Robbie Diack joined Ulster Rugby at the start of the 2008/09 season from South African side, the Stormers. Since then, the powerful Number 8 has continued to perform exceptionally for the province, as well as having a number of Man of the Match awards to his name. A favourite among the Ravenhill supporters, Diack recently signed a new three year contract with Ulster Rugby, which will see him remain with the club until June 2014. This week he took time away from his busy training schedule to talk about the upcoming clash with Munster, his new contract and his hopes for the future.
Ulster have had a fantastic start to their season – the best start they have had for a number of years – with 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses recorded, but whilst Ulster’s last two fixtures have ended in a loss for the side, Diack insists that it will not become a habit.
“We are disappointed with our last two results, but it’s important that we don’t let it drag us down. We started the season very well and if we had told ourselves at the beginning of the season that we’d only have two losses by now, we would have taken that. Compared to the start of our season the last two years, you can see how much we have improved as a squad. We now need to concentrate, not panic over our mistakes and continue to work and train hard. If we do that, I’ve no doubt we’ll be back on track.”
Robbie has been on outstanding form for Ulster this season and has received three FRU Man of the Match awards already, yet he plays down the impact he has made during the opening weeks of the rugby season.
“I think I’ve had a good start to the season and having the opportunity to play more rugby has allowed me to work on a few things that I didn’t get to work on last year. As a player I feel I have improved a lot, but there is still so much I can improve on. If you play well it can add to your confidence but so does winning, which is why I think it’s important for us to pull together as a team and not play as individuals. It’s vital we go out onto the field at the weekend, put in a good performance and get the win we know we can achieve.”
The first inter-provincial of the season was against Connacht, at the Sportsground, and it proved to be a difficult fixture for both teams involved as the match ended in a 15 – 15 draw. With Ulster facing another tough opposition this Friday, in the form of Munster, Robbie promises it’s going to be an exciting night at Ravenhill.
“We are really looking forward to the game on Friday night and it’s exciting to be playing in front of the home crowd again. It’s going to be a huge match and Munster are a very strong side, so it’s going to be a big battle. We know what Munster are going to bring to Ravenhill but we’ve worked hard this week and are ready for Friday. With some of our Internationals away from the squad it’s a great time for the younger players to come into the side as well, put their hand up and show the coaches that they can play at this level.”
Congratulating Robbie on his new contract, the 6’6″ Number 8 smiled, said thank you and went on to describe what his new contract means to him.
“I’m very happy to have signed a new contract. I definitely feel there is something exciting happening at Ulster Rugby at the moment – we have some excellent new signings alongside the homegrown talent. With Declan Fitzpatrick and Darren Cave also having signed new contracts, it just makes you want to be at a place like this. There is so much positive energy within the squad, why would anyone want to leave it?”
And what about Robbie’s hopes for Irish qualification?
“It has always been a dream of mine to play International rugby. Right now though, it’s still in the distance so I just need to focus on playing the best I can for Ulster first and foremost.”
When Robbie first joined Ulster, himself and tight-head prop BJ Botha, were the only South Africans on the side. However, Ulster’s new summer signings saw an influx of South African players arrive in the province and settle into the famous white shirt.
“For me, it’s great to have some local guys from back home now in the same team as myself. Even though I didn’t play with them in South Africa, I have known them for a long time and have played against them on a few occasions. They are very talented players and have brought so much to the team already, just through their experience and I think their leadership and skills can be easily seen by the way we have played. They’ve settled well into the culture here and it’s nice for myself and BJ to have more company too.”
With the focus now solely on Friday’s highly-anticipated match against Munster, Robbie says the team is not focusing on the past, but rather looking towards the future.
“We have improved so much over the last couple of months, so we need to ensure we continue to keep it up and train hard. We believe in ourselves and know that we can play excellent rugby so it’s important we don’t let small setbacks and errors distract us and get to us. If we play well on Friday, we will be happy and if we can win a few more games heading towards Christmastime, we’ll be a confident side and one which the opposition will take very seriously.”
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