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to be realistic and if we came away from those three
matches with two wins we’d be in contention,” he
said.
He’ll have re-assessed that now! A win tonight would
really be a platform from which the critical later phase
of the season comes around.
Of course there is always a certain unpredictability
when international calls have a real impact on the
respective selections. Townsend will be without the
likes of Stuart Hogg, Mark Bennett, Tommy Seymour
and Finn Russell, for instance, this weekend!
And Joe Schmidt will have signalled which of his
Ulster contingent he wants to have some game
time. Last week against the Dragons, Rob Herring’s
availability was a bonus, and Stuart McCloskey and
Paddy Jackson were confined to cameos, albeit
rather important ones given the tension-packed finale
to the defeat of the Dragons! McCloskey should play
a bigger role this evening.
Supporters of Ulster will want a rather less agonising
80 minutes, and a performance of a more convincing
nature, but these are the periods when – squads
reduced – that coaches have to be at their shrewdest
and flexible, and there can be understandable new
playing relationships to be established in the absence
of more regular combinations.
Townsend is an innovative coach – as he was a
player – but he might feel he is more ‘wounded’ by
a diluted panel this evening and therefore a more
defensively-minded Warriors may take to the field.
That could make life difficult for Ulster three-quarters
who like to run with ball-in-hand into space, for it is
that which Glasgow will hope to ensure is not left
unattended, and the visitors can still pitch up at
Kingspan Stadium with a pack not easily dominated
and one which will want to see Ulster’s eight expend
a lot of energy in the set-piece and in the ruck and
maul.
But in all the circumstances Ulster versus Glasgow
is a game to savour, more than a mere aperitif to the
international in Paris.
For the players in the respective panels this is the
only game in town! It may stun us all and be a
thoroughly enjoyable try-fest. But one suspects a win,
and four valuable points, would be accepted by both
sides, with Ulster perhaps the more likely to stage a
celebration this evening – if not as extravagant as its
opponents in the spring!
ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN
FREELANCE JOURNALIST
AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST
@RODNAWN1