Category Sports News

After a disappointing 2024-2005 campaign that didn’t “sit well” with him, Captain Iain Henderson says there is no reason this season can’t be “different” for Ulster.

Ulster, the lowest of the four Irish provinces, placed 14th last year in the United Rugby Championship, making it the first time in the history of Europe’s premier competition to lose to Champions Cup rugby.

However, Henderson said he thinks the squad is well-equipped to correct the mistakes made last year following a successful pre-season ahead of their URC opener against Dragons on Friday.

The Ireland second row said, “Many players will carry that] last year as a bit of a chip on their shoulder.”

Before the new campaign, Ulster’s coaching and playing staff have been made several changes to make it easier for them to reclaim the top eight.

Northampton has signed defender Angus Bell, while Australia’s defender Angus Bell will follow after the autumn internationals.

Willie Faloon is now in charge of the defense permanently, while Mark Sexton has taken over as the attack coach.

The impact Augustus and Sexton have already had, according to Henderson, who believes the team is already in better shape than the team, who are currently playing senior rugby for the first time in a difficult year.

The 33-year-old added, “Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack. It feels fresh and new.”

I can’t wait to see the impact of a few older players leaving last year that have lifted the ceiling of those young players who have been stepping into shoes.

There is no denying that Augustus is going to cause some damage, which is exciting, when I watch him in training.

I feel like my body has been great this pre-season, and I want to be a part of this new Ulster coming out with the freshness I feel. “There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me.

Last year at Rodney Parade, Ulster defeated Dragons 34-30, but Henderson added that Friday’s game at Affidea Stadium will be different due to both teams’ busy schedules.

After a disappointing 2024-2005 campaign that didn’t “sit well” with him, Captain Iain Henderson says there is no reason this season can’t be “different” for Ulster.

Ulster, the lowest of the four Irish provinces, placed 14th last year in the United Rugby Championship, making it the first time in the history of Europe’s premier competition to lose to Champions Cup rugby.

However, Henderson said he thinks the squad is well-equipped to correct the mistakes made last year following a successful pre-season ahead of their URC opener against Dragons on Friday.

The Ireland second row said, “Many players will carry that] last year as a bit of a chip on their shoulder.”

Before the new campaign, Ulster’s coaching and playing staff have been made several changes to make it easier for them to reclaim the top eight.

Northampton has signed defender Angus Bell, while Australia’s defender Angus Bell will follow after the autumn internationals.

Willie Faloon is now in charge of the defense permanently, while Mark Sexton has taken over as the attack coach.

The impact Augustus and Sexton have already had, according to Henderson, who believes the team is already in better shape than the team, who are currently playing senior rugby for the first time in a difficult year.

The 33-year-old added, “Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack. It feels fresh and new.”

I can’t wait to see the impact of a few older players leaving last year that have lifted the ceiling of those young players who have been stepping into shoes.

There is no denying that Augustus is going to cause some damage, which is exciting, when I watch him in training.

I feel like my body has been great this pre-season, and I want to be a part of this new Ulster coming out with the freshness I feel. “There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me.

Last year at Rodney Parade, Ulster defeated Dragons 34-30, but Henderson added that Friday’s game at Affidea Stadium will be different due to both teams’ busy schedules.

Captain Iain Henderson says “there is no reason” this season cannot be “different” for Ulster after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign that does not “sit well” with him.

Ulster finished 14th in the United Rugby Championship last season, the lowest of the four Irish provinces, to miss out on Champions Cup rugby for the first time in the history of Europe’s premier competition.

However, ahead of their URC opener at home to Dragons on Friday, Henderson said he feels the squad are well equipped to right the wrongs of last year after a productive pre-season.

“A lot of players will carry that [last year] as a bit of a chip on their shoulder,” said the Ireland second row.

There have been a number of new additions to the coaching and playing staff for Ulster ahead of the new campaign as they aim to muscle their way back into the top eight.

Juarno Augustus has been signed from Northampton while Australia prop Angus Bell will join the squad after the autumn internationals.

Mark Sexton has arrived as attack coach, with Willie Faloon now in permanent charge of the defence.

Henderson is enthused by the impact Augustus and Sexton have already had and believes the team are already in a better shape to compete with younger players now having a tough year of senior rugby under their belts.

“Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack, it feels fresh and new,” added the 33-year-old.

“A handful of older guys leaving last year have lifted the ceiling of those young guys who have been stepping into shoes and there are a couple of new players kicking around, I can’t wait to see them cause a bit of disruption.

“Watching him [Augustus] in training, there’s no doubt in my mind he is going to cause a bit of damage and that is exciting.

“There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me, I feel like my body has been brilliant in pre-season and I want to be part of this new Ulster coming through with the freshness I feel.”

Ulster edged past Dragons 34-30 at Rodney Parade last season, but Henderson added that both teams’ summer business means Friday’s game at the Affidea Stadium will be a different proposition.

After a disappointing 2024-2005 campaign that didn’t “sit well” with him, Captain Iain Henderson says there is no reason this season can’t be “different” for Ulster.

Ulster, the lowest of the four Irish provinces, placed 14th last year in the United Rugby Championship, making it the first time in the history of Europe’s premier competition to lose to Champions Cup rugby.

However, Henderson said he thinks the squad is well-equipped to correct the mistakes made last year following a successful pre-season ahead of their URC opener against Dragons on Friday.

The Ireland second row said, “Many players will carry that] last year as a bit of a chip on their shoulder.”

Before the new campaign, Ulster’s coaching and playing staff have been made several changes to make it easier for them to reclaim the top eight.

Northampton has signed defender Angus Bell, while Australia’s defender Angus Bell will follow after the autumn internationals.

Willie Faloon is now in charge of the defense permanently, while Mark Sexton has taken over as the attack coach.

The impact Augustus and Sexton have already had, according to Henderson, who believes the team is already in better shape than the team, who are currently playing senior rugby for the first time in a difficult year.

The 33-year-old added, “Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack. It feels fresh and new.”

I can’t wait to see the impact of a few older players leaving last year that have lifted the ceiling of those young players who have been stepping into shoes.

There is no denying that Augustus is going to cause some damage, which is exciting, when I watch him in training.

I feel like my body has been great this pre-season, and I want to be a part of this new Ulster coming out with the freshness I feel. “There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me.

Last year at Rodney Parade, Ulster defeated Dragons 34-30, but Henderson added that Friday’s game at Affidea Stadium will be different due to both teams’ busy schedules.

After a disappointing 2024-2005 campaign that didn’t “sit well” with him, Captain Iain Henderson says there is no reason this season can’t be “different” for Ulster.

Ulster, the lowest of the four Irish provinces, placed 14th last year in the United Rugby Championship, making it the first time in the history of Europe’s premier competition to lose to Champions Cup rugby.

However, Henderson said he thinks the squad is well-equipped to correct the mistakes made last year following a successful pre-season ahead of their URC opener against Dragons on Friday.

The Ireland second row said, “Many players will carry that] last year as a bit of a chip on their shoulder.”

Before the new campaign, Ulster’s coaching and playing staff have been made several changes to make it easier for them to reclaim the top eight.

Northampton has signed defender Angus Bell, while Australia’s defender Angus Bell will follow after the autumn internationals.

Willie Faloon is now in charge of the defense permanently, while Mark Sexton has taken over as the attack coach.

The impact Augustus and Sexton have already had, according to Henderson, who believes the team is already in better shape than the team, who are currently playing senior rugby for the first time in a difficult year.

The 33-year-old added, “Mark Sexton has been working wonders with our attack. It feels fresh and new.”

I can’t wait to see the impact of a few older players leaving last year that have lifted the ceiling of those young players who have been stepping into shoes.

There is no denying that Augustus is going to cause some damage, which is exciting, when I watch him in training.

I feel like my body has been great this pre-season, and I want to be a part of this new Ulster coming out with the freshness I feel. “There is so much there to cause excitement and the excitement they [young players] bring rejuvenates me.

Last year at Rodney Parade, Ulster defeated Dragons 34-30, but Henderson added that Friday’s game at Affidea Stadium will be different due to both teams’ busy schedules.

Senne Lammens’ will-he, won’t-he move to Manchester United was one of the more intriguing deals on transfer deadline day.

Lammens had been identified as a goalkeeper of interest by United early in the window and although their interest intensified in the final week, it was not until deadline day itself the Premier League club made their move.

By that time, the 23-year-old Royal Antwerp player was on his way to England anyway, making sure he was in the right place ‘just in case’ an agreement was reached.

The deal was eventually announced at 10pm, five hours after the window closed and long after Aston Villa’s World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez had given up on his own dreams of securing a move to Old Trafford, having also been put on red alert by United’s renewed interest in him.

Lammens described his £18.1m switch as “a dream come true”. He also said he hoped it would be the “beginning of something special”.

Firstly, there is no sense Lammens has done anything wrong.

Sources say the Belgium Under-21 international has impressed in training and the overall view of him is a positive one.

Lammens is described as having a calm presence, as being mature for his age and is taking his new surroundings in his stride. He has already got somewhere to live, so has stepped out of hotel life, which in itself can be disruptive.

This view is backed up by United’s number three goalkeeper Tom Heaton in an interview with the Training Ground Guru podcast: “He has a strong personality.

“His goalkeeping fundamentals are very impressive. I said that to him after a couple of days’ training. He’s been very impressive so far.”

Around his signing in preference to Martinez, United sources were keen to stress he had been bought with an eye on the future.

His stats were good. Last season, Lammens made 30 appearances in the Belgian Pro League, keeping seven clean sheets and making 173 saves, which was 20 more than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top-10 leagues, while no player saved more penalties than his four.

Data analysts Opta said Lammens had a save percentage of 77.4% and a passing accuracy of 71.5%. They also said his ‘goals prevented’ total was 18.4.

“Senne is young and has a big frame,” said former Belgium and Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld. “He’ll be a perfect fit in England.”

There was uncertainty over whether Lammens, with just a single full season as a number one goalkeeper and 57 senior appearances behind him, would be pitched straight into the United first team in the white-hot atmosphere of a Manchester derby on 14 September.

He wasn’t, with Amorim explaining why in his news conference a couple of days earlier.

“He has a lot of potential but we also have to look at the present and we are in a moment that the goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience,” he said.

“It is a different league, different country, different ball.”

Turkey international Altay Bayindir, who had started six of the previous seven Premier League games and all three this season, retained his place at the Etihad Stadium, a 3-0 defeat, and kept it for the victory over Chelsea on 20 September, when the visitors had just one effort on target, Trevoh Chalobah’s 80th-minute header into the corner that gave the keeper no chance.

Although Amorim has said Bayindir and Lammens will compete for the number one spot, few think the former Fenerbahce man, who cost United £4.3m in 2023, is capable of filling the role on a full-time basis.

According to Opta, of the goalkeepers with more than two Premier League appearances this season, Bayindir ranks 16th in terms of save percentage (50%). His mistakes in the home games against Arsenal and Burnley mean he has conceded eight goals this season, more than his expected goals conceded figure of 7.14, putting him 17th in the list and a long way behind the leader in that metric, Fulham’s Bernd Leno, who has conceded 2.15 goals fewer than he should.

Bayindir is 17th in terms of passing accuracy and 18th for long pass accuracy.

All of these numbers very much lead towards the theory it is a question of when, not if, Lammens gets his chance.

Yet, having elected to keep his new arrival out of the firing line so far, Amorim has to be careful when choosing the right day as a poor performance could set Lammens back.

The selection issue has been made more tricky by United’s elimination from the EFL Cup at League Two Grimsby before Lammens had even arrived.

It means there is no ‘soft landing’ available in a lesser competition, when the consequences for immediate mistakes in the assimilation period would not be quite so great.

United opted against naming Lammens as an overage player in the Premier League International Cup game at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

While it would be unusual for someone bedded into the first-team squad to feature in a game primarily for Travis Binnion’s Under-21 squad, it would at least have given Lammens a taste of playing under floodlights at the main stadium.

Although the attendance of 1,600 was a fraction of what the first team get, it is not far off the crowd of 6,456 who saw Lammens’ last senior game, in the Belgian Pro-League for Royal Antwerp at Charleroi.

So, unless he is made to wait until United begin their FA Cup campaign in January, it now seems Lammens will make his next competitive appearance in the Premier League, when the opposition manager will need little invitation to target a rookie.

Former United goalkeeper Roy Carroll has cautioned against expecting too much too soon.

“He’s only 23, please, please give him time and let him grow as a Manchester United goalkeeper,” the Northern Irishman told BBC Sport.

“We did it for David de Gea when he came in. He was a very young goalkeeper and a successful one even before he came to Manchester United as well.