Muller cranks up the intensity levels

THE TRAINING ground can be a barometer of physical and mental sharpness. Ulster captain Johann Muller may have allowed himself a quiet smile during Tuesday’s gathering. It’s often seen as a positive harbinger when team-mates are cranky and physically abrasive with one another in the week leading up to a big match.

The catchphrase used to describe the desired focus usually includes the word intensity. It was a term that Muller had no problem in embracing. “We had Monday off and on Tuesday we got together and the first thing we did was a scrum session with the forwards. You can ask (coach) Brian (McLaughlin), the intensity of that was probably the highest it has been since I’ve been here over the last two years.

“Everybody knows exactly what they are playing for. It’s the biggest game for the club in 13 years so when people say we’re not taking Edinburgh seriously that is the biggest mistake they can make because I can tell you one thing, this squad and these players cannot wait for Saturday afternoon.”

The former Springbok international does add a rider though, first citing the accumulation of disparate information about themselves as a group gleaned on their travels through Europe over the past two seasons before emphasising the importance of not permitting the occasion to distract from the level of performance that will be required to prevail.

“The away game in Clermont was an unbelievable experience for all of us, atmosphere-wise; the away game against Leicester, Biarritz last year, Munster this year. There are a lot of things we have taken on board.

“You can’t let these occasions get too big; it is just another game. When you make the occasion too big you forget to play rugby. For us as leaders our job is to keep the guys nice and cool and relaxed and focused on the job ahead and not too look too hard into an Aviva Stadium full of 55,000 people.”

Muller will draw upon his experience as a Test player and also the contrasting emotions of winning a Currie Cup final in South Africa and losing a Super 14 final to an 82nd-minute score.

There is no doubting his massive contribution to Ulster both as player and captain but he’s typically keen to deflect any praise, citing the fact the team harbours eight or 10 leaders.

What he will concede, though, is that two years ago he would not have anticipated Ulster’s rapid rise to the threshold of European greatness. “Probably not: I always knew it was going to happen but I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly. Obviously when Brian got this team together three years ago they had a vision, a plan. I was just one of the little steps in the plan to get where we wanted to be.

“I think a huge amount of planning and a lot of hard work has gone into this process but if you had said that to me 18 months ago, that we were going into a semi-final as favourites, I probably would have laughed at you.

“It is a wonderful tag to have but in rugby that means absolutely nothing. I think in the quarter-finals three of the favourite sides didn’t win. It just shows you that the favourite tag (on its own) means absolutely nothing.”