“We know that this will be a tough game, we always said the Munster and Ospreys games would be the two hardest away games but it is a chance to give the young guys some game time and the game will be really important as part of the learning curve as we build up to the home Connacht game on the 11th April”
Whether you agree with Matt Williams comments or not or even disagree about the extent of youth being given game time, it is undeniable that there is a clear strategy for the Ulster rugby team until the end of season at least. Had Williams been in place at the start of the season there is no doubt the strategy would have been different otherwise the supporters would have been giving him the bird for a limited and unambitious objectives for a team rich in potential but woefully short in delivery.
The team in the latter part of the season know what they have to do, the supporters should be clear what the team have to do and how they are going to achieve it. By contrast the latter part of McCall’s tenure became mired in an ever widening gap between what should have been achieved on the pitch and what actually was delivered. No dissing the new manager here but where there was opacity there is now a clear understanding however limited the objectives, essentially beat Connaught to the scramble for 3rd best Irish province by winning all the home matches and use the away games as an exercise in gaining pressure cooker experience for younger or inexperienced players. However hard it is to swallow there is an acceptance that we are for now a team short on confidence and in some areas ability. The objectives have been cut to suit the raw material and the team have been returned to re-education in rugby basics.
Is it working? The biggest tests are the home games given that winning of the away games is not the highest priority. The last two away games have not engendered the greatest degree of optimism as we have shipped a large number of points and tries. All depends on the definition of ‘younger player’ given that Friday’s team had more of an oul heads look about it. In terms of provincial caps there were a few young ‘uns in there, Tom Court and Niall O’Connor. Worth mentioning it has been the older more experienced players who have failed to deliver. Saying that younger players be given a run infers that more experienced heads will prevail when the chips are down. This has not been the case for Ulster, the youngsters have not let Ulster down this season. It has been the older more experienced players who have failed to deliver.
What Williams will have learned though will be beneficial in the home games to which the high priority tag is attached. He has also shown an ability to work on areas of concern, i.e. the lineout in the Munster game faltered but was much improved against the O’s. He has two weeks to improve the defensive discipline, which while better this time round featured too many missed tackles and shoddy penalty giveaways.
As the character at the end of the film Manhattan said, sometimes you have to have a little faith in people is never more pertinent than now for the supporter. Faith in Williams ability to lift a team and in the team to rise to the challenge, they know what they have to do. A response from the supporter will be commensurate; there is little need for UR, the coach or the players to ask for a response because with a clear focus on objectives now in place the support can play their part in getting behind the team. Vacillating? I doubt it, just realistic about the mess we’re in but also clearer as to the strategy for digging us out and upwards.
Looking forward to the first of the important home games on Friday week but not forgetting the ‘A’ game on Friday for a glimpse of any strength in depth.
C’mon Ulsterrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BP from the bunker.
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8 Responses to “A strategy at last!”
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I am amazed at how people’s perceptions have changed with the changing of coaches. The current strategy is, in my opinion, the one Mark McCall was pursuing since we won the league. However he was pilloried by the support, who at the time had much higher expectations of success, for following this strategy.
We have just suffered two of our biggest away defeats ever in the Magners League and we are now praying for a home win against Connacht to save our season and this strategy is getting the plaudits of one and all.
Only the long term will tell if Matt is going to be a better coach than Mark, but one thing is clear, Matt is certainly much better at spin.
Let’s sit back and enjoy the ride!
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My thoughts as well, Dewdrop. Not sure why a bad defeat under McCall was regarded as a disaster while a similiar one under Williams is seen by many as just being part of our learning curve.
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Couldn’t agree more guys. McCall got plenty of flak but suspect his man management and media image were the problem rather than his coaching.A lot of the senior players got away with things an experienced coach like Williams would stamp on. Await the new signings with much hope but it’s going to be tough next year whatever way you look at it.
Off topic i know but i’m sure the good people of Ballymena will not be amused to see Matt McCullough linked with Bangor GS. Dunce’s cap for the researcher!
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“Researcher”? “Good people of Ballymena”? Now you’ve made me laugh twice!!
It will be corrected immediately!
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Dewi – The difference is that, after 3 years coaching and after inheriting a developing team the previous coach admitted he could not put his finger on what was going wrong, ended with tactical chaos on the pitch and dissent in the changing room off it.
During the two months in charge the new coach has spelt out a strategy for the rest of the season which is simple enough. Focus on winning the home games and use the away games to assess the capabilities of the squad with the emphasis on the younger players. I don’t see were the spin is here and supporters can buy into it because they at least have had it spelt out to them however unpalatable the focus on winning a home game against Connaught.
PS: Visted Ballymena on Sunday and had an immediate urge to drive on to Portrush!!
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Peoples expectations of results didn’t change when McCall took over from Solomons though I suppose he had developed that team so that’s different? Not buying into dissent in the changing room either. Yes the players were upset and angry at results but dissent is not the impression I have got from any of the players I have spoken to.
The players still left after McCall left, to me the problem lies further up the organization. Perhaps the more politically (small p) astute Williams will be able to exploit this.
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“to me the problem lies further up the organization” Would not disagree with that. I recall UR (Reid) stating in the media that objectives for the coming season (McCall’s first in charge) were (a) Heiny knockout stage, (b) Top 3/4 finish in Celtic League and (c) player deveolpment.
The season quickly became player development. Interestingly enough, the players being developed that season are the ones who have left this season with the exception of Matt McCullough. Perhaps the expectations were too high on McCall but he took the job on and MR publically set out his objectives which at that time the supporters bought into.
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I think the real problem is at the top…. Mr Reid. With McCall’s inability to deal with the super egos in the team, Ulster needed a real ball breaker to keep the squad in line. I don’t think we have a CE who knows how to steer Ulster into a professional era. I worry that the club is slipping backwards. Based on performances of the past 2-3 years, if Mr Reid were in business (and is that not now what URFC is?) the shareholders would be asking questions like:
where is the vision?
what is the strategy?
where are you taking us?
what is our ambition?
how do we retain our key members of staff e.g. Bowe (how did we let him go?), Ferris (1 year left)
I think that the Branch really need to ask the big questions of the man at the top, rather than let him duck and dive. IMHO appointing a big cheese like media-savy Williams is his attempt to deflect the criticism and unfortunatley McCall paid the price for his survival with his job.
On another front… I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I was watching Trimble against Connaught. Either he is carrying an illness or he is seriously over conditioned. He looked totally out of it. Could hardly run the length of himself.
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