Moving to draw a line under the departures of Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, after their contracts at the province were terminated at the weekend, the Ulster squad, yesterday, issued their own statement regarding the matter.
Rob Herring read a short statement at the regular media briefing, ahead of Saturday’s PRO14 game with Glasgow Warriors, which spoke of the squad’s “sadness” at the exits of Jackson and Olding following an internal review in the wake of both being cleared of rape charges.
The statement also stressed that Ulster must now move on to tackle what remains of their season, starting with the must-win clash with the Warriors at the Kingspan Stadium.
“It is with a great deal of sadness that the players and pro staff have learnt of this outcome,” said Herring. “We know that the two boys will be successful both on and off the pitch wherever they go.
“As a group, we have to move on and our full focus is now on Glasgow this weekend,” added the Ireland player.
Yesterday’s briefing was closed to news reporters, with Ulster Rugby claiming that “the attendance of non-sport journalists at recent match week media events has caused significant disruption to regular attendees.”
As such, the event was “restricted to sport journalists only”.
The players’ statement was issued a day after Ulster Rugby chief executive Shane Logan told the BBC that he did not envisage Jackson and Olding playing for Ulster or Ireland again.
Against this backdrop, Ulster have two remaining regulation season games to play with Munster away following this weekend’s rearranged meeting with the Warriors which fell victim to the adverse weather at the end of February.
They, encouragingly, come into the game off back-to-back victories and will be facing a Glasgow side who have already bagged a PRO14 semi-final by securing top spot in Conference A while another potential boost is that Munster cannot be caught in second.
Ulster’s only obvious injury issue for the Glasgow game is with Mattie Rea who has picked up an unspecified leg injury which is a blow for soon-to-depart coach Jono Gibbes as the flanker was the man of the match in last Friday’s 8-0 victory over the Ospreys.
Though they can still mathematically overhaul Edinburgh to snatch a PRO14 play-off place – the Scots are nine points in front with one game to play – Ulster’s more realistic aim is to secure their current fourth position in Conference B and enter a play-off – which, if achieved, will be against the Ospreys – with a place in next season’s Champions Cup at stake.
However, Benetton’s shock victory at Leinster has kept the Italians one point behind the northern province making it all the more vital that Ulster register a victory on Saturday.
