IT SAYS A lot about Ulster’s season that the province have gone four months without registering back-to-back victories, but for all the difficulties — both on and off the field — Jono Gibbes’ side can still salvage something from an otherwise wretched campaign.
They’ve made it hard for themselves, no doubt, but Ulster retain faint hopes of qualifying for the Pro14 playoffs thanks to last week’s bonus-point win in Edinburgh, a result which ended a run of three straight defeats and lifted the gloom over Kingspan Stadium.
It will count for little if they cannot back it up with another big performance on Friday night when in-form Ospreys visit Belfast [KO 7.35pm, BBC NI], with the Welsh region making a late bid of their own for European qualification under former Ulster hooker Allen Clarke.
“To keep giving ourselves an opportunity to get through to the last round-robin and have something to play for, it’s important we have to back it up,” Gibbes said yesterday.
“The door is not completely shut but you have to keep putting pressure on Edinburgh as best we can and that starts with fronting up against Ospreys.”
Heading into round 20, Ulster sit eight points behind third-placed Edinburgh and even with a game in hand, know they need to collect every point possible over the next three weeks if they are to have any chance of making the Pro14 quarter-finals.
That said, Benetton — who visit the RDS on Saturday — cannot be counted out of the running for a Champions Cup playoff either, with the Italian side just one point behind Ulster and still in with every chance of pipping the northern province to fourth place in Conference B.
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All in all, a pretty big couple of weeks for Ulster.
“Our ability to string three passes together has been up and down through the season which has sort of negated a bit of our tactical opportunity,” Gibbes continued.
“Against Edinburgh, getting over the gainline, we carried well, got quick ball and that allowed us to cross on the outside.
“There was a bit of a mix of everything. For me passion is energy. Enthusiasm is what you put into things, getting off the ground and working off the ball, and we had it in spades, that energy.
Presseye / Philip Magowan/INPHO
Presseye / Philip Magowan/INPHO / Philip Magowan/INPHO
“I said after Cardiff, coaching had to be better, selection had to be better, players’ input had to be better, and certainly with the attack, Dwayne [Peel] has done great work through the year.
“It’s been frustrating for him in certain aspects, but it was a good reward for his effort too. Some of the selection, we got a bit of a reaction, and energy, I think the players were great.
“To keep giving ourselves an opportunity to get through to the last round-robin [game] and have something to play for, it’s important you back it up.
“For the players, their satisfaction afterwards, they understand what they consistently need to do to benefit and enjoy that reward, so they are keen to back that up.”
Home advantage against Ospreys and then Glasgow Warriors, before rounding off the regular season with a trip to Thomond Park, will help Ulster’s cause. They have lost just twice in Belfast this season, while just one Welsh side have come away from Kingspan with a victory in the last five years.
Former Ulster hooker, and assistant coach, Allen Clarke has helped revitalise Ospreys over the last few weeks following the departure of Steve Tandy, with his side picking up 24 league points from their last six Pro14 games.
“It’s a unique game here. I asked a question who has worked with Allen Clarke as a player coming through and ‘Besty’ [Rory Best] stuck his hand up! So I said there’s a guy who has had some longevity in this organisation,” Gibbes added.
“He knows the players, especially the forwards, so he’ll know what he needs to do for the Ospreys and so it’s a unique game for our forwards.
“They will have a hell a lot of intelligence and inside knowledge and it’s up to our guys to make sure they rise up to the challenge.”
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'The door is not completely shut': No more slip-ups as Ulster bid to save faltering season
IT SAYS A lot about Ulster’s season that the province have gone four months without registering back-to-back victories, but for all the difficulties — both on and off the field — Jono Gibbes’ side can still salvage something from an otherwise wretched campaign.
They’ve made it hard for themselves, no doubt, but Ulster retain faint hopes of qualifying for the Pro14 playoffs thanks to last week’s bonus-point win in Edinburgh, a result which ended a run of three straight defeats and lifted the gloom over Kingspan Stadium.
It will count for little if they cannot back it up with another big performance on Friday night when in-form Ospreys visit Belfast [KO 7.35pm, BBC NI], with the Welsh region making a late bid of their own for European qualification under former Ulster hooker Allen Clarke.
“To keep giving ourselves an opportunity to get through to the last round-robin and have something to play for, it’s important we have to back it up,” Gibbes said yesterday.
“The door is not completely shut but you have to keep putting pressure on Edinburgh as best we can and that starts with fronting up against Ospreys.”
Heading into round 20, Ulster sit eight points behind third-placed Edinburgh and even with a game in hand, know they need to collect every point possible over the next three weeks if they are to have any chance of making the Pro14 quarter-finals.
That said, Benetton — who visit the RDS on Saturday — cannot be counted out of the running for a Champions Cup playoff either, with the Italian side just one point behind Ulster and still in with every chance of pipping the northern province to fourth place in Conference B.
All in all, a pretty big couple of weeks for Ulster.
“Our ability to string three passes together has been up and down through the season which has sort of negated a bit of our tactical opportunity,” Gibbes continued.
“Against Edinburgh, getting over the gainline, we carried well, got quick ball and that allowed us to cross on the outside.
“There was a bit of a mix of everything. For me passion is energy. Enthusiasm is what you put into things, getting off the ground and working off the ball, and we had it in spades, that energy.
“I said after Cardiff, coaching had to be better, selection had to be better, players’ input had to be better, and certainly with the attack, Dwayne [Peel] has done great work through the year.
“It’s been frustrating for him in certain aspects, but it was a good reward for his effort too. Some of the selection, we got a bit of a reaction, and energy, I think the players were great.
“To keep giving ourselves an opportunity to get through to the last round-robin [game] and have something to play for, it’s important you back it up.
“For the players, their satisfaction afterwards, they understand what they consistently need to do to benefit and enjoy that reward, so they are keen to back that up.”
Home advantage against Ospreys and then Glasgow Warriors, before rounding off the regular season with a trip to Thomond Park, will help Ulster’s cause. They have lost just twice in Belfast this season, while just one Welsh side have come away from Kingspan with a victory in the last five years.
Former Ulster hooker, and assistant coach, Allen Clarke has helped revitalise Ospreys over the last few weeks following the departure of Steve Tandy, with his side picking up 24 league points from their last six Pro14 games.
“It’s a unique game here. I asked a question who has worked with Allen Clarke as a player coming through and ‘Besty’ [Rory Best] stuck his hand up! So I said there’s a guy who has had some longevity in this organisation,” Gibbes added.
“He knows the players, especially the forwards, so he’ll know what he needs to do for the Ospreys and so it’s a unique game for our forwards.
“They will have a hell a lot of intelligence and inside knowledge and it’s up to our guys to make sure they rise up to the challenge.”
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