Ulster Rugby 2017-18 season preview

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Only two days to go until Ulster kick off their Guinness PRO14 season against Toyota Cheetahs at Kingspan Stadium. Are we in for more of the same disappointment as last season or is there light at the end of the tunnel?

In preseason Ulster shipped a combined total of 81 points and 13 tries against Wasps and Northampton Saints, our boys only scoring five tries in the process. There were wholesale changes made for each match with a 30-man panel named for both games, so it’s hard to take anything from the matches. However conceding 55 points to Northampton Saints will rankle with the players and it’s caused concern within the fan-base.

Ball carrying and retention are key in this professional game so ensuring that South African international Marcell Coetzee is starting the season with all cylinders firing is critical. In the four appearances he made last season, Coetzee stepped up and provided an alternative ball carrier to Stuart McCloskey.

Captaincy

Last year Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring . . .

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