ULSTER HAVE A quirky fixture ahead this weekend as they travel to Amsterdam to take on the Cheetahs in the Challenge Cup on Sunday.
The NRCA Stadium is off the usual rugby grid, but Ulster will stick to their standard approach of attacking this game with plenty of ambition.
All 5,000 tickets for the small venue in the Netherlands’ capital city have been snapped up and you suspect that a fair few Ulster fans are making what will undoubtedly be a fun trip.
The Ulster faithful are already in flying form, of course. Richie Murphy’s side have provided them not only with good results so far this season, but also with entertaining rugby.
At a time when others in Irish rugby have been questioning the state of the game and suggesting that it’s hard to play a good attacking brand, Ulster have been a beacon of positivity.
“We’re not too worried about what they’re talking about outside,” said Murphy when asked about Ulster’s approach.
“Yes, the game probably could be quicker and it’s a bit too stop-startish, but I think it depends on how you see the game and how you want to play it.”
Ulster want to attack at speed, they want to push their players to trust their handling skills, and they want to strike with awareness and decisiveness in the transition phases of the game that come from opposition errors, turnovers, or aerial contests.
Murphy has always been an attack-minded coach, while his long spell as Ireland’s kicking coach means he has a strong understanding of that area of the game. As they showed again last weekend against Munster, this Ulster team are looking to combine a smart approach to kicking with an ambitious intent with ball in hand.
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Jake Flannery, James Hume, and Nick Timoney. Andrew Conan / INPHO
Andrew Conan / INPHO / INPHO
On average, Ulster kick less than anyone else in the URC expect the Bulls, but they have been making their kicks count.
Murphy has been helped by getting the coaching team he wanted around him, with Mark Sexton arriving from Connacht last summer to rekindle the coaching relationship they developed with the Ireland U20s, a staff that Ulster forwards coach Jimmy Duffy and defence coach Willie Falloon were also part of.
With a balanced and happy coaching team guiding them, the Ulster players are very clearly enjoying their rugby. And the profile of the squad suits what Murphy and co. want to do.
Ulster have a mobile, pacy group of forwards, many of whom are confident in handling the ball, while the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Werner Kok, Zac Ward, and Rob Baloucoune are ideally suited to a high-tempo, counter-attacking philosophy.
Young halfbacks Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy, perhaps most highly regarded for their kicking and controlling, are comfortable in transition situations, with out-half Murphy looking to find the speed out wide, while Doak has provided some beautiful kicks on the move this season.
With Stuart McCloskey continuing to play excellent rugby and James Hume coming back to his best form, there is a real sense of confidence and momentum within this Ulster group. The fact that someone like Jude Postlethwaite is pushing that first-choice midfield pairing is key.
It helps hugely that key forwards such as hooker Tom Stewart – looking more powerful than ever – captain Iain Henderson, and the ever-consistent Nick Timoney have been playing very well for the province, while younger prospects like Bryn Ward and Charlie Irvine are making encouraging progress up front.
Cormac Izuchukwu has returned from injury in impressive fashion over the past two weekends. The 25-year-old lock/blindside was mentioned by Ireland boss Andy Farrell several times in November and will be back in the national team mix for the Six Nations.
There will be a few other Ulster players hoping for a call-up from Farrell and it would be great for Irish rugby if the northern province provides a bigger crop of players. The lack of Ulster representation in Irish matchday 23s in recent seasons has been a real worry.
But as Murphy pointed out after the win over Munster last Friday, the shift in Ulster has been that their players are completely focused on the province first. They know that Ulster going well will see more of them called into the Ireland squad.
Richie Murphy with Werner Kok. Steve Haag Sports / Darren Stewart/INPHO
Steve Haag Sports / Darren Stewart/INPHO / Darren Stewart/INPHO
And whatever about the entertainment value Ulster are providing, the key thing so far this season is that they’ve been getting good results.
They’re third in the URC, just three points behind second-placed Glasgow and with a game in hand away to Edinburgh still to come during the Six Nations period. They have won six from eight games so far, which is only one of last season’s disappointing final tally of seven wins.
Murphy’s men have already done their tour to South Africa, taking six match points home with them, and they will probably feel like the next run of URC games – Scarlets [A], Cardiff [H], Ospreys [A], Edinburgh [A], Connacht [H], Zebre [A] – is manageable.
There is a challenging run-in to the regular season – Leinster [H], Munster [A], Stormers [H], Glasgow [H] – but Ulster will hope to have accumulated plenty more wins before then.
Of course, every team has dips over the course of the season and Murphy will probably have to manage his way through one of those at some stage.
Ulster have teed themselves up nicely for a crack at being part of the URC play-offs this season, which would be a big improvement on their 14th-placed finish last season.
At this stage, all Ulster have done is position themselves well. But it helps that they continue to be great entertainers. Despite having played a game fewer than half the other teams in the URC, Ulster have scored more points than anyone else.
They average more defenders beaten and offloads per game than any other team, while only Leinster average more linebreaks.
As Murphy’s men focus on redeeming themselves in the URC, there’s a sense that being in the Challenge Cup might actually help them in the short term, but that obviously won’t stop them from going after silverware in this competition.
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Entertaining Ulster head for Amsterdam on crest of wave
ULSTER HAVE A quirky fixture ahead this weekend as they travel to Amsterdam to take on the Cheetahs in the Challenge Cup on Sunday.
The NRCA Stadium is off the usual rugby grid, but Ulster will stick to their standard approach of attacking this game with plenty of ambition.
All 5,000 tickets for the small venue in the Netherlands’ capital city have been snapped up and you suspect that a fair few Ulster fans are making what will undoubtedly be a fun trip.
The Ulster faithful are already in flying form, of course. Richie Murphy’s side have provided them not only with good results so far this season, but also with entertaining rugby.
At a time when others in Irish rugby have been questioning the state of the game and suggesting that it’s hard to play a good attacking brand, Ulster have been a beacon of positivity.
“We’re not too worried about what they’re talking about outside,” said Murphy when asked about Ulster’s approach.
“Yes, the game probably could be quicker and it’s a bit too stop-startish, but I think it depends on how you see the game and how you want to play it.”
Ulster want to attack at speed, they want to push their players to trust their handling skills, and they want to strike with awareness and decisiveness in the transition phases of the game that come from opposition errors, turnovers, or aerial contests.
Murphy has always been an attack-minded coach, while his long spell as Ireland’s kicking coach means he has a strong understanding of that area of the game. As they showed again last weekend against Munster, this Ulster team are looking to combine a smart approach to kicking with an ambitious intent with ball in hand.
On average, Ulster kick less than anyone else in the URC expect the Bulls, but they have been making their kicks count.
Murphy has been helped by getting the coaching team he wanted around him, with Mark Sexton arriving from Connacht last summer to rekindle the coaching relationship they developed with the Ireland U20s, a staff that Ulster forwards coach Jimmy Duffy and defence coach Willie Falloon were also part of.
With a balanced and happy coaching team guiding them, the Ulster players are very clearly enjoying their rugby. And the profile of the squad suits what Murphy and co. want to do.
Ulster have a mobile, pacy group of forwards, many of whom are confident in handling the ball, while the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Werner Kok, Zac Ward, and Rob Baloucoune are ideally suited to a high-tempo, counter-attacking philosophy.
Young halfbacks Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy, perhaps most highly regarded for their kicking and controlling, are comfortable in transition situations, with out-half Murphy looking to find the speed out wide, while Doak has provided some beautiful kicks on the move this season.
With Stuart McCloskey continuing to play excellent rugby and James Hume coming back to his best form, there is a real sense of confidence and momentum within this Ulster group. The fact that someone like Jude Postlethwaite is pushing that first-choice midfield pairing is key.
It helps hugely that key forwards such as hooker Tom Stewart – looking more powerful than ever – captain Iain Henderson, and the ever-consistent Nick Timoney have been playing very well for the province, while younger prospects like Bryn Ward and Charlie Irvine are making encouraging progress up front.
Cormac Izuchukwu has returned from injury in impressive fashion over the past two weekends. The 25-year-old lock/blindside was mentioned by Ireland boss Andy Farrell several times in November and will be back in the national team mix for the Six Nations.
There will be a few other Ulster players hoping for a call-up from Farrell and it would be great for Irish rugby if the northern province provides a bigger crop of players. The lack of Ulster representation in Irish matchday 23s in recent seasons has been a real worry.
But as Murphy pointed out after the win over Munster last Friday, the shift in Ulster has been that their players are completely focused on the province first. They know that Ulster going well will see more of them called into the Ireland squad.
And whatever about the entertainment value Ulster are providing, the key thing so far this season is that they’ve been getting good results.
They’re third in the URC, just three points behind second-placed Glasgow and with a game in hand away to Edinburgh still to come during the Six Nations period. They have won six from eight games so far, which is only one of last season’s disappointing final tally of seven wins.
Murphy’s men have already done their tour to South Africa, taking six match points home with them, and they will probably feel like the next run of URC games – Scarlets [A], Cardiff [H], Ospreys [A], Edinburgh [A], Connacht [H], Zebre [A] – is manageable.
There is a challenging run-in to the regular season – Leinster [H], Munster [A], Stormers [H], Glasgow [H] – but Ulster will hope to have accumulated plenty more wins before then.
Of course, every team has dips over the course of the season and Murphy will probably have to manage his way through one of those at some stage.
Ulster have teed themselves up nicely for a crack at being part of the URC play-offs this season, which would be a big improvement on their 14th-placed finish last season.
At this stage, all Ulster have done is position themselves well. But it helps that they continue to be great entertainers. Despite having played a game fewer than half the other teams in the URC, Ulster have scored more points than anyone else.
They average more defenders beaten and offloads per game than any other team, while only Leinster average more linebreaks.
As Murphy’s men focus on redeeming themselves in the URC, there’s a sense that being in the Challenge Cup might actually help them in the short term, but that obviously won’t stop them from going after silverware in this competition.
Another fun outing awaits in Amsterdam.
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Amsterdam richie murphy suftum Ulster URC