"It was an important win, we're in the hunt sill, and we've got to use this win over the best team in the competition as we move on to Zebre."
Ulster’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss knew that Friday night’s Guinness PRO12 clash at Kingspan Stadium with leaders Connacht was crucial, and he gave the credit for a thrilling 18-10 win to the players.
“I’m really proud of all the guys, all week they worked hard, they worked smart and physical, and they were determined to pay back a lot of people.
“From the whistle we drew a line in the sand, we played to a plan we knew would frustrate them, and we had pinpointed one or two other areas we might be able to expose them. And we did dominate large tracts of the game, though it’s true that we might have done better with some of the chances we had,” said a clearly delighted Kiss.
“When they were down to 13 men through yellow cards we could perhaps have capitalised more, maybe it’s because we’re not used to paying against a Rugby League side,” he joked.
“But first and foremost it was about the win, it was important that we made that stand on Friday, for us as a group, and I think the crowd could see that the players wanted to give them something back.”
The win briefly pushed Ulster back into the top four, though Glasgow supplanted them with its win bonus-point win in Treviso on Saturday.
“But we are back in it now, we will prepare well for the trip to Zebre and we’ll see how other results ‘pan’ out. I had a points target in mind for a top four place but the spreadsheets have been scattered!”, Kiss said, convinced still that there are some twists and turns to come in the remaining three rounds of the regular Guinness PRO12 season.
Kiss was as effusive as he gets in praise of Jared Payne, who picked up the Man of the Match award in what was his first appearance for Ulster in the competition this year. “Jared’s a class act. He’d be the first to say that the forwards did a fantastic job in building and maintaining a platform, and Jared reaped the reward.”
Payne’s interventions into the line, his sleight of hand, and the quick-thinking pass which brought Craig Gilroy Ulster’s second try illustrative of just what intelligence he brings to the side.
“We’ll be working hard in training, and on our analysis, for at times Connacht nearly got us with their line-speed, but we got our reward from targeting a couple of areas.
“Friday night wasn’t about talent, it was about hard tactics and everyone deserves to take credit for that, because Pat Lam had his team digging in, putting in the work and we couldn’t afford to lose our focus,” said Kiss.
“From a defensive point of view we did really well for most of the game, but it was an error which allowed them in for a try. We weren’t perfect, we know that, and we’ll be working hard to improve in every area.
“We have three games left, starting at Zebre, and they can be a ‘pain’, you have to concentrate to break them down, very much like Treviso. They’re fighting for a place in Europe and we’re fighting for a play-off spot - so we take each game as it comes.
“We can’t do it any other way, sides are stealing points off each other and it’s really very unpredictable.”
Kiss revealed that winger Tommy Bowe is so close to full fitness ‘it’s not funny’, “but we have to manage him carefully, he’s worked so very, very hard, and the same goes for Louis Ludik.” Stuart McCloskey suffered an AC joint injury in the win and he will be monitored closely ahead of the Zebre fixture.
Ulster’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss knew that Friday night’s Guinness PRO12 clash at Kingspan Stadium with leaders Connacht was crucial, and he gave the credit for a thrilling 18-10 win to the players.
“I’m really proud of all the guys, all week they worked hard, they worked smart and physical, and they were determined to pay back a lot of people.
“From the whistle we drew a line in the sand, we played to a plan we knew would frustrate them, and we had pinpointed one or two other areas we might be able to expose them. And we did dominate large tracts of the game, though it’s true that we might have done better with some of the chances we had,” said a clearly delighted Kiss.
“When they were down to 13 men through yellow cards we could perhaps have capitalised more, maybe it’s because we’re not used to paying against a Rugby League side,” he joked.
“But first and foremost it was about the win, it was important that we made that stand on Friday, for us as a group, and I think the crowd could see that the players wanted to give them something back.”
The win briefly pushed Ulster back into the top four, though Glasgow supplanted them with its win bonus-point win in Treviso on Saturday.
“But we are back in it now, we will prepare well for the trip to Zebre and we’ll see how other results ‘pan’ out. I had a points target in mind for a top four place but the spreadsheets have been scattered!”, Kiss said, convinced still that there are some twists and turns to come in the remaining three rounds of the regular Guinness PRO12 season.
Kiss was as effusive as he gets in praise of Jared Payne, who picked up the Man of the Match award in what was his first appearance for Ulster in the competition this year. “Jared’s a class act. He’d be the first to say that the forwards did a fantastic job in building and maintaining a platform, and Jared reaped the reward.”
Payne’s interventions into the line, his sleight of hand, and the quick-thinking pass which brought Craig Gilroy Ulster’s second try illustrative of just what intelligence he brings to the side.
“We’ll be working hard in training, and on our analysis, for at times Connacht nearly got us with their line-speed, but we got our reward from targeting a couple of areas.
“Friday night wasn’t about talent, it was about hard tactics and everyone deserves to take credit for that, because Pat Lam had his team digging in, putting in the work and we couldn’t afford to lose our focus,” said Kiss.
“From a defensive point of view we did really well for most of the game, but it was an error which allowed them in for a try. We weren’t perfect, we know that, and we’ll be working hard to improve in every area.
“We have three games left, starting at Zebre, and they can be a ‘pain’, you have to concentrate to break them down, very much like Treviso. They’re fighting for a place in Europe and we’re fighting for a play-off spot - so we take each game as it comes.
“We can’t do it any other way, sides are stealing points off each other and it’s really very unpredictable.”
Kiss revealed that winger Tommy Bowe is so close to full fitness ‘it’s not funny’, “but we have to manage him carefully, he’s worked so very, very hard, and the same goes for Louis Ludik.” Stuart McCloskey suffered an AC joint injury in the win and he will be monitored closely ahead of the Zebre fixture.