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For much of last month, Henry Speight says he felt a tinge of embarrbadment walking round his temporary home.
The Australian winger arrived in the summer on a deal that runs until December 31 when he’ll return to the Brumbies ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby campaign. But a sizeable chunk of his short stint was frustratingly spent on the treatment table after a knee injury sustained in South Africa saw him miss four weeks of action before making a try-scoring return to the side against Dragons last week.
“It was very nice to come back at home and get five points out of it,” he said.
“It’s been a long four weeks, especially knowing the status and the length of my stay it was really disappointing to be out for those four weeks.
“On and off the field, it was a very disappointing time, the first two weeks were very hard to show a face around the club knowing that I wouldn’t be training and knowing the guys knew that I was only here for a short time anyway.
“So it was quite embarrbading showing your face and knowing you cannot train or contribute on the field.
“But then they are a very good group and the medical staff are top notch and they were very good in bringing me back and I’m very, very thankful to them.”
While the nature of his knee injury was not revealed, the sight of him sustaining the knock in the final seconds of the draw with Cheetahs immediately looked serious. With his stay in Belfast so short, there must have been a part of him wondering if it was over before it ever really began.
“It didn’t feel good the following morning,” he said of the injury. “We were just hoping for the best on the way back to Belfast. The scans showed it wasn’t too bad and the medical staff were good in getting me back.
“There are other guys in rehab who are on very good tracks at the moment, and that’s a testament to the club and the support injured players have around here. It was an eye-opener, but as I said it was good to be back within the four weeks they said I would be.”
In many ways it was games like today’s visit to Benetton that Ulster will have had in mind when pursuing the Wallaby.
Missing six players due to international involvement, the experience of a player who has 19 caps for Australia, the first of which came against Ireland in Dublin four years ago this month when he went head to head with Ulsterman Tommy Bowe down the wing, is crucial.
Alongside him in the back-three this year have been Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune and Angus Kernohan, all of whom were still in school when he first pulled on the green and gold. Even Jacob Stockdale is only 22.
Speight has quickly adjusted to the role of senior pro.
“There’s a 10-year gap between myself and my wing partner (Baloucoune) who was making his debut,” he laughed.
“There’s Mike Lowry in the backfield, so the beauty is that the club and the province is in very good hands with the type of players that are filtering through. They have really stepped up and also Angus Kernohan from the start of the season.
“Personally, it was embarrbading to be around when they look at me, knowing that I couldn’t be training. But when it came to the team stuff, the reviews and previews, you try and contribute, particularly with the young players filtering through in the back three.
“So there was a bit of responsibility and to take my thoughts of the injury away and to be kept busy in those ways.
“I can really see that right now. Michael Lowry’s try on the weekend, nothing was on…but he showed genuine footwork and brilliance. He made nothing into something.
“As for Rob (Balacoune) even though his first game was on the weekend he’s been improving week in week out with Ulster ‘A’ and he’s a genuine player to be reckoned with at this level and then Aaron Sexton, who has scored seven tries in six games.
“There’s something that’s growing here in the Academy and that’s something that’s testimony to these players coming through.
“Then you’ve got Adam McBurney and all these young guys who’ve been given their chance. They have really stepped up to the plate. Very exciting players and Michael Lowry is at the top of that at the moment.”
Benetton too will be without a number of their experienced figures, and 17 players in all, but despite the absentees there is no downplaying the game’s importance.
Victory would put a buffer between Ulster and their opponents, who finished only one place below them last year and have shown enough in the early rounds to indicate that they could be pushing for a play-off spot come the end of the season. Their home form has been strong, despite losing to Leinster last week, but the timing of the game gives Ulster real hope of securing their second away win of the campaign.
“It’s going to be my first time there,” said Speight of the trip to Italy.
“Last weekend, it was a five-point, bonus-point win (but) we could have done a lot better as a squad so it’s just about going down there and playing our game, playing how we want to play and being happy with how we play.
“I think they were very strong at home last year, six out of 10 games
“If we can start well from the get-go, it’ll put us in good stead.
“We acknowledge that they’re playing at home this weekend. We’ve got a few internationals away but we’re keen to come away with a win and if we can get a bonus point, even better.”
Ulster have been handed a boost with Stuart McCloskey (right) and Rob Herring released despite being in Ireland’s squad and in truth it is Benetton who have been hit harder by international call-ups. Under Kieran Crawley, Benetton have got better and better, especially so at home, but given their absentees Ulster could hardly ask for a better opportunity to keep their winning streak in this ground alive.
Belfast Telegraph
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