Ulster Rugby : Neil Kelly answers your questions

Neil Kelly answers your questions

15 September 2007, 11:10 am

By Anne Perry

www.ulsterrugby.com asked supporters to email in their questions to assistant coach Neil Kelly during the week, all the answers are below

What has it been like working with the Ulster Academy players recently and have they fitted in well to the 1st XV squad?
It has been really good, not just for the Academy players but for everyone. Mark, Niall, Thomas and David have enjoyed it as much as we have enjoyed having them and the breath of fresh air that they have brought to the squad. The Ulster Rugby Academy provides a great environment for the players to learn and develop.
Are pleased with the performance of the younger players who have been involved in the pre season warm up games?
Yes, I am quite pleased with how they got on. I never expected them to be the finished objects as players and it is important as coaches to encourage players to take risks by making mistakes as that will help them develop. We have been pleasantly surprised by them all.
What are the goals for this season?
The simple answer is to win the Magners league and the Heineken Cup. But we look at our goals as short term, midterm and long term. The short term goal at the minute is to win against the Ospreys, we have to do that.
What has it been like working with the new assistant coach Steve Williams?
Good, the players really respond to him, he is personable and approachable and so far I have enjoyed working with him.
How is the Ulster squad coping without the internationals during this world cup?
It is the necessary evil because it goes with the territory. If you play for your province it is a springboard to play for your country and being an international. It has really highlighted the benefit of the Academy system and the squad that we have as they are doing really well without the internationals. We have been training for the last few months as if the internationals aren't in our squad at all and when they re-join us it will be an added bonus.
How have the new some of the signings settled in?
Simon Danielli
The camp in Portugal was really good for Simon, he arrived well into pre season as he had been involved with Scotland, but because he was injured he was working one on one with Jonny Davis and wasn't really part of the squad, so the camp was great for everyone to get to know him and vice versa.
Carlo Del Fava
Carlo has taken every available opportunity to be with the squad, he has been involved with the Italian team on and off throughout the summer and now is with the Italian Squad for the RWC, we are all really pleased for him.
Jarlath Carey
Jarlath has fitted in really well, he has a great character and it was good to get to know him a bit better at camp, he has a great sense of humour.
Neil Hanna
Neil's injury has been a real tragedy, everyone has felt it. He came into the Ulster Squad in June and was training really well and had settled in. He will continue to rehab at Newforge and through that will receive lots of encouragement and support from all the players and coaching staff.
Matt Miles
Matt joined the squad after Neil's injury and met everyone when we arrived in Portugal; it is a credit to him that after being with the camp for a week he was selected to play against Gloucester. He is handling all the change very well and has settled in well.
Who do you see as Ulster's main challengers in the Magners League?
Ourselves!! We need to do the right things at training and transfer that to the games and maintain the intensity throughout the season. I think it is important to treat all opponents the same be them good or bad.
We are playing the Ospreys next week and they have lost two games already so the pressure is really on them, they may be getting a bit desperate to improve the start of their season, but they are a side full of tremendous players so we need to focus on us, if we aren't playing well they can disrupt how we play. So we need to make sure our game is right.
What are the main differences in training between union or league player?
There is not much of a difference in training between league and union. Union is getting more and more like league, league is very intense and has a good work ethic but don’t the players don’t train for as long. The training is shorter and more intense but League doesn’t have sections of players the way union does, there are not the forwards, the backs etc. Even in the two or three years I have been working in union I notice it is getting more and more like league in terms of intensity, union is more specialised and therefore the training has to be more specialised, in league the training can be more generic.
Now that you have been involved with Rugby Union would you have liked to have played Union rather than League in your playing days?
Looking at how much work the forwards have to do in Union I don’t think so, I don’t think I could have coped with all the line outs/scrums!
What do you make of Andy Farrell playing for England as a back?
Out of a difficult situation for England Andy has a chance to shine and be very successful
Who do you think will win the World Cup?
The All Blacks are the clear favorites. But, they will be challenged by South Africa who in my opinion are the best equipped team both mentally and physically. I have high hopes for Ireland and hope that the Ulster players involved do well.
How much will Ireland's display against Namibia have affected the players?
It was a typical performance of all the teams playing lower teams, the expectation is to go out and win by big points but really they need to get what they want out of the game which is a bonus point, a win and no injuries. The Ireland v Namibia game wasn’t a convincing performance and they really need that before France. The lower ranked nations have come on a lot, the IRB have invested specialist coaching in those countries and we are all seeing more organized teams on the pitch.
What sort of weight would guys like Neil Best and Roger Wilson be lifting on exercises like bench press, dead lift and squat?
Phil Morrow answered this question and rather than naming players gave details for what back row forwards should be able to do. The back row players should be able to dead lift 21/2 times their body weight, they should be able to squat 2x their body weight and we don’t really put too much emphasis on bench pressing but they should be able to do between 130 and 160kg.