Faloon Focusing On ‘A Couple Of Things, Certainly Around The Tackle Area’
Armagh native Willie Faloon is pictured at Affidea Stadium where Ulster will host Edinburgh in their only pre-season outing ©John Dickson/Dickson Digital
The band is back together as Ulster Men’s head coach Richie Murphy now has three familiar faces working alongside him. The Ireland Under-20 Men’s coaching ticket that oversaw Grand Slam success in 2022 has been reunited in Belfast.
Murphy coached the Ireland U-20s to back-to-back U-20 Six Nations Grand Slams, as well as a World Rugby U-20 Championship final appearance in 2023, and three of his assistants have now followed him to Affidea Stadium.
Entering his second full season in charge of Ulster, the Bray man is supported by Jimmy Duffy, in his second year as forwards coach, Willie Faloon, now in a permanent role as defence and contact skills coach, and backs coach Mark Sexton, who has made the move from Connacht.
The experienced Dan Soper will continue to have an influence as the province’s development and transition coach, a key position in getting the best out of the young talent coming through, just as that Murphy-led quartet managed to achieve with the Ireland U-20s.
When defence coach Jonny Bell left by mutual consent in February, Faloon took on a more active role with Ulster’s senior squad having been previously involved in a support capacity. He is delighted to be working again with his former Ireland U-20 coaching colleagues.
Looking back on that time, he said: “Jimmy did the one year with us and Mark left the year before last. It was a really enjoyable period to work with those guys.
“You are working with younger players and the energy that they bring is brilliant, so to get back into that coaching group is exciting and it is a nice environment to work in.
“In a lot of ways Richie has changed (from those Ireland U-20 days). He has a really good manner with how he operates, he gives you an opportunity to learn but he will also give you a nice steer as well of what needs to be looked at too.”
When their appointments were announced, Murphy described Faloon and Sexton as ‘very talented and hungry coaches with growing reputations in the game’. Ulster fans are hoping that the young pair – both yet to reach 40 – can make marked improvements to the defence and attack.
With the new BKT United Rugby Championship campaign fast approaching, Murphy’s men have a lot of ground to make up after finishing 14th last season. They scored an average of 3.27 tries per game, and conceded a total of 72 tries in 18 rounds, with only the Dragons leaking more with 92.
Ulster host the Dragons in their URC opener in just over two weeks’ time, so they will want to set a good tone for that fixture when they play Edinburgh, their only pre-season opponents whom they then visit in the second round of the league.
Speaking about the defensive targets ahead of Friday’s run-out against the Scottish side at Affidea Stadium (kick-off 7.35pm), Faloon explained: “I think it’s tweaking, really, isn’t it? I’d like to see a couple of things, certainly around the tackle area.
“I want to see a little bit more on the collisions, and that’s where we’re going to start. A lot of it is to do with how the lads are feeling energy-wise.
“I think they’ve had a really good pre-season, and they’re looking forward to the challenge now.”
Relishing the year ahead with the province in both the URC and the EPCR Challenge Cup, he continued: “Only coming in at the back-end of the season, it was just quite disjointed with the Six Nations and different things, so this will be my first real experience of all that, heading to South Africa, those things.
“So, yeah, I think there’ll be a little bit of work for me. Having those periods of intensity, it’s just going to be a little bit more prolonged, but I’m looking forward to that.”
Ulster’s assembled squad for 2025/26 certainly has a youthful look to it, with Jack Murphy promoted from the Academy to a senior contract, and forwards Scott Wilson, Lorcan McLoughlin, and James McNabney all progressing after their year as development players.
Second rows Charlie Irvine (22) and Joe Hopes (21) have also moved up from the Academy to development deals, bringing the number of products of Ulster Rugby’s player pathway in Murphy’s 43-strong senior group to a very impressive 32.
Former Ulster and Connacht flanker Faloon knows a lot of the province’s emerging young players very well, having been appointed as an Elite Development Officer with the Ulster Academy in 2021, specialising in forward play.
The Ireland U-20 squad he coached in 2024 included Jack Murphy, Wilhelm de Klerk, Sam Berman, James McKillop, Jacob Boyd, Bryn Ward (pictured below), and Ethan Graham. Murphy, de Klerk, and Graham are all set to be involved against Edinburgh on Friday night.
“Coming back four years ago in my Academy role, it was nice to be back getting that opportunity to coach the younger lads, and now taking that into the senior role it’s exciting for me,” admitted the ex-City of Armagh head coach.
“Working with the Academy players over the last four years, and the Irish 20s, there are a lot of guys now that I’ve had a good touchpoint with over these few seasons. So, it’s nice to have those familiar faces moving into the senior programme.”
He is quietly confident that if they can put the hard work in and maintain a consistent level of performance, the results will come.
Their opening run of URC matches includes a trip to South Africa next month to play the Hollywoodbets Sharks and the Lions, teams they lost to in the equivalent fixtures last year – 47-21 and 35-22 respectively.
“With it being a young squad and the challenge that that brings, it is important that you are looking for those consistent performances, and I think off the back of that that is when you will get results, and hopefully league table positions.
“You are seeing across the board in all competitions that attacks are on top and it is hard for defences, but again that is the challenge.
“We have to work hard. Rugby is a hard game to play if you are not winning collisions, so it is important that we are trying to put a little more into that tackle.
“If you talk about attack it is made easier if you are going forward, defensively if you are given time in that tackle,” he added.