Not because he was presented, somewhat to the embarrassment of this essentially modest man, with the IRB Coach of the Year award, but because Ireland earned a draw with the Wallabies, disposed of Fiji and tiurned over World Champions South Africa in one of the most physical games ever played at Croke Park.

Despite the cold and the freezing fog, not a single spectator was going anywhere until the final whistle, as Ireland held off a late surge by an exhausted Springbok outfit who, thanks to the outstanding scrummaging of Ulster's BJ Botha, had been the better outfit in the first half.

But as Rob Kearney fielded kick after kick and Paul O'Connell, one of many Irishmen with a point to prove following last summer's Lions tour, galvanised the Irish forward effort, the game swung Ireland's way, and if Johnny Sexton (pictured above) missed with two penalty attempts, he was forgiven, as the youngster kicked the goals that mattered.

Having beaten Glasgow home and away last year, there was not unreasonable expectation that Ulster would win.

If they had, Brian McLaughlin's side would now be sitting on top of the table. What a boost that would have been ahead of the Heineken Cup.

But from 13-3 up, Ulster blew it, conceding penalties galore to Dan Parks who banged them over from all angles.

What on earth happened to Ulster's line-out? Wobbly at best against Munster last time out, it was awful, as was the second half discipline.

As a frustrated McLaughlin stated afterwards, it was "totally unacceptable".

MInd you, I am not convinced as to the logic of replacing Timosci Nagusa with Paul Marshall prompting, not just one, but three positional changes when the Fijian winger went off before half time!

Knowing Ulster, they will improve this weekend against Stade Francais as the Heineken Cup resumes. Always a tad flaky at Ravenhill, the Parisians have been upset and outplayed in the past, but, hand on heart, I am not so sure about this one.

Still, you can always get a decent bet down on just what colour the Stade team will emerge in at half past one this Saturday!

How many of us would have anticipated that Declan "Cool Hand Luke" Kidney would have axed Ronan O'Gara in favour of Jonny Sexton for the most eagerly anticipated of all the November fixtures, as Ireland take on World Champions South Africa at Croke Park?

Despite Sexton's flawless, nerveless display against Fiji on his international debut, all the smart money was on Ireland's most capped fly-half and record points scorer returning to the starting 15, with Sexton looking likely to come in at the opening of the 2010 Six Nations campaign against Italy in Dublin in February.

To be fair, Kidney admitted, following Sexton's impressive performance against the Fijians, that it was going to be close call.

But O'Gara has been demoted for the first time since he and David Humphreys were competing for the number 10 shirt several years ago.

Sexton, at 24, three years older than O'Gara when the Munsterman made his debut against Scotland in 2000, impressed me right from kick-off at the RDS.

He caught the Fijian starting kick and, rather than just boot the ball back down the park, had a quick look and set off at considerable pace, taking the Fijian defence totally by surprise. Wow!

Sexton has to step up again this Saturday and will find himself with much less room and time against a side that, while palpably battle-fatigued following the Lions series, the Tri-Nations and the current tour, will dig deep to deny Ireland a calendar year's rugby without loss.

Sexton's selection apart, and Keith Earls for the unfortunate Luke Fitzgerald on the left wing, coach Kidney was always going to stick with the side that bounced back so well to earn a draw against the Wallabies, although it will have been a close call between Paddy Wallace and Gordon D'Arcy at centre.

A wee bit of tinkering with the replacements sees Tom Court lose out to Tony Buckley, and, as if to give O'Gara some encouragement, Peter Stringer is back in the fold as replacement scrum-half.

Stephen Ferris was simply immense against Fiji and, having been denied the chance to take on the Springboks last summer because of a minor injury, he'll be bursting at the seams this weekend.

Ditto Messrs O'Driscoll, O'Connell, Wallace and all the other Irishmen who felt their efforts in Lions shirts deserved better.

Will it be the game of the year? Absolutely!

Mind you, weren't the chaps in white pretty dreadful, even allowing for the fact that they were missing a handful of front-liners?

Ireland used to dispose of the Wallabies with relative ease, but not since Fergus Slattery's side won both Tests on Australian soil 30 years ago, have Ireland been at the races.

The Australians, currently coached by former All Black Robbie Deans, have beaten Ireland in 16 out of the last 18 games, including all four fixtures in the World Cup, so Grand Slammers beware!

John Hayes has not played a game for five weeks due to suspension and Jerry Flannery has hardly laced his boots in earnest this season, having missed the Lions tour last summer because of injury. But coach Kidney would not have named them if he was less then 100% sure.

Still, Paddy Wallace has been the form inside centre this season.

After a couple of batterings in the early games, had he not resembled someone who had gone 20 rounds with the Klitschko brothers, he would have been first choice in the number 12 jersey throughout the entire Six Nations campaign.

But Paddy's back, and, against a Wallaby backline that oozes class and menace, the Wallace/O'Driscoll midfield pairing looks ideal.

Speaking of Brian O'Driscoll, playing his 100th test on Sunday - 94th for Ireland and six for the Lions - he is truly a man apart.

An extraordinarily gifted and committed player, he has evolved into a marvellous captain.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him at this week's Irish Rugby Writers' Awards dinner when he conducted himself with good grace, understated humour, tact and aplomb and, at the written and electronic media scrum that passes for a press conference, he was quite superb, handling the banal and belligerent with consumate ease, making life a lot easier for an understandably nervous Cian Healy who woll be winning a first cap on Sunday!

I fancy Ireland, despite not having been together for six months, to win, but only just.

Finally, for anyone making the trip to Croke Park from the north, it is becoming very, expensive, don't you think? With tickets at face value of 95 euros, plus a fill of petrol/diesel, a spot of lunch or dinner, you won't get much change from 300 quid for a day out for two!

The biggest crowd of the season to date, the worst weather imaginable, and the gutsiest display for some time all combined to make it a memorable night.

Without meaning to carp, it might all have been different had the conditions been better, as Leinster's multi-talented backs were presented with few opportunities to excel.

But it is the same out there for both sides!

The difference was that Ulster coped better, winning the toss and electing to play into a gale that blew straight up the Ravenhill pitch towards the War Memorial end, and the Ulster pack played controlled, percentage rugby.

Didn't he just remind you of David Irwin and Trevor Ringland who regarded themselves as extra back row men a generation ago?

Now it is back on the road and a trip to Thomond Park where Munster memories of a walloping at Ulster hands will be fresh and painful.

Munster have had their problems in terms of injury, especially in the front row but, after an insipid display at Murrayfield, they will be in no mood to let Ulster turn them over for a fourth successive time. It is shaping up to be the sort of game where you might have to be over 18 to watch!

Have Ulster got what it takes to stay at the top of the league table?

Always a man to pick on current form, has Declan Kidney been a little bit on the mean side, from an Ulster perspective, in naming just six of Brian McLaughlin's men in a 39-strong panel for the November Guinness tests?

Isaac Boss has slipped down the scrum-half pecking order to fourth at best, it seems, despite a corking display against Leinster, and Ryan Caldwell has lost out to Leinster skipper Leo Cullen - no spring chicken - and another Leinster man, the lofty Devin Toner.

No place for Willie Faloon either, though I suspect he will feature, as will a few of his fellow Ulsterman against Tonga and the Argentinian Jaguars in the 'A' fixtures.

Good to see Chris Henry in the squad, likewise Neil Best who captained Ireland to a famous Churchill Cup win in the summer.

But the standout number eight in the Guinness Premiership this season has been Roger Wilson, Best's fellow Saint, who has again been ignored. A man contemplating a return to Ravenhill, perhaps?

I would not castigate Ian Humphreys (pictured above) for a penalty miss that would, if successful, have taken Ulster 10 points clear at the start of the second half, especially as Phil Godman had fluffed a couple of pretty simple efforts coming up to half-time.

Humphreys, looking more and more like a member of ZZ Top, has been playing well and some of his tactical kicking was superb.

Overall, however, there was little to enthuse about, Timosi Nagusa's cheeky first-half try apart. When Edinburgh made some telling replacements, they upped the intensity of their play and Ulster did not seem capable of responding as they had done the previous week when they saw off Bath's challenge.

Did Brian McLaughlin make the right calls when he changed a raft of players in the second half?

What happened to Ulster's normally efficient set pieces?

The line-out, in particular, was messy and the scrum less than dominant, meaning that the backs never got going and the considerable Ulster contingent, who were in fine voice throughout, trooped away from Scottish rugby's HQ thoroughly deflated.

To make it worse, a late penalty by Julien Dupuy snatched victory for Stade Francais in Bath, taking the French side to the top of the Pool Four table.

Ulster, who have back-to-back games against Stade in December, are not out of it in terms of a knock-out place, but a win against Edinburgh at the weekend was crucial in a tough group where only the winners are likely to progress.

Munster and Leinster both won and results elsewhere in their respective groups have left them in decent shape, although Munster's injury toll is mounting alarmingly.

So it is back to the Magners League this coming weekend and a sell-out crowd looks guaranteed at Ravenhill for the visit of Brian O'Driscoll and Co. Who will be boosted by their recent win in France. What price Ulster turning over the reigning European champions?

Result of last weekend? Definitely Connacht's win away to Montpellier in the Challenge Cup, giving Michael Bradley's men a second successive victory. The West's awake!

While Friday's 26-12 win over Bath evoked a lot of European memories, it was merely one step in the right direction.

I can fully understand the numerous fans who said to me in the immediate aftermath at Ravenhill, "We should have got a bonus point!"

But, I am sure, Brian McLoughlin and his coaching team would have settled, especially at just 10-6 up at the interval, for a win, irrespective of how it was achieved.

Too many penalties conceded in the first half by Ulster kept Bath in the game, though most of them could be attributed to hyper-enthusiasm on the part of an Ulster side brimming with confidence, self-belief and togetherness.

But what impressed me most, apart from a great defence and splendid tactical awareness from Ian Humphreys (pictured above), was the way in which a lighter Ulster pack gradually got the better of a bulky Bath eight in one of the best forward displays in the Heineken Cup for a few seasons.

How did you rate Ulster's display? Are they genuine contenders in Pool Four?

Irish coach Declan Kidney was a more than interested observer at Ravenhill on Friday, so who do you think will have impressed him with a view to the forthcoming November internationals and the Ireland 'A' games against Tonga and the Argentinian Jaguars?

Ferris, Wallace and Court were in the Grand Slam squad, but will Kidney be looking at guys like Humphreys, Trimble, Caldwell, Boss and the impressive Kyriacou who is Irish qualified?

So it is off to Murrayfield now and payback time against an Edinburgh side that has lost three in a row - two Magners and one Heineken.

It has been a while since Ulster won three competitive fixtures on the bounce and the last time Ulster won in a European clash in Edinburgh was almost 11 years ago when David Humphreys' side went on to win the tournament!

Is it winnable at Scottish rugby's HQ? Of course it is.

Finally, the upset of the opening weekend of the Heineken Cup?

Leinster going down at home to London Irish is up there, as is Munster's defeat at Northampton.

But the prize goes to Treviso for a remarkable 9-8 win over the French champions Perpignan, giving Italian rugby one of its brightest moments since European competition began.

Congratulazioni Treviso!

A woefully flat performance against the Dragons brought a tough response from Ulster's new coach with a few P45s brandished, resulting in a great win against the Ospreys, thanks to a display of guts and sheer bloody-mindedness.

Onward and upward?

Well, it was just that for the opening half hour against Edinburgh, last year's Magners runners up. What a joy to see Ulster's latest Lion, Stephen Ferris in majestic form, and his early try sent the fans at a new-look Ravenhill into raptures. And when Clinton Schifcofske got Ulster's second try, we all thought that it was done and dusted.

Ian Humphreys' shortcomings with the boot cost Ulster dear as the ever-reliable Chris Paterson popped them over from all angles, and there was a lot of head shaking as a great chance to secure valuable league points, especially at home, went a-begging.

Ferris, incidentally, was pretty explicit when it came to his assessment of how the game was lost, Should he have been as openly critical of Humphreys' failure to kick the goals that might have nailed a win?

Games against Connacht have become doubly significant, given Heineken Cup qualification is dependent on Magners League performances. So last Friday's win in Galway was crucial.

More inventive with ball in hand, thanks in no small part to the return of Paddy Wallace at inside centre, Ulster were far too creative for Connacht and, with a strong set piece, McLaughlin's men deserved their bonus point win.

Oh, and let's not forget that Ian Humphreys, who varied his game very cleverly, kicked a couple of vital penalties!

But, can they maintain that momentum when they play the Scarlets at Ravenhill on Friday night?

The Scarlets won in Belfast a year ago, and look a better side than last season, despite their three losses to date.

With the Heineken Cup opener against Bath at Ravenhill coming up, McLaughlin has a few interesting selection decisions to make, given that he has serious options in certain positions.

Does he go for Brian Young or Tom Court at loose-head prop? If Ryan Caldwell is fit again, should he displace either Ed O'Donoghue or Dan Tuohy? Assuming Stephen Ferris will come straight back in, will it be Chris Henry or Robbie Diack at number eight? Wallace or Ian Whitten at 12, Bryn Cunningham or Schifcofske at 15, and should there be a starting place for Andrew Trimble?

Roll on Friday!

You can hear commentator Jim Neilly's coverage of Ulster v Scarlets live on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and the BBC Sport website, kick-off is at 1905 BST.

But with Leinster and Munster taking the European and Celtic titles respectively and contributing significantly to the Grand Slam and Churchill Cup victories, Ulster face the most challenging of seasons.

With Munster and Leinster bounding ahead in terms of playing success and financial strength, Ulster simply cannot be contemplating, let alone settling for, a situation whereby they are scrabbling around with the Dragons and Connacht at the bottom of the Magners League table.

Ulster's new coach Brian McLoughlin was, understandably, encouraged by pre-season wins against Newcastle, Viadana, and significantly, away to Worcester, but was less than enamoured with an insipid display in the Magners' opener against the Dragons.

It was a different story against an Ospreys side bulging with internationals with Ulster producing one of their best away performances in the professional era. But is it going to be a one-off as was the case with the victory over Munster last season at Thomond Park?

A season without Rory Best is hard to contemplate, yet new signing Andy Kyriacou and stalwart Nigel Brady have been filling the hooker role with success and with Stephen Ferris, denied a Lions Test series because of a minor injury, back in harness against Edinburgh this weekend, and a new-look Ravenhill to catch the eye, we are back to standing up for the Ulstermen.

Let me know what you think. What do you feel would be an acceptable season for Ulster?