Had intended to post this pre Friday night’s Bath game but computer malfunctions at home led to a few days delay. Nothings changed though, read on…
Not wishing to tread on Dewi Barnes carpet slippers but keen to comment on the pre-season build up, I have been consulting my own pre season optometer. This signals the levels of pre-season optimism and predicates my reaction to failure or success on the pitch during the season. Has to be said optimism levels are low. Dewi describes the sense of pre-season anticipation as understated amongst the supporters he’s been in touch with. My own optimism is highly tinged with a mixture of caution embellished with a large chunk of déjà vu. Perhaps the bruising of the previous two seasons refuses to lie down completely. The residue of defeat, the smell of recrimination, resignation and rumour laced with rancour declines to dissipate.
Previous seasons, the optometer levels have brimmed. Indeed this coming season one can be excused, (almost), feeling it is going to be different from the last two. The caution factor first emerged the season before last when seemingly on a high having beaten Toulouse 33 nil over 40 minutes it looked like the rugby world had awoken to a new ruthless Ulster. From that giddy vantage point we became a target for every team in the Northern Hemisphere wanting to make a name for themselves by making a mess of us on the pitch and in some cases off it.
As if not really believing, Ulster slowly subsided, seemingly rudderless, into the storm tossed waters of the Heineken and subsequently the Magners League. Like a yacht caught in the ocean currents and out of its depth Ulster rugby struggled to maintain any semblance of seaworthiness before changing admirals and staying afloat…just about! Whilst Admiral Williams made running repairs to keep our heads above water, it has to be said the good boat Ulster Rugby still listed to one side as last season ground to a conclusion.
So why any optimism at all?
Well the crew have been sifted over and fresh faces brought in to reinvigorate, regenerate, shake out lethargy amongst the regulars, add experience and inject the team with the vigour of youth.
Back at base there has been changes too with a new training regime and a fresh blood amongst the suits in the shape of Dr. David who will bring a renewed perspective from the playing side having just hung his boots out to rust. (See his Tele interview 14/08/08)
God bless the UR marketing team, they have been pulling out all the stops as the friendlies approach. With unlimited enthusiasm they have oozed information. No stone or e-mail device is being left unused in an effort to drum up the support. Just the other week another e-mail filtered through my inbox offering all the friendlies and the pre season event in one fell swoop. No criticism of them intended, they are doing what they are supposed to do and bladdy effective it is too. Season ticket sales up, pre season event sold out despite the risk of inclement weather.
The meet the players BBQ pre season event kicked off on Tuesday night last. The first of UR marketing’s efforts, it was an unqualified success with kids getting their shirts signed and interacting with the players in a little bit of rugby knockabout out on a lush green Ravenhill surface. It was clear that there is team unity this season with the whole squad represented and every player approachable. The UR girls were there in force too and were operating at maximum PR mode! Well done girls.
Matt Williams as eloquent as ever was presenting his take on the season. He seems genuinely satisfied that we are in a position, to ‘potentially’ make our presence felt. There’s a little bit of the marketeer in Mr. Williams and he can present his case with effortless ease born of media savvy. The players publicly at least, have oozed confidence and appear reassuring about our forthcoming prospects. Bryn Cunningham has already referred to the lack of cliques and team unity in his Portugal training diary, so one must take it as face value and indeed on last Tuesday night’s public showing of player unity, the corner on that particular gremlin has indeed been turned.
Another gremlin was the seemingly lack lustre and distinctly unexciting money available to buy in players. (See the Humhpreys interview in the Tele about how important is to have the cash to invest in quality!) Again a corner is seemingly turned. Shortfalls in player resource have been identified and players of decent quality brought in. Ulster would appear to have recruited wisely whilst some of last year’s signings would look to have shaken off injuries and now appear to be great buys. Step forward the kilted ones, Dewey and Danelli. Breaking news is BJ has signed and another piece of a jigsaw appears to drop into place. A cornerstone for the scrum this is widely seen as a key signing and I would agree.
Still uneasy, still sound too good to be true, new signings, new coach, management shake ups…???
Well yes. At the risk of being Dr. Doom, it is simply that other teams have moved on as well, with new signings and our failure to adapt to changing rugby tactics has been costly, as was the apparent lack of team unity. We will have to suck and see how the players shape up as a team. The squad has an unusually low average age, I think round about 24/25 (perhaps someone could confirm) and that is good but will the lack of experienced hands tell when the going gets tough?
As a spectator it is difficult to gauge these things and all can be revealed, unravel, disintegrate in the heat of battle. That brittle confidence which had been so low could suddenly return to haunt us against certain opponents. The team still lacks a talismanic character, someone who will lift them by the way he plays, an Andy Ward figure who can inspire. Rory Best would appear to be that type of figure – in waiting. Perhaps Carlo Del Fava now that he has a season in the team will step forward as the character the team rally round.
Then there are the fans themselves of which I count myself as an integral member. The newly signed team members persistently refer to the fans and the atmosphere at Ravenhill which is often a secondary reason for them signing for Ulster. The atmosphere over the previous two seasons soured and the famous Ravenhill roar has been distinctly muted in my opinion. Sure the fans are still turning up in their droves but one cannot recall recently when the atmosphere got out of third gear, surely a response to events on the pitch.
‘The players give more and the fans will roar’ is my motto for the coming season. I have no doubt the understated optimism and lowish levels on the optometer will rise slowly if the new dawn, silhouetting the wave of signings, new coach and management restructuring bursts into the bright light of a revival. Then the roar in all its genuine intimidating best will return at optimum levels.
First the players must turn it on where it matters, on the pitch.
Somewhere down the line of the new season, UR marketing hype off the pitch will collide with rugby realismo on it and the sounds of meshing gears could be painful. Alternatively Ulster may well have turned a metaphorical corner from rugby wilderness to a bright brand new day. I sincerely hope it’s the latter.
Best wishes to the team and management at the start of another new and hopefully bright adventure.
Corrections, comments or questions?