McCall hopeful of turning the corner

THEY were the first, and until May they were the last, but since Ulster won the Heineken European Cup in 1999 it’s been downhill all the way, with the exception of their Celtic League victory last season.

Current coach Mark McCall was happy to be involved back in ‘99, but he’s disappointed with the lack of impact since then.

However, now with a squad with some experience at his disposal, he hopes the corner has been turned.

“There is no doubt that we haven’t done enough since 1999,” says McCall.

“The Heineken Cup remains our primary objective, and it’s hugely important for us to get at least down into the knock out stages on a regular basis,” he said.

McCall admitted that Ulster had a relatively easy ride seven years ago, but recognises that it’s a much harder one these days.

“I’m not sure the Heineken Cup had the same profile it has now back in 1999, but the momentum has grown ever since. We were fortunate in a sense; once we got to the quarter-finals, we drew Toulouse at home, then we got Stade Francais at home, and the final, of course, was at Lansdowne Road. That made a huge difference.

“Nothing should be taken from us, because we played very well and took our chances, but back then I don’t think anyone believed Irish teams would eventually make such an impact on a regular basis. I suppose it’s an indication of how far Irish rugby has come in such a short space of time.”

McCall praises the Irish system for that: “Our younger players are exposed to the professional environment much earlier and Ireland has embraced professional rugby extremely well.”

He also praises Munster for the way they have blended quality home-grown players with quality outsiders; those who bought into the product and subsequently brought something positive into that product: “That’s definitely been one of Munster’s strengths; almost all of the guys who came in made a huge impact. It’s crucial that we try to be as self-generating as possible but with the realisation that to be right up there, you’ve sometimes got to look outside to sign players that will bring something special to the squad and not just come for the money.”

McCall gave the example of Justin Harrison’s signing from Australia, saying the big second row had come to Ireland despite better offers elsewhere.

Even though Harrison hardly endeared himself to Munster fans in Cork recently, he has struck a chord with McCall, who described him as having had a fantastic impact on Ulster’s youngsters.

“When we initially spoke with him it wasn’t to tell him we were the best team in Europe; it was to admit where we stood at the time and to emphasise where we wanted to go, with him on board to guide the team,” said McCall.

“We asked him to harness some of the young talent which we think we’ve got, and be a big part of where we’re going. You can see the reasons why John Langford and Jim Williams went to Munster, and you can certainly see the legacy they left behind.”

Now, even with younger players, there is still a level of experience.

“Going back to the start of my tenure, there weren’t too many role models for the youngsters coming through; that’s changed in the last 15 to 18 months.”

McCall is equally conscious that club rugby must also thrive to give Ulster and the other provinces the impetus to grow and prosper.

“The clubs are the lifeline of everything we do; otherwise our development players, and our academy players won’t have anywhere to play. At the same time, I think there can be opportunities within a season to attempt to bring them out of their club surroundings and give them the experience of A games within the provinces.”

Ulster open their Heineken Cup challenge against Toulouse, and McCall would like to keep the challenge as low profile as possible, but he knows that’s impossible.

While recognising that Toulouse will pose a huge challenge, he looks to his increasingly confident charges to give Ulster a dream start. The younger guys will count for much, but veteran David Humphreys could be the key man.

“It’s a different opportunity for him than before,” says McCall. “It’s the first time he hasn’t been involved with the international side, the first time as a professional that he has been able to focus completely on Ulster.”