Craig Gilroy's eyes always seem to wear a smile, and the Ireland winger does tend to see the positive side of life, especially when it comes to the prospects of his beloved Ulster.
He doesn’t hide from the reality that the side finds itself facing a critical clash with high-flying PRO12 leaders Connacht at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night, nor that three defeats in the last four outings has seen the team drop from top-of-the-table to outside the play-off spots.
But Gilroy insists that the character and quality of Ulster’s squad will show its mettle in the next month, and that the spark for a convincing surge towards the semi-finals can start with a victory over a Connacht side for which he has immense admiration.
“What stands out about them is the way as individuals and as a group - the players have bought into what their coach Pat Lam has been doing there over the last few years,” he says.
“They’re top-of-the-table, and that’s no accident, they totally deserve to be there. They play a good running game, but when they have to – and they showed this against Leinster in grinding out a narrow win last weekend – they are well-organised and well-drilled.
“They’ll come flying out of the box, we know that and we’ve prepared properly this week, concentrating on the things we can do well but ready for what we expect to be thrown at us. You can have all the tactics in the world but without being mentally strong they won’t count; we have to have the right attitude. And I’m convinced we have.
“The 27-17 loss in Glasgow last week was really hard to take, it was a game we were controlling and we played some good rugby for most parts, but we didn’t take all the chances we should have. And I hold my hand up, because after Ruan (Pienaar) had sent me clear down the right, I didn’t realise I had the time I had to get both hands to my pass outside to Luke Marshall.
“And I have no doubt he’d have been in for a second try in the first half,” he admits candidly, modestly ignoring to mention his quick thinking which led to the sharp line-out throw which sent Stuart McCloskey crashing over the Scots’ line as Ulster went 17-9 in front by the hour.
“What we can’t afford against Connacht, is to make the small errors which we should have eradicated, and we certainly don’t want to be penalised at the breakdown to the extent we were at Scotstoun,” he says, but refusing to get drawn into any debate about how justified some of referee John Lacey’s decisions were in a disrupted second half display from Ulster.
“What I can say is that I think that when we are consistent, and playing as we can, we can beat any team in this league, and that’s what we have to do in our final four matches in the regular season – starting with Connacht!”
Like the rest of the squad he’s delighted to see the return to the side of the Ireland contingent. “It’s great to see Rory Best, Jared Payne and Andrew Trimble back – to have these guys back in the set up is a boost to us all, not just on the pitch but in training. They also bring so much leadership to the group, as well as their proven international experience, and that can only be a bonus as we face the run-in.”
Gilroy’s twinkling feet and lethal pace can bring the Kingspan crowd to its feet, and he is persuasive when he talks about what an effect the supporters can have in enhancing the performance of their side...
“The way things have gone in terms of results, if not performance, means we owe it to the fans to give them something to cheer when Connacht line out. We also owe it to ourselves as players, and certainly to our coaches who have worked so hard in often difficult circumstances in terms of injuries without ever making excuses,” Gilroy says.
“A big crowd, a side determined to do well – it should be a big night at Kingspan on Friday.”
He doesn’t hide from the reality that the side finds itself facing a critical clash with high-flying PRO12 leaders Connacht at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night, nor that three defeats in the last four outings has seen the team drop from top-of-the-table to outside the play-off spots.
But Gilroy insists that the character and quality of Ulster’s squad will show its mettle in the next month, and that the spark for a convincing surge towards the semi-finals can start with a victory over a Connacht side for which he has immense admiration.
“What stands out about them is the way as individuals and as a group - the players have bought into what their coach Pat Lam has been doing there over the last few years,” he says.
“They’re top-of-the-table, and that’s no accident, they totally deserve to be there. They play a good running game, but when they have to – and they showed this against Leinster in grinding out a narrow win last weekend – they are well-organised and well-drilled.
“They’ll come flying out of the box, we know that and we’ve prepared properly this week, concentrating on the things we can do well but ready for what we expect to be thrown at us. You can have all the tactics in the world but without being mentally strong they won’t count; we have to have the right attitude. And I’m convinced we have.
“The 27-17 loss in Glasgow last week was really hard to take, it was a game we were controlling and we played some good rugby for most parts, but we didn’t take all the chances we should have. And I hold my hand up, because after Ruan (Pienaar) had sent me clear down the right, I didn’t realise I had the time I had to get both hands to my pass outside to Luke Marshall.
“And I have no doubt he’d have been in for a second try in the first half,” he admits candidly, modestly ignoring to mention his quick thinking which led to the sharp line-out throw which sent Stuart McCloskey crashing over the Scots’ line as Ulster went 17-9 in front by the hour.
“What we can’t afford against Connacht, is to make the small errors which we should have eradicated, and we certainly don’t want to be penalised at the breakdown to the extent we were at Scotstoun,” he says, but refusing to get drawn into any debate about how justified some of referee John Lacey’s decisions were in a disrupted second half display from Ulster.
“What I can say is that I think that when we are consistent, and playing as we can, we can beat any team in this league, and that’s what we have to do in our final four matches in the regular season – starting with Connacht!”
Like the rest of the squad he’s delighted to see the return to the side of the Ireland contingent. “It’s great to see Rory Best, Jared Payne and Andrew Trimble back – to have these guys back in the set up is a boost to us all, not just on the pitch but in training. They also bring so much leadership to the group, as well as their proven international experience, and that can only be a bonus as we face the run-in.”
Gilroy’s twinkling feet and lethal pace can bring the Kingspan crowd to its feet, and he is persuasive when he talks about what an effect the supporters can have in enhancing the performance of their side...
“The way things have gone in terms of results, if not performance, means we owe it to the fans to give them something to cheer when Connacht line out. We also owe it to ourselves as players, and certainly to our coaches who have worked so hard in often difficult circumstances in terms of injuries without ever making excuses,” Gilroy says.
“A big crowd, a side determined to do well – it should be a big night at Kingspan on Friday.”