Ulster scrumhalf John Cooney provides the third and final update of the tour to South Africa, which covers the build up to Cheetahs fixture and the game itself...
We arrived at our hotel in Bloemfontein quite late on Monday after flying via Johannesburg.
Our hotel was actually set in Bloemfontein zoo so that was pretty cool seeing zebras and ostriches and all sorts of animals. The only rare species in our hotel in Port Elizabeth was Stu McCloskey so it was good to see a bit more variety! It was a nice setting for eating breakfast or having a coffee throughout the week.
On Tuesday, we trained at Grey College - a prestigious school with a rich history, particularly in rugby. The facilities that they had are top class and you can see how they’ve produced so many current and former Springbok players.
We went for a swim in their 50 metre pool and did a gym session in the morning, before a team pitch session and some individual skills later in the day. Bloemfontein is 1,400 metres above sea level and the altitude is definitely noticeable - you have a shortness of breath and it catches your throat a bit, so training was tough. It’s also a bit weird for the kickers because the ball travels a lot further.
Wednesday was a rest day. We were due to go on safari but the coaches were worried about us being out in the sun for too long so we cancelled that and we mostly just chilled at the hotel instead. I went to Loch Logan mall with a couple of the guys and sampled Cinebon for a quick snack, which was really tasty. It was so popular I’m thinking of setting up a franchise in Belfast!
On Thursday we went to St. Andrew’s School and a local charity, Mosamaria, brought in some children from the local townships for us to coach and spend some time with. It was really good fun and very rewarding. Many of the children were orphans and were living in poverty but they seemed so positive and happy - it was fairly inspirational for us.
We had Captain’s Run that afternoon at Toyota Stadium, another really impressive venue. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be involved in the game against the Cheetahs due to my head injury, so I just tried to help the kickers a bit by fetching balls and kicking them back.
Game day was something similar for me, just doing what I could to help the guys prepare. I ended up running the water during the match, which was the first time Ive done it for Ulster. It was interesting to see what it’s like from the touchline and nice to just be a fan for once. I was getting pretty worked up on the touchline, especially late on when it was so close.
But, fair play to the boys for digging in again and to Billy to hold his nerve and nail that kick at the end. Those three points could be vital at the end of the season. Every point matters. It’s a good reflection on the attitude of the squad.
I roomed with Craig Gilroy in Bloemfontein. He can be a bit of a bad influence but he’s always energetic and always in good form. He ended up pulling out of the game as well and he was a bit disappointed, but misery loves company and we shared in our misery together. I can see a future of us rooming together - we’ve got a very strong bromance going on there. I enjoyed my week with him.
Overall, I think the trip went well. We came away with 7 points out of a possible 10, which, after a long trip over, the five-day turnaround between matches, and some injury disruption, is not too bad. I think the trip also brought us closer together as a group and that will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.
Thanks to our Team Coordinator Sarah Sherry and Team Manager Nigel Brady for all their hard work to ensure everything ran smoothly.
We arrived safely back in Belfast after a 30-hour return trip. We will enjoy a rest day tomorrow before we go back into Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday to start our prep for Munster on Saturday!
Thanks again for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!
We arrived at our hotel in Bloemfontein quite late on Monday after flying via Johannesburg.
Our hotel was actually set in Bloemfontein zoo so that was pretty cool seeing zebras and ostriches and all sorts of animals. The only rare species in our hotel in Port Elizabeth was Stu McCloskey so it was good to see a bit more variety! It was a nice setting for eating breakfast or having a coffee throughout the week.
On Tuesday, we trained at Grey College - a prestigious school with a rich history, particularly in rugby. The facilities that they had are top class and you can see how they’ve produced so many current and former Springbok players.
We went for a swim in their 50 metre pool and did a gym session in the morning, before a team pitch session and some individual skills later in the day. Bloemfontein is 1,400 metres above sea level and the altitude is definitely noticeable - you have a shortness of breath and it catches your throat a bit, so training was tough. It’s also a bit weird for the kickers because the ball travels a lot further.
Wednesday was a rest day. We were due to go on safari but the coaches were worried about us being out in the sun for too long so we cancelled that and we mostly just chilled at the hotel instead. I went to Loch Logan mall with a couple of the guys and sampled Cinebon for a quick snack, which was really tasty. It was so popular I’m thinking of setting up a franchise in Belfast!
On Thursday we went to St. Andrew’s School and a local charity, Mosamaria, brought in some children from the local townships for us to coach and spend some time with. It was really good fun and very rewarding. Many of the children were orphans and were living in poverty but they seemed so positive and happy - it was fairly inspirational for us.
We had Captain’s Run that afternoon at Toyota Stadium, another really impressive venue. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be involved in the game against the Cheetahs due to my head injury, so I just tried to help the kickers a bit by fetching balls and kicking them back.
Game day was something similar for me, just doing what I could to help the guys prepare. I ended up running the water during the match, which was the first time Ive done it for Ulster. It was interesting to see what it’s like from the touchline and nice to just be a fan for once. I was getting pretty worked up on the touchline, especially late on when it was so close.
But, fair play to the boys for digging in again and to Billy to hold his nerve and nail that kick at the end. Those three points could be vital at the end of the season. Every point matters. It’s a good reflection on the attitude of the squad.
I roomed with Craig Gilroy in Bloemfontein. He can be a bit of a bad influence but he’s always energetic and always in good form. He ended up pulling out of the game as well and he was a bit disappointed, but misery loves company and we shared in our misery together. I can see a future of us rooming together - we’ve got a very strong bromance going on there. I enjoyed my week with him.
Overall, I think the trip went well. We came away with 7 points out of a possible 10, which, after a long trip over, the five-day turnaround between matches, and some injury disruption, is not too bad. I think the trip also brought us closer together as a group and that will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.
Thanks to our Team Coordinator Sarah Sherry and Team Manager Nigel Brady for all their hard work to ensure everything ran smoothly.
We arrived safely back in Belfast after a 30-hour return trip. We will enjoy a rest day tomorrow before we go back into Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday to start our prep for Munster on Saturday!
Thanks again for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!