Ulster’s Embarrassment of Riches in their back line is something to be marveled at.
A couple of weeks ago we saw the triumphant return of Tommy Bowe. Having been sidelined during the World Cup with a knee injury, it was a long road back for the Monaghan-born winger but, after six months of gruelling rehab, he finally made his competitive return for Ulster ‘A’ against Munster ‘A’ before starting against Zebre for the senior team in the Guinness PRO12.
It was a seamless transition for a veteran of the game. Bowe stepped back into the shirt as if he’d been playing there all season and finished the game with two tries (one a length of the pitch effort after intercepting a loose pass) to cap off a strong return to the starting line-up.
But for Bowe, it wasn’t even a guarantee that he would get back into the Ulster squad let alone be starting for them again so quickly. While he was out he had to watch Craig Gilroy slot into his spot and continue his impressive try-scoring form from last season while there were also several strong performances from young stars Rory Scholes and Jacob Stockdale that will have played on the 32-year old’s mind.
All that Bowe’s return reminds Les Kiss, Ulster’s Director of Rugby, is that he has that embarrassment of riches in his back line.
With Louis Ludik and Peter Nelson still sidelined by injury it’s a depleted back line too which makes it all the more incredible. When you look at the international pedigree that Kiss has the ability to choose from you wonder how Ulster are able to keep all of their stars happy.
Let’s start on Bowe’s wing where he is competing with Andrew Trimble and Craig Gilroy for one of two shirts going. Had Scholes not chosen to depart for Edinburgh next season he would be a competitor too while there is also Stockdale showing promise below those three as well.
Meanwhile in the centre, a position where Ulster seem to have a never-ending conveyor belt of talented midfielders going, two places will competed for between five players who all have legitimate claims for one of the jerseys: Stuart Olding, Stuart McCloskey, Darren Cave, Jared Payne and Luke Marshall. If he wasn’t leaving at the end of the season you could probably add Sammy Arnold into that mix too.
Fullback is also a position of some contention – Jared Payne is the current incumbent if he is chosen to start there instead of at centre while Nelson and Ludik, when they return from injury, are also dangerous options. Gilroy, if not selected on the wing, is also an option.
There are a lot of headaches already for Kiss, and we haven’t even spoken about the elephant in the room yet – Charles Piutau.
Recent interviews have confirmed that the All Black will definitely be playing his rugby in Belfast next season despite fears that he would opt to stay with Wasps instead, and Ulster fans will be licking their lips in anticipation after seeing what the utility back, who has been nominated for the European Player of the Year award, is capable of.
There’s no question about it, Piutau will start for the Ulstermen. Whereabouts in that back line is another matter though.
Does he start at fullback with Payne at centre? Or will the IRFU continue to allow Payne to play at fullback, his better position, and Piutau will go onto the wing at the expense of one of Trimble, Bowe or Gilroy? Or will the Ulster coaching staff throw a curveball and put Piutau in at outside centre, a position he can play but hasn’t featured at regularly?
Wherever Piutau goes determines how the rest of the line-up is organised around him. Assuming that outside centre isn’t a realistic option given the incredible talent Kiss already has to work with in the middle of the backs, it’s likely that the New Zealander will line up at fullback or on the wing, with the former more probable than the latter.
Whichever Kiss chooses as his preferred position for Piutau, there will be many difficult calls to make. Just remember, this is a back line that, when fully fit, will have at least three homegrown internationals not even involved in the matchday squad.
That’s depth that most coaches can only dream of.
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