DONAL LENIHAN: Ulster must now look beyond Springbok stars for leadership
To succeed at any level of rugby requires a number of proven leaders, calling the shots on the field, implementing the coaching blueprint and adjusting to problems as they present themselves over the course of the game. Ireland have suffered on this front in the absence of Paul O’Connell and Brian O’Driscoll, with others slow to come to the fore. It is interesting therefore that the core leadership of this Ulster side hails from Durban, with Johann Muller and Ruan Pienaar calling the shots as Ulster’s two most influential players. Rory Best is also a highly influential figure but in a supporting role.
By way of contrast, despite a massive South African influence in the Saracens dressing room, including Springbok World Cup-winning captain John Smit, the on-field leadership of their side is clearly vested in three homegrown English products in Steve Borthwick, Charlie Hodgson and out-half Owen Farrell. They are the ones calling the shots with the others rowing in behind.
If Ulster are to prevail today, then it is incumbent on their indigenous talent to stand up and be counted and not wait for their overseas contingent to lead the way. Muller will be targeted up front and therefore for Ulster to win, Best, Dan Touhy, and Chris Henry must seek to lead the charge and not wait for Muller to do so. Likewise Paddy Jackson must emerge from the shadow of Pienaar and grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
Against Leinster at the RDS he played flatter than at any stage for Ireland and was a far more influential figure. To his credit, Jackson has emerged from a very testing time at international level with his confidence intact and now is the time for him to assume more responsibility, just as Ronan O’Gara and Johnny Sexton did for Munster and Leinster when they were dominating in Europe. Ulster face a massive challenge today but with more players grabbing responsibility and leading by example they have the capacity to win.
As befitting a side based on a South African model, Saracens will place a huge reliance on the effectiveness of their scrum today. Their front row resources boast the presence of the outstanding young England loose head Mako Vunipola and Petrus Du Plessis with former England and Lions player Matt Stephens and Welsh international Rhys Gill contesting the tight-head spot. In between that quartet of wily props, Springbok legend John Smit and fellow South African international Schalk Brits share the hooking duties. Is it any wonder they will seek to carry the challenge to Ulster from the outset in the set piece?
Ulster’s scrum has been rock solid all season with Tom Court having a big influence at loose head now that he has been allowed settle in that position with the ever impressive Rory Best at hooker.
The key to Ulster’s power in the scrum, however, is New Zealand World Cup winner John Afoa at tight head. That is why Ulster coach Mark Anscombe must have endured sleepless nights thinking of his prize asset circumnavigating the globe to be present for the birth of his third child in Auckland. He was back in Belfast by Thursday.
That is a hell of a journey to undertake in a week. Speaking to Irish referee Alain Rolland last season about the difficulties associated with such a journey — he has regularly travelled to New Zealand and back, spending just three days in the country in order to referee a test before returning to his day job — he says the secret is to stay on Irish time when in New Zealand. That entails sleeping during their day, test match apart, and staying up at night.
One wonders if Afoa adhered to such practice (it might have made him a valuable asset for the initial night feeds for his newly born daughter)? One thing is certain: Afoa will have to be at the summit of his considerable powers. If he navigates this examination successfully, you sense Anscombe will send him to bed for the week.
It is generally acknowledged you won’t win a Heineken Cup without a dominant presence at out-half. Ulster realised that late last season and panicked after their quarter-final win over Munster when dropping Ian Humphreys, who has always oscillated between moments of brilliance and disaster, in favour of the potential offered by Ireland U20 captain Paddy Jackson. While they made it to the final, in truth the gamble backfired with the talented Jackson experiencing a very difficult afternoon against Leinster. To his credit, he has come back stronger to the extent that he returns to the scene of that difficult afternoon with three international caps to his name.
Opposite him Saracens also opt for the youth, with Owen Farrell getting the nod over Charlie Hodgson who is on the bench. While he is only a year older than Jackson, Farrell has accumulated more experience and despite showing signs of being rattled against both France and Wales in the 6N, is still fancied to make the Lions.
If Saracens are certain to put Jackson under pressure from the start then Ulster should do likewise against Farrell. He is strong defensively but his game management is open to question.
