson and the greatest Lion of all, Willie John McBride – two players who could feature on a world's best rugby XV of all time.

The Jimmy D-inspired unbeatable Ulster side of the 1980s saw provincial rivals come and go all with the same result – victory for Ulster.

Then, just before the Millennium was out, the old stand witnessed the incredible exploits of Ulster's journey to European Cup glory.

The scourge of French teams, anything with the word Stade in front of it was repelled, whether of the Francais or Toulousain variety.

In recent years there has been a marked advance in the quality of international players that have pulled on the shirt. The foreign contingent have been of an increasingly world class nature and along with the conveyor belt of local talent the standard of play has continued to improve.

The team is revisiting the knockout stages of competitions, and so too is the expectation of supporters growing.

Like my father, I have also followed the family tradition (or was it brainwashing?).

My first real memories of the grandstand was when watching Grosvenor, my father's alma mater, lift the Schools' Cup in 1983. In my youthful eyes, the schoolboys all seemed to have beards and look more like men.

Twenty years on, I can remember being back on that terrace with a group of my father's old rugby mates.

I had grown up being regaled with tales of not just his rugby prowess, "A Howe never drops the ball" (I broke that one early), but also his ability on a dancefloor.

As a son, you are obliged to take this paternal hyperbole with a pinch of salt.

However, standing watching a game, one of his friends whispered in my ear "I don't know if you know this, but your father was the best dancer I have ever seen – when he started, we just stopped to watch".

My mates have probably stopped and watched me a few times, but alas for all the wrong reasons!

My point here is that the old grandstand and terrace hold the richest of memories for me – both rugby and personal. Ulster Rugby has been consistently strong in that it encourages and embodies a sense of family.

And I am not alone. Over the years thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, will have memories of their own. And so it continues.

Innovation on the pitch and the increased popularity of the sport has led to a demand for better infrastructure off it.

One can never stand still. To do so is to wither as others constantly look for continual improvement.

Pushing on is the only thing to do and it is heartening to see the funding in place for new development.

Rugby in Ulster transcends all boundaries, it is truly international, yet is still a family occasion and still respects decent principles of sportsmanship, for example silence for the kicker.

Ulster did a grand job of saying farewell to the old stand last Friday night.

The rugby was high quality and the crowd was in great form – they seem to be getting better and better.

Have no doubts, it makes a difference, the team feeds off it and it is appreciated.

It makes sense that Ulster is offering fans the opportunity to buy a seat from the historic Grandstand.

A moment please, however – what is happening to the owl that has hung for so long from the rafters to scare off the pigeons?

For years it has had the best seat in the house and has witnessed all the action.

Surely, this should be an auction item, but if not, can I have it?

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 67760.html

Stephen Ferris has left two questions hanging in the air...........................16th May

Stephen Ferris has left two questions hanging in the air and only he can come up with the answers that will put us all out of our misery.

The first question is: will he be at Ulster next season?

Head coach Mark Anscombe said in April that he was resigned to losing the big flanker – possibly to a club in Japan.

But Ferris has chosen to stay tight-lipped on the matter despite telling this newspaper: "I love Ulster. I love Ulster Rugby. Ulster is my home. It's the place I love."

That brings us to the second question: why has Ferris not informed us whether he is staying or going?

The speculation rages, the media keep probing and yet the Ulster, Ireland and Lions ace just smiles and gives nothing away.

We are left to assume that talks with the Irish Rugby Football Union are ongoing.

Only the hero of Ireland's 2009 Grand Slam success can clarify the matter.

The 27-year-old hasn't been out of the spotlight in recent weeks.

Yesterday, he even beat the traffic and made it to the Balmoral Show.

Anscombe has hailed Ferris as a "world-class player" and there's no question he's an Ulster talisman – so why would he want to continue to keep supporters in the dark?

His heart may belong to his native province, but now it's time for actions to speak louder than words.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 71460.html

[Mac]

Friday 17th May ............Cont'd

RugbyFanCast

Ulster’s Final Fantasy...........................

The last time Ulster did the league double over Leinster was back in 1999. In fact, that was the last time Ulster beat their provincial rivals in Dublin when they walked away from Donnybrook with a commanding 25-16 win.

This season it took a lot of work and strong defending at the end for Ulster to hold off the Boys in Blue and secure a victory back in March, just a short distance up the road from Donnybrook in the RDS Arena. It was that win which acted as a catalyst for the Ulstermen to push on and regain top spot in the Pro12, and a home play-off match against the Scarlets.

The Scarlets were handily dispatched last Friday as Ulster did the hard work in the first half, and reserved their energy in the second. Two tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack gave Ulster a handy half-time lead and the result was left beyond doubt with an early try in the second half by Tom Court. It allowed the home side the chance to take their foot off the pedal and coast into the final.

However, it means that due to the Ravenhill redevelopment taking longer than anticipated, Ulster will head to the RDS Arena despite being league winners. And of course, their opposition will be the bogey team – Leinster.

Things couldn’t be better for Leinster actually. It means they won’t have to leave Dublin in order to win two trophies this season (the Amlin Challenge Cup final is also at the RDS) and they now have the chance to exact revenge for their defeat in March. If last season’s Heineken Cup final is anything to go by, then they will do just that.

But this year has proven that a lot has changed since that match at Twickenham last May. Ulster have matured as a side and now have a lot more knockout experience on their side, as well as improving their side too. The acquisition of Nick Williams has benefited their first team immensely and a lot of players have improved too. This final should be a lot different.

Ulster will also have the belief that they can go to the RDS and win again. Not only have they done the double there already this season, but in the two finals they’ve played in the RDS Leinster have lost both, both times to the Ospreys. Boosted by the fact that Leinster will have the Amlin Challenge Cup final to play in first, with a fresher side to pick from, there is no reason why Ulster cannot come away with their first trophy for seven years.

However, Ulster’s attitude to knockout matches must change. They lost to Leinster last season not only because Leinster were better, but because the occasion got to them. They never got out of their shells and let the Dubliners dominate from the start of the game, which paved the way for a crushing defeat. Instead, Ulster have to come out with all guns blazing otherwise they’ll be blown away again.

This season’s quarter-final defeat to Saracens also providing a learning curve – take your chances. While Owen Farrell knocked over penalty after penalty for the London club, Ruan Pienaar had to watch in despair as his efforts sailed wide. As a result, Ulster were left chasing the game, something which is very hard to do in knockout rugby. Again, they have to get out of the blocks quickly or they will be stuck in the tricky position of trying to come from behind to win.

Nevertheless, Ulster have the firepower to do it. This is where the big game players will have to step up and do what they’ve been signed to do – lead Ulster to trophies. Ruan Pienaar, Tommy Bowe, Johann Muller – all of those players will be required to produce five star performances next Saturday and bring home the Pro12 trophy. Nothing less will do.

9,000 Ulster fans will make the journey to Dublin – only this time they will head down in expectation, not hope. With ticket sales being 50:50, home advantage is gone and it will be down to which side is better on the day. If the fans can get behind the team then Ulster are more than capable of getting the job done – but the players have to give the fans something to cheer about first.

The Ulster plan takes another step in the right direction, but it will mean nothing to the fans if there’s no silverware at the end. Time to Stand Up and deliver…

http://www.rugbyfancast.com/2013/05/blo ... al-fantasy

[Mac]

Sat & Sun 19th May 2013

Scotsman.com

Ulster will take field with extra man ..........................

AT the Ulster end-of-season dinner a couple of weeks ago, prop Paddy McAllister collected the award for Personality of the Year... except he hadn’t won it.

McAllister accepted the trophy on behalf of his late friend and team-mate Nevin Spence. In a tragedy which transcended rugby in Ireland, Ravenhill centre Spence, 22, was killed along with his brother Graham and father Noel in a slurry tank accident at the family farm last September.

The award citation read: “Nevin’s presence has been with the Ulster Rugby team throughout this season. Although he is no longer here in person, his spirit continues to inspire and motivate each and every member of the squad.”

As Ulster prepare for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 final against Leinster at Dublin’s RDS Showground, back row forward Chris Henry, who went to the same school as Spence, confirmed that his friend would still be central to the match. “It’s surreal,” said Henry. “It feels like absolutely no time ago at all since he died, it’s still so raw, but at the same time it feels like forever.

“There is no doubt that, even if we maybe don’t talk about him every day, Nevin is in our minds and our thoughts each and every day. He is always in the front of our minds, he was such a big person and such a big part of this team and this squad of players.

“I don’t know if the girls (Spence’s sisters Emma, who survived the tragedy, and Laura) will be there at the final or if they will be watching but winning next week would be a fitting way to honour his memory and honour his family.”

There is no doubt the loss of Spence has pulled what was already a tight Ulster squad even closer together. Following the accident at the start of the season Ulster strung together a 13-match winning streak that took them to the top of the Pro12. In their first outing after Spence’s death, the team put seven tries past the Cardiff Blues. It won’t be so easy on Saturday. The final pits North against South, Belfast against Dublin. Yet, for all the long history and bitter rivalry between the two clubs, the match will be overshadowed by one person who will not – who cannot – be present.

Ulster are the home side for the final, despite it being played at Leinster’s home ground. The 18,000 tickets have been allocated on a 50/50 basis but that won’t stop several thousand ticketless but optimistic Ulster supporters flooding the Ballsbridge area of Dublin. More often than not trips south have ended in heartbreak for them but Ulster managed to get a substantial monkey off their backs in March when they registered their first win over Leinster in Dublin for 14 years.

Chris Henry was just 14 years old when the previous win happened back in 1999 but he is more interested in the immediate future than the distant past and the whole Ulster squad, with an extra week to recover after beating the Scarlets, have been watching videos of the Leinster/Glasgow semi-final with added interest.

“Preparation has been good and I think it helps that we had no game this weekend,” said Henry.

“There were a few bumps and bruises after the Scarlets match. John Afoa has a hamstring which will benefit from an extra week’s rest and I have a problem with my knee after an operation so I haven’t run all week. The whole squad gets a chance to freshen up.

“Glasgow went to Dublin and played with absolutely no fear in that semi-final. They came to play rugby and their off-loading game did some damage, just as it had a year before. If the match had gone on another ten minutes then they would have won it.

“That display gives us confidence that, if we go there with the right attitude and play our own brand of rugby, we can get a result. We have been guilty in the past of not playing for the full 80 minutes, which we will have to do on Saturday. We need to start well and stay focused for the whole match.”

At 6ft 3in Henry is on the large side for an openside flanker and, sure enough, started his professional career at No.8. It was only with the signing of Pedrie Wannenberg and the emergence of Stephen Ferris that Henry shifted into the No.7 jersey on the advice of then coach Brian McLaughlin.

It has proved a canny move. Henry’s outstanding form earned him Ulster’s Player of the Year award last season. All but one of his six Ireland caps have come on the flank and it is only a rampant Sean O’Brien who has prevented him from making more than his six Test appearances. He goes toe to toe with O’Brien on Saturday and, as ever, whoever comes out on top in the maelstrom that is the modern breakdown will have gone a long way towards winning.

“When we beat Leinster back in March they were missing the likes of Brian O’Driscoll and Sean O’Brien,” says Henry. “I don’t know about O’Driscoll but I’d be very surprised if Sean O’Brien isn’t lining up against me on Saturday. I feel that number seven is my position now, I enjoy the breakdown and it will be the key to the final as always.”

The key to the final will, indeed, be the breakdown – that, and the fact that Ulster will effectively take to the field with 16 men in their starting line-up.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/top ... -1-2936506

Tele

Best to lead Ireland on tour........................

Rory Best will lead Ireland's 28-man squad for their tour to the United States and Canada after being overlooked by the British and Irish Lions.

Best was expected to be in action in Australia this summer, but was left out by Lions head coach Warren Gatland in favour of England's Dylan Hartley.

The Ulster hooker, who was also captain of Ireland's tour in 2009, leads a squad containing six uncapped players in scrum-half Kieran Marmion, centre Stuart Olding, scrum-half Paul Marshall, full-back Robbie Henshaw, prop Jamie Hagan, openside Tommy O'Donnell and hooker Mike Sherry.

"We have selected a squad who have the right mix of youth and experience and I'm really looking forward to working with them over the next few weeks," acting head coach Les Kiss said.

"USA and Canada have improved enormously since the 2011 World Cup and we know we will be in for two tough Test matches."

Ireland squad: Forwards: R Best (Ulster, capt), T Court (Ulster), D Fitzpatrick (Ulster), J Hagan (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), C Henry (Ulster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), M McCarthy (Connacht), K McLaughlin (Leinster), T O'Donnell (Munster), P O'Mahony (Munster), M Ross (Leinster), M Sherry (Munster), R Strauss (Leinster), D Toner (Leinster), D Tuohy (Ulster).

Backs: I Boss (Leinster), D Cave (Ulster), R Henshaw (Connacht), P Jackson (Ulster), F Jones (Munster), I Madigan (Leinster), K Marmion (Connacht), P Marshall (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), S Olding (Ulster), A Trimble (Ulster), S Zebo (Munster).

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 78552.html

Indo

Ulster's time is coming after operation transformation............................JG
Pro12 finalists following Cheika's Leinster model in steady ascent to game's top table.

Such has been the extent of the renaissance at Ravenhill that Ulster's results under the troika of director of rugby David Humphreys, coach Mark Anscombe and skipper Johann Muller have assumed a new normality.

Their ground-breaking early-season run of 16 unbeaten games, including pre-season, only came to a somewhat self-inflicted halt in mid-December at the hands of the Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup but it had been quite a remarkable sequence, including the win at Northampton the previous week, one of the standout performances of the entire season, by any team.

Fast forward a couple of months to the Six Nations and with Ireland in the midst of an unprecedented run of injuries, the extent of Ulster's overall advancement in recent seasons, and of their academy in particular, was highlighted by the influx of several relatively low-profile northern players into the national squad, many of whom now look likely to be there for the long run.

It was during this period of unanticipated international call-ups, combined with another run of injuries within their own set-up, that the strength in depth of the squad was really put through the grinder, as they lost four of their six Pro12 games during the Six Nations period.

It was by no means coincidental either that their emergence from this trough was by way of an extremely hard-fought win away to the old enemy Leinster, having defended for their lives to close out the game. Achieving the home-and-away win double over the European champions in the same season meant a lot, as evidenced by the celebrations of their players, and Muller in particular, at the final whistle.

They will relish their opportunity at the RDS on Saturday, for their 'home' final of the Pro12 League, as the builders continue with the transformation of the Ravenhill stadium.

Notwithstanding the disappointment of their trip to Twickenham the following weekend when they simply failed to perform against Saracens, the lessons of the RDS will have been taken on board and, since that moment, focus will have been firmly and exclusively fixed on the remaining silverware up for grabs.

In parallel with the progress and output of their academy system, the recruitment of players into the province has, if anything, been even more impressive. Since Humphreys took over the running of the show, it is difficult to pinpoint a signing which has been anything less than impressive. Key areas of the team have been identified, and personnel with the desired skills and traits have been sourced and recruited. Muller, John Afoa, Nick Williams, Ruan Pienaar and Jared Payne have all been big hits on and off the field. The signing of Williams in particular raised more than a few eyebrows following a less than impressive stint with Munster, when he became as familiar with the demands of All-Ireland League rugby as with those of the Celtic League. A far cry indeed from the current poster-boy of the Ravenhill masses and the recipient of this season's Players' Player of the Year awards from both IRUPA and the Pro12 League.

Add in the likes of the returning Tommy Bowe and Roger Wilson and it's reasonable to suggest that Ulster have been a step ahead of the other provinces in providing a potent blend with young players of the quality of Stuart Olding and Iain Henderson emerging from the academy, a blend that seems to have successfully struck that elusive balance between getting results on the one hand and, on the other, developing players.

While Muller captains the side with great authority and distinction from the second-row, the heartbeat of the team is hooker Rory Best. He and Afoa have made the scrum a major weapon in the Ulster armoury.

Their overall forward play is impressive too but the scrum is worthy of specific mention in that its deployment as a viable weapon of attack is a rarity in Irish rugby. Admittedly, Afoa is an All Black and World Cup winner at tighthead so some dominance from him would be expected, but the consistently destructive scrummaging of Tom Court at loosehead has been a feature too, and should be recognised as such.

The transformation overseen by Humphreys at Ravenhill – of the structures, the squad and, most recently, the stadium – has been massive. Ruthless when required, the focus is single-minded. There's more than a slight similarity between their growth process and that of Leinster under Michael Cheika, with the focus on winning a trophy, any trophy, and kicking on from there.

Next week's final promises to be a great contest. Leinster have ghosts to banish following losses at this stage in recent years to Munster and the Ospreys (twice), not to mention losing to Ulster twice already this season. At this remove I wouldn't like to call it but there's one thing of which we can be assured – win or lose next weekend, Ulster's time is coming.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/u ... 78245.html

Olding seizes opportunity to learn the hard way...................................BF
Stuart Olding has established himself in Ulster's midfield as a player with a future.

At the start of the season, when Ulster were surveying their fixtures and planning which players could take them where they wanted to go, the name of Stuart Olding didn't feature large. Why would it?

Back then the 20-year-old was getting himself ready for what would be a second and successful under 20 interpro campaign, and playing club rugby in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League.

Then things changed. In one league there was the tragic loss of Nevin Spence, for whom a career with Ireland beckoned. In lower divisions came injuries to the promising Chris Farrell, the veteran Paddy Wallace, and finally yet another young Ulster centre, Luke Marshall, who had himself made the breakthrough with Ireland.

When a catalogue of events like this unfolds then young fellas like Stuart Olding get the call, for it's a numbers game and literally he was next in line. Pretty much everyone however would reckon he has answered it very well indeed.

"I know, people were asking where has this guy come from?" he says of himself. "I was playing for Belfast Harlequins and the Ulster under 20s and if I got regular games for the Ravens (Ulster 'A') that would have been great. I never imagined myself being in this position."

Coincidentally, he is the second player from the BRA schools team of two years ago to make it very far very fast. About his team-mate Iain Henderson however there was advance warning before he got a contract in Ravenhill. Olding on the other hand wasn't flashing on any media radar – rather he was just another one of the blond gene pool that seems to fill Ulster ranks so well.

Moreover, like Marshall, he is a converted 10. And from what we've seen so far, it may well be his best position, bringing that combination of footballing nous and an eye for a gap to inside centre.

"I played 10 in my lower sixth year in school and then at fullback and all over the place really in my last year. But I'm loving it at 12 at the minute. People say I'm a bit small for the position. The step up has been a challenge with the intensity of the game and the physicality of the hits. They come faster and more often, but so far I'm enjoying it."

It's a long shot but some may remember Olding as part of the young boys' outing to the RDS last season when Brian McLaughlin sent out a team known only to those who run Ulster's Academy. The backline for example that night read: Nelson, Cochrane, Allen, Farrell, Gaston; McKinney, Marshall. Scrumhalf Paul Marshall was the elder statesman. Olding meantime was on the bench, from whence he sprang in the last quarter to national prominence?

"Eh no, at that stage we were doing nothing but defending, so I got to make a lot of tackles," he says. "In fact I didn't touch the ball! But I enjoyed the experience. It was a case of Brian saying to all us young guys that we were going down there to show that we were able to play. And for the first half and about 10 minutes of the second I thought we did pretty well until Leinster overran us."

That was his debut – indeed his only run with the senior team all season. This term he has started nine games and come off the bench in four, with four tries scored and man-of-the-match performances in back-to-back games against the Dragons and Connacht.

Fittingly, his return to the RDS was with a stronger crew and an altogether different result. In Ulster's win in March he at least got to touch the ball – and suffer at the hands of Isa Nacewa. "I think he got tackle of the year for it! Not great to be on the receiving end of that. It was a pretty big tackle and the first time I've ever been caught like that so that's my main memory.

"Apart from that, being out there with the guys and trying to defend our line as hard as we could, trying to beat Leinster at every aspect, beat them to that ruck, beat them around the corner. We did that and managed to come away with the win. It was the first time Ulster have beaten Leinster in Dublin for 13 years so it was a massive occasion for us."

No fears come Saturday then and Ulster will be looking to their new inside centre, at 5' 10" and less than 14st he relies more on guile than force, to open a few holes in the

Leinster defence. He's enjoying some downtime this weekend, a luxury Leinster won't have. Time to worry about the pressure of having to deliver some silverware to confirm Ulster's progress?

"We spoke about it at the start of the season, about wanting to lay down a marker by winning silverware in one of the competitions," he says. "It was really disappointing to go out of the Heineken Cup like that so we're focused now on the Rabo with Leinster. I wouldn't say we feel under pressure to deliver, it's more that we're just focused on what we want to do. I wouldn't be anywhere else at the minute. For me it's more a question of 'bring it on' than anything else. I can't wait for next week."

And what then? Well, with two trips in green this summer, one to Georgia for emerging talent, and the other to North America for leftovers from the Lions, Olding is closer to the second category thanks to his form for Ulster. This would have been fanciful when he was lacing up his boots in Deramore Park in Division 1B of the AIL last autumn.

Even if he is flying east instead of west, it's a journey he wouldn't have contemplated back then. There is a growing band of people waiting to see what happens next.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/o ... 78238.html

Ulster aren't as easily fooled.........................NF

Atonement? Probably not. Yesterday's Heineken Cup was where Leinster wanted to be but as they bask in the post-coital glow of yet more silverware they can reflect on the notion that they are still one of the best sides in Europe capable of beating either of yesterday's contestants.

Friday's Amlin challenge match was not one that was going to set off the sprinkler system; there was such a gulf in class between the two that you felt the term competitive match would not apply to this fixture. Leinster were utterly compelling in the way they unpicked the French side and once they got 21 points up, they faded, as usual, into a state of narcolepsy until they decided to finish off the match with a late try by Cian Healy – which underscored just how superior they were.

How would they overcome Stade? Intelligence or belligerence? A less-than-heady cocktail of both was required but they really did out-think Stade and figured out their defensive formations early on using old tricks from their old playbooks.

My old buddy Gary Halpin, formerly of Manhattan College RFC, Wanderers, London Irish, Harlequins, Leinster, Esher and now Brecon, is a fantastic after-dinner speaker. He uses the same stories time and again because he moves around the place so often that nobody has heard his old jokes time after time. Leinster just looked at some of their old jokes, knew that Stade would not have been able to look back that far in their video analysis and cut them to pieces with a sort of surgical precision that they won't get away with against Ulster because the men from the North know all their old moves and all their new moves.

Joe Schmidt took a calculated gamble by introducing five or six starters who would normally be bench men. The reasoning, we were told, was that the Glasgow game drained the sap out of their more productive players and it would be far better if these guys only played 20 minutes. The hope was the match would be over by then and the reinforcements would not have to sweat gravy on the pitch. Leinster got away with it but they still had to put in a hard night's work.

The defence was much better than it was against Glasgow. This was because they were dealing with a different type of threat. Leinster's line speed was good but because they were still playing with the usual 40 per cent possession/territory and they had to make an awful lot of tackles – 138 in all, of which they missed 10 per cent.

Stade, though, had no structure and all their dangerous runners were hopelessly static when the ball came to them. The French side were frenetic and enthusiastic but with the obvious exception of their phenomenal captain Sergio Parisse, their forwards were not able to match Leinster's forwards when it came to ball-handling. They looked like a fire engine turning up to the wrong fire and all that energy was channelled into non-productive areas when in possession.

Neither were they helped by a pretty myopic performance from their young outhalf Jules Plisson, who had the air of somebody who had just stepped into an empty lift shaft. His range of vision was in complete contrast to that of Jonny Sexton and he rarely released his backs on an optimal basis, even when they looked a little bit more dangerous in the second half when Paul Warwick and Waisea Nayacalevu came into the game.

Leinster were getting squeezed at scrum time and Jamie Heaslip for once looked uncomfortable at the base of the scrum, but the lineout held firm and once they got into possession it was very hard to counter their rhythm. Leinster's maul was also very good and they used it to walk 20 metres to get out of trouble deep in their '22'. It really is a very well organised and determined phalanx.

Jack McGrath did okay in his first real major start. Devin Toner too has come on enormously this season and while you might reckon that he is a little bit short on international class, he does the things that are expected of him really well. Apart from his line-out and kick-offs, he made 12 tackles in open field, he carried better than he normally does and he has become part of the furniture in this Leinster team.

Unfortunately, his second-row partner after one season of observation just does not have the minerals to operate at this level. Quinn Roux made just three tackles in 60 minutes, missing one of them. Cian Healy, when he came on, made six without missing any in 30 minutes.

All season Roux has knocked ball on and missed simple tackles and that is not good enough. He was a passenger. We are told that you can make penicillin out of mouldy bread – we're not sure about this loaf. Mark Flanagan, who played in the 'A' team's victory over Newcastle on Friday night as well, gets the gate and Roux stays on.

Rhys Ruddock also had a big night leading the tackle count and playing with effect and aggressive intelligence. Once the Leinster pack stood up to the challenge of the bigger Stade pack, the game was over. That is not to say that Leinster gave a brilliant platform for the backs to attack. A lot of work was done for Leinster with some of Stade's fitful quality letting them down. They were consumed by creeping errors and their passing was not of the requisite quality and the amount of ball that went down when the press came on defensively from Leinster told you that Stade just weren't up to the job.

All of Leinster's tries in the first half were brilliantly simplistic and, as I explained, were from their old playbook. The French have never encountered the blind inside pass towards the ruck because it is never executed in the Top 14, and when Isa Nacewa ghosted in from Boss's no-look pass, the French were lost. That try in the first five minutes told Stade that it was going to be a long night.

From a Toner take in the middle and a subsequent ruck the French were consumed by getting across the field to counter the wide threat when they were completely blind-sided by a box kick by Boss in behind and against the grain. Stade only had Julien Dupuis covering and Andrew Conway beat him to the jump to feed Seán Cronin. Yet again that one was thought out probably last Wednesday – all Leinster had to do was win the line-out and make sure that they cleared the ruck; they were just far too clever for Stade.

The try that more or less sealed it came off yet another retreating scrum – a surgical cross-kick to Nacewa by Sexton caught Hugo Bonneval square and lacking the sort of depth

required. I think Dracula would have been more comfortable with the cross. The Frenchmen awkwardly stuttered backwards – only belatedly realising that Nacewa had ghosted in behind him and the Fijian easily caught the ball to shuffle-pass the ball to Rob Kearney who came on a great supporting line. Ulster wouldn't be caught out by this but because the French aren't used to playing Leinster they were caught cold.

Leinster stepped off their perch of inertia after Jeremy Sinzelle scored in the corner but the game had descended in quality at this stage and there were too many mistakes by both sides to have a decent ending. Healy scored with two minutes to go and if he does not nail down a Test spot for the Lions, I'll eat my hat. Ulster will provide a far different challenge next week and Leinster will need O'Driscoll back and a far better performance at tight.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/l ... 78240.html

Newsletter

Stuart Olding pressed his case for a full time senior professional contract with Ulster when he was named one the Ireland team to tour North America this summer.

The young centre, currently on an Ulster Academy contract, is understood to being promoted to a Development Contract.

However, his inclusion in the Irish squad will strengthen his case to push for a full time contact.

Ulster hooker, Rory Best, will, as expected, skipper the tour with Ireland playing USA and Canada.

Ireland also announced the emerging Ireland team to play in the Tbilisi Cup in Georgia - although it was a surprise to see Ulster’s Robbie Diack included in it and not the senior tour.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5107847

Setanta

Gilroy to miss North America tour........................

Ulster winger Graig Gilroy will miss Ireland’s summer tour to North America with an ongoing groin problem.

Interim boss Les Kiss has named six uncapped players for the summer tour matches against the US Eagles and Canada.

Connacht duo of Kieran Marmion and Robbie Henshaw, Munster’s Tommy O’Donnell and Mike Sherry, Stuart Olding of Ulster and Jamie Hagan of Leinster have all been selected, but there is no place for Gilroy.

“Following discussion and ongoing assessment with the national coaching and medical staff, it has been decided that it is in the best interest of the player to withdraw him from this summer’s Ireland tour of North America,” an Ulster Rugby statement read.

“This is to allow him an appropriate period of rest and rehabilitation ahead of the new season.”

Rory Best will captain the team for the Test matches in Houston and Toronto this June.

http://www.setanta.com/ie/gilroy-to-mis ... rica-tour/

ALSO............................
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/22586511

TheFlipSide

‘Ulster have done a job on us twice already this season. They are favourites’..................
Flanker Shane Jennings tells TheScore.ie that there is no room for sentiment in Leinster dressing room.

SHANE JENNINGS SAYS Joe Schmidt was the true mastermind behind Leinster’s Amlin Challenge Cup victory over Stade Francais but the flanker is determined to blank out all thoughts of the New Zealander’s departure.

Speaking to TheScore.ie after his team’s 34-13 win, Jennings, who came on in the second-half of the victory, Jennings explained that Schmidt’s training ground moves paid winning dividends against the French visitors.

“I think the man of the match was Joe Schmidt in the first-half,” he said. “He gave us three plays that he said would work and they worked, courtesy of Jonny [Sexton] with his kicking and the accuracy of the lads and guys running their lines. We were told if we did we’d score and that’s exactly what happened.”

The victory meant Schmidt has led Leinster to three European trophies in his three seasons with the province. Jennings, however, was honest in his appraisal of the secondary European competition. He commented:

Even now, I don’t want to give any disrespect to the competition but it’s not the one we wanted to win and there’s no point in sugar-coating that… Leinster want to win the Heineken Cup, not the Amlin Cup but at least we won it.”

Next up for Leinster is the large matter of a Pro12 Final at the RDS on Saturday. Given the Blues’ recent run of defeats in league finals, the Dubliner admits there is an itch that needs to be scratched.

Jennings said, “Some people say we might have had a bit more edge if we had lost [against Stade]. I don’t think so. I think we’re very focused.

Ulster are a very good side. They’ve done a job on us twice already this season. They’re going to be favourites and that hasn’t happened to us too many times over the last few years. I’m not saying that in an arrogant sort of way; that’s the way it has been. They are playing very well and it is going to be a huge match.”

As Jamie Heaslip pointed out following Leinster’s win on Friday, eight Leinster players, including Sexton and Isa Nacewa, will follow Schmidt out the exit door this summer. Their departures, says Jennings, can be marked after the final whistle next Saturday.

He added, “That’s the one thing with professional rugby, you can’t afford to get too sentimental because, if you start wishing Joe well, and Jonny well and Isa well, your head gets a bit messed a you kind of take your eyes off the prize. You have to be very clinical. We’ll all be happy if we can win a cup. That’s the best way to say goodbye to him.”

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ulster-le ... 9-May2013/

[Mac]

Tuesday 21st May 2013



Times

O’Brien out for League final against Ulster.......................
The Leinster and Ireland flanker will also miss the opening games of the Lions’ Tour

Lions coach Warren Gatland appeared to know more about Leinster injury details than the Province did yesterday. Officially listed as an ’injury concern’ at the daily Leinster briefing, Sean O’Brien was simultaneoulsy being ruled out of Saturday’s League final against Ulster aswell as the opening two or three games of the Australian Tour as Gatland conducted a press conference in Carton House, where the Lions squad has congregated for the week.

Just where that leaves Fergus McFadden (neck), who like O’Brien is also officially ’an injury concern’ is anyone’s guess. The Leinster medical team are also ’hopeful’ of being able to call on Brian O’Driscoll, who suffered a back injury two weekends ago aswell as hooker Richardt Strauss, who was replaced late in the Amlin Challenge Cup victory against Stade Francais last Friday with a shoulder injury.

That aside flanker O’Brien, having suffered a bruised knee, will miss the PRO12 final against Ulster, while a number of players who were rested after a demanding few weeks - including wing forward Kevin McLaughlin - could also come back into contention.

The game will have an emotional dimension as a number of individuals including Isa Nacewa and Jonny Sexton take part in their final games for Leinster ahead of summer departures. Sexton leaves for Paris with 1,000 points in his locker following a 14 point haul against Stade Français at the weekend. The Leinster team to face Ulster will be named at lunchtime on Friday.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/o ... -1.1400191

Tele

Ulster sign New Zealand prop Bronson Ross......................

Ulster has signed tighthead prop Bronson Ross from Coventry RFC on a one-year development contract.

Bronson Ross, who is 27, was born in Oamaru, New Zealand, but is Irish qualified as his mother is from Belfast.

He played for Dunedin in New Zealand and moved to Europe when he was 22.

He spent two seasons at Boroughmuir in Scotland before representing Spanish side Guernica for a year. He joined Coventry at the start of the 2012/13 season and played 26 times for the club in National League 1.

Commenting on signing for Ulster, Ross said: "I have always wanted to play top level rugby and so I am delighted to be joining one of the best rugby operations in Europe.

"My mother was originally from Belfast, I have a lot of family there, so it will be great to represent the province."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 81498.html

Ulster need some success: Darren Cave..........................

When Darren Cave penned a new Ulster deal back in December of last year, he stated he was convinced his native province would win trophies over the next three years and would never forgive himself if he wasn't a part of it.

Five months on and the centre will have the chance to ensure his prophecy materialises when Mark Anscombe's men meet Leinster in the final of the RaboDirect Pro12 on Saturday.

It's a prospect that Cave relishes, the 26-year-old believing that now is the time for the squad to translate their considerable potential into tangible successes.

Ahead of the game, he said: "There are a lot of players who have been here for a long time without winning anything so there is a determination to put that right.

"Speaking from a personal perspective, it's a special thing to play for Ulster but it means even more if you're part of a side who win something and now we have the chance to do that."

As well as the potential for Ulster's first trophy since the Celtic League back in 2006, the tie gives the players an opportunity to exact some measure of revenge after the last time the pair met in knock-out competition – Leinster's emphatic 42-14 win in last year's Heineken Cup final.

Cave, however, is quick to point out that the feeling that there are wrongs to be righted may well be mutual.

"Obviously we feel like we owe them one a bit after they beat us quite badly at the end of last season but at the same time we've beaten them twice this season, once down there, so they'll be feeling the same."

One of the more intriguing potential head-to-heads is that of Cave against Brian O'Driscoll (pictured).

Leinster and Ireland's iconic centre has been a major obstacle to Cave's international ambitions in recent seasons and a large factor in him having only three caps to his name despite making his debut almost four years ago.

Even taking into consideration the presence of an all-time Irish legend standing in his way, many rugby followers in Ulster, and seemingly Cave himself, have been perplexed that his performances have not garnered more international recognition.

On his failure to don the green of his country with more regularity, the Holywood man commented: "I understand why I haven't played more with O'Driscoll having played so well for so long but at the same time it has been hard to watch so many players come in and out when I don't feel like I've had a fair crack of the whip internationally."

That could soon change however as, just like they did when Cave made his international debut back in 2009, Ireland will tour North America this summer without the services of O'Driscoll due to the 34-year-old's participation in the forthcoming Lions' tour and Cave has again made the Irish touring party.

That should lead to an opportunity for the understated Cave to showcase his skills on an international level and if that chance does come his way next month, it's one that Cave is adamant he will grab with both hands.

He stated: "With the Lions on there will be an opportunity for some other guys and it's something I would relish."

"If I get the chance to wear the shirt again I'll be sure to make it hard for them to take it back off me."

His immediate focus remains on Leinster but there is no doubt that winning his personal battle with O'Driscoll – should the latter be fit to play – in the final could help show that he could be the great man's natural successor.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 79863.html

Rising star Stuart Olding one of 11 Ulstermen to get Ireland call.........................

Eleven Ulster players have been named in the 28-strong Ireland squad for next month's two-test trek to North America.

And six more northerners – each of them uncapped – will be travelling to Georgia as members of the Emerging Ireland party for the Tblisi Cup.

Stuart Olding is one of half-a-dozen uncapped youngsters making the cross-Atlantic trip with the seniors, the 20-year-old centre's inclusion confirming his rapid development this season.

Olding certainly will have plenty of familiar faces and voices around him; not only is Ulster hooker Rory Best captain of the US/Canada-bound party – Darren Cave, Tom Court, Declan Fitzpatrick, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall, Andrew Trimble and Dan Tuohy will be there, too.

Best led Ireland in comparable circumstances in 2009. Then, too, he was left out of the British and Irish Lions party.

Trimble's recall is another huge boost to his morale following his drop down the pecking order in Declan Kidney's final season. The fact that stand-in coach Les Kiss – manning the fort until Joe Schmidt takes up the reins in July – has included the 49 times-capped winger means he is likely to complete his half-century.

In addition to Olding the other uncapped players in the senior squad are Connacht's scrum-half Kieran Marmion and full-back Robbie Henshaw, Munster pair Tommy O'Donnell (open-side flanker) and Mike Sherry (hooker) and Leinster tight-head Jamie Hagan.

The 26-man squad for the three-matches-in-14-days schedule in Georgia includes Ulster wing/centre Michael Allen, back row forward Robbie Diack, scrum-half Michael Heaney, hooker Rob Herring, tight-head prop Richard Lutton and lock Lewis Stevenson.

Leinster back rower Rhys Ruddock skippers Emerging Ireland.

Acting head coach Kiss said: "Both tours are hugely important in the context of providing valuable game exposure, building depth and gaining experience.

"For the North America tour we have selected a squad who I believe have the right mix of youth and experience and I'm really looking forward to working with them over the next few weeks.

Turning his attention east, Kiss said: "The Georgian tour will be a great experience for the players, most of whom have recently come through the underage system."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 79866.html

Indo

'We all wear Nevin's name in our hearts'.........................

Nick Williams weighs 260lb, a heaving, intimidating mass of contradictions.

So often a bludgeoning beast on the field, he can be a blubbering baby off it, particularly if he is playing with his 18-month-old daughter.

Able to swat similarly beefed up and supplement-enhanced opponents aside with the often comic effect of a cartoon giant, Williams is equally capable of crumbling in meek submission if watching an umpteenth re-run of 'The Lion King'.

Humility comes easy to the marauding Kiwi No 8, not to mention his provincial colleagues, particularly viewed through the prism of such a traumatic backdrop to their season's toils.

As Williams and Ulster maintain their physically brutal assault on the RaboDirect Pro12 title, which culminates on Saturday night in the RDS against Leinster, he chose a personal moment of redemption at the league's recent awards night to reveal the heartache that is driving this team on.

It is just over eight months since Ulster colleague Nevin Spence, as well as his brother Graham and father Noel, died in the most unimaginable fashion on their family farm.

As Williams collected his Pro12 Player of the Year award in Clontarf Castle – an inevitable consequence of an irrepressible sequence of performances that included no less than seven man of the match gongs – he immediately recalled an absent friend.

"We all wear Nevin's name in our hearts and on our sleeves," said the 29-year-old back-row behemoth.

Later backstage, speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent, the softly spoken Williams admitted that the spirit of Spence, who was a rising star in Irish rugby, continues to course through the squad.

"He's like one of our angel supporters at the moment," says a visibly moved Williams. "It was such a big loss. We haven't wanted to use it or exploit it but it has always been in the back of our minds."

When Ireland congregated to play Fiji last November in Limerick, the large Ulster contingent who lined out were markedly unprepared to deal with tragedy; clearly, it was too raw at the time.

Yet as the season has continued, Ulster have avoided any descent into cheap sentimentality and allowed the healing process to develop at its own pace, all the while conscious of the Spence family wishes.

A fortnight ago, Williams took an eager part on the coaching side when Ulster player Paddy McAllister entered a side in the Carrick Sevens – carrying the poignant acronym NGN (Nevin, Graham, Noel) – and promptly won it.

One senses that were Ulster to carry off the more potent silverware in the form of a league title, there would be a magnificent outpouring of collective emotion from this intensely united group.

"Winning a trophy would be special for all of us," says the former Auckland Blues player, who, after difficult spells at Munster and Aironi, has finally settled in the northern hemisphere.

"I'm enjoying Belfast," he enthuses. "We're a tight-knit group. The tragedy has brought everyone together even tighter but we've always been very close together, I feel."

For Williams himself, linking up with Ulster coach Mark Anscombe, the man who first mined the extraordinary teenage talent at North Harbour, has acquired Damascene dimensions.

His stint at Munster never worked out, with wildly differing tales regarding his off-field activities, while a year-long spell in Aironi wasn't much better – as Ian Rush once acutely averred, it was like living in a foreign country.

Williams feels he finally belongs in Belfast – "it's even more welcoming than back home" – and the past is a different place as far as he is concerned. Even with Munster in dire need of some ball-carrying ballast, Williams can't accommodate regret.

"Munster is done and gone," he insists. "Wiped from the memory bank. For whatever reasons, form and injury, it didn't work out for me.

"But that's all in the past. Now I'm concentrating on the present and future."

A settled family life obviously helps – his Twitter account proclaims "God, family and work" as his motivational triptych – and his destructive displays on the field have offered a neat symmetry to his serenity off it.

"It's a part of my game, ball-carrying and all that goes with it, that I like to think I pride myself on. There are a lot of things you can work on and build up and for me this is one of them.

"I enjoy carrying the ball, but it wouldn't happen if it wasn't for the things the other guys are doing to make it possible. And I want to make sure that all the parts of my game are improving all the time, I don't want to be a one-trick pony."

His caution is well-advised; while he has managed to rampage successfully throughout the Pro12, his exertions in Europe have not always been as successful.

The flat exit in Twickenham against Saracens still haunts this side, hence their desire to ensure that their league campaign can end with silverware, with Saturday's final appearance a clear motivation.

"Even before I arrived in Belfast, I'd played against the boys and the Ravenhill crowd were unbelievable even then. I'm just happy to be putting in a shift for those guys because they back us so much.

"We obviously know ourselves that winning a trophy is the pinnacle of anyone's rugby career. We owe it to our fans, our families and ourselves to win a trophy this season and we are desperate to do so.

"We have a lot of young players coming up together in this team and the competition for places is intense. It's like they say, transition brings out the best in teams.

"The opposition are never 100pc with what we're trying to do because we're always changing, always pushing each other to do well.

"We want to build our own status here as a champion team. Munster and Leinster have done that. We want to achieve things as well."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/r ... 82047.html

Gatland and Schmidt fail to agree on O'Brien fitness......................

Lions head coach Warren Gatland and his Leinster counterpart Joe Schmidt are on a collision course over Sean O'Brien's knee that could threaten his participation in the three-Test series against Australia next month.

While Leinster expect O'Brien to be in contention for this Saturday's Pro12 final against Ulster, Gatland revealed that he had already ruled the Tullow flanker out of Saturday's game – and also the first two Lions tour matches next month.

That means he may only have a week to prove his readiness for the June 22 opening Test in Brisbane if, as the Lions insist, this latest injury takes two weeks to heal.

O'Brien has already suffered from calf problems in recent months and he underwent complicated hip surgery last summer, a procedure that ruled him out of action for the first half of the season.

O'Brien, who will spend today with a foot in both camps as he divides his time between the Lions in Carton House Maynooth and Leinster in UCD, injured his knee in Friday's Amlin Challenge Cup final win over Stade Francais.

Having been forced off prematurely, he told reporters afterwards that he did not expect to suffer any long-term effects from the bone-on-bone collision and Schmidt was similarly upbeat.

And Leinster maintained that stance yesterday, confirming that O'Brien needs to prove his fitness on Thursday to have any chance of playing on Saturday, but they insisted that he remained in contention to start.

However, Gatland's view was entirely contradictory and he revealed that O'Brien had already been assessed by his own medical staff, one of whom is the Irish team doctor.

"He has come in and been looked at by the medics," said Gatland. "Hopefully he's going to spend this week with us. It's a bit of bone bruising by all accounts.

"That's only a couple of weeks maybe. We are just hoping it's not longer than that.

"With bone bruising it's a little bit unpredictable. But he's come in and they have said it was a little bit more positive than they had first thought, which was good."

To add further confusion on a day of entirely mixed messages, the Lions issued a brief statement late last night which hardly clarified the issue.

"Sean O'Brien was this evening checked by the Lions medical staff in consultation with their Leinster counterparts," said the statement.

Lions head doctor James Robson said: "Given the proximity to the tour we are grateful to Leinster for being able to assess Sean. He is in better condition than we thought and he continues his recovery at pace."

If O'Brien is ruled out of action this week, Leinster will be peeved that he has blown their cover as they would have preferred to let Ulster believe that their back-row enforcer was available.

However, should Leinster persist in running O'Brien though a rigorous fitness test in Thursday's training session, the Lions coach will not be best pleased given his declaration yesterday, even if the late statement seemed to row back on the earlier expressed concern.

The official line from assistant Greg Feek was: "We're just going to wait and see on Sean O'Brien, give him as long as we can.

"He got a bruise on his knee. We will see how that settles down. It is a new injury. Hopefully, he'll be alright. He won't train today."

Brian O'Driscoll, whose back spasm kept him out of the RDS final win last Friday is, however, expected to play, even if Gatland also had communication issues with Leinster.

Mercifully, that was only because Schmidt had mistakenly supplied his fellow Kiwi with an incomplete telephone number.

"Obviously Brian O'Driscoll is hoping to be fit to play this week," Gatland added.

"He is on his feet again and hoping to play this weekend. We've been quite lucky at the moment. Fingers crossed for the two finals this week (England host their league final between Northampton and Leicester) so the guys can turn up on Sunday and fly out on Monday."

For Leinster, Fergus McFadden's neck injury remains a real concern ahead of the Pro12 final, but the shoulder injury sustained by Richardt Strauss is not a serious issue.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/r ... 82034.html

Newsletter

Ulster have nothing to fear going into the Lions Den says Chris Henry...................

Ireland flanker Chris Henry believes Ulster have nothing to fear as they travel to the RDS to face Leinster in the PRO12 final on Saturday night.

Ulster were second best against Joe Schmidt’s side in last season’s Heineken Cup final at Twickenham but Mark Anscombe’s men have done the league double over their Irish rivals this season.

Henry feels Ulster have grown and moved on since last May and that was emphasised by victory over Leinster at the RDS in March.

“It was nervous right up to the end when they were held up but I think it was a game that everybody felt we were going to win, when you look around at the team we had you get confidence of each other, we had a great week of training leading into it and we just knew it was or time to win down there, there were missing three Lions and we’re realistic to know it will be a difference Leinster team but we’ll take the positives out of it and confidence,” said Henry.

“Leinster are always up at the top every year, we find ourselves against our old rivals again but it is where we wanted to be at the start of the year, Europe didn’t work out the way we wanted but it’s great we have come this far and we have given ourselves the chance to win a massive price.”

“Leinster are always up at the top every year, we find ourselves against our old rivals again but it is where we wanted to be at the start of the year, Europe didn’t work out the way we wanted but it’s great we have come this far and we have given ourselves the chance to win a massive price.”

On learning from final Henry said: “Beating Leinster down there this year is a huge confidence booster for us, last year showed you can’t start games slowly at the top teams, at the top level you have to start well and play for the 80 minutes and that is something we haven’t done, we’ve played well at stages but haven’t had a80 minute performance for a while.”

“You think of our big game performances like Cardiff away, Northampton away and Leinster away those are games where we’ve played the full 80 minutes and that is something we’ve learned.”

“We have also learned that games that didn’t go our way to let them go.

“As players it hurts so bad that you lose those big opportunities so we’ll use that in the right way that we won’t have any regrets

“ We turn up and play well and thy beat us they have been the better team.

“I feel where we are and the players we have this is our best chance of winning.”

“You don’t want to forgot about last year’s final and yes it is hard to look back and it’s hard to lose because a sa professional rugby playing you never want to lose.

“If you look where we were five years ago and to where we are now, I think every year has been a progression

“We’re a better team this year than we were last year.”

“We are moving in the right direction and yes last year was disappointing.

“People were playing with injuries in the final last year and we’re just in a better place going into this big game.

“Against the Scarlets I though we played some brilliant stuff, we ran some great lines and making great breaks and that is how you have to beat Leinster.”

Ulster have had a week off between the semi final and the final while Leinster have had to play in the Almin Cup final but Henry doesn’t think either is an advantage or disadvantage.

“They have had some physical games last couple of weeks, some people will say it’s in our favour that we have had a week’s rest, if you look at our injury profile this year, myself this week I haven’t ran because my knee needs a bit more rest so a week off was ideal, the likes of Joha Afoa who has had more time for his hamstring so I think the week off will be used the right way and we’ll be fresher.”

“Every time you play Leinster the physicality is like a test match and it won’t take much for them to get up to that level.”

Nobody at Ravenhill needs reminded that it is seven years since Ulster won a trophy and the players want to end that drought.

“If you talk to anyone I think it’s desperation now, we are desperate tom win something, with the calibre of players we have not just the starting XV but everybody in the squad no one wants to go through a career without winning something, we at the stage where we have given ourselves a chance and we just need to win something, I think we owe it to ourselves for the season that has just happened.”

“Things have gone on and off the pitch, there have been massive ups and massive downs, low and highs but I think overall we’re desperate to win a trophy for the fans and that will hopefully show.”

Henry naturally believes there is only one place where the game will be one and lost.

“Being with a lot of the Leinster players in camp for the last couple of years they put the exact same emphasis of the breakdown as we do because the breakdown is the winning and losing of the game and whatever backrow they put out they are all specialists at the break down, whether it’s Sean O’Brien, Shanne Jennings or Kevin McLaughlin those boys know what they are doing at the breakdown.”

“It will be a fierce match up and I’m looking forward to it, my knee is improving and against the Scarlets I was able to stay in positions where before I was tentative because of my knee.”

Henry is backing the Rabo Pro12 and the IRUPA Player of the Year Nick Williams to help Ulster to victory.

“Nick has been unbelievable and the awards he has got have been justified, he has a huge personality and is a character in the team, in this league defences are really hard to break down, whenever there is a brick wall it doesn’t matter Nicky is going through it and he gets us that go forward that nobody else can because of his power and size, then his offloading ability and when ever you need a bit of momentum and someone to grab the ball and take the team on he is fearless and just surges for the ball.”

“He just always seem to find the chance to break through and give that important offload, as a seven it’s great to run and try to see him and get the ball of him, you’re waiting on him to create something and Nicky has been a fantastic signing for us.”

“There is natural power there but he also works very hard and whenever Nick arrived here and he’ll say it himself he was overweight and he had a lot of work to do to trim down and get fit and it’s paid off for him.”

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5107953

Ulster and Leinster close to full strength for PRO12 final showdown........................

Leinster are only likely to be without Ireland backrow and British Lions call-up, Sean O’Brien, on Saturday are they look to complete a domestic double by winning the RaboDirect PRO12 championship in the same season as a European crown.

The Irish Province lifted the Amlin Challenge Cup last Friday night at the RDS and they hope to return to their home venue as the away side for this weekend’s all Ireland showdown against Ulster and complete that double.

Early reports from the Leinster camp were that O’Brien would be the only front liner likely to miss the eagerly anticipated final between last year’s Heineken Cup finalists.

Brian O’Driscoll missed the European victory over Stade Francais last week, but early indications were that he would almost certainly be involved against Ulster.

Although he is due to board the plane to Hong Kong with the British & Irish Lions on Monday, he is understood to want to be involved in the PRO12 game.

British Lions coach, Warren Gatland said yesterday he expected O’Driscoll to feature for Leinster on Saturday evening and that both he and O’Brien would then be on the plane on Monday as the Lions squad departs for the summer tour of Hong Kong and Australia.

“Sean has been looked at by the medics and hopefully he’ll spend this week with us,” said Gatland, who was speaking at the Lions’ week-long training camp just outside Dublin.

“He has a bit of bone bruising, but it was more positive than first thought.

“Brian (O’Driscoll) is hoping to be fit to play this weekend. He’s on his feet again.”

Gatland will be an anxious spectator at the PRO12 final and Leicester’s Aviva Premiership final against Northampton, also on Saturday, hoping that further injury is avoided.

“We’ve been quite lucky so far. Fingers crossed that after the two finals the boys will turn up on Sunday and fly out on Monday,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ulster still had some question marks over the full fitness of tighthead prop, John Afoa and backrow, Chris Henry.

However, head coach, Mark Anscombe remained confident both would make it for the final showdown and they will be named in Tuesday’s provisional squad.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby ... -1-5109641

Tele

Ulster Rugby fans furious at ticket price...........................

ANGRY Ulster Rugby fans have hit out after it emerged tickets for this weekend's big game are being flogged by an online site at four times their face value.

The last seats at Saturday's RaboDirect PRO12 final against Leinster sold out yesterday, with many supporters missing out.

Disappointment has turned to anger after it emerged tickets are still available online at vastly inflated prices.

Needaticket.ie, a secondary ticket seller, was offering seats in the grandstand last night at €170 (£143) each – up to four times their €40 (£33) to €60 (£50) face value.

Tickets for behind the goals were on offer for €130 (£109) – over four times their official €30 (£25) price.

Others are being sold at inflated prices on eBay.

Fans took to internet forums to vent their anger.

One said: "I'd like to think anyone touting will get burned, but I fear the demand from Leinster may be high enough for someone to make a few euros profit."

A second said: "Complete disgrace. Disgusting to think others are profiting at the expense of ordinary supporters."

It will raise more questions as to why Ulster Rugby bosses, who nominated the RDS as the 'home' venue for the final, did not opt for the 50,000-plus Aviva Stadium.

The controversial decision meant Ulster were handed just 9,000 tickets – despite taking around 20,000 to London for the recent Heineken Cup quarter-final.

The Aviva-hosted semi-final game of the same competition against Edinburgh last year drew 40,000 fans from north of the border.

The Belfast Telegraph contacted Needaticket.ie yesterday for comment, but did not receive a response.

Its website states: "We specialise in the supply of tickets to premium Irish events.

"We offer a local knowledge of venues and aim to provide the customer with the best possible seats to any Irish event."

There is a link where fans can sell tickets to the site.

On Saturday's final, it adds: "Needaticket has a range of tickets available for this event".

Tickets went on sale to season-ticket holders last week but the vast majority were snapped up.

The remaining 200 went on general sale yesterday but sold out in minutes.

Many Leinster fans also face missing out on tickets.

Having beaten Leinster at the RDS earlier this year, confidence is high in the Ulster camp of a repeat result in the final.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 82159.html

TheFlipSide

Rob Kearney looking for Amlin-Pro12 double .......................
Ireland fullback hopes Leinster can complete what they failed to do last season

The internal power plays with the Lions, the Pro12 league final and Jared Payne are Rob Kearney’s guilty pleasures this week. Just can’t help himself.

It’s not enough that the fullback faces an Ulster side who have beaten Leinster twice this season. This is a week of agendas and subtexts for Kearney, who has straddled the top long enough to know the final club game on Saturday will reverberate at many levels.

His opposite fullback, Jared Payne, will have Irish citizenship in less than 18 months; Lions coach Warren Gatland will be watching; Joe Schmidt, Jonny Sexton, Andrew Conway, Fionn Carr and Isa Nacewa will be leaving; and for Leinster almost ten months of rugby hinges on the outcome.

No emotion then.

“They’ve (Lions selectors) been watching since December and January, so every game you play is an addition of some sort,” says Kearney. “As soon as you get overly focused on outside elements, like getting selected for other things, it can play up on you.

“That’s when you can start losing focus. Of course while it’s always in the back of your mind you need to have a strong performance, it can’t be at the forefront of your thinking.

“I feel as if I’m slowly starting,” he says. “It’s all about timing when you have big tours like this at the end of the season. Once you get to June, guys’ form in January and February is forgotten.”

Payne, selected for the Barbarians against England and the Lions, recently signed a three-year deal with Ulster that will keep him in Belfast until 2016. The 27-year-old, however, will be Ireland qualified from 2014.

The suggestion of possible competition a year down the line from the talented Kiwi barely registers a blink with Kearney.

‘He’s a quality player’
“I think he’s a quality player,” he says. “I have to be honest, I’m hoping his 15 months doesn’t come too quickly because I think that’s all he’s left. A player of his calibre is going to offer a huge amount to the Irish set up when he does come in.

“I think his greatest attribute is his consistency. He’s very few weakness and when you are looking for cornerstone positions like fullback, it’s important that every aspect of your game is at a pretty high standard. I think he’s got that.”

Among Leinster’s main considerations this week are the frailties that caught them out last year, when as European champions the week before, they couldn’t bring it home in the league decider against Ospreys.

As Kearney points out, clubs rarely get the chance to win twice at their home ground in successive weeks for en- of-season silverware. Ironically, the final is an Ulster home game, but they will come from the North having planted some doubt on their last visit.

“Getting up for two finals in a row is a difficult thing,” says Kearney. “But one thing we’ve done . . . you have to learn from these things. Last year we won the Heineken the week before the Rabo and then we lost. We were left with a pretty sick feeling.”

Not a common complaint from Leinster, you’d have to say.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/r ... -1.1400679

[Mac]

Tuesday 21st May.......................Continued

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BBC

Chris Henry wants first trophy with Pro12 final win over Leinster......................

Chris Henry says Ulster are well poised to win silverware and beat Leinster in Saturday's Pro12 final in the RDS.

The back-row player believes Ulster are greatly improved from the side which lost 42-14 to Leinster in last year's Heineken Cup final at Twickenham.

"It was pretty daunting being in our first final and the nerves won't be as bad this time," Henry stated.

"We're more experienced and have strong competition for places but it will take our best game of the year to win."

Henry is nearing the end of his fifth full season as a pro at Ravenhill.

The 28-year-old has yet to win silverware with the province and says the fear of losing another decider to Leinster will be a considerable driving force on Saturday.

Chris Henry is desperate to win his first trophy with Ulster

"As players we don't want to finish our careers without winning something.

"We have made progress over many seasons, it hasn't happened overnight, and we feel this is our time.

"We don't want to leave anything behind.

"If Leinster are the better team on the day, so be it, but we will give it everything and we badly want to win this one."

Ulster narrowly defeated Leinster by 22-18 in the RDS in a league fixture in March.

It was a result which helped them qualify for the play-offs as number one seeds, but the redevelopment work being carried out at Ravenhill means they have had to surrender home advantage.

"Ask any player and they will honestly tell you we are very disappointed with that, because we earned it," stated Henry.

"You have ups and down in a season and this is another wee challenge for us. I'm sure our fans will bring their noise and make the RDS like Ravenhill.

"We know Leinster will be much improved from when we beat them there a few weeks ago. We're not naive enough to think any differently.

"They were missing a few players that day.

"We feel we're a better side than when we lost the Heineken Cup final to them last year - our set piece is better, we have stronger competition for places and we're more experienced.

"Hopefully that means we're in a better position to go on and collect silverware."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22566981

Pro12 final should be entertaining, says ex-Ulster centre Maurice Field......................

Former Ulster centre and BBC analyst Maurice Field says he expects the Pro12 final between Ulster and Leinster at the RDS to be an entertaining affair.

The sides clash in the Celtic decider just 12 months after locking horns in the Heineken Cup final at Twickenham, in which Leinster came out on top.

"Both sides boast attacking back lines who want to play a nice style of rugby.

"There will be loads of talent on show and there are plenty of players in both teams who want to throw the ball round.

"The forwards will have a right go at each other too and there will be two world class kickers on opposing sides, in Ruan Pienaar and Jonathan Sexton," said Field.

The ex-Ireland international believes that Ulster will benefit from having had two weeks without a game while Leinster were overcoming Stade Francais in the Amlin Challenge Cup final, and now face a second final in consecutive weeks.

"A week of recovery will be good for Ulster as they need to have fit bodies and be on top form to beat Leinster.

"Selection should not be too difficult for Mark Anscombe as the team more or less picks itself, with the boys having performed well in recent weeks and coming through the last game against the Scarlets unscathed.

"Leinster were exceptionally clinical against Stade Francais, they are such a quality team and to outscore their opponents by four tries to one when they were missing Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy is a tremendous achievement.

"Stade are not the force in European rugby that they were a few years ago, but Leinster did their job well.

"With the two form teams in the Pro12 clashing, tickets for the RDS are at a premium and I expect the atmosphere to be quite intense.

"18,000 people can create a lot of noise in a stadium which is full to capacity and the fact that it will be the last game with Leinster for Joe Schmidt and Jonathan Sexton gives the occasion an added edge."

Field believes the outcome could depend on whether Brian O'Driscoll is fit to play in the Irish interprovincial derby in Dublin.

"Brian brings something different to a team, with his enthusiasm and his ability to make things happen.

"Leinster without O'Driscoll are a very different proposition as he provides the inspiration for the team and provides a focus for Ulster, which may take their attention away from some of his team-mates.

"The pitch will be full of top class international players but a question mark remains over whether the Lions players will be let loose or wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the tour to Australia.

"I think the only pressure on Ulster will be the pressure that the players put on themselves to prove that they are a team capable of winning things.

"Leinster won convincingly in the Heineken decider last year but since then Ulster have won both Pro12 meetings between the sides, they are more mature and have gelled better as a squad.

"I know the players were immensely disappointed with their European quarter-final defeat by Saracens on the big occasion, and they'll want to put that right by doing themselves justice on Saturday."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/22596580

TheScore

Ulster set emotional tone for Pro12 Final with amazing #OurDS video......................
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ulster-le ... 7-May2013/

ULSTER RUGBY HAS produced a remarkable video that recaps a rollercoaster season and urges supporters to make the Pro12 Final at Leinster’s RDS ground feel like a home match.

The piece, entitled #OurDS, begins in Belfast and ends at the RDS in Dublin, taking the viewer on a journey from league highs to lows that include the tragic loss of young centre Nevin Spence. Despite the fact that Ulster are playing Leinster at their home ground, on Saturday, their finish atop the regular season standings makes this [with Ravenhill undergoing refurbishments] a home tie.
If Ulster can ramp up their performance levels like this chap ramps up his emotive acting, the boys from the North have every chance of claiming the coveted league trophy.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ulster-le ... 7-May2013/