Ulster Rugby v Connacht

This week we caught up with out-half Billy Burns, who moved to Ulster from Gloucester in the summer. Burns is clearly settling in well to the Ulster setup, and despite the disappointing game at the weekend, his energy is infectious and he’s full of chat… B I L L Y B U R N S A NEW CLUB, A NEW COMPETITION, A NEW CITY.

“Last week was a tough one for us all,” says Burns. “We had a good week in training and a good plan in place but we ended up off in all aspects of our game and you can’t afford to do that against anyone, never mind Munster at Thomond Park. We are massively disappointed but the good thing about rugby is that we get another chance this weekend to right some of those wrongs. “We lacked energy and a bit of spark in attack and defence. Ultimately, our discipline wasn’t great and we gave away penalties, and against any top side you are going to get punished. It was hugely disappointing but we have a week to refocus and train hard and hopefully we can overcome those negatives this week.” Another inter-provincial challenge lies ahead against Connacht, who went down 20 points to 3 to Leinster last weekend. “Connacht are coming off the back of a defeat as well so they will be out to prove something too. They are showing signs of being a really good team on both sides of the ball, so we know it’s going to be a massive challenge and one we are looking forward to. We are going to focus on ourselves and get our game plan sorted and hopefully that will put us in good stead come Friday night.” Having spent three weeks on the road, the squad are looking forward to having a few home fixtures… “It’s nice to be back playing at home. Obviously, we had the trip to South Africa,

which was great, but it will be good to get back home to Kingspan Stadium, hopefully in front of a big crowd and get our season back on track.” Having progressed through the Gloucester Academy, Billy’s background is primarily in the English Premiership so the PRO14 Championship is something new for him. “I have loved PRO14 rugby so far,” explains Burns. “It is obviously very different to what I’m used to. It has been quite a manic start to the season with two fixtures away in South Africa, but the trip was great to get away with the boys and get to know them better. “Before last weekend, we started well, last Saturday was a bit of a reality check, you don’t want to be losing by big numbers too often. But that has been a wakeup call and we’re looking forward to the next challenge.” As well as playing at a new club, in a new championship, Billy has also had to get used to living in a new city… “I’m really enjoying being at Ulster and in Belfast, it’s a great place with a great group of boys. My girlfriend has just moved over and is settling in well, so we are loving it. It is very different to what I’m used to, but part of the reason why I moved here was to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. I have settled in well and hopefully I can continue to build and perform over the course of the season.”

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