Ulster Gain From No Wind No Rain

The weather forecast for the start of this week was pretty bleak with strong winds and heavy rain due to sweep across the Province on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The smart option was a trip the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland based at the University of Ulster campus at Jordanstown.

Head coach Brian McLaughlin said, “The Sports Institute is available to Ulster on Tuesday mornings. We have a connection with SINI through Gary Longwell and the Phoenix Ulster Rugby Academy. It is a great facility for us to use when it is wet, because it allows you to get your lineouts done with a lot of accuracy, instilling confidence. So when the weather is bad we will try to avail of the facility.

There is a smashing gym at Jordanstown and it is great for the boys just to get into a different environment for a bit of a change. When the forwards are in the main hall the backs will work in the gym and when the backs are in the hall the forwards are in the gym, it works very well.

In the afternoon we went into a pitch session. The weather wasn’t too bad, we had howling wind and rain for the first 10 to 15 minutes, then the conditions eased and we got quite a good session completed.

Training has been progressing well for the Leinster game, we are looking forward to it and it is going to be a very, very tough game. We were really unhappy last week to come away from Edinburgh without winning, it was a massive disappointment for us, but we're not going to dwell on it. The only game that matters now is Leinster, at Ravenhill on Saturday. It is a great game for us to get our teeth into, and produce a big performance.”

Forwards coach Jeremy Davidson put his players through their paces as they worked through lineout drills. Jeremy pushed the boys hard, keeping the pressure on them he demanded accuracy in their work, which focused on quality, especially towards the end of the session when tiredness tends to creep in and concentration is lost. This is what happens in a game situation, so with the weather not affecting the players, the session was one of intense high quality and accuracy.

While the forwards worked through their moves Paul Hatton took the backs for a tough strengthening session in the gym. Each player has his own conditioning programme to follow, and Paul was on hand to ensure that the energy levels were maintained throughout.

As the weekend approaches work to fine tune preparations for the Leinster clash will continue at Newforge and will culminate in the Captain’s Run later in the week.