Peter Nelson and Paul Marshall had been sharing the responsibilities in Ulster while Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson were involved in the Rugby World Cup. And with Ulster sitting fifth on the Guinness Pro12 league table, the pair appear to have done a decent job while coach Les Kiss and other players were absent.
Versatile and able to fill in right across the back line, Nelson is listed as a fullback with Ulster, but has been playing outhalf, with six starts this season. The former Irish under-20 player knows the size of his own challenge to get game time, but also the threat that a wounded Leinster are likely to present tomorrow night.
Ulster see the visit to the RDS as every bit as tough a challenge as Saracens were last week in the European Champions Cup and they travel with the added freight of having a poor record in Dublin.
Beaten
Ulster have beaten their hosts just once in Dublin since 1999, a 22-18 win at the RDS in March 2013.
Les Kiss has already had a taste of Leinster and, in Leo Cullen’s first match in charge as head coach back in August before the World Cup kicked off, Leinster won in Belfast, coming from 14-5 down at halftime to win 21-24.
Kiss then was still with the Irish set-up but both Ulster and Leinster sides expect to reclaim lost ground, Ulster showing strong play early in the match but furious about the second half and the final score.
“First half . . . first 20 minutes we played some great rugby where we were well structured. We went 9-0 up and we were in a good place, just lost our shape a bit after half-time,” says Nelson.
“It was a bit disappointing then after 50 or 60 minutes to leak those tries. But we did play some good rugby in that first half.
“It was disappointing. We came in on Monday morning and looked over the game. Obviously it was a pretty quiet place. It’s important that we looked at that game and learned stuff from it and moved on because Leinster on Friday is coming around very quick.”
Far from seeing Leinster as being in a weak place, Nelson expects a battle. Is it ever anything but? Leinster are just a point in front in fourth place, so positions could flip with an Ulster win.
“They played Bath at the weekend and lost narrowly,” says Nelson. “No, I don’t think they are in an awful place, certainly not. The quality of player they have across the pitch, it’s always going to be a tough game, especially down there.
“A Leinster derby has a little bit more bite to it but we look forward to those games. They are great to be involved in.”
Long-term absentees include Tommy Bowe (knee), Jared Payne (foot) and Stuart Olding (knee). Ulster can, however, look to Iain Henderson, who played his first game of the season for his club as a flanker against Saracens. He picked up a finger injury during the World Cup campaign with Ireland. There was also good news around Luke Marshall, who played for the Ulster “A” team for the first time since thumb surgery in October.
‘Brand new game’
“We’ve got to push that out of our mind,” said Nelson of their poor Dublin form. “We have won down there and we have lost down there. It’s a new game. We’ll not be looking at those losses, reflecting on them. We’ll be look at this as a brand new game and we’ll be looking for a result.”
