When Sam Arnold clotheslined Christian Lealiifano in the 58th minute of Ulster’s 24-17 win over Munster On New Year’s Day, it turned the game on its head, and unfortunately, the Wallabies fly-half into the turf.
Munster were leading 17-5 at the time with substitute lock Fineen Wycherley in the sin bin.
Ulster scored four minutes after Arnold’s dismissal and touched down for a further two tries to overcome a 17-point half-time deficit to secure an incredible comeback win.
Lealiifano, who took several minutes to find his way back to his feet following the hit from Arnold, played a key part in all three of Ulster’s tries in the final 20 minutes.
He found centre Darren Cave with a pass out the back on Craig Gilroy’s first score, a beautiful finish in the corner after a well-weighted grubbed from Cave, while on the second try, he lofted a cutout pass to Gilroy after reversing to the blindside to catch Munster off guard.
On the third and final try, a superb finish from Rob Lyttle, the Australian playmaker got around Darren O’Shea before firing the ball to Rob Herring who sent Lyttle away down the left touchline.
Ulster Director of Rugby Les Kiss has spoken glowingly about Lealiifano during his short stay in Belfast, and after Monday’s game he revealed an insight into his mental toughness and his willingness to share knowledge with some of the province’s younger players.
“He’s class,” said Kiss after a brief pause.
“You saw those things. You saw a man get smashed. A number of times this year he’s had busted ribs and you go to him at half-time and he says ‘no, this is what it’s about, that’s what this game is. You don’t play fully fit and without injury, and without soreness, and without tiredness’.
“But that type of character and resilience and robustness is a hallmark of him and what we’ve seen from him, particularly with where he’s come from with his own personal situation.
“But it’s the other things that you don’t see. At half-time he’s going to Johnny McPhillips, and Johnny didn’t get on, but he’s talking about this game turns around now with the different wind factors.
“He’s talking to him for about two minutes of the half-time break, so he’s thinking about whole things, and that’s the type of quality that he is.
“He showed that when it mattered in the end even though he was playing hurt.”
Full-back Charles Piutau, who played against Lealiifano during his time with Auckland Blues and New Zealand, said that Lealiifano brings a sense of calmness during the midst of intense matches, and that he’s excellent at identifying space and communicating with other backs on the best way to exploit weaknesses in opposing defences.
“I think for myself, playing alongside him, he brings a lot of calmness,” said Piutau.
“The game, there’s a lot happening, everything is moving 100 mph and he’s just got this aura about him.
“He can see a lot of pictures and I think it’s not only that stuff that you’re seeing during the game, it’s a reflection of the types of talks and debates we’re having during the breaks.
“He’s telling us ‘this is what I’m seeing’ or the outside backs are giving him feedback as to what we’re seeing, whether that’s to rectify things or to try and exploit gaps to hopefully create tries then.”
Lealiifano will return to the Brumbies in Super Rugby after Ulster’s final Champions Cup pool game against Wasps later this month.
The province were briefly linked with a move for Quade Cooper, the Queensland Reds fly-half, as a replacement but they have since ruled out such a move.
