Our preview ahead of the start of the RaboDirect PRO12 season continues with a look at the men from the north, table toppers last season who fell just short on the last day.
The stand-out team of the league last year, Mark Anscombe’s men fell just short in the final against Leinster, but given events both on and off the pitch over the season, they can look back on a very decent season last time out.
The squad is settled, with very few comings and goings and Anscombe will hope his charges can go one step further this season and bring some silverware to Ravenhill.
Players in/out
Captain Rory Best has already said that this is the most settled pre-season he has ever had at the club with very little movement either in or out of Ravenhill. James McKinney comes in for the departed Niall O’Connor for increased competition at out-half, but the academy players will hope to make their mark this season.
Mike Ruddock has overseen some talented Ireland Junior teams in recent years with a strong representation from Ulster and the likes of Chris Farrell and Rory Scholes will hope to emulate the progress made last year by Stuart Olding, who grabbed his chance when injuries arose.
Last season
The form team of the season, the men in white were irresistible early on in both the league and in the Heineken Cup and it wasn’t until December that they lost their unbeaten record. Their first loss in the Rabo was the final game of the calendar year at Thomond Park.
The turn of the year saw a couple of key injuries, plus a deflating home defeat in Europe to Northampton, meaning the team lost their early momentum. After a few stuttering results, they then rattled off five wins on the trot to finish three points clear at the top of the table, including an away win at Leinster, but they failed to do the trick a second time, going down 28-14 in a highly entertaining final.
To put their progress into context, the previous season Ulster finished in sixth place, 26 points behind table toppers Leinster.
Ruan Pienaar will be the lynchpin again this season
Cliché you are most likely to hear this season
Ruan Pienaar, the South African who is equally adept at scrum-half or out-half
Cliché you are least likely to hear this season
Sit down, for the Ulster men
Room for improvement
An obvious point, but if they want to land silverware, they will have to land some serious punches at the business end of the season. It had been forever and an age since Ulster left the capital with a win, but that is exactly what they managed to achieve during the league, though they could not back it up in the decider.
Two years ago they lost in the semi-final at the RDS and while these away games are not easy, a squad of Ulster’s capabilities should not fear coming away with the spoils when the stakes are high.
Player most likely to follow Jonny Sexton in a big money move
Given the age profile of some of Ulster’s biggest players – Best, Muller, Ferris, Henry, Pienaar, Wallace – a big money move might not be realistic at this juncture of their careers, but they do have some very promising younger players.
Craig Gilroy got his international chance last season, but Luke Marshall looks like he could have a glittering career ahead of him. The centre also started making inroads on the international front last season and is highly thought of in Ulster circles. He is quickly becoming an integral part of the set-up at Ravenhill and looks to be thriving under the stewardship of Anscombe.
A big season in prospect for the Ballymena man who was voted the the league's Young Player of the Year last time out.
Best case scenario
After finishing top last season and losing narrowly to Leinster in the final, they will have their sights set on landing silverware this season. They will need to avoid injuries in key areas and hope to avoid an away semi-final at Thomond Park or the RDS, but should have the confidence to claim top honours.
Worst case scenario
It could be a case that the only way is down. Tommy Bowe is out for the start of the season, Stephen Ferris is still dogged by injuries and Ruan Pienaar’s versatility may affect the development of Paddy Jackson in the out-half position.
While it would be most unlikely to finish outside the top four, it is possible, and even if they do struggle this season and scrape into the semi-finals, an away semi-final could prove to be a bridge too far.
