Another award winning season for Matt? |
Eleven days to go and the excitement is building. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have expressed an understated level of confidence about the coming season. No shouting from the rooftops but a generally good vibe of hope and excitement.
After the upheavals of the last eight months Williams appears to have bought well during the close season. Botha and Diack, in theory, should add a harder edge up front and the back line certainly looks exciting, if a little inexperienced at the elite end.
However it is two local lads, namely Paddy Wallace and Matt McCullough, that could have the most influence on Ulster’s season.
After a, personally, successful summer tour Paddy has it all to play for this season. In the matches against New Zealand and Australia Paddy showed that he was much more than an international bench warmer and has put him self very much in the frame as an international centre. There has never been any doubt to Paddy’s exquisite ball handling skills and over the last 12 months he has worked hard on his defensive game to become one of Ulsters leading tacklers. However it is his ability to spot the gap in broken play that has is particularly exciting for the coming year. With more broken play expected due to the ELV’s this could be the year when Paddy really makes his mark. To expect Paddy to command a back line like O’Driscoll, Giteau or Carter is a huge ask but this is the level he has to get to if Ulster are going to become competitive outside of Ravenhill.
Is he up to it? A year ago it could have been said that it would depend on how he started the season and if he played well and kept his confidence high then he should do well. This year he is beyond that. His confidence is there and locked in. What he needs to do now is move his team play and communication up a gear and start commanding that back line. If he does he may be Ulster’s best chance of a Lions player.
Matt McCullough has had a difficult couple of years with injuries and other off field distractions. However he turned things around last season and put in consistently hard and gritty performances to win The FRU Player of the Year award. Like the underrated Wilson before him Matt put in his work at the coalface, time after time, scrapping for the ball. While most people are looking forward to watching Diack and Ferris in tandem with An Other from Pollock, Dawson, Henry, Anderson and McCullough it is my expectation that it will be Matt who will be the ever present.
Matt has been working on his speed along with the rest of the squad (even Fitzy!) but it is at the lineout where he can make his mark. With the elevation of the importance of the lineout, Matt’s athletic ability in the air will be a prized asset particularly with the departure of Harrison and Wilson.
Having had the pleasure of speaking to Matt at The FRU Awards Night I can assure you that there is no one more determined to take advantage of any breaks that come his way.
Roll on the 15th.
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12 Responses to “Eleven days to go!”
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I agree that Paddy needs to take command of the backline and lead by example gven that we are going out to play with two relatively inexperienced 10′s. The back row will be crucial in this aea in protecting either Ian Humphreys or O’Connor.
A back row of McCullough/Diack/Ferris is certainly a mouth watering prospect in terms of ball carrying but feel we need better balance with a genuine openside in there somewhere. Hopefully Pollock continues to develop from were he left off last season. For me our back row with McCullough/Diack/Ferris competing for the 6/8 position and Dawson/Pollock at 7 would represent the ideal back row unit.
McCullough won’t be used at 6 much because he simply can’t handle quick paced games and isn’t mobile enough for the ELVs
I seem to remember back 3 years ago when Ulster played quick paced games McCullough featured well, albeit from the second row.
Word is he’s been focusing on his speed this summer.
Forget 11 days – there’s only 2 more days to protest bout the Torch.
Is Free Tibet (aka “The Torch”) another Pacific Rim signing. Where’s Captain Chaos when you need him he’s our Rim expert!
Do u mean Captain Chaos aka Jean-Jacques Schwenzfeier?
He’s been called a few things but I don’t think that’s one of them!
Not sure about the Paddy thing I always see him as an impact sub the same thing could be true of Matt
He’s no openside wingforward and we seem to have a Lock and Blindside nor is he a first choice second row
(barring injuries) but he has on many occasions been our best jumper in the line
Agreed the key to the season is the mobility of the backrow and the vision of the half -backs but I don’t see the players named as first choice for either
I still thing the importance of first phase possession will see Matt as a regular in the back row.
Paddie’s a cert for the centre as far as I’m concerned.
well no days left for the Olympians – the Games of Shame begin today, 8th August 2008
and as F.D. Roosevelt wud no doubt have said were he still around – ” a date which will
live in infamy”.
Should be an easy date to remember. 080808
Mind you the Chinese cheerleaders look pretty hot!!
Training,i am told, at the Beach Volleyball venue of Chaoyang Park.
And sure why not! and The Ulster public have a rite 2 no u no.
Where is the bloody UAFC messageboard – off line just when we needed it most.