Matthew Devine

Jack Ainger, obviously, it's an Ireland international who's gone down to Munster.

But I wonder, Matthew Devine looks like he could be the biggest loss of them all.

And we'll talk about the impact he could have at Ulster in a couple of minutes time when we move on to them.

But they've lost some considerable names this summer.

All of a sudden now you've got Jack Murphy and Jamie Benson.

From what we've seen of Benson at Saracens, it's a solid double act at out half.

Matthew Devine at scrum half.

They've arguably got the best one-two scrum half punch in the league now with Nathan Doak and Matthew Devine.

And look, there's a heap of players that Ulster have signed in.

Eli's name, and you mentioned Ben Donald, Matthew Devine, Jamie Benson, Eduardo Bello, Keenan Knox, Che Mullins.

They're all announced on the same night.

And Daniel Hawkshaw and Martin Maloney.

It's a good incoming list.

Yes, they've lost the likes of Angus Bell, Werner Koch, players like that, but it does feel like they've added to their depth chart.

You can't be unhappy if you're adding Matthew Devine, Jamie Benson, Eduardo Bello and Ken Knox into a squad.

You just can't.

He's an interesting signing.

He didn't play for two years, but from what I can see at pre-season, hopefully, you know, having an artificial pitch, knees are... very very very worrying in an unofficial pitch but from what I can see from Bello is that he's a nice wee scrimmager his centre of gravity is so mad he's just like a wee chunk like he's not like necessarily a prop build but he's like he's like a wee unit like I'm very excited to see where he plays it's really interesting to see him at tight head prop is Tom O'Toole actually going to make the move to loose head prop this year we'll see beside Eli Snyman from Benetton I think it's a good squad player to sign as well good in the line outs also a big unit as well Matthew Devine and Che Mullins from Connacht the two signings that I sort of sat up and went this is very interesting Che Mullins had a really good pre-season getting involved Matthew Devine I feel like it's a really interesting signing and I think it's an IRFU sort of IRFU saying that Matthew Devine could either excel here whilst Nathan Doak goes off to Ireland camp but it's only a one year contract so I'm worried that Leinster might go for him But as I said, it's sort of similar to Munster where we've got a thin squad.

It's a very thin squad.

There's a lot of academy players coming in.

I'm sure Lancaster really built them up to be a formidable force.

However...

There's players, like, there's players leaving the likes of, as I said, Matthew Devine, Jack Carty, Jack Carty had the retired, retired as well.

Jack Ongers went, you know, you've got a couple of players like that, but then they've brought in the likes of Gerry Cahir, who did really well in terms of Ireland, like has a few Ireland caps in his name.

It's just like new players coming in.

And like, if you look at those players coming in, let's talk about Matthew Devine.

Yeah.

I think he's going in here to be... to put pressure on Doug because he's got literally only one guy ahead of him in Connacht he was fighting with Cain O'Blade and Ben Murphy for that kind of 9 and 21 spot and he's come here for a one-year contract.

And Francois van Wijk from Bath, another prop.

Outgoings, Matthew Devine to Ulster.

That's a tough one because he's been a really good player.

I still don't really understand how that's gotten to that stage.

Yeah.

Um, I think, I think two, two of the bigger name leavings in terms of names were Joe Joyce and, and Matthew Devine.

Like, I think-

Yeah

... everyone knows now Matthew Devine left Connacht to go to Ulster.

Everyone, every single place you will have, have heard his name and gone, "Why have Connacht let him go?" Because they can't tie him up.

Yeah.

Y- you also s- spent time one on one with Richie Murphy in a piece that has appeared, so we can talk about that a, a little bit more.

I'm looking at the list of people that Ulster have signed, right? Eduardo Bejo from Argentina, Ben Donald, a big lock, Eli Snyman, a Zimbabwean I think, Martin Maloney, ex-Leinster, Matthew Devine from Connacht, Benson in that half, uh, Che Mullins and Daniel Hawkshaw, backs from Connacht.

I mean, is it, is it too simple to say that Ulster ran out of gas last year and Richie Murphy has really looked just to get as many ... not as many bodies in the door, but he's really looked to beef up that squad, um, with quantity as well as quality?

I think it's just a process that's taking time.

So good to have that variety.

And speaking of other good signings who offer something slightly different, number two, in terms of the players we're most excited about Ulster signing, Matthew Devine.

So this was announced some time ago.

We're excited to see Matthew Devine join up with ulster because he's 24 um he's very quick he's he's sort of sharp around the breakdown um he likes a quick tap his speed of delivery is good again quite different to duke in a sense controls the game well he's a great box kicker maybe that's one of matthew divine's work ons um but he offers something completely different and when you're in the dying stages of a game or you want to change the tempo matthew divine's a good man to bring on

You will be, yeah, exactly.

And obviously he'd be well known to the coaching staff as well.

It's great.

But for Matthew to come in, just to add that little bit of, you know, that little bit of something different that maybe Ulster require and again like you said Peter whatever the game requires whether the weather's in a certain position if it's a nice weather especially at the start of the year does he add the tempo in the game when Nathan's hopefully away wearing the green jersey there's a guy who can step in but ultimately Matthew's going to come up here and he's going to have his own sort of ideas as well I'm sure he would like to go and represent Ireland as well so it's not all just going to be playing Salem and I think that type of competition for places is great and especially in a halfback position both guys can learn off each other they'll be challenging each other no doubt and there's competition for places there but the way they can react work together it's going to be really important just to try and hopefully push Ulster in the right direction