The ebb and flow of a rugby season never ceases to amaze me.

Sitting down to look back at the season so far, and ahead to its mouthwatering second half, there is no question that last weekend’s results have immediately sobered up even the most intoxicated of Ulster optimists.

Leinster put a real spanner in the works of Ulster’s ongoing rehabilitation, while Connacht provided the real festive cheer in Galway with their victory over the mighty Munster.

The Magners League table makes for interesting reading and potentially an even more exciting end of season.

Writing this time last year, there was only one way to describe the previous 12-month period for Ulster rugby – an “annus horribilis”. The last 12 months have seen even greater upheaval with changes in the coaching team and the precedent of home-grown players deciding to leave Ulster to ply their trade elsewhere.

The 2008/09 season is one of transition, but this should not take away from how important it may be for the future of Ulster rugby.

It feels like Ulster rugby has been in a dark tunnel for far too long but, thankfully, the last two months have given real reason to believe that the team may be finally emerging into the light. These young players seem to be coming together and the squad spirit is beginning to be expressed where it matters most — on the pitch.

The major improvement has been in defensive organisation and attitude, and in terms of discipline, and while there are still too many blips, generally there is a greater awareness of where attention to detail is needed most. We have started scoring tries. Hurrah!

A full house at Ravenhill last Saturday as well – now that’s more like it. Ulster have undoubtedly become more competitive and credit has to go to coach Matt Williams and the players for sticking together and playing themselves out of a tough situation after the poor start to the season.

However, things are not going to get any easier. As I stated in early September, the fixture list favoured a good start with the majority of matches at home. Now, of course, the converse is true.

Ten matches, seven of which are away from home, mean that Williams and his men will have to muster up the keenest resolve and character to navigate their way through the second half of the Magners League. Currently in seventh place and only four points ahead of bottom-placed Connacht, a couple of early 2009 victories would go a long way to assuage the anxiety that might potentially build-up going into the penultimate match away in Galway.

In the same way that I wonder whether there is a certain inevitability about Munster and Leinster lining up against each other somewhere in the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup, Ulster’s game against Connacht may well take on mammoth importance.

Some individuals, in a difficult half season, have also made names for themselves. Of the players we didn’t really know much about at the start, Darren Cave has been the most outstanding and has made himself indispensable at outside centre. His rich vein of form in attack coupled with his defensive attributes bode well for his future development and it must be only a matter of time before Declan Kidney wants to take a closer look.

In one of the most competitive areas in Irish rugby, David Pollock is developing very nicely and a big future could become a big present in 2009, if he continues on his upward curve.

A few weeks ago, I suggested that Ronan O’Gara could do with a good old-fashioned dose of competition for his No 10 shirt, and that the likes of Leinster’s Jonny Sexton and Ian Keatley, who masterminded last weekend’s defeat of Munster, should be fast-tracked.

It’s fair to say, that based on his last few performances, Ian Humphreys’ name should be added to that list.

Rory Best continues to produce consistent performances of high quality and if he, along with Stephen Ferris, can stay injury-free and perform well in the Six Nations, they could be serious contenders for the highest honour in the game — a Lions tour.

Selection, of course, is the first step and while Munster continue to deliver it will always be a toss-up between Flannery and Best. Ferris is clearly the best No 6 in Ireland and in the autumn internationals was one of the few to make a real physical impact, something that will be crucial in South Africa. His flattening of Rocky Elsom proved it again, right under Declan Kidney’s nose.

However, what excites me most about all these players is that they are Ulstermen, born and bred.

2009 starts off with a cracker — Munster at Thomond Park in front of a full house. Challenging? You bet. Intimidating? Only if you let it. A massive opportunity? Absolutely. Ulster’s last victory there was 17 years ago when Humph came off the bench to win it by a point.

For me, that match was memorable for another reason. It marked my first cap for Ulster and one of the proudest moments of my life. It was a pitched battle, and we were under pressure from start to finish. 11-3 down, we fought our way back and Humph nicked it for us right at the death. We had sacked Thomond Park and there are few better feelings.

Saturday is a huge challenge, not made any easier by Munster’s loss to Connacht, but that is why you play rugby, to take on these challenges.

To beat Munster in their own backyard? It is worth a lot more than just Magners League points.