The rumour concerning Ulster’s key player, Steven Kitshoff, and his alleged departure at the close of the season is causing quite a stir in the rugby world – a narrative which continues to evolve just a week after Jonny Petrie, the CEO, surprisingly stepped down. Kitshoff, a 32-year-old double World Cup-champion and Springbok prop, presently seems to be headed back to his previous team, the Stormers.
Iain Henderson, Ulster’s captain, referred to this as “speculation”, indicating that it would not deter the team in any way ahead of Sunday’s game against Montpellier in the last 16 tie of the Challenge Cup. Henderson stated, “No doubt, there is frequent speculation not only regarding Steven or other players, but that’s part and parcel of being in professional sports.”
The Irish lock also mentioned a recent dinner he shared with Kitshoff in Cape Town, stating that he doesn’t anticipate any issues that could potentially disrupt their game planning for the weekend. Henderson lauded Kitshoff for his brilliance, especially with mentoring the younger squad members and his overall professionalism.
Last weekend, the news broke in South Africa that Kitshoff might be leaving early, but the Ulster team didn’t make any further comment on the matter. Dan Soper, the assistant coach, shifted the focus to how useful their South Africa trip had been, despite losses to the Sharks and Stormers under interim head coach Richie Murphy, in shifting attention from Petrie’s recent resignation, which followed a month after the dismissal of former head coach Dan McFarland.
Soper expressed that the two-week break allowed for the unit to come together and give Richie the chance to integrate and make an impression. From the team’s outlook, it was an ideal time to be overseas as it enhanced their concentration on the task at hand. Nevertheless, Ulster urgently needs to improve their performance on the field, as their record of just one win in their last six matches suggests. Soper indicated that the camaraderie developed during their time in South Africa would be of little value if Ulster can’t start tasting victory again.
In the URC standings, they are in an unsettling eighth position, which is not the best appearance for them. Now they are bracing for a tough journey to France, marking their third consecutive away game and their initial experience of knockout rugby this season against an equally beleaguered Montpellier. Despite the valuable bonding time, Soper accentuated that they still have several league games plus knockouts to play and given the competitive nature of the league, every match is now crucial.
Soper argued that despite their precarious situation in the URC, the Challenge Cup is no less significant. The upcoming Montpellier game will be enormous, and if they perform commendably, it could pave the way to a quarter-final game.