Ulster Rugby/2016-2017

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The season started with Neil Doak as head coach, but he left in January and was replaced by Jono Gibbes. Ulster finished 5th in the Pro12 and bottom of their pool in the Heineken Cup.

Pre-season
Scrum-half Ruan Pienaar was going into his last season with Ulster, after the IRFU blocked him from extending his contract.

New signings

 * Charles Piutau from Wasps
 * Rodney Ah You from  Connacht Rugby
 * Kieran Treadwell from Harlequins
 * Marcell Coetzee from Sharks
 * Brett Herron from Bath Rugby
 * Angus Lloyd from Trinity College Dublin
 * Anton Peikrishvili from CA Brive

Transfers

 * Nick Williams to Cardiff Blues
 * Sammy Arnold to Munster Rugby
 * Rory Scholes to Edinburgh Rugby
 * Dan Tuohy to Bristol Rugby

Retired

 * Ian Humphreys

Released

 * Willie Faloon
 * Paul Jackson
 * Ruaidhri Murphy
 * Bronson Ross
 * Paul Rowley
 * Frank Taggart
 * Sam Windsor

Season

 * Pro12 2016-2017: 5th
 * Heineken Cup 2016-2017: 4th in Pool 5
 * Top try scorer: Charles Piutau, Jacob Stockdale (9 each)
 * Top points scorer: Paddy Jackson (162)
 * Top tackler: Sean Reidy (329)
 * Most turnovers: Iain Henderson (18)
 * Pro12 team of the year: Ruan Pienaar, Charles Piutau
 * FRU player of the year: Sean Reidy
 * FRU young player of the year: Jacob Stockdale
 * Ireland call-ups:
 * 2016 Autumn internationals: Rory Best, Craig Gilroy, Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Jared Payne, Andrew Trimble
 * 2017 Six Nations: Rory Best, Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Tommy Bowe, Craig Gilroy, Andrew Trimble
 * 2017 tour of Japan: Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale

Results

 * Pro12 Round 1 02/09/16 Ulster 29-8 Newport Gwent Dragons (full match)
 * Debut: Ross Kane, Rob Lyttle


 * Pro12 Round 2 10/09/16 Benetton Treviso 11-22 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 3 16/09/16 Ulster 19-8 Scarlets (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 4 23/09/16 Glasgow Warriors 17-22 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 5 01/10/16 Ulster 9-7 Ospreys (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 6 07/10/16 Connacht 30-25 Ulster (full match)
 * Heineken Cup Round 1 16/10/16 Bordeaux Begles 28-13 Ulster (full match)
 * Heineken Cup Round 2 22/10/16 Ulster 19-18 Exeter Chiefs (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 7 28/10/16 Ulster 14-15 Munster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 8 04/11/16 Edinburgh 28-17 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 9 03/12/16 Cardiff Blues 22-35 Ulster (full match)
 * Heineken Cup Round 3 10/12/16 Ulster 39-32 Clermont (full match)
 * Heineken Cup Round 4 18/12/16 Clermont 38-19 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 10 23/12/16 Ulster 23-7 Connacht (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 11 31/12/16 Leinster 22-7 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 12 6/01/17 Scarlets 16-13 Ulster (highlights)
 * Heineken Cup Round 5 15/01/17 Exeter Chiefs 31-19 Ulster (full match)
 * Heineken Cup Round 6 21/01/17 Ulster 22-26 Bordeaux-Begles (highlights)
 * Pro12 Round 13 10/02/17 'Ulster 24-18 Edinburgh (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 14 18/02/17 Ulster 37-17 Glasgow Warriors (full match)
 * Debut: Jack Owens


 * Pro12 Round 15 26/02/17 'Zebre 17-40 Ulster (full match)
 * Debut: David Busby


 * Pro12 Round 16 03/03/17 Ulster 19-7 Benetton Treviso (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 17 10/03/17 Ulster 68-21 Zebre (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 18 24/03/17 Newport Gwent Dragons 17-27 Ulster (full match)
 * Pro12 Round 19 06/04/17 Ulster 24-24 Cardiff Blues (full match)
 * Debut: Nick Timoney


 * Pro12 Round 20 15/04/17 Munster 22-20 Ulster (highlights)
 * Pro12 Round 21 29/4/17 Ospreys 24-10 Ulster (highlights)
 * Pro12 Round 22 06/05/17 Ulster 17-13 Leinster (full match)

Links

 * Front Row Union review of the season