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ROD NAWN
a total vindication of the recruitment of a truly
outstanding back-rower. Powerful with ball in
hand, robust and strong in the tackle and ruck,
the South African lived up to all the expectations,
and with more games, fans can anticipate even
more to relish in a genuine ball-carrying forward
who was clearly delighted to make his debut –
and an impression!
There was much to admire about the side last
week, and to be genuinely encouraged by in
the pursuit of PRO12 success. But Director of
Rugby Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak will
also have noted the more muted display of the
second period, when some basic defensive errors
reappeared and allowed Edinburgh a ‘shot’ at
redemption. However, it would be wrong to be
churlish as, on the whole, this was an Ulster side
playing with confidence and no little invention, the
wondrous Charles Piutau, the cleverness of Paul
Marshall and the returning Peter Nelson at half-
back, and the midfield authority of Darren Cave
catching the eye.
The scrum was always going to be tested but,
for example, John Andrew, Ricky Lutton, Kieran
Treadwell and skipper Chris Henry and Robbie
Diack never took a backward step. The line-outs
were mainly reliable and productive, and for this
afternoon’s clash the base elements of the side
were well-oiled and back to their functioning best.
Against Glasgow the hosts today must put
together a full 80 minutes of last week’s first-half
energy and invention and not allow concentration
and execution to wane as it certainly did in an
unnecessarily awkward, rather than disastrous,
second 40 minutes. Kiss knows this and the
task he and his coaches have is to see the
remaining ‘regular season’ games as a block, a
‘mini-season’, where nothing but 100 per cent
application is needed.
Off the pitch, the news broken elsewhere that
Jono Gibbes would take over as Head Coach
next season will not have distracted either staff
or players. They are all far too professional
and mature to dwell on distant matters, and
Kiss, Doak, Allen Clarke and Niall Malone will
be focussed only on their jobs of the moment:
guiding Ulster into the Guinness PRO12
Play-offs and managing the player pool
successfully to that end.
All of the coaching team has seen Glasgow grow
into a serious threat in the PRO12 Champinship
and in Europe, and will be aware that Townsend
will want to sign off his tenure at Glasgow with
another big season. For him Scotland awaits, but
like those who are moving on in the Summer from
Kingspan Stadium, his focus will be on the role he
has now and on the club he has fashioned into an
entertaining but also pragmatic force.
That all seats for this game were sold well in
advance is just more evidence of how important
this match is to both sides, and it also confirms
that the Ulster fans are knowledgeable enough
to know that, from a season of a few highs and
some inexplicable troughs, they have a squad of
high-quality players with the skills to negotiate its
way to a wonderfully exciting and fulfilling climax
to the campaign.
Be certain that this afternoon will be tense, in the
stands and on the terraces, but there is so much
enterprise on the pitch, so much at stake, that
the Warriors and Ulster will be bound to provide
an incident-packed rugby occasion. With a win
Ulster can leapfrog Glasgow in the table and
really join the scramble for a coveted Top Four
finish.
That would be a statement of intent.
ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN
FREELANCE JOURNALIST
AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST
@RODNAWN1