RORY BEST INSISTS the Irish provinces aren’t suffering from a World Cup hangover despite Ulster and Leinster’s European seasons hanging by a thread after two damaging results over the weekend.
Ulster’s opening Champions Cup pool game was postponed last week due to the atrocities in Paris but when they eventually got their campaign underway on Friday, it was a night to forget for the northern province.
Saracens walked away from Ravenhill with a bonus-point win as the visitors’ clinical attack punished an Ulster side boosted by the return of their Irish internationals.
With Billy Vunipola in the sin-bin, the Premiership outfit scored 12 unanswered points to overturn a nine point deficit and provide the platform for an emphatic 27-9 victory.
Leinster’s defeat in Bath on Sunday then compounded a dispiriting weekend in Europe for the provinces but Best doesn’t believe the balance of power isn’t shifting.
“We’re judging it on two very bad results for Irish provinces,” Best said after Friday’s game. “And we came here with a plan that we were fully confident we would win with.
“We just didn’t implement it as strictly as we needed to and I don’t think there’s a shift of power but certainly I think from one-off games, for both provinces, were bitterly disappointing.”
After an exhausting World Cup campaign, there’s been little time to recharge the batteries for those involved at international level but Best doesn’t believe it has had a bearing on performances or results.
“It wasn’t two performances at home either of us would be proud of but we’ve come back in, and it’s always we talked about, the strength in Irish rugby that you get back to your Irish provinces and it means a lot more to play for your province than maybe some of the English teams that more freely move about,” the Ulster captain continued.
“But it definitely didn’t look like that tonight [Friday] and last week as well from Leinster it didn’t look like it but I don’t think there is a hangover.
“Irish rugby probably suffered more injuries than anyone else during the tournament and obviously the Welsh regions are struggling a wee bit too but I think for us, you know what to expect.
“We’re used to going into Six Nations and coming back in and there’s that expectation and pressure on you to fit back in. We’re used to doing that so I don’t think there’s a hangover, we just didn’t perform to the level that we expect of ourselves and are capable of.”
Although Owen Farrell was uncharacteristically off radar from the tee, Chris Wyles, Alex Goode, Duncan Taylor and Vunipola all touched down to ensure Saracens took control of Pool 1.
It all amounted to a pretty miserable European debut in charge for Les Kiss, although he now has a couple of weeks to right the wrongs before round three in early December.
Before then, Ulster return to Pro12 action on Friday when they travel to Dublin to face Leinster. Leo Cullen’s side have endured a nightmare start to their European season after back-to-back reversals to Wasps and Bath.
And the timing of the inter-pronvincial fixture couldn’t be any better, according to Best.
“We have to be man about it and stand up on Monday morning and it will be a tough review,” he added.
“Nobody likes to lose games especially big games at home but the good thing about having Leinster next week is that if we don’t learn from that and do it quickly and produce a lot better performance we’ll be on the end of a beating like that and that’s the pressure we’re under.
“We’ll be looking for a vast improvement next week.
“We’re far better than we showed at times and at times we actually showed some pretty good stuff but other times we were so far off and I suppose the big difference in the like of a Saracens compared to some of the other English clubs, if you give them a half chance they’ll take it and they built a lot of pressure.
“They had four really good opportunities and scored four tries so you have to give them massive credit for the way they played but we know we’re considerably better than that.”
Or would certainly be in everyone’s interest if coaches stopped being so conservative in their team selections. In Leinster case, Saturday’s sudden improvement in pace and play when the young subs came on just proves this. Boss should not be ahead of McGrath at this stage. Ringrose, arguably one of Leinster’s form players wasn’t even in the 23. These conservative picks aren’t helping the provinces deliver results.
But unfortunately I think the irfu are probably dictating to the provincial coaches who plays where and when. I think its time for a whole rethink on this. Those of us who attend or provincial pro 12 games week in week out can see what’s coming down the line.
I’m all for the provinces working together for the national good. But there seems to be a lack of long-term thinking at the moment. We saw this during the World Cup. Payne is Ireland’s first 13, and that’s absolutely fine. However, once he’s injured, Ireland are shoe-horning players into that position and it’s proving to be a problem. Nothing against Earls, but he’s a far better winger and was outstanding in that position. Heaslip, and some of the other senior players look knackered. They need to be rested and the younger players need exposure. It seems to be a no-brainer that the provinces just wont implement.
I seriously doubt the IRFU would tell provinces not to play young players. Their main cash maker is the international team, so it makes the most sense for them if the provinces blood youngsters as early as possible (look at Henshaw as an example, he wouldn’t have gained half the caps at another province at his age).
I think the conservatism comes from coaches caring more about winning immediately than preparing for the future. Cullen has already picked more young players than MOC, but he still needs to step it up a gear
Completely agree with Pete Slattery. The most played provincial 13s seem to be Saili Te’o Payne and Aki. Hopefully McCloskey will be in the picture for the 6N so if Payne goes down, Henshaw can move to 13 and McC to 12
I’d like to see more coordination between provinces on player development, meaning:
* more movement of players between provinces to ensure promising players get first team experience
* stop hiring mediocre foreign journeymen in positions we’re trying to develop
It looks like for the future of Irish professional rugby we can have either strong competitive proveniences or a strong national team, not both.
With the IRFU are dictating who each of the teams can sign (case in point Moore to Munster) we may have to wait a while to see Leinster, Munster or Ulster dining at Europe’s top table.
France and England have always had more resources than us, yet when Irish provinces won 5 out of 7 heineken cups from 2006 to 2012 the international team won a grand slam. I think Ireland is in a better position to fight on both fronts (at least if you take our population into account) than ENG&FRA because all our teams are on the same page. The Premiership and LNR are constantly fighting with the RFU and FFR and it’s been showing for about ten years.
Plus, for such a small country it’s pretty crazy that we had that 7 year run with the provinces at all!
Plus, while we have greater strength in depth throughout the nation now than we did before, no province currently has the talent to match Munster in 06-08 and Leinster in 09-12. During those years, they each had a concentration of the countries best players, a number of whom were world class and in their peak.
Not to mention World Class imported players like Howlett, Elsom, Thorn, Hines, Nacewa, De Villiers and Contepomi. The current batch of imports are not at that level with the exception of Pienaar up in Ulster. Not sure if Nacewa will reach his old heights. I’m calling Stander Irish
True. It’d be better to have 2-3 world class players like the ones you mentioned rather than 6-7 decent overseas players. It’s also important to recognise that the Irish player standard went down. Munster with POC Wallace Hayes Flannery and ROG. Leinster with BOD Horgan and an in form Sexton Healy SOB and Heaslip.
I think ulsters pool might ensure they’re okay. But Leinster look in a horrendous position.
Robbie, that would suggest we are capable of going to Saracens and Toulouse and winning. Unfortunately (Dragons game aside) our away record would suggest we would be struggling against both.
Obviously if we can somehow get two results against Toulouse in December, the emphasis will change but already Kiss has to be looking at Pro12.
With Leinster, Ulster, Glasgow and Scarlets having already lost at home in Europe all four will already be thinking about Top 4 in the Pro12. Add Connacht, Munster and Edinburgh to the mix and the Pro12 could well be a very interesting competition this year.
Saracens away would be a tall order but I wouldn’t bet against Ulster beating both Toulouse and Oyonnax home and away, which would give them a chance anyway
Of course there has been a power shift, anybody can see that. Sarries, Wasps, Bath, Tigers, Saints have and will continue to dominate the provinces. It happened last season, it has already started this season. We may be looking at the first top tier Euro competition without an Irish team in the knockouts in the pro era.
I have a gut feeling based that the Munster boys will surprise us all this year!
Hopefully. With all the doom and gloom currently Ben wrote about Munster by the press I personally think we have a stronger squad this season than we have had in quite awhile. There’s now 2 or 3 different options in most positions the only problem I can see is there is no suitable alternative to bj at tighthead.
With a fully fit squad Munster are the province who can best anyone in Europe for a first team bar Toulon and Clermont. The problem is the wafer thin strength in depth, for Munster to win a european cup absolutely nobody can get injured.
Agree with you to a point. We now probably have the best backs in the country now. The problem now is our front row. Especially t.h. I don’t think missing pom and t.o.d is as daunting as it was 2 or 3 seasons ago. Dave o Callaghan is having a great spell on the blindside and Jack o donoughue is getting better with every game he plays at openside. As for winning champions cup .we can only dream.
I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom. We have had two different sides in the semis over the past two years. Munster are playing really well and Leinster are having a bad time but almost won at the weekend. We also have 4 of the top 5 in the pro 12.
There’s a fair bit of IRFU housekeeping to be done but there’s plenty to be positive about
No harm Chris but that Housekeeping is a long time coming. What is Nucifora doing?
Controlling everything on the non playing side. It will be interesting to see how many new central contracts will be handed out to up and coming players like o donoghue , ringrose, Dominic ryan or will we persist on the old reliables . It’s time to move on. Start building for Japan where the team is comprised of the 4 province’s not just one.
Martin. That was not a parochial comment. I stated a fact. Most of the squad are from Leinster. I for one have no problem with that. What I was saying was surely it’s time for a mini clear out. There must be some players from different provinces can do a job for him and as you can see I also mentioned 2 Leinster players in that post. Also i really hope leinster start winning again soon because Irish rugby needs 4 teams winning regularly in Europe.
The senior players at Ulster have been buying themselves time for far too long. Every season Ulster rolls out a senior player after a bad performance call for improvements. The senior players need to let Les Kiss be his own man and benching players after that performance should on the agenda. Les Kiss needs to be able to choose his own back room staff if he so wishes. Major changes are required at Academy and development levels because after a decade of more or less doing the same things in development the depth is not there. Are the lads getting academy contracts from outside Ulster any better than the local lads or do the indigenous back room coaches at Ulster simply not have the skills or experience to develop the local talent? How many of these excuses for change will be trotted out before the end of the season?