When you look at Ulster's remarkable turnaround this season, one name keeps coming up in every conversation: Mark Sexton.
The attack coach, who joined the province under head coach Richie Murphy at the start of the season, has transformed Ulster's attacking play with what players describe as "real clarity." And the numbers tell the story better than any words could.
Let's put it in perspective. Last season was a tough one for Ulster—they finished third from bottom in the United Rugby Championship, scoring 59 tries and 414 points across 18 league matches. It was a campaign the team and its fans would rather forget.
Fast forward 12 months, and the difference is night and day. With one game still to play, Sexton's attack has already racked up 68 tries and 472 points. That's nine more tries and 58 more points than all of last season. Ulster currently sit in eighth place, with a crucial final match against league leaders Glasgow Warriors on the horizon.
And that Glasgow clash is just the beginning of a massive week for the province. They're fighting to secure a URC play-off spot and the Champions Cup qualification that comes with it. Then, just days later, they'll face Montpellier in Bilbao for the Challenge Cup final—a chance to end a 20-year trophy drought that has hung over the club like a shadow.
But Sexton, the younger brother of legendary Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton, is quick to deflect the praise. He insists the credit belongs to the players on the pitch.
"They've been absolutely brilliant, haven't they? It's a joy to watch," Sexton told BBC Sport NI. "The simplicity comes from a few different principles that we have in our game model. One of them being, wherever the space is, that's where we want the ball to go to. It sounds very simple, but that's the beauty of it, because it is simple."
For Sexton, who joined Ulster from Connacht, the key to a strong attack lies in reading the defense. He emphasizes finding where there's a "lack of density" in the opposition's setup—essentially, spotting the gaps before they close.
"It's really simple," he says, "and then it's a case of making sure that when we make mistakes, that we're not too focused on the error. We stay focused on the next opportunity."
With the playoffs and a cup final ahead, Ulster fans have every reason to be excited. And if Sexton's attack keeps firing, that 20-year wait for silverware might finally be over.