Ulster were, once again, close to a shot at silverware in 2016, but were grounded by familiar opposition. Cahair O’Kane looks back at the last 12 months and finds there are reasons to be hopeful for the year ahead...
FOR a few fleeting moments heading into half-time in the RDS, it looked as though this was to be the year at last.
The May equivalent of Storm Barbara first whipped up in the opening 15 minutes of the PRO12 semi-final as Leinster tore at Ulster, and through them.
An early Isa Nacewa try and two Jonny Sexton penalties beneath a gorgeous summer sky in Dublin spelled danger for Ulster, but they would recover to trail by two points at half-time.
From 13-0 down, 13-11 seemed a victory of sorts and they had weathered the storm. Paddy Jackson’s injury-time conversion after Craig Gilroy’s try tailed away, but it was a buoyant Ulster that left the pitch.
When they came back, they were railroaded again. A magnificent offload from Ben Te’o opens it all up and by the time Gilroy touched down for a second time late on, their hopes had long been eviscerated.
Leinster, as was the case in the 2013 final, the 2014 semi-final and the Heineken Cup decider of 2012, had left Ulster’s hopes of a first trophy since 2006 in tatters.
There were times when it looked as though Ulster wouldn’t even make it to a semi-final, not least on the first weekend of the new year when they were beaten at home by Munster.
That left them playing catch-up and three defeats in four to Scarlets, Cardiff and Glasgow by the end of March seemed to have completely killed their hopes.
But topsy-turvy results elsewhere opened the door and they had enough to squeeze through it, though they were always destined for the poisoned chalice of an away semi-final - no team has ever won one since their introduction in 2010.
By the end of the pool stages, their interest in Europe had been ended. Ultimately, the decision to field a much-changed side away to Oyonnax proved costly, despite the incredible nature of the win.
Ulster came from 23-0 down to win thanks to a late Paddy Jackson penalty, but missing out on the bonus point undermined a pool stage performance that also saw them record home-and-away wins over Toulouse.
Those results bred optimism and they travelled to the RDS in early May a confident unit. A 30-6 win over them at the Kingspan towards the end of the regulation season was only ever to be taken with a pinch of salt but quite how emphatically Leinster reversed the result was a serious disappointment.
Ultimately, it’s been a year laced with disappointments. The IRFU’s decision to force a clearly settled Ruan Pienaar out the exit door in the summer left a sour taste, even moreso now that Jaco Taute seems set to be allowed to stay in Munster. Some pigs are more equal than others, it seems.
Picture by Hugh Russell Ulster's Ruan Pienaar in action against Newport Gwent Dragons at the Kingspan Stadium
Picture by Hugh Russell
The Springbok scrum-half’s class is still glaringly obvious on the big days and with Ulster being pushed down the line of developing a homegrown number nine, he will be sorely missed next season.
His compatriot Marcell Coetzee’s delayed introduction to the team has also been tough for Les Kiss to deal with. The Kingspan crowd will instantly warm to the massive 25-year-old number eight when he does make his debut in the early part of 2017, because he is exactly what the team has been missing.
Nick Williams’ move to Cardiff was unsurprisingly a major success for the man himself prior to a torn calf muscle that disrupted his flow. He has brought all that fearsome ball-carrying ability to the Arms Park that the Belfast masses loved.
It’s the relative ease with which Williams gained yards that Ulster have missed in attack. Coetzee is a world-class operator of that mould and his introduction cannot come soon enough.
Chris Henry appears to be finally over his shoulder problems and his reintroduction to the back row alongside Iain Henderson has given them a bit of punch in there.
The squad lost another second row with Dan Tuohy’s recent move to Bristol and Les Kiss doesn’t seem to have quite settled on a favoured pairing in there, with Pete Browne, Franco van der Merwe and Alan O’Connor largely scrapping over two spots.
Rory Best’s form has been well documented, though it’s been mostly in the green of Ireland. That he hasn’t been too sorely missed at times is testament to Rob Herring.
The signing of Rodney Ah You hasn’t yet had the desired impact as he struggles to force his way into the starting side, with Wiehahn Herbst and Kyle McCall holding their own until the latter’s serious hamstring injury that he suffered in Clermont.
And oh how the home win over the French side lifted moral. With a fearlessness and a fluidity, Ulster took on their might and beat them at their own game, running in five tries.
The return leg threatened for half an hour to turn into an unmitigated disaster but despite the second half recovery not salvaging anything solid to take back on the plane, it bred deeper faith in an attack that once more includes Tommy Bowe.
Paddy Jackson has become the heartbeat of the side at 10 and they’ve missed him when he’s been on international duty. Brett Herron has yet to settle into the deputy role and come Six Nations time, it will be an area of real concern.
Especially given how this season has gone so far. They’re alive in Europe thanks to that bonus point win at home to Clermont, and one eye over the festive spell will almost certainly be on Exeter and Bordeaux in January.
But after four straight wins saw them top the PRO12 early on, they’ve slipped to fifth. That the chasing pack behind them contains holders Connacht and previous winners Glasgow leaves a degree of pressure on Ulster shoulders.
Last Friday’s victory over Connacht eased that somewhat but there is a considerable distance to be travelled before Ulster can truly bring a first trophy in 11 years to Ravenhill.
