Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

had – optimistically – a potential to bulwark the PRO12 leadership with a 20-point haul. Instead Ulster has slumped down the table to fifth spot, admittedly within striking distance of the first priority, a Top Four finish, but all of eight points adrift of a revived Leinster, Munster giving chase, and the Ospreys and Glasgow Warriors certain to maintain their determined challenges. Ulster will concentrate on its own challenges, but a low-scoring game at Scotstoun tonight when the Welsh side arrives to take on the Warriors, would be welcome in the home dressing room! But it’s Zebre and his own side’s form which will have occupied Kiss this week and more, and he’ll be encouraged if any of the Ireland contingent is considered surplus to Joe Schmidt’s requirements tomorrow when the autumn series concludes against Australia in Dublin. The Director of Rugby will be delighted if they are all retained in camp, naturally, and hopefully contributing to another forward step in the green jersey, and after their efforts against New Zealand last weekend Jared, Paddy, Andrew, Rory and Iain will surely to be asked ‘to go again’. And, of course, the pride we all have in the momentous achievement of Rory Best in reaching 100 ‘caps’ – and as captain of his country – is something to cherish. No player has given more attention to the detail of improvement and the ambition of Ulster, and his commitment and his talent have been fulfilled many times over. For over a decade Rory has been a natural leader, a wholehearted combatant, a superb ambassador for Province and country, and to see him in his playing pomp in a year when another Lions tour beckons is a tribute to him and those around him. Rob Herring, another Irish international hooker, will skipper the team against Zebre and – just like Rory – he offers a model of how to take the game to the opposition, how to be meticulous at the setpiece and mobile and effective in the loose. He would love to see the side kick-start what would be a turn in fortunes and in performance with a dominating win over the Italians, who – of course – have the reliable and often mischievous out-half Carlo Canna to kick goals and spark attacks from deep, and on the wing his international team-mate Giovabattista Venditti has been scoring tries against formidable defences, most recently the mighty All Blacks and the Springboks. It’s a visiting squad littered with some big domestic name like centre Matteo Pratichetti and embellished by the addition of established overseas-born talents such as No.8 Dries van Schalkwyk – now an Italy regular - and lock Quintin Geldenhuys and tearaway open-side flanker Johan Meyer. This Zebre travels with real hope

of returning home having at least distancing itself from neighbours Treviso and narrowing the gap to the ten sides currently above it in the table. Ulster will be wary but with the confidence it surely can get from the presence of, for instance, Piutau, Ruan Pienaar, Herring, the indefatigable Franco van der Merwe and Sean Reidy there should be just too much ‘nous’ and firepower in the home ranks. The poor decisions which undermined the last outing in Edinburgh will have been examined and lessons learned, and these Ulster players are their own harshest critics and they are acutely aware of the disappointment which has taken root in some supporters’ minds, but just as one week is a long time in politics one win can often lead to a sequence of performances to ‘Trump’ all those more negative memories. Until the New Year this group of players have the opportunity, and definitely the ability, to mount an assault on the PRO12 title, but it will take the brightest and the best to see off the Italians tonight, and Cardiff Blues next weekend in Wales. Europe’s premier competition then comes calling again, with back-to-back meetings with France’s best, Clermont Auvergne: what would a repeat of the amazing ‘double’ of last year over Toulouse do to spirits on the pitch, on the terraces, in the stands and in the coaching box? Immense contests await in the Champions Cup, but so too do exciting routes to reclaiming momentum and self-belief. And on Christmas weekend the festive fires would really brighten if current PRO2 champions Connacht were put to the sword. While 2017 could hardly be welcomed more warmly than with a New Year’s Eve afternoon win at the RDS against an improving Leinster, currently top of the ‘heap’. It won’t be easy to realise all those targets, but the determination to do so is real and the intent unquestionable. These have been difficult weeks for all Ulster rugby people, but a further slide down the rankings is not on the agenda at Kingspan Stadium. Stern examinations await, but so do many fine players and coaches energised by the trips to Cardiff, to France and to Dublin before the year is out, and relishing the remaining fixtures in front of the best fans in the game. The kiln of tough times will have fired tougher people, stronger and more determined people – whether in the white strip of Ulster those flourishing their team’s favours. Give Zebre a warm welcome, and show them what a real team is. Ulster needs to stand up, in numbers, in full voice.

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