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Leinster won't agree but there is one player who deserves a Guinness PRO14 winner's medal more than anyone else

By Online Editors
(Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)

Title hat-trick chasing Leinster won’t agree but if there is one player more deserving than any of a Guinness PRO14 winner’s medal this Saturday night in Dublin it is Marcell Coetzee of Ulster. The trauma the back row from South Africa has had to endure in recent years has been terrible – two devastating ACL injuries, surgery and also missing two World Cup squad selections at the last minute. 

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Yet, he is still standing, his efforts at the heart of helping Ulster qualify for a league title decider few predicted they would be involved in as they faced into a semi-final away at Edinburgh last weekend. 

The match was won at the death by an Ian Madigan penalty kick from distance and Ulster coach Dan McFarland has been effusive in his praise for the role Coetzee has played in squeezing the Irish province through to their first final since 2013. 

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Former Scotland international player and coach Ian McGeechan talks about the British and Irish Lions

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Former Scotland international player and coach Ian McGeechan talks about the British and Irish Lions

“He’s a courageous man,” chirped McFarland about a loose forward who played just four games in his first season for Ulster and then only one in his second when the team was being coached by McFarland’s predecessor, Les Kiss. 

Injuries were the reason for his absence, but he has since repaid Ulster’s patience, Coetzee’s 16 appearances this term at the heart of the progress that has seen them qualify not only for next weekend’s league decider but also the following weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-finals where they face Toulouse away.  

“He doesn’t win many man of the match awards, but that is because John Cooney wins so many of them isn’t it,” continued McFarland. “He is a massive player. Physically he is massive but he also makes clutch plays and in those games, you need clutch players.

“Johnny Sexton (of Leinster) is a clutch player. When you need him to kick a penalty to the corner and land it five metres from the line he just pulls it out the bag. Marcell, when you need a jackal he just pulls it out of the bag.

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“In the last 20 minutes when you need a number of muscular carries, he will do that for you. He works tirelessly for us and he is a great man to have around as well. He is what a lot of psychologists would describe as ‘social blue’.

“He doesn’t lead in the sense of telling people what to do the whole time, but he has a way about him that pulls people together and makes people feel as if they are part of it and they are important. I’ve got a lot of respect for Marcell.”

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Adrian 58 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

7 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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