Ulster secured a bonus point victory over high-flying Glasgow Warriors at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday evening after a display which Bryn Cunningham suggests underlines the new-found confidence within the squad.
“It was a fantastic performance from start to finish. We know Glasgow are a very powerful side, whenever you turn over ball they can hit you from anywhere. We defended for a period of time on our line which showed great character, great spirit, and then in the second half we built on that and kept moving forward which was fantastic. It was a performance that showed a lot of confidence which we’ve been missing for most of the season.”
Cunningham admits his feelings of relief following the dramatic victory. He is quick to praise the collective effort of the squad who worked to snatch the critical fourth try in the dying seconds of the game, taking them out of reach of fifth-placed Benetton Rugby in the Guinness PRO14 and securing, at the very least, a play-off slot for next year’s European Champions Cup.
“If I was being brutally honest the main goal was to stay ahead of Treviso - they are starting to play good rugby. They’re not the Treviso of a few years ago, they are a good side and when we looked at their run-in we knew we’d have to get a few wins. We’ve managed to do that and I think that says a lot about a squad that has been low on confidence throughout the season when performances haven’t been right up there but they delivered on Saturday.”
The stakes were high going into Saturday’s game but the fixture took on yet more significance for the Ulstermen as it marked the final home PRO14 appearance of Tommy Bowe and Paul Marshall who are set to retire from the professional game at the end of the season.
Cunningham, who has fond memories of playing alongside both men, is content they got the heartfelt sendoff that best honours their years of service to the club.
“It was great scenes. It was great to finish for them on a really strong note. Both are fantastic servants to the club. Tommy - it would take too long to list his accolades but off the pitch this season, he's been fantastic. He's been a really good leader.
“Paul has been an ever-present in squads for umpteen years. I remember when I was a player, and he was a schoolboy at Methody and he was the one sat at the front with his hand up wanting to ask questions and he hasn't changed. He'll be successful in whatever he turns his hand to.”
Ulster take on Munster at Thomond Park this weekend and there is everything to play for. Currently sitting fourth in Conference B, Ulster are four points behind Edinburgh. A bonus-point victory over Munster would edge the Ulstermen into the play-offs if Edinburgh fail to pick up any points in their season-closing derby against Glasgow.
While recognising that the team still have a lot of work to do, Cunningham remains optimistic about Ulster’s chances this weekend and looks forward to the challenges ahead.
“At least it’s given us a chance, and that’s the main thing. We’re now looking forward to going down there. We’ve built on three good wins; the confidence is up and hopefully if we get another day like that with a fast track and play some good rugby then who knows. Hopefully Glasgow do us a favour as well, you never know what might happen.
“I think for us we’ll just focus on the positives from Saturday and take that into our preparation this week. We've a lot of work still to do.”
“It was a fantastic performance from start to finish. We know Glasgow are a very powerful side, whenever you turn over ball they can hit you from anywhere. We defended for a period of time on our line which showed great character, great spirit, and then in the second half we built on that and kept moving forward which was fantastic. It was a performance that showed a lot of confidence which we’ve been missing for most of the season.”
Cunningham admits his feelings of relief following the dramatic victory. He is quick to praise the collective effort of the squad who worked to snatch the critical fourth try in the dying seconds of the game, taking them out of reach of fifth-placed Benetton Rugby in the Guinness PRO14 and securing, at the very least, a play-off slot for next year’s European Champions Cup.
“If I was being brutally honest the main goal was to stay ahead of Treviso - they are starting to play good rugby. They’re not the Treviso of a few years ago, they are a good side and when we looked at their run-in we knew we’d have to get a few wins. We’ve managed to do that and I think that says a lot about a squad that has been low on confidence throughout the season when performances haven’t been right up there but they delivered on Saturday.”
The stakes were high going into Saturday’s game but the fixture took on yet more significance for the Ulstermen as it marked the final home PRO14 appearance of Tommy Bowe and Paul Marshall who are set to retire from the professional game at the end of the season.
Cunningham, who has fond memories of playing alongside both men, is content they got the heartfelt sendoff that best honours their years of service to the club.
“It was great scenes. It was great to finish for them on a really strong note. Both are fantastic servants to the club. Tommy - it would take too long to list his accolades but off the pitch this season, he's been fantastic. He's been a really good leader.
“Paul has been an ever-present in squads for umpteen years. I remember when I was a player, and he was a schoolboy at Methody and he was the one sat at the front with his hand up wanting to ask questions and he hasn't changed. He'll be successful in whatever he turns his hand to.”
Ulster take on Munster at Thomond Park this weekend and there is everything to play for. Currently sitting fourth in Conference B, Ulster are four points behind Edinburgh. A bonus-point victory over Munster would edge the Ulstermen into the play-offs if Edinburgh fail to pick up any points in their season-closing derby against Glasgow.
While recognising that the team still have a lot of work to do, Cunningham remains optimistic about Ulster’s chances this weekend and looks forward to the challenges ahead.
“At least it’s given us a chance, and that’s the main thing. We’re now looking forward to going down there. We’ve built on three good wins; the confidence is up and hopefully if we get another day like that with a fast track and play some good rugby then who knows. Hopefully Glasgow do us a favour as well, you never know what might happen.
“I think for us we’ll just focus on the positives from Saturday and take that into our preparation this week. We've a lot of work still to do.”