Ulster Rugby v Munster

Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby. On behalf of all my colleagues at Kingspan, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year, both personally and as Ulster supporters. I hope you, like I, had a lovely Christmas break but we know the players, management and staff of Ulster Rugby have been hard at work throughout the festive season. There is something very special about these festive matches and the arrival of our interprovincial rivals, Munster, will only add to the sense of occasion. In such a tight Guinness PRO14 league table, every point matters and we know you will join us in standing up for the Ulstermen, making sure that this year starts on a firm footing, creating the atmosphere that Kingspan Stadium is renowned for. On behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the squad and management of Ulster Rugby every success this evening and continued success for the year ahead.

Connect to

& register for free access

CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO14 WELCOME

3 5 8

RORY BEST

TONIGHT'S MASCOTS 11 GUINNESS PRO14 MATCH PREVIEW 12 PLAYER Q&A 13 BRYN CUNNINGHAM 16 URSC NEWS 20 ULSTER ACADEMY PROFILE: MICHAEL LOWRY 23 ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES 26 ULSTER TEAM 30 PULL OUT POSTER 32 MUNSTER TEAM 35 MUNSTER SQUAD PROFILES 36 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MUNSTER 39 WHAT'S ON 41 SCHOOLS' CUP UPDATE 42 GUEST ARTICLE: ROD NAWN 46 SUBWAY HALF TIME TEAMS 49 2017 ACADEMY REVIEW 52 OUR CLUB NEWS 54 ULSTER WOMEN'S RUGBY UPDATE 58 ULSTER RUGBY VALUES 60 STADIUM MAP 61 STADIUM INFORMATION 62 THANK YOU 63 UPCOMING FIXTURES 2017/18 64

1

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Low on fees. High on Service. No transaction fees in Years 1 & 2 50% off in Year 3.* Better for growing your business.

Speak to your local business adviser in branch.

bankofireland.co.uk/business

Northern Ireland’s Enterprise Bank

*Eligibility is limited to business customers new to Bank of Ireland UK, trading for over 24 months, with a turnover of under £2m and a borrowing requirement of under £250,000. During this 3 year deal, if you lodge over £10,000 in notes per quarter, 50% of the standard fee for notes lodged is charged on the excess amount over £10,000 per quarter. All other standard charges apply including Electronic Banking, Foreign Exchange and Service Charges. Refer to our Schedule of Charges for Business Customers brochure for detail. Bank of Ireland UK is a trading name of Bank of Ireland (UK) plc. Registered in England and Wales (No. 7022885), Bow Bells House, 1 Bread Street, London EC4M 9BE. 11654170607

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

We extend a special welcome to the Munster officers, management, supporters and players. We hope you all have a very enjoyable experience here in Ulster. The holiday period is a feast of rugby for followers of the game, with Interprovincial derbies high up on the wish list. With today’s game sandwiched in between away derbies against Connacht and Leinster, before we get back into the final pool stage games of the Champions Cup, it is a challenging and potentially season-defining period for the teams involved. Meetings of Ulster and Munster are always fiercely contested affairs, and with both teams seeking to push towards the Championship playoffs, we expect today’s game to be every bit as tough. In recent weeks we saw Ulster record crucial back-to-back wins over Harlequins in the Champions Cup to keep us in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals. It is also encouraging to see the other three Irish Provinces performing well in their respective European competitions. The Ulster A team, sponsored by CD Group, also recorded a December double over Hartpury to stay on top of their pool in the British & Irish Cup. We wish them well in their final two pool games in the coming weeks. The Ulster clubs are continuing to challenge well in the Ulster Bank All Ireland League, with six of the twelve teams from the Province occupying top four spots. The All Ireland League returns this coming weekend, and as always we would encourage you to get out and support your local club. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters for your support throughout 2017, and wish you a very happy, peaceful and successful 2018. SUFTUM! Graffin Parke President IRFU (Ulster Branch) As President of the IRFU Ulster Branch, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s Guinness PRO14 Round 12 game against Munster. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2017/18 OFFICERS Graffin Parke President Stephen Elliott Senior Vice President Gary Leslie Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan Chief Executive Chris Webster Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson Financial Controller Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss

Director of Rugby Bryn Cunningham Operations Director

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

3

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

A very happy new year to all of you attending today’s game after what I hope was an enjoyable Festive season for you and your loved ones. It’s been an incredible year for the Guinness PRO14 which was, naturally, headlined by our expansion into South Africa and the entrance of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings. Of course, there were plenty of headlines to be pleased about such as our highest ever attendance at the last Guinness PRO12 Final, providing 26 players to the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and leading the way in Positive Play statistics across Europe. Round 12 will provide another feast of derby action and while Christmas and New Year is a time for sharing with family and catching up with old friends – today’s teams will hardly be showing each other much love with local bragging rights and precious Championship points on offer! Our derby games are at the core of the Guinness PRO14’s tribal appeal because they showcase the passion of local rivalries and the intensity of competition as players look to catch the eye of their national coaches. To aid their cause our players will have their hands on a fresh batch of MATCH- XV balls from Gilbert that proudly bear the Guinness PRO14 logo. Gilbert returned to the Championship this season as our Official Match Ball partner and we have seen the average tries per game rise from 5.4 to 5.8 and our goal-kickers success rates have increased by over 7% which is bound to make their coaches very happy. Ticket sales are still going strong as we count down to the first-ever Guinness PRO14 Final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on May 26. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday we’ve seen so many of you snap up tickets eager to witness history and no matter where you’re coming from you can rely on Gullivers Sports Travel to arrange tickets, hotels and flights as our Official Supporter Travel Partner for the Guinness PRO14 Final Series – see www.gulliverstravel.co.uk. We also have a host of ticket options available to cater for every kind of match- day experience and please don’t forget to take advantage of our Early Bird offers on www.ticketmaster.ie where prices start at €5 for children and €30 for adults. As we look towards 2018, I want to say a special thanks to everyone who supports our vibrant Championship, particularly our sponsors. Once again, Guinness have been terrific in their role as title sponsor while our Championship partners Macron, Gilbert and Specsavers play a key role in making the tournament what is week in, week out. Our appreciation also goes out to our broadcasters: Sky Sports, SuperSport, Eurosport, BBC Wales, BBC NI, BBC ALBA, TG4 and S4C who do such a good job by bringing the action into your homes when you can’t be at the stadium to witness it yourself. Finally, to our supporters, who continue to attend games in greater numbers to support your teams and the Championship. We will keep working hard to introduce new innovations to the Guinness PRO14 and ensure it continues to be provide the best rugby, the most internationals and best environment for our clubs to flourish. Wishing you and yours the very best for 2018, enjoy the game. Martin Anayi Chief Executive Officer

RORY BEST

Thanks to injuries, international duty and British & Irish Lions participation, Rory Best hasn’t been able to get much game time in the Ulster jersey this season the skipper is realishing an opportunity to take on an old rival.

RORY BEST

The wealth of knowledge gained from playing alongside the Munster boys in the Irish jersey, has helped to ready his teammates for what is sure to be another fierce inter-provincial battle. “Munster are going to bring a lot of intensity. They have a very, very strong defence, a really strong back row and a really strong scrum half so they’re going to want to come up and impose their game plan on us. You’ve got to be up to that level and prepare for an attritional game. But that’s the fun side of it, the exciting bit is rolling up your sleeves, pitting yourself against some of the best players not just in Ireland, but in Europe. “We know that from an Irish point of view, you take the likes of Pete [O’Mahony], CJ [Stander] and Conor [Murray], put them into any team together, as they were in the Lions, and they make that team strong. Munster is an unbelievably strong team and a real threat so we’re going to have to be really good under the contestable high ball, we’re going to have to be good at the breakdown and solid in defence because they’re going to come at us. Ultimately, it’s a great challenge and that’s where you want to be as a professional player, you want to know that you have to raise your game because if you don’t you won’t win.” Having recently racked up a double century of Ulster caps, Rory Best is still stirred by the sight of old rivals Munster coming north to Kingspan Stadium but he remains convinced the Ulstermen can give fans what they want. “Ultimately, as Captain of this team you want to see the team put in a good performance that justifies

who they are and how hard they’ve worked. The big thing for us is that the fans see a reflection of who we are and how hard we’re working. “I know there’s been frustration among fans with our recent performances and they don’t feel that they always see the dedication and passion we have for the game and the jersey. There are things that we are working on, things that we can see coming through in the game and it’s not always perfect but that’s professional sport – the highs are so high and the lows are so low but we feel that there are enough positives to take away from the season so far.” Best remains resilient in the face of criticism by focusing on the importance of the unit and the continual improvements the squad are making. “You’ve got to realise that all that’s important is what we’re doing and how hard we’re working as a unit. We brought in three new coaches and that has been really enjoyable working with them. There have been a lot of new things we’ve tried but ultimately, you’re trying to break the habit of not quite getting across the line at the final hurdle which dates back 5 or 6 years and that culture change isn’t going to happen with the click of the fingers. We’ve got a little stability with the squad and we’ll be together now until the Six Nations, so I think we are in a really strong place. There are a lot of pleasing aspects to our play so I feel that we are in a really good position, we just need to break a couple of trends and as soon as we do that people will forget the frustrating bits at the start of the season and we’ll get a bit of a run again.”

8

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

9

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

The GUINNESS word and associated logos are trade marks © Guinness & Co.2015.

TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

TONIGHT'S MASCOTS

MATTHEW TIERNEY (10) Matthew is from Lurgan and attends Bunscoil Naomh Proinsias Primary School. He is a member of the Scouts and enjoys cycling and swimming. Matthew attended Ulster Rugby’s summer Family Fun Day and he is excited to meet the players again, this time as a mascot. His favourite player is Rory Best. Matthew would like to be a Structural Engineer when he is older.

EMILY WHITE (8) Emily is from Portadown and attends

Edenderry Primary School. She enjoys cycling and swimming. Emily loves going to Kingspan Stadium to stand up for the Ulstermen and she cannot wait to run out beside the players tonight as a mascot. Tommy Bowe is Emily’s favourite player. When she is older, Emily would like to be a French teacher.

11

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

GUINNESS PRO14 MATCH PREVIEW

ULSTER V MUNSTER MONDAY 1ST JANUARY 2018, KO 17.35 KINGSPAN STADIUM, BELFAST

CURRENT STANDINGS 3 2

LAST TIME 22 20 15.04.17 THOMAND PARK

HEAD TO HEAD

31 13 17 1 34

31 17 13 1 46

ULSTER FORM GUIDE

MUNSTER FORM GUIDE

PLAYED

WINS

WIN

DRAW LOST

WIN

DRAW LOST

LOSSES

LAST 3 MATCHES

LAST 3 MATCHES

DRAWS

TRIES

THIS SEASON

309 44 28 0 11

285 37 23 0 18

TOTAL POINTS

TRIES

CONVERSIONS

DROPGOALS

PENALTIES

LAST 3 MATCHES

FRI 1ST DEC 2017 DRAGONS 32 ULSTER 32 FRI 24TH NOV 2017 ULSTER 23 BENETTON 22 SAT 4TH NOV 2017 KINGS 36 ULSTER 43 LAST 3 MATCHES

3956 1075 1356 1186 154 49 131 0

4773 1345 1959 1222 163 48 145 0 2 0

METRES GAINED

SAT 2ND DEC 2017 MUNSTER 36 OSPREYS 10 SUN 26TH NOV 2017 ZEBRE 19 MUNSTER 36 FRI 3RD NOV 2017

CARRIES

PASSES MADE

TACKLES MADE

TACKLES MISSED

MUNSTER 49 DRAGONS 6

TURNOVERSWON

GUINNESS PRO14 MATCH PREVIEW TURNOVERS CONCEDED

PENALTIES CONCEDED

5 2

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

* All information correct at time of print

12

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

ITALIAN FOOD / CHINESE FOOD MOVIE / THEATRE STAR WARS / INDIANA JONES EUROPE / AMERICA HIKE / BIKE BUNGEE JUMP / SKY DIVE UP EARLY / LIE IN SUPER MARIO / SONIC PLAYSTATION / X BOX IRON MAN / CAPTAIN AMERICA SUPERMAN / BATMAN X FACTOR / STRICTLY COME DANCING DOG / CAT WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? Robin Hood Prince of Thieves HOW WOULD YOUR TEAMMATES DESCRIBE YOU IN THREE WORDS? Hilarious. Sound. Handsome TEAM MATE MOST LIKELY TO MAKE YOU LAUGH? Craig Gilroy WHAT SONG MAKES YOU WANT TO DANCE? Anything from Dirty Dancing SPORTING HERO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Tommy Bowe WHAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS FACT OR PHRASE YOU KNOW? There are more lego pieces in the world than people WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST AND WHY? Sharks because they can kill you IF YOU BECAME AN AVENGER WHAT WOULD YOUR SUPERHERO NAME BE AND WHAT SUPER POWER WOULD YOU HAVE? Super Uncle Ashley TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF? I play the banjo IF ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING YOU WANTED. WHAT WOULD YOU ORDER? Starter: Goat’s cheese Main: Margarita Pizza Dessert: Cheese Cake followed by a Cheese Board ANDREW TRIMBLE ANSWERS FAN QUESTIONS QUICKFIRE

13

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Keep losing the ball?

Official sponsors of Guinness PRO14 match officials

We know when we are mentally and physically well but sometimes we need a little extra support. Here are five simple steps to practice every day:

Connect

Connect Connect with the people around you: family, friends, colleagues and neighbours at home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these relationships as the cornerstones of your life and spend time developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be active

Be active Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take notice

Take notice Stop, pause, or take a moment to look around you. What can you see, feel, smell or even taste? Look for beautiful, new, unusual or extraordinary things in your everyday life and think about how that makes you feel.

Keep learning

Keep learning Don’t be afraid to try something new, rediscover an old hobby or sign up for a course. Take on a different responsibility, fix a bike, learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do. Give Do something nice for a friend or stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time or consider joining a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself and your happiness linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.

Give

www.mindingyourhead.info ;OL Ä]L ^H`Z [V ^LSSILPUN ^LYL KL]LSVWLK I` [OL 5L^ ,JVUVTPJZ -V\UKH[PVU (Y[^VYR KLZPNULK PU HZZVJPH[PVU ^P[O )LSMHZ[ :[YH[LNPJ 7HY[ULYZOPW

05/16

7\ISPJ /LHS[O (NLUJ`

3PULUOHSS :[YLL[ )LSMHZ[ ); ): ;LS!

SVJHS YH[L

BRYN CUNNINGHAM PROFESSIONAL OPERATIONS UPDATE

BRYN CUNNINGHAM In terms of player movement, can you give us a quick update on where Ulster is at the moment and how do you hope to shape the squad going forward? We are delighted to have recently secured some key players on longer term deals to give us Can you give us an insight into what your role entails on a weekly basis? It’s a bit of a cliché, but no two weeks are the same. My diary is my lifeline with on-site meetings across the organisation, such as; Professional Game Board, Departmental, Operational, Senior Executive, individual staff, professional game sponsors and players; to off-site meetings such as; IRFU, agents, prospective players and other strands associated with Ulster Rugby. My core roles are: the succession plan of the player roster, assessing with the Director of Rugby and coaches our player retention and recruitment aims, negotiation of all playing and coaching contracts, Academy functionality and how it feeds into the senior squad and looking after the overall budget of the professional game. A big focus of my time at present is looking at the strategy of the organisation over the next 3-5-year period, which will hopefully kick in formally within the next few months. continuity and retain a strong base committed to the future of Ulster Rugby. In a landscape where the English and French markets still dominate financially, it’s encouraging to see a number of our players commit their futures with us. I’m a bit of a traditionalist at heart and having been a ‘one-club-man’ myself for 13 years, I strongly believe that a sense of loyalty can still exist in the modern era. There are some intangibles, more important than short-term monetary gain, that I try to impress on certain players when, ultimately, they reflect on their careers down the line. I’m also in constant communication with the IRFU and respective agents on national contracts, which are critical to our budget forecasting. In terms of recruitment, we have already added Marty Moore and Jordi Murphy to our roster, which will provide us with greater strength in our front- line squad.

Over the last couple of seasons, we’ve highlighted what we need coming through the Academy, in terms of position, type of player and character. We have some grizzly, uncompromising forwards coming through over the next 3-5 years who could provide the backbone of our team and reinforce some of the traditions of what Ulster Rugby was built on decades ago. When you add in some of the talent in the backs and pace in the outside channels only entering our Academy now, I am very optimistic about the future. Getting the right blend of leadership, hardness, competitiveness and talent will be key to rejuvenating Ulster, staying true to our roots but evolving at the pace required to win trophies. What do you look for when recruiting overseas players like Charles Piutau? There are a number of things and the criteria is never identical across positions. Taking Charles as an example, the aim was to find someone who had a rounded game, so he could play across a number of positions. This was key for two reasons. Firstly, we don’t want to prevent young talent in the system not having a chance to break through and secondly, with injuries such a massive part of the game now, having the ability to shift players around is vital. Critically, the player had to have a serious X-factor to their play, as those types of players are often the difference between winning and losing tight games. The right character is also essential, that the player would fit into our culture and thrive, become a leader and have the ability to mentor younger players. In this instance, I believe we achieved everything we were after with Charles. However, a player can still tick all the criteria you are after but be ravaged by injury and there is very little you can do about it. In Marcell Coetzee’s case, the damage he does at ruck time and his explosive ball-carrying ability were key attributes we were after but his unfortunate injury before arriving with us and the further injuries he has sustained means we have only seen very small glimpses of the huge contribution he offers.

16

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

17

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Mainly, it’s soul destroying for the player. For the club, with player welfare being something we take very seriously, irrespective of the contractual obligation, all that our Medical and Strength & Conditioning team can do is make every effort to get them back to full fitness. How are the Academy players getting on? Are any future homebred Ulster stars likely to move into the full-time squad soon? There is great integration between the Academy and senior squads, in which Kieran Campbell (Academy Manager) is integral. A big reason we hoped to get someone like Willie Anderson in there as Forwards Coach, was again to highlight the type of player we have lacked coming through for a number of years - physical and uncompromising. Good examples of this are the likes of Adam McBurney, Matty Dalton and Aaron Hall whom, if they apply themselves professionally, will have very successful futures with Ulster Rugby, if not the national team as well. Other guys making big impressions already would be players such as Tom O’Toole and Greg Jones in the pack and importantly at halfback, where positions in the senior ranks are up for grabs, Jonny Stewart and Michael Lowry. We expect big things from those guys (and more hopefully) over the next few years! Ireland internationals Luke Marshall, Rob Herring and Kieran Treadwell have recently signed three-year contract extensions. How important was it to get those deals done? Essential. As I mentioned earlier, having a core group of quality players with the right character committing long term gives stability to the Province and shows the desire these players have to achieve silverware with Ulster, something we all crave. We don’t have the finances of across the water, we have restrictions in terms of who we can recruit in terms of non-Irish qualified players and we have a relatively small indigenous player pool. When you add all those things to the mix,

retention of key players is paramount in building towards a squad required to take on the best in Europe and beat them. What are your main challenges in terms of recruitment? It’s a hugely competitive market out there for a start! When you consider that we can only recruit up to a maximum of 4 foreign players and 1 special project player, it immediately limits you. Due to the small numbers, you often find that Southern Hemisphere players may go to a French or English club because these clubs average between 14 and 18 foreigners and the incoming player is likely to have friends or former teammates plying their trade there. Players’ partners will clearly have a big say in this, as the move is always more difficult for them as they don’t have the day-to-day contact with people that the player does. Familiarity can be key for them. Financially, while we are always very competitive, we can rarely rely on providing the best remuneration package, so we need to sell the Ulster brand in many other ways, which we believe are among the best in Europe. Those are personal to us and as points of difference I would tend to keep private as much as possible. A lot of quality overseas players also want to come to a club that has aspirations and a realistic capability of winning silverware. Ideally, we need to be consistently in knock-out stages of the PRO14, if not Europe too, if we want to continually attract some of the best talent out there. Timing is often everything and no two players are on exactly the same time lines in terms of making decisions. Strong relationships with agents is key to staying ahead of the curve. In our current group of five overseas players, they are represented by five different agents from four different companies, which shows the importance of having a strong global network.

BRYN CUNNINGHAM

18

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

How to do think the current squad compares to this time last year? I believe it is undoubtedly stronger. I also believe that next year we will be stronger again. The depth is getting better, as we now have Development players and even Academy players capable of playing and competing at PRO14 level, something we didn’t have two years ago.

Therefore, the foundations are getting better, meaning you become less reliant on your starting 15 staying injury-free week-in-week-out in order to compete against the best sides. However, we are also realistic and know that if we are to compete on two fronts, we need to have better luck with injuries and availability to key personnel.

BRYN CUNNINGHAM

19

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

ULSTER RUGBY SUPPORTERS CLUB (URSC) NEWS

URSC MEMBERSHIP 2017/18

BIG BALLOT IN AID OF THE JACK KYLE BURSARY Tickets just £1 each. Prizes, provided by local businesses, include: > Grandstand tickets, overnight accommodation in a Belfast hotel & transfers for the Ulster v La Rochelle match. Courtesy of Bank of Ireland > £200 gift voucher for Gardiner Brothers Jewellers, Belfast > 3 month membership pass for leisure centres in Antrim & N'abbey Borough area > £50 Horatio Group voucher > Canine Swim Session > Golf cap signed by 4 time Major winner Rory McIlroy > Golf cap signed by 2017 European Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood > Golf cap signed by Ronan Keating > £30 Voucher for Silhouette Boutique, Belmont Road, Belfast > Love Images "Last Stand at Ravenhill" framed print

925 HAVE JOINED URSC THIS SEASON... DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND! URSC membership for the 2017/18 season is NOW OPEN through the URSC shop by PayPal. To renew or join up for the first time and thus maximize your benefits for the season, go to membership.urs.co or email membership@ursc.co.uk

LEINSTER V ULSTER AT RDS, DUBLIN

URSC are also running a bus to the RDS, Dublin on 6th January for the Leinster v Ulster match. Full details, including cost and departure times, to follow on www.ursc.co in due course.

URSC NEWS

STAND UP EDITOR STANDING DOWN

After 12 years, Ken Arthur, Editor of URSC's Stand Up magazine is standing down. If you know anyone who would like to take on this role contact standup@ursc.co.uk putting "EDITOR" in the subject line. Journalistic skills would of course be helpful but enthusiasm, love of rugby and hard work are more important!

For more information on URSC, please visit membership.ursc.co or email membership@ursc.co.uk.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL AT ULSTER RUGBY SUPPORTERS CLUB!

20

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Wishing you an abbey New Year

08000 66 55 44

Abbey Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY MICHAEL LOWRY

NAME Michael Lowry PREFERED POSITION Out-half CURRENT CLUB Banbridge RFC PREVIOUS TEAMS Dromore and RBAI HONOURS Ulster U17, 18, & 19 (Winning Interprovincial Series with U19s); Schools’ Cup winner 2015, 2016, 2017; Medallion Shield winner 2014 and Ireland U19s COURSE STUDYING Gap year RUGBY INFLUENCES Granny SPORTING IDOLS Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor and Jonny Wilkinson RUGBY AMBITION Play professional international rugby A FACT NOT MANY PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU Gave Dromore RFC the name “Dromore Eagles” which has stuck for years, especially in the minis section

BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE RECEIVED Stay grounded, humble and believe in your abilities but trust no one who puts pineapple on pizza DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS Calm, passionate, confident STRONGEST AREA OF YOUR GAME Running / beating defenders AREA TO WORK ON Fitness THING YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUGBY Winning, playing with flare, width and freedom. Making memories with friends OTHER HOBBIES FIFA, pool, driving range FAVOURITE MOVIE Any Harry Potter or ‘About Time’ PRE-GAME SONG Don’t really listen to music before a game, rather go around talking CHEAT MEAL Pizza PRE-MATCH SUPERSTITIONS None

ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER ACADEMY

23

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

TACKLE & CONVERT your outdoor space with Tobermore!

Give Tobermore a… try just get in touch!

www. tobermore .co.uk | 028 7964 2411 |

RODNEY AH YOU

JOHN ANDREW

RORY BEST

Prop 27.10.88 186cm 128.1kg 27 3 Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116.8kg 138 —

Hooker 26.05.93

Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 105kg

180cm 99.1kg

37 —

201 105

TOMMY BOWE

PETER BROWNE

CALLUM BLACK

Wing 22.02.84

Lock 25.10.87 200cm 115.8kg 33 — Centre 05.04.87 182cm 93kg 199 11 Flanker 05.03.85 191cm 118kg 6 SA 4

191cm 98.6kg 162 69

DAVID BUSBY

AARON CARINS

DARREN CAVE

Wing/Full Back 03.02.94

Scrum half 07.10.92

179cm 89.8kg 2 —

176cm 84.9kg 2 —

JEAN DEYSEL

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN COONEY

Back Row 08.05.91

Scrum half 01.05.90 177cm 88kg 12 1

191cm 122kg 5 SA 28

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES 26 CRAIG GILROY Wing/Full back 11.03.91 182cm 94kg 154 10 WIEHAHN HERBST Prop 05.07.88 177cm 120.9kg 65 — CHRIS HENRY Back Row 17.10.84 187.cm 105.5kg 176 24 ROBBIE DIACK No. 8 12.11.85 193cm 110.8kg 202 2 * All information correct at time of print

IAIN HENDERSON

Lock/Back Row 21.02.92 200cm 117kg 82 3

ROB HERRING

Hooker 27.04.90

182cm 106kg 131 3

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

BRETT HERRON

ROSS KANE

CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO

Fly Half 13.11.95 183cm 89.9kg 8 —

Prop 14.10.94 179cm 113.5kg

Centre 03.03.91 180cm 98kg 111 11 Centre 06.08.92 190cm 108.8kg 69 2 Out half 24.09.87 180cm 91kg 12 AUS 19

17 —

ROB LYTTLE

LUKE MARSHALL

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 08.10.86

Centre 28.01.97

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

182cm 92.4kg 66 —

174cm 86.2kg

10 —

PAUL MARSHALL

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

Scrum half 26.07.85

Prop 02.01.92 177cm 106.7kg

170cm 76.0kg 202 3

41 —

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

PETER NELSON

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 195cm 113.2kg 50 —

Fly Half 13.04.97

Utility back 05.10.92 180cm 87kg 44 —

180cm 88.9kg

— —

TOMMY O'HAGAN

JACK OWENS

CALLUM PATTERSON

Prop 05.10.93 182cm 120kg

Wing/Full Back 04.10.95

Centre 10.08.92

189cm 98.6kg 1 —

181cm 93.3kg

— —

— —

MATTHEW REA Back row 21.09.93 193cm 110.8kg 8 —

JARED PAYNE

CHARLES PIUTAU

Centre/Full back 13.10.85 187cm 94kg

Utility back 31.10.91 186cm 103.5kg 35 NZ 17

78 20

* All information correct at time of print

27

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

SEAN REIDY Back row 10.05.89 182cm 103kg 70 2

CLIVE ROSS Back row 14.06.89 190cm 107.2kg 57 —

DAVE SHANAHAN

Scrum half 20.06.93

174cm 77.4kg

17 —

JONNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 98kg 226 70 Prop 19.08.90 182cm 108.3kg 4 —

Utility back 03.04.96 190cm 102kg 33 3

Lock 06.11.95 198cm 115kg 33 3 Prop 12.03.91 177cm 113kg 84 —

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

ANDREW TRIMBLE

SCHALK VAN DER MERWE

ANDREWWARWICK

Prop 04.12.90 184cm 110kg 2 —

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

* All information correct at time of print

29

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

15

1

CHARLES PIUTAU

CALLUM BLACK

14

2

CRAIG GILROY

ROB HERRING

13

3

RODNEY AH YOU

DARREN CAVE

12 ULSTER TEAM

4

STUART McCLOSKEY

ALAN O'CONNOR

11

5

KIERAN TREADWELL

JACOB STOCKDALE

6

10

CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO C

MATTHEW REA

7

9

CHRIS HENRY

PAUL MARSHALL

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 J ANDREW K McCALL W HERBST R DIACK

20 21 22 23

C ROSS J COONEY P NELSON T BOWE

8

JEAN DEYSEL

TODAY’S OFFICIALS *Officials not appointed at time of print

* Teams not confirmed at time of print

30

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

Constructive, collaborative and caring. We recognise our role in ensuring our companies are rooted in the communities in which we operate. We do this in a number of ways - through community funding, through community volunteering and through partnerships with schools and colleges.

www.kingspan.com

Working Together

ONE BALL. FOURTEEN T

TRUST. INNOVATION. PERFORMANCE.

15

1

JAMES CRONIN

SIMON ZEBO

14

2

DARREN SWEETNAM

KEVIN O'BYRNE

MUNSTER TEAM

13

3

SAM ARNOLD

JOHN RYAN

12

4

RORY SCANNELL

JEAN KLEYN

11

5

BILLY HOLLAND C

ALEX WOOTTON

6

10

IAN KEATLEY

JACK O’DONOGHUE

7

9

CHRIS CLOETE

JAMES HART

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 N SCANNELL B SCOTT S ARCHER D O’SHEA

20 21 22 23

S O’CONNOR D WILLIAMS JJ HANRAHAN K EARLS

8

ROBIN COPELAND

* Teams not confirmed at time of print

35

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

SAMMY ARNOLD

STEPHEN ARCHER

TYLER BLEYENDAAL

Centre 08.04.96 180cm 93.18kg 5

Prop 29.01.88 188cm 120.91kg 147

Centre 31.05.90 185cm 95.91kg 37

ANDREW CONWAY

CHRIS CLOETE

DUNCAN CASEY

Full Back 11.07.91 180cm 90kg 87

Flanker 15.02.91 175cm 98.18 4

Hooker 14.11.90

178cm 105kg 46

KEITH EARLS

JAMES CRONIN

ROBIN COPELAND

Back 02.10.87 178cm 85.91kg 145

Prop 23.11.90 180cm 113.18kg 86

Back Row 23.10.87 196cm 111.82kg 57

DAN GOGGIN

CHRIS FARRELL

STEPHEN FITZGERALD

Centre 10.12.94

Centre 16.03.93 193cm 110.00kg 10

Full Back 13.11.95 185cm 91.82kg 2

185cm 100.kg 15

GERBRANDT GROBLER

JAMES HART

JJ HANRAHAN

Scrum Half 28.07.91 178cm 83.18kg 6

Fly Half 27.07.92 183cm 93.18kg 71

Lock 06.02.92 201cm 120g 0

MUNSTER SQUAD PROFILES

BILLY HOLLAND

DAVID JOHNSTON

BILL JOHNSTON

Back Row 03.08.85 191cm 110.091kg 173

Centre 28.02.94 180cm 90kg 10

Fly Half 07.02.97 178cm 85.91kg 2

* All information correct at time of print

36

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

IAN KEATLEY

JEAN KLEYN

DAVE KILCOYNE

Lock 26.08.93 203cm 125kg 22

Fly Half 01.04.87 178cm 93.18kg 162

Prop 14.12.88 183cm 111.82kg 139

Hooker 12.10.92 18cm 108.18kg 37 RHYS MARSHALL

CONOR MURRAY

KEVIN O'BRYNE

Scrum Half 20.04.89 188cm 94.09kg 106

Hooker 16.04.91 180cm 105.91kg 25

MUNSTER SQUAD PROFILES

DAVE O'CALLAGHAN

TOMMY O'DONNELL

JACK O'DONOGHUE

Back Row 08.02.94 191cm 106.82kg 75

Back Row 21.05.87 188cm 104.09kg 151

Back Row 12.01.90

193cm 110.kg 75

PETER O'MAHONY

RONAN O'MAHONY

DARREN O'SHEA

Wing 28.05.89 180cm 90kg 66

Lock 12.12.92 106cm 101.82kg 17

Back Row 17.09.89 191cm 106.82kg 98

CONOR OLIVER

CIARAN PARKER

JOHN RYAN

Prop 05.10.95 188cm 110.00kg 2

Flanker 21.09.95 183cm 101.82kg 16

Prop 02.08.88 183cm 118.18kg 108

RORY SCANNELL

BRIAN SCOTT

NAILL SCANNELL

Centre 22.12.93 178cm 98.18kg 66

Hooker 08.04.92 185cm 110.00kg 62

Prop 09.03.93 191cm 124.09kg 16

* All information correct at time of print

37

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

MIKE SHERRY

CJ STANDER

DARREN SWEETNAM

Back Row 05.04.90 185cm 114.09kg 104

Hooker 18.06.88 183cm 104.09kg 96

Full Back 05.05.93 183cm 95kg 46

DUNCAN WILLIAMS

ALEX WOOTTON

JACO TAUTE

Centre 21.03.91

Scrum Half 17.04.86 175cm 80.00kg 145

Wing 07.07.94 188cm 96.82kg 18

188cm 110.kg 31

SIMON ZEBO

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at www.munsterrugby.ie PLAYER STATS

Wing 16.03.90 191cm 98.18kg 129

GET SOCIAL. FOLLOW US.

MUNSTER SQUAD PROFILES

UlsterRugby

UlsterRugbyOfficial

OfficialUlsterRugby

#SUFTUM

* All information correct at time of print

38

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MUNSTER

9

1

Munster has won the Irish Inter-Provincial Championship outright on 22 occasions, sharing the title seven times. Simon Zebo, who is departing for France in the summer, is the club’s record try-scorer with 57 touchdowns.

Munster’s rugby body was formally founded in 1879, the same year as Ulster and Leinster. The first touring team to visit Munster was Dave Gallaher’s New Zealand side of 1905 – the famous ‘Originals’. The new logo on the team’s shirt still retains the ‘three crowns’ representing the Province’s ancient kingdoms of Ormond, Desmond and Thomond. The European Cup has been won in 2006 and in 2008 during Declan Kidney’s second term as coach. Thomond Park in Limerick is now the principal home of the Munster team. The revamped stadium is capable of hosting a 27,000 crowd and opened in 2008. Donncha O’Callaghan, the former Ireland lock, played a record 268 times for Munster in his 17 years there. Ronan O’Gara is the club’s record points-scorer with a total of 2,625 accumulated between 1997 and 2013.

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MUNSTER

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

10

Until Ireland’s win in Chicago last year the only Irish side to beat the All Blacks was Munster – by 12-0 in Limerick in 1978.

* All information correct at time of print

39

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

An unmissable line up on BT Sport Visit bt.com/sport or call 0800 201 2201

THE ASHES

CUP

WHAT'S ON

#SUFTUM

ENJOY TOP TUNES FROM THE Q RADIO STREET TEAM PUT YOUR RUGBY SKILLS TO THE TEST WITH THE RIVER ROCK PASSING CHALLENGE GET YOUR TOES TAPPING TO LIVE MUSIC BY DAVID WRIGHT IN THE CLUBHOUSE BAR MEET OUR PLAYERS IN THE KUKRI TRAILOR HUNGRY? THE FOOD VILLAGE, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE FAN ZONE, OFFERS 8 DIFFERENT STREET FOOD VENDORS THIRSTY? CHOOSE FROM A RANGE OF BARS INCLUDING: » THE BIG RED BUS BAR LOCATED IN THE FAN ZONE » THE POP UP PROSECCO BAR LOCATED IN THE CLUBHOUSE BAR » THE SCRUM BAR & LINE OUT BAR LOCATED IN MEMORIAL STAND » THE CLUBHOUSE & HEINEKEN QUARTER BAR LOCATED IN THE GRAND STAND

SHARE YOUR PICS FROM THE MATCH WITH #SUFTUM TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND WIN YOUR CHANCE TO FEATURE IN OUR FAN OF THE WEEK PAGES!

41

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP UPDATE

The Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup continues this week, with seven games due to be played in Round 2 of the famous competition.

of the home defence which somehow managed to survive the early onslaught. Then it was the turn of the Carrickfergus GS team to go the offensive. They took the game to Strabane and forced the visitors into conceding a lot of territory, possession and penalties, but were unable to capitalise, leaving the sides deadlocked at the interval. The second half saw a similar situation develop with both sides experiencing difficulties in putting any meaningful phases together in the opening exchanges. However, with just ten minutes or so remaining the game really came to life. The Strabane Academy team won possession at the breakdown and threw the ball around to good effect. A slick backline move finished off when their full back, Jamie Brown, hit a great line to finish the attack with a try close to the posts. Jordan Mealiff added the extras to see his Strabane Academy team into a 7-0 lead. This setback seemed to spark some life into the Carrickfergus GS team. Good interplay involving both forwards and backs presented Jack Leathem with the opportunity to run in for a try, which was converted by Daniel Curley, to draw the scores level at 7-7. With time running out it was the Carrickfergus GS team that was next to score. Josh Irvine took advantage of some good work from his pack and rumbled over the line to touch down for the try. Daniel Curley was, once again, successful with the conversion to give the Carrickfergus GS team a 14-7 lead with just a minute remaining on the clock. The last play of the game saw the gallant Strabane Academy team mount one last attack. They moved the ball around to good effect and Michael Doherty capped a fine personal performance with a try in the corner. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, the final whistle blew and it was the Carrickfergus GS team that celebrated their hard earned victory.

Following some weather disruption, the 2017/18 competition eventually kicked off on Wednesday 13th December when Belfast High School recorded an away win over Wellington College. ROUND 1 The Belfast High School team took an early 3-0 lead when Brandon McMinn converted a penalty opportunity. Wellington College then took a 5-3 lead when Marcus Smyth took advantage of good work from Jake Hamilton before touching down for an unconverted try. Midway through the first half the Belfast High School team took a 10-5 lead when Thabiso Madlala cut a great line and ran in for a try which was converted by Brandon McMinn. There were no further points scored in the first half. Two early second half tries from Ethan McConkey and Jack Ferguson, one of which was converted by Brandon McMinn, gave the Belfast High School team a 22-5 lead. The Wellington College team then went on to control the final quarter of the game and got some reward for their endeavours when James Milligan scored a fine try. Jake Hamilton converted the try with a touchline conversion to leave the final score reading Wellington College, Belfast 12 Belfast High School 22. ROUND 1 CARRICKFERGUS GRAMMAR SCH 14 STRABANE ACADEMY 12 WELLINGTON COLLEGE 12 BELFAST HIGH SCHOOL 22

SCHOOLS' CUP UPDATE In the other Round 1 fixture, Carrickfergus Grammar School accounted for Strabane Academy on Monday 18th December, in a repeat of a game that took place at the same stage of the competition last season.

The Strabane Academy team started the game strongly and forced the Carrickfergus GS team into making a lot of early mistakes. Ralph Mealiff, Jordan Mealiff and Michael Doherty all asked questions

42

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP 2017/18 ROUND 1 WEDNESDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2017 Wellington College 12 Belfast High School 22 ROUND 1 MONDAY 18TH DECEMBER 2017 Carrickfergus Grammar School 14 Strabane Academy 12 ROUND 2 SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY 2018 Portadown College v Limavady Grammar School Larne Grammar School v Lurgan College Cambridge House Grammar School v Banbridge Academy Carrickfergus Grammar School v Regent House Rainey Endowed School v Belfast High School Grosvenor Grammar School v Antrim Grammar School Foyle College v Dromore High School ROUND 3 SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY 2018 The seven winners from Round 2 are joined by nine further teams: Bangor Grammar School, Belfast Royal Academy, Coleraine Grammar School, Dalriada School, Down High School, Friends’ School, Lisburn, Omagh Academy, The Royal School Dungannon and Sullivan Upper School. ROUND 4 SATURDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2018 The eight winners from Round 3 will be joined by the remaining eight sides: Ballyclare High School, Ballymena Academy, Campbell College, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Methodist College Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, The Royal School Armagh and Wallace High School. QUARTER FINALS SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2018 SEMI FINAL 1

SCHOOLS' CUP UPDATE

MONDAY 5th MARCH 2018 Kingspan Stadium, 2.30pm SEMI FINAL 2 WEDNESDAY 6th MARCH 2018 Kingspan Stadium, 2.30pm FINAL MONDAY 19th MARCH 2018 Kingspan Stadium, 3.00pm

43

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

Handshakes aplenty, the cheery hum of chit-chat pervading the grounds, they’re just part of what will be a special New Year’s Day atmosphere at Kingspan today. RESOLUTION NEEDED THIS NEW YEAR!

And if last night’s celebrations might have, for some unknown reason, produced a thunderous headache be assured there’s a series of roars this evening which will chase it away! That on the very first day of 2018 Kingspan Stadium should be packed to its modern rafters for the visit of Munster is somehow appropriate. Primarily the game is about improving Guinness PRO14 standings, but it’s an Inter-Pro against a club, a Province, with a proud and trophy-laden history. Munster’s first opponents way back in 1875 were Ulster and Leinster in a series which began before any of the Provinces had been formally established. That came in 1979 under the aegis of the IRFU, and a decade later Connacht made up the quartet which would fight for the only trophy available until the professional era over a century later: the Irish Inter-Provincial Championship. The fixture this New Year’s Day remains part of that competition, even if the priority is collecting PRO14 points with both teams currently occupying handy positions to secure a top three finish in each Conference and therefore a place in the critical play-off series in May. So, there are many factors at play in this game, and for the dyed-in-the-wool fans of the Inter-Pros victory over traditional Irish rivals will always be important. This year starts at a frenetic pace, just as 2017 ended, with two key Champions Cup games played by both sides and a pre-Christmas return to the league and an important round of Inter- Pros, Ulster travelling to the Sportsground for a typically gruelling clash with Connacht. So the accelerator needs to be pressed today for Munster’s arrival, its form in Europe and in the PRO14 gathering real momentum for new coach Johann van Graan. The South African took over in late November from Rassie Erasmus, inheriting a squad which oozes quality in most departments and which has steadied its form after an indifferent start to the season. But any team skippered by Peter O’Mahony is likely to have taken a hard look at itself in the mirror and once the new management team had settled in, other teams will know that

the two-time European Cup-winners will have refocused and will be all the more dangerous! The thumping defeat of Leicester at Thomond Park on the second Saturday of last month continued a vein of good form and of fine results which has set Munster up for a genuine assault in Europe on the resumption of Pool 4 hostilities in a few weeks, while a solid return in the league will keep Conference A leaders Glasgow ‘honest’ and within striking distance when the Six Nations ‘break’ comes along. Ulster harbours similar ambitions in its PRO14 division, and though Champions Cup Pool 1 qualification might just be a ‘stretch’, there lingers hope that a home win over La Rochelle and another victory over Wasps in Coventry might just secure a quarter-final spot. That such a hope, however unlikely, even survives into 2018 must encourage supporters. The unexpected and thoroughly deserved win at Harlequins a month ago stalled concerns which were mounting over performance and certain aspects of play, notably the concession of a cascade of tries against Southern Kings, Benetton and the Dragons in the league. But today, even if the Yuletide festivities can hardly yet be declared over, two well-prepared and battle-hardened sides come together in what will be a fascinating test for each. The visitors have quality around the pitch is beyond debate. O’Mahony, CJ Stander and Tommy O’Donnell would constitute an all-international breakaway unit if available, while props David Kilcoyne and James Cronin have caught the eye playing for Ireland, and South African lock Jean Kleyn has stepped into what threatened to be a problem area in the second row and, notably paired with Billy Holland, shone. The Ulster pack will have to be at its technical and physical best to take the initiative this evening. Iain Henderson seems to grow in stature with every match, and Kieran Treadwell, Alan O’Connor, Sean Reidy, Chris Henry and the maturing Nick Timoney form a core for the ‘back five’ which is mobile and often threatening with ball in hand. For much of the packed Kingspan Stadium today, though, it’s the attacking prowess of the

GUEST ARTICLE: ROD NAWN

46

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com