Ulster Rugby vs Treviso

MIKE McCOMISH

There can’t be too many players that have played club rugby one week then faced Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol the next, but that is what happened to Mike McComish in January.

“Going into the game against Toulon I was aware that I had to perform,” says Mike. “It felt like I hadn’t had the opportunity up until then this season, so when I finally got a chance it was really a case of making the most of it. It was nice to go over there and play in a great stadium, on a big occasion and to have played well. Toulon has internationals all the way through to 23, so it was daunting on paper but I think we gave a decent enough account of ourselves.” A strong performance by McComish against Toulon saw him cross the whitewash twice and set up another try for Paddy Jackson… “I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel pressure going into the game, but it was nice to go well especially against that calibre of opposition.” McComish has a long standing association with Ballymena Rugby Club and has played back row for them intermittently over the past few seasons, a position he was fulfilling (as captain) in Dublin in the AIL just one week before travelling to the South of France. “That was pretty surreal to be honest,” says Mike. “I was playing at College Park against Trinity one Saturday and then I was playing at Stade Felix Mayol the next week. However I am extremely thankful to my club Ballymena, they have been a great support to me since I left school and it has been great to get game time with them this year. “Of course there is a little bit of frustration about the extremities of that situation. I am a professional rugby player, that is my occupation and I hadn’t really had an opportunity for Ulster this season until Toulon, but at the same time, rugby is a team game. You have to play with the boundary of the whole squad in mind and it is good that the team went reasonably well in the game in France, albeit the score line wasn’t great.” Back home and Ulster faced Leicester in a game that would also seal the Tigers fate in the European Champions Cup, but McComish put in another sterling performance before injury forced him to leave the pitch. “It was great to get a further opportunity at Kingspan Stadium against Tigers, but unfortunately not long into the second half I got a bit of a knock on the head. I came off and had to do a concussion test. Over the past few weeks I have been going through the return to play protocols and have spent a week on holiday in New York with my wife and little girl.” Fully fit and well rested, Mike returns to the field this week against Treviso, a side which caught Ulster unawares in January when they came back fighting at Stadio Monigo in the second half to bring the score line to within just four points…

“Treviso are like any Italian side, they are committed, destructive, scrappy challengers so we really need to ensure our set piece is good, our scrums are dominant and our lineout goes well. If we can drive the mauls and make them defend for long periods of the game, hopefully that will take its toll in the last half hour in terms of energy levels and hopefully we can capitalise on that and score a few points. “The crowd at home against Leicester Tigers was phenomenal, they definitely helped us to raise the bar, everyone was committed and the Ulster defence was awesome. The crowd play a massive part in spurring us on at Kingspan Stadium. So no doubt we will have that support again this weekend. “I am really looking forward to getting back on the pitch, my job is to play rugby so it will be nice to get some game time especially after the break.” With Kingspan Stadium securing the 2015 Guinness PRO12 Final, there is certainly some added motivation for the Ulster players to finish in the top four… “We try not to think too far ahead but having secured the PRO12 Final is definitely a carrot at the end of the season and the potential of a home final in front of an Ulster dominant crowd would be phenomenal. If we can get ourselves there, home support will play a massive part in the outcome.” Mike is an ex-pupil of schools rugby powerhouse Campbell College, who last week were drawn against reigning Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup champions, Methody in the quarter finals of the competition. With many fond memories of being a young player in that position, McComish advises the players to work hard and take every opportunity that comes their way: “Being a young guy in school playing rugby, the Schools’ Cup is the be-all and end-all. I was lucky enough to win a Schools’ Cup in 1999 and came fairly close the following two years. The competition is great, I was at the Campbell v Sullivan game on Saturday past and it just means so much to the kids involved. The final whistle went and all the school boys ran onto the pitch so it’s good to see that the competition still means as much now as it did in previous years. “The further they go in the competition the more pressure there is, so the players will have to cope with that mentally and take their opportunity in these final stages. Some lads will be in upper sixth and this is their last shot at it and some will be in Fifth Form with a few chances to go. So it is just a matter of making the most of every second and working hard in these last few weeks. Good luck to all those players and teams going into the quarter finals next Saturday – especially Campbell!”

MIKE McCOMISH

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ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com