Ulster ready to ‘bully the bully’

Jeffery Toomaga-Allen had heard a few stories about Dan McFarland as a coach that intrigued him. He went to Ulster as he felt he could learn

IN THE THICK OF IT: Jeffery Toomaga-Allen of Ulster is tackled by Georges Henri Colombe of La Rochelle during the Heineken Champions Cup Pool B Round 3 match. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

First thing you recognise in Jeffery Toomaga-Allen in his debut appearance for the Ulster Rugby weekly press briefing, is that he loves it here. Like, really, really loves it.

Prior to coming, the once-capped All-Black reached out to friend and mentor John Afoa and asked his advice on Ulster. The response was, ‘Just dive in. You will love it.’ He knew nothing about Belfast, but head coach Dan McFarland dropped him a line and asked him if he wanted to try a year here and leave Wasps.

“Moving here, it's very similar to my hometown (Wellington) in New Zealand.

“The town, the city, it's a cafe culture, restaurants, good vibes. It's big but too big, just like my hometown. I've not actually been home in four years so it's actually nice and refreshing to be somewhere that feels familiar. We've found a home in Belfast and you never know, we might end up here one day post-footie.” 

The tighthead prop had heard a few stories about McFarland as a coach that intrigued him. He went to Ulster as he felt he could learn.

“I never want to be stale, I never want to stop learning, and I've been in this game for ten plus years at a professional level. You can't stop wanting to learn because then you don't grow. That might sound clichéd or whatever but, you've got to get better and it helps me get better as a man if I'm always learning in my work. If I'm learning I can be better as a husband, better as a father to my son.” 

The family is settling in. His son is playing his first year of rugby with CIYMS; “I didn't push him, I promise, but I am a tough dad on the sidelines. He's loving it.” His wife Margaret is working for a local jewellery shop, they live right beside the Kingspan Stadium and he glows with the atmosphere among the squad. Ulster might be in the horrors when you boil it down to the business of results, but you wouldn’t think it.

Ulster’s tighthead situation became chronic when Marty Moore ruptured his ACL in the defeat to Munster in January. Toomaga-Allen was only coming back from damaging ligaments in his ankle against Zebre, but he was pressed into action and McFarland has been leaving him on in games right to the final whistle.

He insists that in other environments, the atmosphere among a tighthead group could be ‘An alpha-male vibe’, but this is different. And in McFarland, he is receiving an education.

“Man, if you guys stood in our meetings, the attention to detail is second to none in terms of what I have been taught throughout my career,” he says.

“It makes you much better because he is trying to get the best out of you. The attention to detail is what makes us better. And like I was saying before, the better I can be, the better my mate can be.” 

Brass tacks time. How do you keep your Heineken Champions Cup hopes alive by beating the side that turned you over 39-0 on December 11th?

“That saying, it's bully the bully,” he smiles.

“Everyone says that, having experienced them before with my old team (Wasps), you have to meet fire with fire and beat them up front. That's their gameplan, that's their biggest strength. Their physicality, you have to match that and beat it, or get beat. Love that question!” 

And in front of a full house in Ravenhill, too.

“Ah yeah! I can’t wait. I was in the crowd for the last home game. That was crazy, against Munster. I told my wife, ‘Man, I can’t wait to play in front of a full house.’”