Ulster Head Coach, Neil Doak, reviews key elements of the past season and looks ahead to 2015/16...
JONNY BELL
"If you look at our defence over the last few years it's been pretty solid. He's been a credit to us and a key aspect of the success we've had over the last number of seasons. He's grown as a coach over the years and I wish him well at Gloucester."
PRO12 PLAY-OFF DEFEAT TO GLASGOW
"I thought we outplayed them. We had played pretty well in the first half and were unfortunate to go into half time only 8-6 up. We didn't execute well enough in those 20 minutes after the break and I think that was our downfall. If you look back over the game there were unfortunately some crucial decisions that didn't go our way and some ill-discipline, so the loss was down to a combination of factors.
"But Glasgow are a good side and finished top of table during the season. We've got to move on and learn from certain things this year and take it into next season."
DISCIPLINE
"I think our discipline on the pitch has been poor. We work so hard to get into certain positions to gain points and I just felt at times we've been silly. It’s human nature - you're under pressure and the decision making aspect just doesn't work as effectively as it should. That's got to change for us next year. Ultimately, it has cost us a few games and it's cost us a place in the final."
DISAPPOINTING WIN RECORD IN KNOCK-OUT GAMES
"It's been a pretty frustrating time. But look, there are probably eight other PRO12 coaches who would be glad to swap places. The success that we've had, albeit without any trophies, has been built on good foundations and we've just got to try to make sure that we learn.
"I suppose that is the pressure of high level rugby, sometimes skill sets, the break down and decision making processes get a little bit muddled in the heat of battle. You would have thought that with the players available to us and playing for us that had that experience but you can see that nerves and pressures get to everyone. The expectation on Ulster is high."
POSITIVES TAKEN FROM LAST SEASON
"Young players like Paddy Jackson, Iain Henderson and Craig Gilroy have really confirmed themselves as top class performers. I think they finished the season really well. The new players who arrived at the start of the season, like Wiehahn [Herbst], Franco [van der Merwe] and Louis [Ludik], did well for us too.
"We scored a lot more tries this season than we have in previous years, which is pleasing for me as an Attack Coach."
CHALLENGES OF BEING A HEAD COACH
"In the past I was looking after a certain aspect of the team (attack) and primarily focusing on that, while now I've got to focus on other areas as well so there has definitely been an increase in workload. The planning and the communication to the rest of the coaches and staff and trying to pull all that together that has been the big learning curve for me."
DEVELOPING PLAYERS
"You've got to remember that we're not like an open team who can buy any players they want. Within Irish rugby in general, the structures are pretty good so there are always going to be parameters that the provincial sides are working within. We've got to look at our local talent feeding through our Academy system and developing our Irish-qualified players.
"We're a feeder system into the national team and I think in the last couple of seasons with the provincial teams doing reasonably, it has been reflected in success at national level. Hopefully that will continue and lead to a successful World Cup campaign.
"We've always talked about having two international standard teams within the Ulster squad, but that doesn't happen overnight it takes an awful lot of work and development."