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Article by
Rod Nawn
Freelance Journalist
and Sports Enthusiast
@RODNAWN1
Defeat by the Dragons in Newport three weeks
ago was a body blow to Doak who hoped his
team would have joined Glasgow at the top of the
table entering the next five games, Cup Finals all.
Just four points separate second-placed Ulster
from Leinster in fifth, and the sides meet at
Kingspan Stadium next month, after a daunting
trip to Galway, and in May Munster come to
Belfast hoping to copper-fasten a play-off place.
And on what could be a huge day for Ulster,
the third weekend in May sees current leaders
Glasgow await at Scotstoun.
For Cardiff after tonight the Glasgow, the
Scarlets, the Ospreys and Zebre complete its
run-in, John and McIntosh probably targeting
a top six finish, though inevitably a European
Challenge Cup quarter-final win at the Dragons
will vie for priority.
So, what has been a fascinating, roller-coaster
of a season enters a lengthy final phase, and for
Ulster to extend its campaign and take another
‘tilt’ at the PRO12 title on 30 May there are five
games, all with ‘must win’ stamped on them.
The fans this evening will be as demanding
as ever, but also as noisily appreciative of the
team in white, and certainly one quality players
and spectators alike must show is patience.
One thing is certain, the joyous abandon of last
weekend in Rome, Edinburgh and London would
be spectacularly inappropriate at this defining
stage of the PRO12 year.
Rob Herring, Franco van der Merwe, Dan Tuohy
and the rest of the pack know the first forty
minutes tonight can set up a platform, but it won’t
be easy, Cardiff may be under-performers but
it is a side with a capacity and talent to defy the
formbook.
Make no mistake, as Ulster enters the final
furlongs of the PRO12 race it must look to its
pedigree, to its star names, yes, but primarily to
its character and strengths as a team unit.
If patience, resilience, authority and
concentration are combined then the home side,
and its fans, can truly give Cardiff the Blues!
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