Ulster aiming to bounce back

“You always feel pressure, and that noise has been out there for a while, but there’s a weird nature in us beasts in that you almost revel in criticism and stand up and fight against it.”

Ulster’s director of rugby Les Kiss yesterday accepted that he and his coaching team were being questioned, but he was determined to show that the work being done at Kingspan Stadium would bear fruit this season.

“To be honest I don’t ‘do’ social media, but I know what some people are saying, and you accept criticism because everyone has the right to an opinion,” said the Australian in the wake of last Saturday’s 44-16 capitulation in the Pro 14 in Galway against Connacht.

“But this is not about me, it’s my job, along with my other coaches, to get back on the horse.

“I know the preparation the players and the coaches are putting in is brilliant, the effort and the commitment of us all can’t be faulted. I didn’t see that performance coming, it’s not what we’re about. We know a lot of people expect better, and so they should,” said Kiss.

“Look, sometimes you just have to accept that this sort of result, this sort of performance, happens. We didn’t do what we had planned to do against a very good side, and I don’t want to make excuses but when you lose two players before the game through illness it doesn’t help.

“That said, it was a low point for us as a group, and we’ve all looked at the game and learned lessons from it,” he added.

Kiss, though himself clearly suffering from the virus which made for last-minute alterations to his team at The Sportsground and has spread through his squad, says that the Munster game at Kingspan on New Year’s Day does become extra-special in Ulster’s season.

Confirming that Irish internationals Iain Henderson and Jacob Stockdale would be rested, Kiss did reveal that Charles Piutau, Rob Herring, and Stuart McCloskey were available again, and that out-half Christian Leali’ifano was likely to return.

Kiss hoped Kieran Treadwell, the international lock, would play but he went over on an ankle yesterday and a decision on his fitness will be delayed.

Irish skipper Rory Best is still ruled out by a blood infection, and Tommy Bowe and Luke Marshall, along with flankers Sean Reidy, and Chris Henry, will not be considered for what is a ‘must win’ game on Monday.

Kiss also was ready to welcome back prop Kyle McCall, but both he and Rodney Ah You required treatment after a collision in what was, by all accounts, a very intense training session yesterday.

“Again, we’ll have to see what the damage is, but we could have done without any more injuries”, he remarked with a smile and a gentle joke about two prop forwards coming together.

Head coach Jono Gibbes, who’d returned to his native New Zealand over Christmas, is back in Belfast and he’s sure to have had some very candid observations on the display against Connacht.

“We’re looking for a real reaction against a Munster side which will be hurting after being beaten by Leinster, but they’ve had a good run and we know what a good side they are.

“In all honesty I hadn’t thought that of the three consecutive Inter-Pros, Connacht was the most winnable.

“I genuinely felt all three were winnable, and we’ll go all-out to win on Monday, winning our home games and getting that crowd behind us is so important.”