Someone said to me during our weekend trip to Glasgow that The FRU wasn’t as funny as it used to be and, you know what, they are right!
We started to take ourselves too seriously, what with our match reports when we haven’t seen a match sober in the last three years, and with our pops at Ulster Rugby when we haven’t got a clue what constraints they have to work under, but from now on we’ll just try and concentrate on the things we do know about.
One of the things we are experts in is having a great time on away trips and, boy oh boy, Glasgow is certainly one of our favourites. They may be small in number and they may over rely on a hyperactive MC to generate a big match atmosphere but they are easily the friendliest crowd and group of players in the Magners League, or any league for that matter, as our pictures will confirm.
There used to be bus loads of “supporters” in the good old days when Ulster were chasing leagues but those “supporters” who have jumped off the bandwagon over the last couple of years are missing a great weekend away. £45 on Easy Jet and £35 for a shared room in the Marriott is hard to beat but when you add pints of John Smiths for £1.90 and a multitude of bars, cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes it really is surprising that more Ulster supporters don’t make the effort.
And so to the game! Well, it did pass in a bit of a blur, but from what I can remember Niall O’Connor did a lot of tackling, Clint kicked all his kicks, young Whitten still looks the real deal, Cave and Bossy looked a class apart when they came on and Ulster were a bit lucky in the end, but as we’d met the ref in The Hilton earlier in the day an Ulster win was never in doubt!?
The topics on the touchline were Filo’s definitely gone this season, pity; Dan Roache was only getting a run out as his dad’s a mate of Matt Williams, unbelievably unfair on the Academy boys if true; Very few of the players listed as injured on Ulster Rugby are in fact injured, weird; and no big name signings expected for next year, disappointing.
After match festivities continued in great fashion in the Glasgow club house where, once again, the Glasgow supporters and players went out of their way to make us feel welcome. After that it all got a bit blurred back at the Ulster player’s hotel, but it was good to see big Carlo and wish him all the best for next season in Italy!
We did manage to get a word with Rory, One F and the Evans brothers with regards to their hopes and fears for the Lions Tour announcement on Tuesday. Fingers crossed they all make it.
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