Ulster Rugby vs Cardiff Blues

MIKE STANLEY ENJOYING LIFE IN BELFAST

After Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations win there has been plenty of speculation this week about how the international side will fare in this autumn’s Rugby World Cup.

MIKE STANLEY

Pundits, correspondents and ex-players have all written up Ireland’s chances with the semi-finals and even winning the competition now seemingly a possibility. Barring injury, Rory Best, Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne and Iain Henderson will be on the plane across the Irish Sea for the competition. Up to half a dozen other Ulster players will hope to force their way into contention over the coming weeks. However, there is another member of the Ulster squad who will be aiming to play in the Rugby World Cup. Samoa international, Mike Stanley, has three caps to date. Samoa face South Africa, Japan, Scotland and the USA in Pool B and Stanley has his fingers crossed that he will be involved: “I don’t want to jinx it!” he jokes. “It’s just a case of getting my body right and getting some game time and playing a few matches.” Getting minutes on the pitch is the aim for the 25 year-old now. Brought in as injury cover at ten, he is now competing with Paddy Jackson and Ian Humphreys for a place in the team. He says: “I think the first couple of weeks, I was just trying to get my head around the calls and getting up to speed with that. I had a lot of help from the boys with that but I had a cameo appearance here against Scarlets, then I got a half against the Dragons which was good, then played 80 minutes for the Ravens. It was great to get a hit out.

“It is good to feel part of the team. There are a few boys coming back from injury and a few coming back from international duty too. Hopefully I’ll get a few chances in the coming weeks. I just want to do my best for the boys along the way. If that means carrying pads or hitting tackle bags then so be it. I just need to keep them in top shape and to keep pressing them.” While he awaits his chance, Stanley has been enjoying life in Belfast: “My fiancé arrived from New Zealand recently so we have been seeing around a bit. We have been into town. We went to the North Coast last weekend. It is really nice up there and we will head back up there and hopefully see a bit more. “I’m really glad that I made the decision to come to Ulster. It has been a great move so far. I have really enjoyed it and the guys have been really good to me. It’s a friendly environment and I just want to make the most of it.” If he is selected at the World Cup, Samoa will have plenty of fans in Ulster.

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