ROB HERRRING WANTS Ulster to express themselves and leave nothing behind when they take on Leinster in today’s URC quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium.
The 34-year-old, who leads underdogs Ulster in yet another attempt to get the better of Leinster in a knockout tie, wants the northern province to bring ‘swagger’ to the interprovincial clash which will be his side’s third Irish derby in as many games after beating Leinster at Ravenhill and then losing to Munster last weekend in the final regular season game.
“The guys are coming into this week confident and trying to play with a swagger that some of the guys have,” said Herring who is Ulster’s most capped player and will win his 241st cap today.
“And I think there is a little bit of a freedom in the way we want to play and if we put our best performance out there, I think we have the talent and skills to go and do it.
“When it gets to big games like this you can get a bit of anxiety going into them and we just want guys playing at the best (level) they can again with a bit of freedom and that swagger.”
“It’s a massive challenge for us and we’ve got to go down and try to put our best performance out there,” added the Ireland hooker.
Though Ulster have already beaten Leinster twice in this season’s regular season outings against Leo Cullen’s players, Herring knows that this will probably count for little when it comes these crunch games.
“The recent Leinster game (at Ravenhill last month) was great to get that victory in a close game because that’s how knockout games can be.
“To stick in at the end and get a victory builds character in the squad and gives guys more experience.
“It’s going to be a different (Leinster) team we’re facing this week but the gameplan should be similar and we’ve just got to go out there and impose our game as much as we can on them.”
With Leinster needing to meet the expectations of silverware from this season — the URC being all that remains for them after falling short in the Champions Cup final — the pressure will be on the hosts to advance which could give Richie Murphy’s unfancied Ulster a shot at producing a shock outcome.
“I think we’ve got a good gameplan,” Herring insisted, “and if we can execute that to the best of our ability, I think we have a good chance of going and creating a bit of an upset.
“We’ve got to go and give it our best shot.”
Why not play against Spain and Portugal in Madrid? Would get lots of fans traveling (Madrid lovely in late Sept/early Oct), and really good for these two countries development
@Andrew Slazenger: probably less valuable from a development perspective for Ireland though. Touring SA would serve younger players in future competitive tests, exposing them to the games at altitude against teams that are more hostile and experienced.
@Andrew Slazenger: would you rather drive a Ferrari or a Fiat Punto? What’s wrong with you man…!!!
@Stuart: Portugal beat Fiji, drew with Georgia and we’re excellent vs Wales in the World Cup, honestly I’d say they’re close the level of the Cheetahs
@Stuart: okay wow no need to knock the fiat punto
Absolutely understand the merits of the tour as a means of testing and integrating younger players into the international arena.
But I genuinely don’t understand the timing. Surely there are time slots where it wouldn’t hurt the clubs.
Also why not being back the wolfhounds.. similar concept but on free weeks around the 6Nations
@John Fitz: I’ve given up moaning about how much this effects all clubs AND provinces, no ones listening and no one (including the IRFU) gives two sh!t$ about the clubs (AIL). It was a great tour, big joe and Tom n the second row! Its like a look a potential national teams in 3 years time. I cheered from the sofa, and then didn’t go to the back pitch at Thomond like I should have
Select young u20s players etc who will not be playing urc games. Otherwise its a waste of time and a drain on provinces that dont have bloated squads like leinster.
@mike o’farrell: If you watched the game against the Cheetahs in the last tour – especially the scrum – it would be obvious that a U20 side would get slaughtered by this opposition. Also, fwiw, Leinster won’t have a more bloated squad than anybody else next season
IRFU devalueing the URC again. Why not bring back the wolfhounds and have them play England Saxons etc durning the 6 nations, or go on a summer tour to USA and Canada, the timing of this undermines what the URC is trying to do in not having games durning international windows so the best players can play for thier provinces more.
Think Ireland vs western force on 6th is an error should be province ..
@Stuart: The clue is in the article
@damien reidy: ah ok didn’t read it correctly , so emerging Ireland playing an Aussie side in SA too then ..that’s different alright ..
@Stuart: Andrew Forrest’s Western Force … Mining Contacts get doors open for you
@Stuart: Didn’t Argentina have a side in the Currie Cup in 2013-15 ?
@damien reidy: jeez I actually had to google that as haven’t watched Currie cup in years but yes looks like a Jaguares XV certainly competed in the Currie cup first division (one below premier) and won it .also a team from Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, USA seem to be in that comp (first division).. interestung stuff
100% this should be done during international windows when no URC games are done.
Aside from touring a Ireland A/Development team will fill out Ravenhill, Donnybrook, Musgrave etc if they were playing Tier 2 European teams like Georgia, Spain on a Friday night.
Some players I would love to see in this squad include Sam P, Doak, Izzy, Forde, R Russell, Edogbo x 2, Gavin, Milne
It would have been better if this was organised during the off season of club rugby so younger players would get experience instead of in the middle of a season.
@sean o’farrell: they don’t call it the off season for no reason,:)
@anthony davoren: where else would you put it
Izzy would be better off starting for Ulster in their SA tour which runs pretty much at the same time.
@Justin Robinson: interesting point. Famously in the last Emerging Ireland Tour Ben Healy played on with Munster while Crowley went to SA. At the time Crowley was 3rd choice at Munster. On top of that many saw the tour as a vehicle to give Frawley game time at 10. Frawley got injured … the rest is history.
@Cormac McCarthy: Great. Flannery went on the tour as well and it didn’t do him much good. In fact, so was Izzy and he’s only just got back in the side two years later!
@Justin Robinson: given what we’ve seen of him, that is sort of mad
@Thesaltyurchin: Yes, he’s been a breath of fresh air. Had some time-keeping issues with Dan – he’s a pretty relaxed lad. Prior to that, he had an ACL injury in 2021. McCann was also used sparingly for a good while. There’s an argument that holding them back until they were fully ready has worked.
With the loss of the B & I Cup, there are far fewer opportunities for the younger players to show their talent. Big jump from AIL to URC top end. Also the time of year must suit the hosts.
@kieran horgan: Make the AIL great again
@kieran horgan: I think the working assumption of most people on this site is that the hosts will be happy to fit in with whatever the IRFU proposes.