2008–09 Ulster Rugby season
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| Ground(s) | Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach(es) | Matt Williams | ||
| Top scorer | Ian Humphreys (90) | ||
| Most tries | Darren Cave (7) Simon Danielli (7) | ||
| League(s) | Heineken Cup (3rd in pool) Celtic League (8th) | ||
| |||
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The 2008–09 Ulster Rugby season was Ulster's 15th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their only full season under head coach Matt Williams.
David Humphreys, who retired at the end of last season, was appointed to the newly created role of operations director, reporting to chief executive Michael Reid.[1] Peter Sharp joined as defence coach in August 2008.[2] Former Ulster players Jonathan Bell and Niall Malone joined the academy as Elite Player Development Officers.[3]
New signings included Humphreys' younger brother Ian, who had been playing for Leicester Tigers since 2005.[4] Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa joined from Tailevu Knights.[5]
Ulster finished third in their Heineken Cup pool, and eighth in the Celtic League. One highlight of an otherwise disappointing season was a win over Munster at Thomond Park in January, the first time Munster had lost at home in European competition. Three of Ulster's five tries came from Ian Humphreys' assists.[4] Ulster qualified for next season's Heineken Cup as one of Ireland's top three teams, finishing ahead of Connacht in the league.[5] Matt Williams left by mutual consent at the end of the season.[6] Assistant coach Steve Williams also left after his contract was not renewed.[7] For the following season, Ulster put a new management structure in place. Michael Reid was chief executive; David Humphreys was director of rugby, with overall responsibility for the senior team, the Ulster 'A' team (renamed the Ulster Ravens), the Ulster under-20s and the academy; and Brian McLaughlin was appointed head coach, assisted by forwards coaches Jeremy Davidson and Peter Sharp, and backs coach Neil Doak.[8]
Rory Best was Ulster's Player of the Year, and flanker Stephen Ferris was selected for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Staff
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Michael Reid |  Ireland
|
| Operations Director | David Humphreys | Ireland
|
| Head Coach | Matt Williams |  Australia
|
| Assistant Coach | Steve Williams |  Wales
|
| Defence Coach | Peter Sharp | Australia
|
Squad
Senior squad
Players in (Season 2008/2009)
|
Players Out (Season 2008/2009)
|
| Ulster Rugby squad[13] | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
|
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
|
| (c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. Players and their allocated positions from the Ulster Rugby website. |
Academy squad
| Position[14] | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| High Performance Director | Gary Longwell | Ireland
|
| Elite Player Development Officer | Jonathan Bell | Ireland
|
| Elite Player Development Officer | Niall Malone | Ireland
|
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Aaron Peck |  England
|
| Academy squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
|
Back row
|
Centres
|
Heineken Cup
Pool 4
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlequins (3)
|
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 144 | 115 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
 Stade Français
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 131 | 109 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Ulster
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 113 | 134 | −21 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| Scarlets
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 124 | 154 | −30 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 11 October 2008 15:30 |
| Ulster | 10 – 26 | Stade Français |
| Tries: P. Wallace 74' c Conv: N. O'Connor (1/1) Pen: N. O'Connor (1) 49' | Report | Tries: G. Bousses 23' c D. Szarzewski 60' c Conv: L. Beauxis (2/2) Pen: L. Beauxis (1) 15' Drop: J. Hernández (2) 10', 26' L. Beauxis (1) 63' |
| Ravenhill, Belfast Attendance: 10,397 |
| 18 October 2008 15:00 |
| Harlequins | 42 – 21 | Ulster |
| Tries: J. Turner-Hall 15' m T. Williams (2) 26' m, 61' m D. Care 33' c Penalty Try 40' c M. Brown 43' c Conv: C. Malone (3/6) Pen: C. Malone (2) 7', 66' | Report | Tries: T. Nagusa 2' c P. Wallace 52' c A. Trimble 57' c Conv: N. O'Connor (3/3) |
| Twickenham Stoop Stadium, London Attendance: 12,368 |
| 5 December 2008 20:00 |
| Ulster | 26 – 16 | Scarlets |
| Tries: D. Cave 25' c S. Danielli 34' m D. Pollock 64' m Conv: I. Humphreys (1/3) Pen: I. Humphreys (3) 7', 40', 59' | Report | Tries: C. Thomas 79' c Conv: S. Jones (1/1) Pen: S. Jones (3) 10', 28', 47' |
| Ravenhill, Belfast Attendance: 8,729 |
| 12 December 2008 20:00 |
| Scarlets | 16 – 16 | Ulster |
| Tries: D. Daniel 46' c Conv: S. Jones (1/1) Pen: S. Jones (3) 20', 53', 78' | Report | Tries: I. Humphreys 23' m P. Wallace 32' m Conv: I. Humphreys (0/2) Pen: I. Humphreys 71' Drop: I. Humphreys 12' |
| Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Attendance: 8,026 |
| 17 January 2009 14:35 |
| Ulster | 21 – 10 | Harlequins |
| Tries: D. Cave 1' c R. Best 78' m Conv: I. Humphreys (1/1) C. Schifcofske (0/1) Pen: I. Humphreys (3/3) 8', 29', 39' | Report | Try: Penalty try 60' c Conv: N. Evans (1/1) Pen: N. Evans (1/1) 43' C. Malone (0/1) |
| Ravenhill, Belfast Attendance: 8,861 |
| 24 January 2009 14:35 |
| Stade Français | 24 – 19 | Ulster |
| Tries: J. Leguizamón 54' m M. Gasnier 77' c Conv: L. Beauxis (1/2) Pen: L. Beauxis (4/6) 28', 29', 49', 58' | Report | Tries: P. Steimetz 37' m N. Brady 80' m Conv: N. O'Connor (0/1) C. Schifcofske (0/1) Pen: N. O'Connor (1/3) 15' C. Schifcofske (2/3) 46', 72' |
| Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris Attendance: 8,450 |
Celtic League
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | Try bonus | Losing bonus | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munster
|
18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 405 | 257 | +148 | 49 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 63 |
| 2 |  Edinburgh
|
18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 416 | 296 | +120 | 40 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 55 |
| 3 | Leinster
|
18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 401 | 270 | +131 | 38 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 52 |
| 4 | Ospreys
|
18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 397 | 319 | +78 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 52 |
| 5 | Scarlets
|
18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 376 | 395 | −19 | 41 | 46 | 3 | 1 | 40 |
| 6 | Cardiff Blues
|
18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 322 | 361 | −39 | 31 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 38 |
| 7 | Glasgow Warriors
|
18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 349 | 375 | −26 | 36 | 41 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
| 8 | Ulster
|
18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 298 | 331 | −33 | 30 | 33 | 2 | 6 | 36 |
| 9 | Newport Gwent Dragons
|
18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 305 | 429 | −124 | 26 | 39 | 1 | 4 | 33 |
| 10 | Connacht
|
18 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 224 | 460 | −236 | 20 | 54 | 1 | 3 | 20 |
|
Under the standard bonus point system, points are awarded as follows:
| |||||||||||||
| Source: RaboDirect PRO12 Archived 2013-11-22 at the Wayback Machine | |||||||||||||
| 5 September 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 9–16 | Scarlets |
| Pen: Schifcofske (3) | Report | Try: Daniel Con: Jones Pen: Jones (3) |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 7,368 |
| 12 September 2008 19:05 |
| Cardiff Blues | 16–15 | Ulster |
| Try: Halfpenny Con: Blair Pen: Blair (3) | Report | Try: Botha Boss Con: O'Connor Pen: O'Connor |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 8,619 |
| 19 September 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 14–16 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Try: Dawson Humphreys Con: Schifcofske (2) | Report | Try: Smith Con: Arlidge Pen: Arlidge (3) |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 7,885 |
| 27 September 2008 17:30 |
| Ospreys | 43–0 | Ulster |
| Try: Wells Hook (2) Williams Bowe Byrne Jones Con: Hook (5) Pen: Hook | Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 7,225 |
| 3 October 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 13–9 | Edinburgh |
| Try: Pollock Con: Schifcofske Pen: Schifcofske | Report | Pen: Blair (2) Godman |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 8,418 |
| 25 October 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 22–6 | Munster |
| Try: Nagusa (2) Boss Con: Humphreys (2) Pen: Humphreys | Report | Pen: Warwick |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 10,058 |
| 28 November 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 53–13 | Connacht |
| Try: Ferris Nagusa Danielli (2) McCrea Cave Cunningham Con: Humphreys (6) Pen: Humphreys (2) | Report | Try: Carr Con: Keatley Pen: Keatley (2) |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 8,841 |
| 27 December 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 13–21 | Leinster |
| Try: Cave Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys (2) | Report | Try: Elsom Keogh Con: Contepomi Pen: Contepomi (3) |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 13,500 |
| 3 January 2009 19:30 |
| Munster | 11–37 | Ulster |
| Try: Howlett Pen: Warwick (2) | Report | Try: Wallace Cave McCrea Court Trimble Con: Humphreys (3) Pen: Humphreys (2) |
| Thomond Park Stadium Attendance: 25,623 |
| 9 January 2009 19:45 |
| Edinburgh | 21–15 | Ulster |
| Try: Southwell Hamilton Con: Godman Pen: Godman (3) | Report | Pen: Humphreys (4) Wallace |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 3,393 |
| 22 February 2009 16:10 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 26–16 | Ulster |
| Try: Tovey (3) Con: Tovey Pen: Connor Tovey (2) | Report | Try: Danielli Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys Schifcofske (2) |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 6,112 |
| 7 March 2009 19:30 |
| Ulster | 12–0 | Glasgow Warriors |
| Try: Cave Trimble Con: Humphreys | Report |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 8,286 |
| 29 March 2009 17:30 |
| Leinster | 32–6 | Ulster |
| Try: McFadden Cullen Elsom Keogh Con: Contepomi (3) Pen: Contepomi (2) | Report | Pen: Humphreys Schifcofske |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 15,940 |
| 3 April 2009 19:35 |
| Ulster | 13–16 | Ospreys |
| Try: Danielli Con: Schifcofske Pen: Schifcofske (2) | Report | Try: Tiatia Con: Hook Pen: Hook (3) |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 9,600 |
| 17 April 2009 19:30 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 19–20 | Ulster |
| Try: Evans Con: Gregor Pen: Gregor (2) Parks | Report | Try: Pollock Danielli Con: Schifcofske (2) Pen: Schifcofske (2) |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 2,960 |
| 24 April 2009 19:30 |
| Ulster | 9–11 | Cardiff Blues |
| Pen: Schifcofske O'Connor Drop: O'Connor | Report | Try: Loxton Pen: Sweeney |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 7,809 |
| 8 May 2009 19:00 |
| Connacht | 12–14 | Ulster |
| Try: Carr Browne Con: Keatley | Report | Try: Danielli Pen: Humphreys (2) Schifcofske |
| Sportsground Attendance: 1,425 |
| 16 May 2009 19:30 |
| Scarlets | 43–17 | Ulster |
| Try: Evans Day Williams Daniel Roberts Lyons Con: Priestland (5) Pen: Priestland | Report | Try: Paul Marshall Cave Con: O'Connor Humphreys Drop: O'Connor |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 6,219 |
Friendlies
| 13 November 2008 19:30 |
| Ulster | 62–6 |  Portugal |
| Try: Cave (4) McCrea (2) Nagusa (2) Hanna Whitten Con: Humphreys (3) O'Connor (3) | Report | Pen: Cabral (2) |
| Ravenhill |
Ulster Rugby Awards
The Ulster Rugby Awards ceremony was held on 14 May 2009 at the Ramada Hotel, Belfast. Winners were:[15]
- Magners Ulster Rugby Personality of the Year: Stephen Ferris
- Magners Rugby Writers Player of the Year: Stephen Ferris
- Bank of Ireland Ulster Player of the Year: Rory Best
- Vodafone Young Ulster Player of the Year: Darren Cave
- Phoenix Academy Player of the Year: Willie Faloon
References
- ^ Richard Mulligan, "New role for Humphreys at Ulster", News Letter, 5 June 2008
- ^ Gavin Mairs, "Peter has been Sharp man for Ulster: Matt", Belfast Telegraph, 11 December 2008
- ^ Richard Mulligan, "'Old Hands' are back in the Ravenhill fold", News Letter, 14 August 2008
- ^ a b c "Ulster’s maverick out half: Ian Humphreys", The Front Row Union, 6 May 2020
- ^ a b "Ulster’s flying Fijian: Timoci Nagusa", The Front Row Union, 2 May 2020
- ^ "Williams resigns as Ulster coach", BBC Sport, 20 May 2009
- ^ "Williams quits as Ulster rugby boss", Belfast Telegraph, 21 May 2009
- ^ "McLaughlin Confirmed As New Ulster Coach", Irish Rugby, 23 June 2009
- ^ "Ulster sign Fijian flyer", Planet Rugby, 30 July 2008
- ^ Gavin Mairs, "'It's like having your own personal coach by your side'", Belfast Telegraph, 8 October 2008
- ^ "Ulster's Tim Barker reaches deal to join Castres", Irish Independent, 12 November 2007
- ^ "Bowe to join Ospreys", Irish Times, 25 January 2008
- ^ Appearances and scoring stats from ItsRugby.co.uk
- ^ "Phoenix Ulster Rugby Academy", Ulster Rugby, archived 3 February 2009
- ^ Richard Mulligan, "Ferris claims top accolade", News Letter, 15 May 2009