Ulster Rugby v Connacht

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

in what was, still, a fine start to the competitive season, will be hoping they can consign the Zebre result to the ‘blip bin’ but they need reassurance with a positive display from their favourites. Hopefully Andrew Trimble, in good try-scoring form, will set a new record of appearances for his club, edging ahead of the warrior who was Roger Wilson. Jean Deysel, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy, Clive Ross, Mattie Rea and Nick Timoney have shown their top-class credential and competition for a place in the starting line-up can push each individual player to new heights. The possible reintroduction of Jared Payne after an injury-hit Lions tour is something to savour, and with Luke Marshall, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey, Tommy Bowe, Trimble, Jacob Stockdale, Louis Ludik, Peter Nelson and Charles Piutau all vying for inclusion in a back five of immense talent there is genuine belief that in lethal attack and concentrated defence the home crowd will be applauding another PRO14 win. John Cooney’s arrival has seen him impress everyone with his range of scrum-half talents, and his partnership with another ‘new boy’, Christian Leali’ifano, proved instantly successful. The Ulster roster has an impressively powerful look to it, and though the lacklustre, placid display in Zebre rather contradicted that, this evening is a chance to partially atone for a performance which the players involved will want to forget. This is an important month, Wasps and La Rochelle are in Champions Cup prospect in the next two weeks, but there can be no understating how the fans – and the players too – need a demonstration, like those against the Scarlets and the Dragons, that this year Ulster will be truly competitive and convincingly challenging for honours in the PRO14. The recent successes for the new South African sides and the improvement in the two Italian teams, shows how the game does not stand still, that it cannot wait for ‘potential’ forever.

This Ulster squad is surely one of the most accomplished in these islands and it is time to reward itself, and its success-stared supporters, of a tangible success next May. It may seem early in the season, with just seven competitive games by late this evening, to say that this month of October can be defining, at least in part. But it is a time when indications of consistency on the field and in selection must be clear, when the belief that Les Kiss and his coaches share about these players is complemented by mirrored fealty in the great supporting base. Ulstermen? It’s time to stand up.

ROD NAWN

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