Advertisement

'He was a devastating ball-carrier and having played in the backs, had good skills'

Ulster’s Dan Soper was instrumental in David McCann making the move from centre to the back row.

DAN SOPER HAS long had the inside track on some of the most exciting young players currently breaking into Ulster’s senior squad.

Soper is the skills and kicking coach on Dan McFarland’s staff in the northern province but his reputation was built in the club and schools game, notably as he guided the Royal Belfast Academical Institution to three consecutive Ulster Schools Senior Cups.

Among the many talented players he worked with during that time were current Ulster players Rob Lyttle, Michael Lowry, James Hume, and David McCann.

“It was evident they had the potential to do great things,” says Soper. 

james-hume-celebrates-scoring-a-try-with-michael-lowry Michael Lowry and James Hume were coached by Dan Soper at RBAI. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Lowry, Hume, and Lyttle have been working hard to establish themselves for Ulster in recent seasons, but back row McCann is the youngest of the quartet and only made his senior debut off the bench in last weekend’s win over Benetton.

Anyone who has watched the Ireland U20s over the last two years will have seen 6ft 4ins McCann’s potential in the back row and Soper understood his promise even earlier than that.

Indeed, the Ulster skills coach played a key role in 20-year-old McCann being a back row player in the first place.

“Dave was an interesting one,” says Soper. “He played in the centre right through until Lower Sixth and then we had a bit of a discussion that because of James Hume being in the centre, he probably wasn’t going to make the team come Cup time unless he considered a positional change, which he jumped at.

“So he hasn’t been playing in the forwards particularly long but he moved into the forwards, won a Schools Cup, played for the Irish Schools, and here he is now.

“He was always a devastating ball-carrier and having played in the backs, he had good skills. I could see him as a rangy, back-row forward who could do a lot of damage on the edge. He’s a good carrier, he’s got good footwork.

“He also had a big collision in him at school. There was no question in my mind over whether he would shy away from the physical stuff as a forward. He’s done really well. He’s a smart guy, he’s done a lot of learning and he’s made a good fist of it.”

david-mccann McCann playing for the Ireland U20s earlier this year. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

There was one dynamic show of McCann’s ability on the ball last weekend as he received a tip-on pass from Marcell Coetzee, accelerated inside a Benetton defender, then stepped another for a big gain of metres for Ulster.

Soper says the hard work has only really started for these young Ulstermen, underlining that “they’re very aware that getting there is really tough, but staying there and continuing to develop is the key thing.”

McCann is very much in the mould of what McFarland is looking for from Ulster forwards these days – mobile and quick enough to play at a high tempo, aggressive in contact, and with the ball-handling skills to catch and pass comfortably. 

Ulster’s play in the McFarland era has featured strong use of tip-on, tip-in, and pullback passes from the forwards as his team has looked to play with width and ball movement.

Soper has been the man behind the vast growth of the skills levels in Ulster’s forwards in recent years, with McFarland making him one of his first additions upon joining the province as head coach in 2018.

New Zealand native Soper, who has been in Ireland since 1998, has relished taking on the job and explains what the next level of the journey is.

“It’s been a really fun challenge that Dan set when we started a couple of years ago,” says Soper. “We wanted forwards to pass the ball and we’ve had some good days and some not-so-good days.

dan-soper Dan Soper is a key man in the Ulster set-up. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

“Where we’re at is that we probably had a period where we did a lot of passing for the sake of passing and it wasn’t always the best decision.

“Sometimes not passing is the best decision but having the ability to pass and playing against teams who know you have that ability to pass is part of it. We’re sort of trying to move that to making really good, strong decisions on the ball.

“Yeah, tip if it’s on, play out the back if it’s on, but if it’s not, there’s nothing wrong with carrying really well.

“If you have that ability to tip, then maybe you soften the defence. So we’re trying to get smarter about those things. We’re not necessarily trying to be any smarter about how we do it, it’s just about making good decisions on the ball.

“The great thing is that the players, the forwards particularly, love their skills practice. They just love it. You throw a group of four of them a ball in the gym, give them a wee catch-pass game, and they look like kids again.

“It’s an easy thing to work on with them, but that decision-making is still the big thing we’re trying to press on at the moment.”

Close
9 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Harms
    Favourite Sam Harms
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 8:47 AM

    Really going to miss Isa, always gave 110% and was such a lovely guy, going to be big shoes to fill.

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute grandslamkbo
    Favourite grandslamkbo
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 10:47 AM

    @Sam Harms: Always enjoyed watching him during those Magners League/Pro 12 games during the international break. Nacewa would regularly find himseld at 15 with 2 young wingers either side of him. He’d guide them though the game, defensively. Where to stand, how far from the centre, when to push in, when to push up etc That’s why I was really hoping he’d stay around and do some coaching. He looks like a coach already.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Demps
    Favourite Jim Demps
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 8:57 AM

    Leo didn’t exactly give a vote of confidence to Carbery on Saturday, Sexton was goosed, couldn’t kick and could barely run, Nacewa had taken over kicking duties and yet he still kept him on the bench. A move away is badly needed for him. I wouldn’t expect Sexton to be fit for this weekend so it’ll be telling to see who Cullen goes for.
    On another note I really enjoyed the game on Saturday. Real tough game and Leinster ground out the result. I was delighted for them.

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Harms
    Favourite Sam Harms
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 8:59 AM

    @Jim Demps: there was no way anyone was coming on to replace Sexton, unless he literally couldnt walk, when it was that close

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fred McHugh
    Favourite Fred McHugh
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 9:23 AM

    @Sam Harms: yeh good point Sam,I’m sure he kept him on for a potential drop goal! he was limping and still made the one against France.

    30
    See 9 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Demps
    Favourite Jim Demps
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 9:44 AM

    @Sam Harms: yeah you’re prob right but he should have come off. He was obviously struggling. It worked out though thankfully.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Demps
    Favourite Jim Demps
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 10:09 AM

    @Sam Harms: without getting too tribal and with my Irish hat on, Carbery can’t afford to have another season like he has just had if he has any aspirations on playing in the ten jersey for Ireland. I take your point on learning from Sexton but he also needs game time at club level, be it with Ulster or munster.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Harms
    Favourite Sam Harms
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 10:14 AM

    @Jim Demps: look at it this way, would Munster take Murray off in that situation unless they 100% had to?

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Harms
    Favourite Sam Harms
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 10:25 AM

    @Jim Demps: Or Leinster.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute grandslamkbo
    Favourite grandslamkbo
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 10:43 AM

    @Sam Harms: Ireland wouldn’t take off Murray either. He’s absolutely vital, like Sexton.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Demps
    Favourite Jim Demps
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 11:03 AM

    @Sam Harms: I’m not criticizing the decision. I’m saying that Carbery needs to get game time in meaningful games, at ten , before the World Cup.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Harms
    Favourite Sam Harms
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 12:14 PM

    @Jim Demps: which he can, at Leinster. Munster have 3 flyhalfs already so if he does have to go anywhere it should be Ulster.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute baw baw
    Favourite baw baw
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 12:30 PM

    @Sam Harms: I get your point of view but neither Duncan Williams or James hart aren’t the back up 9 in the Irish squad so it’s not like for like –
    If carbery is back up ten for his country he needs minutes or to be trusted as deputy for the club when the first choice is struggling , although I take no part in the debate as it’s a tricky situation , the Murrays value to Munster comparison just doesnt work

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Demps
    Favourite Jim Demps
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 12:56 PM

    @Sam Harms: I think it’s all been decided anyway Sam. Once the season is over we will find out what the story with Carbery is. If I had to bet I’d say a season long loan to Ulster. If I had to decide myself I’d say a permanent switch to munster with Keatley going to Ulster.

    1
    EK
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute EK
    Favourite EK
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 11:09 AM

    While the game wasn’t the prettiest, it was an important win for Leinster in the grand scheme of things.

    Something that popped into my head after the game was the 2011 World Cup final that New Zealand won 8-7 against France. New Zealand were obviously a quality team but hadn’t won in so long, much like Leinster. Much like Leinster, there was an argument for the French team outperforming their counterparts despite the odds.

    For sure, this game was not a classic for the purists but in the grand scheme of things with an eye to future finals, I think Leinster will be happy to get the pressure of winning it again off their backs and play better as a result in the future.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Paddington
    Favourite Conor Paddington
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 12:17 PM

    @EK: totally agree. It should also be boted that while the highlights reel of their campaign won’t feature much more from Saturday’s match than the relief of a missed drop goal, it will still be a pretty glorious highlights reel featuring great attacking play against exclusively top class teams. The final itself was ground out, but it was raining and there were two teams with incredible defensive systems and a pernickety ref. We don’t have to worry about the quality of rugby Leinster are able to play.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Limón Madrugada
    Favourite Limón Madrugada
    Report
    May 14th 2018, 2:24 PM

    @Conor Paddington: that’s very true Conor the official highlights vid is a joke , just the place kicks , not even how they happened . Nothing about possible yellows etc . I was at the game and Barnes was very frustrating , slow at blowing the whistle , lenient for card situations .. but he at least didn’t have any game changing errors . I’ll have to watch the game in full a couple of times on YouTube now . Overall Leinster looked quite comfortable and I was always confident they’d get the chances near the end . Let not forget Tales was dropping for a draw, I think Leinster would have had too much for Racing if it had gone into extra time

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel