While there is no denying that much appears to have changed for the better at Ulster, their ability to keep churning out wins being the most obvious expression of altered times, the prospect of going to Leinster still weighs heavily around the Kingspan.
Their abysmal record in Dublin has seen Ulster win just once since the turn of the century in both regulation and knockout games, with that sole positive outcome happening back in March 2013.
And with a fairly diluted squad expected to head south for Friday’s first round of festive Pro14 interprovincials, the prospects of Ulster altering the well-established pattern do not look highly promising, especially so against a Leinster squad yet to lose a game this season.
Ahead of the return to Pro14 action, coming off four from four in Europe, at least Ulster’s morale was also further boosted by having nine players named in Andy Farrell’s “mid-season stocktake” this weekend, Stuart McCloskey, Billy Burns and Tom O’Toole joining more familiar names including the in-form John Cooney, though Jordi Murphy’s name was not included on that list of Ireland call-ups.
Assistant coach Jared Payne was understandably far more focused on Saturday’s game, which is unlikely to feature many, if any, of those involved in Farrell’s get-together.
“We’ve got to go down there with a good mindset,” said the former Ireland player and current Ulster defence coach.
“I think if you go down there with a bit of fear and worry and don’t quite put your best foot forward you’re going to lose. I’d rather go down there and fire a few shots and also throw a few punches, though not literally, in defence and see if we’re up for it.”
Payne at least does know what it’s like to win at Leinster’s headquarters as he was part of the side who held on to triumph 22-18 back in 2013.
Even so, Ulster players still around from that time are few in number, with Craig Gilroy being the only other starter who is still on the books. Therefore managing to avoid aspects of negativity over taking on unbeaten Conference A leaders Leinster, who are eight points ahead of the northern province, is not going to be easy.
“That’s life,” said Payne over mostly two decades of hurt for Ulster playing in Dublin.“You either hide from it, or just get on with it. We realise the challenge, we’ll give them the respect. But then go down with a bit of a mindset that we want to go after them.”
Decision on defence
While Ulster’s defence has been pretty solid, apart from the tanking they took at the Cheetahs in early October, there is no doubting it is likely to be stressed at the RDS.
As Payne said: “You’ve got to see a picture and make a decision on defence. If you can’t you’re in a world of hurt.”
Last January, the previous occasion Ulster turned out at the RDS, their narrow defeat to Leinster in last March’s Champions Cup quarter-final having been played at the Aviva, they were swept aside by 40-7, with the hosts scoring six tries.
Nearly a year on and Ulster are showing form and consistency. After putting together five straight wins, four coming from the same number of rounds in Europe to keep them top of Pool Three just ahead of Clermont Auvergne, it is hardly a surprise that the atmosphere at Ulster is reasonably upbeat.
Indeed, go a bit further back and the northern province have failed to win just one game in their last nine, and that occasion was when Munster got the better of them in Thomond Park early last month.
Now they badly want a different outcome from another trip to the RDS.
