Riders on The Storm

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ballpark Once again the European media spotlight fell on Ulster rugby and it’s supporters last weekend. We have been here before with the raucous atmosphere of the 1999 semi final and the games against Toulouse that year followed by big wins against Toulouse again and Leicester.

Each time the so called ‘16th man’ has played its part with rousing support and a fiery atmosphere that often seems to shrivel the most courageous player.

Saturday was no different with the 16th man taking the game to the referee and Roncero, the season pantomime baddy who played his character magnificently with a performance akin to May McFetridge in a tutu shouting obscenities at the audience.

In the tumultuous atmosphere, a number of Stade players lost it, with television replays showing Dupuy giving Ferris’s eye the once over and repeating the feat after sneaking a look in the direction of the ref who was ‘blind’ to goings on behind him.

What has impressed me this time around has been the reaction of Ferris in the first instance and the general feeling from Ulster rugby of, let the citing commissioner get on with the discipline and we get on with the business of focussing on the second leg. The squirming has all been the opposition, with the realisation that the lurid video of Dupuy and the still photo Attoub damaging Stade’s reputation in rugby in general. Ferris’s restraint has been all the more admirable and he has certainly grown in stature within the game given his measured response.

It has not always been the case for Ulster and it’s supporters with the spotlight sometimes fixing on the supporters as in the Trevor Brennan and Toulouse saga where the supporters were given less than the benefit of the doubt. Allegations, unfounded of course, of sectarianism were flung around like confetti at a wedding.

The players too have suffered their travails in the ‘spide’ row with London Irish which now seems so ridiculous it could have been material for the low brow comedy, ‘Give My Head Peace.’ Interestingly enough London Irish were at it again, this time accusing Brive of thuggery. It’s interesting how this lot get the opposition’s back up when you see for example Stefan Armitage’s finger wagging as he scores. It is annoying and on a par with the pat on the head between players for a misdemeanour which occasionally exacts retribution.

Ulster and its supporters last Saturday can hold their heads high for having conducted themselves in an exemplary manner. By contrast Stade have on the one hand been trite and on the other, having apologised for the actions of their players, they then questioned whether one of them had actually been a victim of a photographic set up. This is a sad joke and one Dupuy would their not have been a huge cover up of the players actions.

Ulster and its supporters have shown some pretty good restraint having stuck to playing rugby and supporting the team they have emerged from part 1 with credit. Let’s hope that the story continues that way today.   Stade simply cannot be as awful as they were last week, nor can Ulster simply go out and play the same tactics again. Mentally Stade were not right last week, having lost a player before the game even began they were forced to shake things up in the pack and it undoubtedly had an effect on their lineout. When things went wrong and decisions mitigated against them their captain lost it and undoubtedly he’ll be reminded of the effect it had on the rest of his team.

Ulster have made more changes for one match than Eddie O’Sullivan made in a season so it remains to be seen if it will have the desired effect in unsettling Stade who were looking to right tactics against the same formation. Worryingly for Ulster, Trimble is the main exponent of their blitz defence out wide as is Cave at outside centre. Trimble finds himself in the centre in Cave’s position whilst Nagusa who has looked decidedly shaky in defence must play the role Trimble performed superbly last Saturday afternoon. Will it work? I would hate to second guess. Perhaps Ulster should bear the dismissive aspect of Squat Quinnel’s words last night in mind, when he rated Ulster’s chances as zero with a few chosen words.

I don’t rate them highly myself as it’s notoriously difficult to win back to back victories in this competition against the same opposition, a feat that has eluded the best, such as Munster and Leicester. No reason to see why Ulster should buck this trend. They do have a habit of doing the unexpected and one should always be prepared for it, but nevertheless our priority will be to come out and match Stade up front and see how it goes from there.

No doubt they are a wounded animal and will behave with the cold fury of one, as opposed to the hot blooded stuff they served up at Ravenhill. Ulster must match that fire with fire especially in the forwards and hope that they will weather the early storm with the line intact and prepare to hit back.  We have as good a chance as ever to take this one but the historical odds are against us, let’s see if we can roll the dice and come up trumps.

ULSTER’S SUPPORTERS EXPECT!!

As BJ Botha might say, ‘Let the games begin!


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