When news broke last week that Ulster number eight Juarno Augustus had suffered a “serious” ankle injury, fans in the northern provinces could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
Richie Murphy’s side have made a strong start to the 2025-26 season, even more so than last season’s 14th-placed finish in the United Rugby Championship.
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Injuries were a big factor in last year’s poor performance, but it was encouraging to see his replacement, Bryn Ward, named man of the match in the 28-3 win over Munster in the first game without Augustus.
“This week, with players like Juarno injured, it’s obviously an important role for me to try and fill,” the 21-year-old said.
“Giarno has been fantastic since he came in and I’ve definitely learned a lot from him.”
In fact, Ward’s performance in the interprovincial competition impressed head coach Rich Murphy, who described Ward’s performance on the ball as “on par with the best in the world”.
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“I think it’s unbelievable that Breen has taken over Jarno’s spot,” Murphy said.
“His dribbling ability is really on par with the best in the world. He weighs 118kg and moves faster than most wingers.
“He also has great footwork at the line, so that’s an incredible strength for a back-row forward.
“We grew up playing in the backyard together.”
The win over Munster was Ward’s seventh Ulster appearance and the former Ireland Under-20 international’s first senior appearance.
There is at least one familiar face in the squad as he seeks to establish himself at the Affidea Stadium.
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Ward’s younger brother Zac is an Irish Olympian who played rugby sevens in Paris two summers ago and had a breakthrough season for the team last season.
The elder of the siblings has already made five tries out wide this season and caught the eye again against Munster.
“We grew up playing together in the backyard, so to now be able to watch a sold-out Affidea game in front of 16,500 people is just so surreal,” said the man who plays with his brother six years older in the back row.
“Watching him throughout the Sevens game, he definitely had a big impact on me whenever I was at school and coming out of school. It’s great to have a familiar face in the place and great to be able to play with him.
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“I threw the ball out there and he was the first one to come up and pat me on the butt and say ‘keep your head on’, so that was really cool.”
The younger of the Ward brothers is the son of former Ulster captain Andy Ward and he is not the only inexperienced player to have made an impact in recent weeks, with Joe Hopps and Charlie Owen also playing meaningful minutes.
Ward believes being around the likes of Stuart McCloskey, Ian Henderson, Nick Timoney and Jacob Stockdale will be hugely beneficial in being able to draw their advice on the Test players’ development.
“The biggest thing is probably the speed of the game. Physically I’ve been playing for Ballynahinch in the AIL [All-Ireland League]so it’s obviously a step up physically when you’re playing against South African teams and big international pros.
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“It’s definitely the pace of the game and you have to stay positive and defensively you have to keep your head up all the time.
“There are a lot of experienced players at the club which is great for the younger players who can help us improve.”