Tuesday 17 June 2014

PUSHING ON

And so begin my mutterings and musings for a new season of rugby today. A new laptop to pen my mindless wanderings and a new season to look ahead to makes me happy, although looking at the clock and realising I am wide awake at 5:30am on a Saturday morning is not the most reassuring thing for my metabolism. Nevertheless I plough on into a fresh new start full of ideas that spring forth from my mind onto the page.

Last season is dead and buried, we shall dwell on it but momentarily as we consider what could have been rather than what came to pass. As we entered April confidence was booming and the team were beginning to take shape again following a particularly rough injury spell. Alas the clumsy Jared Payne tackle in the quarter-final against Sarries, and then Anscombe’s decision to play the aforementioned full-back at outside centre in the Pro12 semi-final, ultimately cost us a trophy (well, not just those two reasons but you know what I mean).

I’m not saying we would’ve necessarily won anything come the end of May given the insurmountable strength of Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon (what’ll the English media call it now he’s departed one wonders) and the prospect of a daunting trip to Celtic Park to play the in-form Glasgow Warriors in the Pro12 final, however you cannot deny that we had two trophies placed on the table in front of us and we somehow managed to fail to look after both of them. Daylight robbery by all accounts.

And so it is with a burden on their shoulders that Johann Muller and Tom Court depart Ravenhill (or should that be the Kingspan Stadium?) without any silverware to show for their valiant efforts. It would take me more than the 750 words I try to limit myself to every week to try and explain just what Muller has brought to Ulster, not just in terms of on the field leadership, but off the field growth too. We may never see the likes of him in Belfast again.

John Afoa arrives in Gloucester trophyless too, but the less said about that the better perhaps.

But now we look to the future. A shiny new stadium with a shiny new name (more on that next week) shows signs of things to come as Ulster Rugby move into the modern era of rugby, boasting marquee signings this season of Franco van der Merwe and Louis Ludik. Okay, they aren’t quite in the Pienaar, Afoa, Muller mould, but in a pre-World Cup year you are asking a lot to find good players who are willing to move north – although Leinster seem to have done just that with the coup of underrated Wallaby lock Kane Douglas. Kudos to them.

Alarm bells ring loud and clear with the dawn of a new season though, for several reasons. First and foremost is the coach – Mark Anscombe. My opinion is worth nothing so I won’t give it, but what is worth pointing out is that he’s only on a one-year deal. It’s no secret that he was talking to Gloucester and Cardiff last season while he was in negotiations with us, and while he eventually agreed to another year at the helm, it does not bode well. Is this his last year, full stop? Or is it simply in a competitive climate, one year is simply all we can afford to offer, with his future in Belfast dependent on whether there’s something for the cleaners to polish next June? Time will tell.

All I’m saying is that if he knows this will be his last year with his hands on the rudder of the good ship Ulster, then there isn’t much motivation to push his team to glory. Sure, he could go out with a bang yadda yadda yadda, but in truth this is a dog eat dog world and regardless of how he does in 2014/15 it could be a case of David Humphreys and Shane Logan giving him a pat on the back, shaking his hand and saying, “Thanks for the memories” as he jets back off to New Zealand, regardless of the medals he may or may not carry in his hand luggage.

I’m speculating of course but it is a genuine fear of mine.

The second fear is the talent on the pitch. While I have no doubt every single player in the Ulster team bleeds white and red for their province, there’s only so far that dedication can go – that alone will not win you trophies. Just ask Leinster, they’ve been there and done it and they will confirm to you that in order to get over the line, sometimes other lines must be crossed.

Competing with the likes of Toulon, Saracens and Clermont Auvergne will prove difficult as it always has done. The money they are able to flaunt at players is, to be quite frank, ridiculous, and how the IRB do not step in and place some sort of regulations on them is beyond me because it is ruining the game to a certain degree and leading rugby down the road of wendyball (football for those who don’t know).  But where I worry for Ulster is in the nitty gritty games.

We saw last season when we had Leinster on the ropes in the semi-final we could not find that killer try to win the game – had we got it we were home dry and in a second successive Pro12 final. Too many times last season we simply stood back and let teams pick us apart at will – Scarlets, Dragons and Cardiff away to name but three. That’s where I worry nothing has changed. Our new signings are not the kinds of players who will get in there and do the dirty work for us. As much as we despise how he played, Ulster need someone like Leo Cullen (happy retirement to him, a good player on his day) who will just get under the skin of the opposition and rile them.

Those are my initial thoughts on what needs amended for next season. I worry every season about how we will compete with other teams and every year the lads always make sure to throw something in that blows us all away – not necessarily good every time. All I know is we’re in for yet another cracking season of rugby, be that in the hideously named Rugby Champions’ Cup, or the Pro12 (whoever it will be sponsored by). And whatever you do, do not expect the path to be smooth along the way.

It’s a dog eat dog world out there y’know.