The last of our Irish PRO12 previews is last year’s beaten semi-finalists; Ulster.
The northern men are another difficult Irish province to judge and similar to Munster we are unsure what to expect for the coming season. A series of high-profile departures have left fans and pundits questioning Ulster’s ability to maintain their consistent top four finishes in the PRO12.
Will the losses of Johan Muller and John Afoa be too much for them to recover from? Do Franco Van Der Merwe and Luis Ludik have enough quality to really make a positive impact in the province? How will the province adjust their game plan under new interim- coach Les Kiss?
Players in/Players out
The high profile departures of foreign imports John Afoa and former captain Johan Muller have been well documented. The latter through retirement but Afoa is taking up a new chapter in a big spending Gloucester side in the Aviva Premiership. The Kiwi has anchored the Ulster scrum since 2011 and his loss will be monumental for Ulster this season.
Muller will be sorely missed by Ulster this season
Muller’s retirement is due to wear and tear on his body, the second-row he was unable to train or play the way he wanted and stepped away from the game. His direct replacement is fellow South African Franco Van Der Merwe who left his homeland following the emergence of some high quality competition for places down south. While on paper he is not the same quality as Muller, he is a hard-working lock with great experience in calling line-outs and should be a good addition to an Ulster locking department that already contains Dan Tuohy and Ian Henderson.
One departure that slipped under the radar somewhat is the departure of flanker Sean Doyle back to Australia. The Irish qualified back-row was in outstanding form at the end of last season and it is disappointing to see the very talented 25-year-old leave the province. He will be sorely missed.
Louis Ludik’s arrival is a positive for the club although it may have disappointed some fans that he was signed after the province was so heavily linked with Scotland’s Stuart Hogg. But, the South African has a wealth of Super Rugby experience and his presence will facilitate the switch of Jared Payne to centre, which is good news for the Irish national team.
I can’t move on without acknowledging the retirement of Stephen Ferris, the unfortunate flanker had his career blighted by injury but he will still considered an Ulster great.
Video via Pro12 Rugby.
Last season
Ulster started the season poorly last year with opening losses to the Dragons and the Glasgow Warriors. But they recovered strongly and claimed fourth spot in the table following 15 wins and seven losses throughout the season. An away trip to Leinster in the semi-final ended in a heart breaking defeat for the province and they can have a right to feel aggrieved over some of the refereeing decisions in the final quarter of that game.
They had good performances over the season from Andrew Trimble, Paddy Jackson, while Ruan Pienaar was his customary brilliant self. Nick Williams impressed with his ball carrying but also with his deft off loads which can ruin the opposition defensive systems.
Cliché you are most likely to hear this season
“Has their window of opportunity for success closed?”
Cliché you are least likely to hear this season
“Rory McIlroy comes on to make his Ulster debut in place of Paddy Jackson”
Room for improvement
This season seems less and less about improvement for Ulster but rather about rebuilding. They have lost the lynchpins of their scrum in Afoa and Tom Court. New signings will require a bedding-in-period and the absence of Irish international at various stages will hurt the province more than other seasons.
It may not be what many Ulster fans want to hear but they may struggle on the road this season. Improvement could come in the form of focusing on securing good performances on the road to the likes of Leinster, Glasgow and Munster.
Also, they are back to basics at the scrum so they may have problems early in the season but expect it to improve as the season progresses. The return of exciting prospect Stuart Olding is a big boost for the province.
Video via Windeos.
Best Case Scenario
Personally, I think winning the PRO12 or even making the final is beyond this Ulster side. I hope I am wrong but they seem to be a team more in decline than capable of actually challenging for honours. Strong performances from key players may help them achieve the top four and coach Les Kiss is a wily operator so that will help the province.
They need their big players to stand up and be counted this season. Paddy Jackson can no longer be considered a young pretender anymore and must take charge of games from number 10. Robbie Diack has been brilliant the last few seasons and he must continue to set high standards. It could be a long season and the province needs all their players with their shoulder to the wheel.
Worst Case Scenario
Missing out on the top four would be a severe disappointment for the fans who have developed high expectations in recent seasons. Sixth spot in the table would be the worst we can realistically expect from this side. Fifth is a distinct possibility for them and it is my projected finish for the northern province.
I pray I am wrong because it would be great to see three Irish in the PRO12 semi-finals this season once again.
If they were a fictional character
Troy McClure. You may remember them from such seasons as… Yes they may be past their best but their new coach may be able to help them reinvent themselves, similar to Troy’s marriage to Selma. They might rise again, only time will tell…
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