Ulster Rugby vs Glasgow

ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

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:

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.

ROD NAWN

guiding Ulster into the Guinness PRO12 Play-offs and managing the player pool successfully to that end.

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