Ulternative Alster Fan Club

The Return of the Prodigal Son

In between training sessions, Newforge Country Club becomes a friendly place with players talking of plans for the weekend rather than what they’re paid to do. Very little rugby talk.

Amongst it all it’s very difficult to imagine a person more committed to the Ulster cause than its prodigal son. Ian Humphreys left these shores in 2005 after being offered a full-time contract with rugby giants Leicester Tigers. Compared with Ulster’s offer of a development contract, it was a no-brainer, but he’s happy to be home.

“For the players who have grown up here and broken in early, they maybe don’t realise what it’s like to nearly miss out on playing for Ulster. I hope they don’t take it for granted,” speaking as one beyond his 26 years.

To date he has played all his professional rugby in England so a useful starting place would be asking how he’s settling into the Magners League with his home province. “I would say there are a lot of similarities. The thing I’d say I’ve noticed is that Leicester are maybe a wee bit ahead due to the money we had but amongst the players - the skill levels – there’s not a lot of difference.

“What I would say is that the English players have a greater self-belief. They’re taught they’re the best players in the world whereas there’s been times here when we’ve been played Stade [Français] or the Ospreys and some of our players seem to be a little concerned that we’re playing against Hernandez or Hook, but they’re the exact same - they’ve got two arms and two legs and can throw a ball around,” he remarks.

The debate over the English premiership being above the celtic nations’ Magners league is one he sees an element of truth in and yet the top teams continue to defy it. “All you have to do is look at the results. Leinster beat Wasps quite comprehensively and Munster beat Sale [in the European cup].

Though in the Magners, when you’re playing the top teams the standards are high but there’s a few occasions in games where the standard hasn’t been quite as high but I definitely think there’s not as much a difference as people make out,” he adds.

His time with the two times European champions could not help but make the Ballymena man a better player. His chance signing came after playing a charity game with then coach and ex-Wallaby centre Pat Howard and he singles him out for praise: “He is an unbelievable coach, he taught me so many things. I also learned if you’re not doing training outside of the normal, you’re not going to get picked. There’s just a ‘no excuses’ culture over there.” A culture he feels is working its way across the Irish sea: “We’re a very young squad s it’s important that people like Paddy [Wallace], Rory [Best], [Andrew] Trimble and BJ [Botha] set the standard high but there are boys coming through who work very hard and I think we have a good future ahead of us but the key is to start being successful now.”

Asked about Ulster’s poor start to the season results-wise he responds with typical optimism: “I think whenever other teams are getting a sniff of a chance they’re being clinical whereas we’re not. But I really think it’s not going to be too long before we give someone a good hammering.” ‘Prophet’, I imagine, would not be in Ian’s job description but only four days later Ian was the instigator of an impressive win over current European champions Munster at Ravenhill.

“When I went to England I used to watch games thinking I’d love to be playing for Ulster. There’s just something about playing for your home province,” he expresses genuinely. He has been involved in a few games against Irish provinces, though never against the northern province, notably leading Leicester to victory at Thomond Park in the 2006 Heineken Cup. How did he enjoy that?

“I just thought this is as close am I’m going to come to playing for Ulster, and that’s what I really wanted.” He’s got his wish and maybe this Humphreys could follow his older brother into the hearts of the Ravenhill crowd.