Anger can be nature’s most potent motivational tool. It puts Munster at an immediate disadvantage this evening. Ever since that incomprehensibly inept showing in Edinburgh last October, they have mined that emotion to its full depth, going unbeaten over 10 matches.
It has them seven points clear in the Rabo Pro12 and on the cusp of a home European quarter-final. It also has them playing a brand of rugby inked by trust and a vastly improved range of ball handling skills.
Having been so poor in their 19-6 defeat to Leinster, it’s Ulster’s turn now to be angry. Mark Anscombe’s group coasted through the past month, despite a glut of injuries, dismissing mostly Italian opposition.
That easy streak came to a shuddering halt in Dublin last Saturday when a largely second-string team produced a performance, in Anscombe’s eyes, that lacked any real purpose.
“I don’t think we had the ball in the first half,” was the coach’s angry reaction. “That happens in a game, it goes five minutes, 10 minutes, 15. If you’ve got some attitude about you and you want to compete, you’ll get some ball. You don’t get 40 minutes without the ball and be content with that.”
As a result, the playing personnel has changed significantly. The return of Ruan Pienaar, John Afoa, Iain Henderson and Chris Henry makes them a different proposition entirely.
It’s true that Munster travel north allied by a growing faith in the Rob Penney way and they, too, have restacked their line-up with Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony and a finally fit Andrew Conway gives them a flying option out wide. This offsets the continued absence of Donnacha Ryan (swollen knee), Simon Zebo (foot), Conor Murray (knee), Mike Sherry (knee), Keith Earls (shoulder), Jimmy Downey (groin) and the in-form JJ Hanrahan.
The young Kerry outhalf is nursing a groin strain and gets a well deserved cooling off period having been part of every match day squad in 2013/14.
Races against time
Ryan will, in all likelihood, miss the last two rounds of Heineken Cup against Gloucester and Edinburgh while Zebo and Murray are in races against time to recover. All three will struggle to become part of Joe Schmidt's initial Six Nations plan.
The rest, bar Sherry, should return for next weekend’s trip to Gloucester but that is of no benefit tonight.
Ulster are nearer to their full strength European XV. Granted, captain Johann Muller injured his leg in training this week and chief lieutenant Rory Best is also out with the broken arm sustained against the All Blacks but this looks their strongest backline (Tommy Bowe is probably aiming for the Six Nations or Welford road).
Jared Payne brings some much needed presence to the back three alongside the always reliable Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy (one of the only bright sparks in Dublin).
That means Darren Cave and Luke Marshall continue in midfield alongside Paddy Jackson.
Home grown, natural leaders like Henderson and Henry should give an enormous fillip to a team that was castigated by their own coach for failing to throw any significant punches at the RDS. “You can handle defeat but it’s the way that you are beaten that is sometimes disappointing and I thought we were pretty poor,” said Anscombe.
“We don’t have much time to turn it around but we’ve got to believe in ourselves. We know when we get our team on the park we can play some good footie and we’re a good team.”
This looks like that good team and certainly close to what will host Montpellier before travelling to Leicester a week later. They are further bolstered by Nick Williams' presence on the bench.
Be blowing hard
Despite the return of Henry, Robbie Diack continues as captain. Henry will be blowing hard, not having not played since limping off against Samoa on November 9th, but his presence over the tackled man is always of value. With Seán O'Brien missing the entire Six Nations, Henry's return to fitness seems ideal.
Tommy O’Donnell, another openside whose season has been disrupted by injury, will meet him at the breakdown in what looks like a head-to-head for the number seven jersey against Scotland next month.
That’s one of many interesting subplots but the general contest looks suited to Ulster ending the Munster’s enormously fruitful response to their stumble at Murrayfield.
With Anscombe’s men 10 points adrift of them in fifth place, the entire chasing pack need them to be their usual Ravenhill selves tonight.
The expectation is that they will be.
