Ulster Rugby vs Newport Dragons

THE INSPIRATION OF ‘THE COMEBACK KID’! Few stories in life move us more than those which have a redemptive quality about them, and sport is no exception.

athleticism and fire which brought them into the spotlight. Tommy Bowe has endured some really long periods of injury and the buoyant winger’s character is such that – in public at least – he sees and determines to realise the future in a jersey of white, of green and of Lions! Iain Henderson’s heroics with Ireland over the last year brought serious injury at the World Cup in the autumn but, like Bowe, he focuses only on a full and committed return to action. Stephen Ferris, as we all know, lost his courageous battle to overcome chronic problems with his body, but how he fought to save his career, to continue to thrill and create awe for his club and country. Even as we all feared the flanker’s wonderful personality and resilient character wasn’t going to emerge triumphant this time, he went out in a manner we’ll never forget: coming off the bench, and within seconds thunderously smashing the opposition ball-carrier back twenty yards and more! Ferris remains in our memories for his derring- do, his great rugby talents and his wondrous athleticism, but also because of an engaging relationship which each supporter who recognised in him a spirit they would have coveted, but instead admired, respected and embraced him. Stephen has those elements to bulwark him as his young life continues, so ultimate sporting redemption – storming through Ulster, Irish and Lions’ opposition! - was perhaps denied him, but, hey, did he have a ‘go’! Of course being restored to the shelf of previous celebrity, adoration and admiration comes in all sorts of ways, by all manner of paths. Those who have made mistakes in their lives sometimes pay more heavily because they have been in the limelight, been that strange beast: ’a role model’. A few drinks too many in full view of a disappointed observer can spark a rumour, an unfortunate headline. More heinous breaches obviously need harder work to be forgiven and placed back on the pedestal earned through great deeds and previous unblemished character. But in sport, injury is an insidious threat which the best amongst us never worry about, but when

In fact the games we love and enjoy often feed off the emotional aspects of human behaviour and responses. There are extremes of course, where the genius has been toppled from his tower through his or her own frailty, and George Best, that wondrous son of Belfast, was ever welcomed back from each misdemeanour or fall from grace because his talent and personality were so winning. Again in sport Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted by the US Army on religious grounds saw him not just lose his prized world heavyweight championship and a ban from boxing, but in a nation mired in the Vietnam War great swathes of public opinion scorned and spurned him. When the judicial system finally allowed him to return to the ring, where he ultimately regained his crown, attitudes were slowly changing and the former Cassius Clay was to go on and embellish his reputation with awesome bouts with Frazier and Foreman. Now he is genuinely loved and regarded all over the world, and sadly stricken with Parkinson’s. Redemption can come in many forms, not as spectacularly colourful or partisan as in the cases of Best and Ali, and each day the sports pages – and news pages too! - will be filled with stories of men and women who have, against the odds, returned to the pinnacle after setbacks, public or private. England expects that its new captain can find a road back into the affections of rugby followers and of the ethical community, and new coach Eddie Jones has taken the high-risk route by appointing Northampton’s frequently unavailable hooker Dylan Hartley! But here at Kingspan Stadium over nearly two years a plethora of players have suffered serious downturns in fortune with injuries. The medical staff, the sports science support systems, the Strength and Conditioning team at Ulster is second-to-none, and very often, without fuss, players with quite serious injuries are carefully brought back to full health. Those will long-terms injuries – perhaps even career-threatening – tend to keep their emotions under wrap, ‘play a good game’ in the public eye, and work tirelessly to regain the fire of old, the

ROD NAWN

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