Ulster vine beginning to bear bountiful fruit

FRENCH NOTES:From the bottom of the Magners League in 2008 to the top tier of the European game, Ulster's progress has been steady and assured

THE LANGUEDOC-Roussillon region in southeast France produces more wine than any other region in the world. Narbonne is smack bang in the middle of it. To produce that amount of wine you have to grow a staggering amount of vines. About eight kilometres from Narbonne is the tiny village of Armissan. It is my French home. Maison la Matt. The village is on a valley floor. The surrounding hills are covered by vineyards. Every spare inch of land is planted with grape vines. Where the sun hits the soil, there is a vine.

The life of the wine producer is cyclical, rhythmic and in tune with nature. You cannot hurry the creation of a product when your partner is nature.

When I arrived in Armissan it was August. The vines were heavy with fruit as the harvest was beginning and the summer festivals in the regions towns were in full swing. It was a good harvest last year. The dry wind off the land warmed the air. The moist cool wind from the Mediterranean stayed out at sea. The sun shone warm and strong through to November. The grapes were full and good. There was a lot of smiling faces in the village.

After the harvest the vines were left untouched. Through the autumn the leaves turned deep yellow. The rows of vines created seams of gold across the country landscape. In November after the leaves fell, the vines were left untrimmed, bushy and stark.

At Christmas, when I departed for Australia the land seemed at rest, as if recovering its energy after the effort of bearing the fruit. Today the cycle has started again. Through the Languedoc the workers are out in the fields. It is the time to prune the plants. The farmers cut ruthlessly to stimulate growth. Some of the vine has to be sacrificed to bring the life of fruit from the plant.

After pruning the plant appears to be barren and woody. Field after field of trimmed leafless vine is intertwined with the straight guiding wire, along which the new growth will move. The farmer trusts that nature will provide life after the hard cutting. The vine is ready for the spring sunshine and the harvest they know will come.

In my village the air is heavy with fragrant smoke as the daily cuttings from the surrounding vineyards are burnt. The wood cuttings from the vines are much sought after for their wonderful fragrance. The open fires through the district, smell strong and sweet.

In some vineyards soil is being tiled and prepared for the planting of new vines.

I often go for a walk around the area of my little village. I sometimes stop to talk to a local wine producer, as he works his vines. His English is about as good as my French, but we get by. This week he told me something very wise. “When I cut grapes to make wine, I think of my father who planted the vine. When I plant vines I think of my children and grandchildren because they will be the ones who will drink the wine from the grapes of the vine I planted.”

A planted vine takes years of tending and growth before it bears usable fruit for wine.

It is an ancient message. Prepare the soil. Plant the seed. Tend and nurture the crop. Be patient as growth takes time. Work with the seasons. Have a long-term plan. Think about looking after your children’s future. In time, enjoy the fruits of your labour. The cycle of planting, nurturing and harvesting grapes has been performed here since the Romans arrived, before the birth of Christ. The fruit will come with the correct process. The outcome of this year-long process is beautiful wine.

The success of making wine has a cycle and so does sporting success. There is the correct process that gives you the desired outcome. No short cuts. I’m delighted for the recent success of Ulster rugby. They richly deserved their European success.

In January 2008 when I arrived in Belfast to take over as director of rugby in Ulster, they were last in the Magners League. I told the officials that to get back to the top line of European Rugby they had a three to four-year project on their hands. Some did not like to hear that. They wanted the fruit without any labour. They wanted growth without planting seeds. They wanted to drink the wine, but they did not want the process of the vineyard.

Life is not like that. Rugby is not like that. Success is the reward for good processes. The law of the vineyard will prevail. At the end of 2008 Ulster cut hard. Players were cut for the good of the team. There was pain. Tommy Bowe left and that hurt everyone.

After the pain of the cut there was growth. Young players grabbed their chance. Ian Humphries, Ian Whitten, Darren Cave, Paul Marshall, and in recent years Paddy McAllister, Dan Touhy and Nevin Spence. Seeds were planted. A very good academy structure under Gary Longwell was put in place. New gym faculties were built. A long- term world class training facility was planned.

The environment was enriched. Neil Doak, Johnny Bell and David Humphries were brought on as staff and top line players were imported. It still took time for the seeds to grow. Defensive and attacking systems were introduced, evaluated and redesigned.

Over the years there were bad days and times when it seemed like a harvest would never come. With faith in the systems, time, and simple hard work from staff and players, growth and confidence has come. Since 2008, Stephen Ferris, Rory Best, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace and Tom Court have grown into leading international players. Unexpected growth has also occurred. Chris Henry was given an opportunity and has improved as a player beyond measure. He was superb against Clermont. If not for being illegally obstructed on his try line, he would have stopped the Clermont try and Ulster would have won.

Like the farmer and bad weather, the team cannot control bad refereeing decisions. Roll your sleeves up, keep the faith and work hard and believe “your day will come”. Ulster, like all overnight successes, has taken years to move from the bottom of the Magners League to top end of Europe. Brian McLaughlin, David Humphries and their staff are to be congratulated.

Their efforts have been rewarded with a match against a giant. A massive quarter-final in Limerick beckons. There is no greater test in European rugby than Munster in Limerick.

Ulster are one of the few teams in Europe who can travel to Limerick and have positive thoughts. In 2009 Ulster defeated Munster by five tries at Thomond. Ian Humphries, Tom Court, Rory Best and Paddy Wallace all have positive memories. The captain that night was Kieron Dawson. Before the game he told the team “by our actions we can prove to the world that as rugby men we are equals with Munster”. That night they did more, they showed they can win in the most ferocious of environments.

I feel delighted for the wonderful Ulster supporters, who through thick and thin have stuck by their team and turned out in their thousands on cold, wet nights at Ravenhill. They treated me in a wonderful manner and they deserve the joy of the harvest. The corks are not yet popping at Ulster’s training ground at Newforge Lane, but the signs are that soon, a vintage year will be harvested from all their labours.