Ulster Rugby v Connacht

The first Friday evening in October at Kingspan Stadium is suddenly upon us, as has the arrival of Connacht and the prospect of a defining month for Ulster. THE HUNT FOR GREAT OCTOBER!

Until the huge disappointment of defeat at Zebre last Saturday the side, with some astute changes in the last few weeks to ensure the squad is battle-hardened, had slipped smoothly through the gears, particularly since that confidence- boosting win over the reigning champions Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14. The Dragons were summarily swept aside with a discipline and flair which must have pleased the management team under Les Kiss, and certainly reinforced the growing sense of expectation on the terraces and the stands. John Andrew, Rodney Ah You, Mattie Rea, Nick Timoney, Dave Shanahan and Rob Lyttle are just some who’ve seamlessly slotted into a team which has been far more convincing during September – bar a below-par display in Treviso – that in some previous early autumns. To open up with four successive wins in Conference B of a new-look PRO14, which is still mildly confusing to us all, was impressive. And to keep that rather addictive habit of winning fed the successful introduction of a raft of players who might not have instinctively been expected to feature positively has been a huge bonus for Kiss, Head Coach Jono Gibbes and his assistants Aaron Dundon, Dwayne Peel and Niall Malone. But the loss in Italy was as shocking for supporters as it was surprising, and there’s been a lot of head-scratching about how Ulster, apparently comfortably accommodating a raft of changes each week, could perform quite so lamely against a Zebre team fighting for its very existence. In truth Zebre played an enterprising brand of rugby which exposed some familiar failings in the visitors, errant handling, lack of application at the breakdown and on first-up defence. So, fans who were greatly encouraged about what they felt was a more consistent spirit and confidence in the players have had reason to ask some questions once again: how did their side, so focussed and accurate in the games with the Scarlets and the Dragons in Belfast last month sink back into the torpor that trips to Italy seem to invite.

Les Kiss was critical of the performance of his much-changed team and rightly felt there was quality aplenty on the pitch to keep the leadership of Conference B in the RO14. Tonight Ulster takes the field against Connacht, who pushed Scarlets all the way in Wales last weekend, down to third in the table behind the reigning champions and Leinster. Zebre’s Head Coach is Michael Bradley, ironically a former supremo in the West, and he’s inspired the Italians to successive league wins, over Southern Kings in South Africa and Ulster. He felt that Ulster had more than one eye on Europe and next week’s visit from Wasps, and it’s true many coaches have been giving game time to as many players as possible before the Champions Cup. But the Guinness PRO14 remains the primary target, the bread-and-butter compared to the delicious desserts in Europe. So in training and in analysis this week the squad will have been asked to press the ‘reset’ button in terms of concentration, application and discipline. There’ll be no chance of under-estimating Connacht in what’s been a tough season to date for the 2015/16 PRO12 champions, and Kiwi coach Kieran Keane is gradually harnessing the resources he has into a real force. The evergreen John Muldoon and locks Ultan Dillane and Quinn Roux are formidable forwards, and Kieran Marmion is a key figure at the base of the scrum. Centre Bundee Aki is often mentioned as a potential Ireland player, while Rory Scholes – once of this parish – hint at the potential firepower behind a pack which loves the gruelling, wrestling battle of the scrummage, ruck and maul. It is indeed likely that Kiss and Gibbes will want to start this evening with a line-up very much like the one it feels will test Wasps her at Kingspan Stadium next weekend, and for everyone in the squad there will be the real incentive of getting Ulster back on track in the PRO14 and, as a consequence, holding up their hands for a place in the matchday 23 for the Champions Cup game. The supporters, who the players and management admit have played a massive part

ROD NAWN

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