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Having won the Six Nations Championship
for the second year in a row last month with
a team made up of more Leinster players
than Ulster players, how does that affect the
dynamic of Friday’s game?
At this stage in my career, I am well used to
differentiating between Ulster and Ireland.
When you are down there, those guys are your
teammates and we all get on really well. This
Ireland squad, who have been building over the
last number of years, is probably the closest
one that I have been involved in. There is a lot of
good craic and everyone gets on really well. But
ultimately when you come back to Ulster it’s about
succeeding and leading Ulster. I have had great
success with Ireland this season and now it’s time
to succeed with Ulster. We will all shake hands at
the end of the game and we all get on great so
there will be a bit banter after the game, but in the
lead up, my focus is trying to win this game for
Ulster.
Does having two Leinster players on either
side of you in the scrum for Ireland set you up
with an advantage tactically going into this
game?
It is really a double edged sword, I know them
well and have built a good relationship with them
based on trust and based on knowing what they
are going to do but on the flip side, they also
know me well. I am sure the feeling will be mutual
on Friday night, whoever Leinster play, they have
a great front row with some very dominant props
so it is going to be a challenge no matter how well
I know them.
Leinster suffered a European Cup semi-final
defeat at the weekend after 100 minutes, do
you think that will affect their performance this
weekend?
They have a lot of internationals and a lot of guys
who are used to playing big games week in week
out and rising to the occasion so I am sure Friday
will be no different. Emotionally it will be tough,
losing in a semi-final as we have done a few
times. It is not easy and it can be tough to take.
But the beauty of having the PRO12 competition
is that it can now be the main focus with the view
to having a week off next week to recuperate their
bodies for the run in. They will be coming up here
to win a game, they will not be thinking about how
tough the game was five days previously.
With the PRO12 the sole focus for both teams
I’m sure it will make for an entertaining game?
It will be a tough game, both teams have a lot to
lose, with being at home there is extra pressure
on us. We have had a good run at home in the
league and their backs are against the wall,
knowing they have to win at least two of their last
three games if not all of them. It’s a big game
but we are coming to the stage of the season
where all games are massive games. They had
a massive one last weekend and because they
narrowly lost it during extra time, this becomes an
even bigger game for them. The same applies for
us, we had a massive game away to Connacht
to set us on track for a top four place. Now this
weekend becomes even more important because
these next three games in the calendar are critical
to win for a play-off place.
How much more of an incentive is it knowing
that the final will be played at Kingspan
Stadium?
We are in a unique position, regardless of where
we finish in the league or in the top four we are
guaranteed a home final, no other team has had
that. They all know apart from us that if they get
to a final they have to travel. So for us it is an
incentive. In previous years to get a home final
you had to finish first or you could finish second
and hope that the team in first lose. Whereas if
we finish first or second, we could be in a position
where it is a home semi and home final and that
is ultimately what you play the whole season
for. You try to be the best team to get that home
advantage. The league have decided to host a
destination final which this year played into our
hands but we have a lot of work to do to make
sure that we get there. It is by no means cut and
dry, we have a tough run in starting on Friday
night. Then hopefully, a semi-final to win but just
because the final is at Kingspan Stadium doesn’t
necessarily mean that Ulster will be there, we have
got to make sure that we are there.
It is a big week for the Best family this week…
Yes, we had a wee boy, born on Wednesday at
9.30am. He was 9 pounds, 13 ounces. Rugby is
brilliant and it has brought me a lot of enjoyment
but at the same time there is nothing quite like
family. Welcoming my third child is hard to
believe from when I started out my Ulster career
unmarried and no kids and now some 11 years
on, I am married with three kids. I still enjoy rugby
as much as ever but days like Wednesday remind
you what it’s all about. I play rugby to support
my family and to make them proud of me so
yesterday really brought that home again. Jodie’s
poor dad got sacked yesterday by our eldest
boy, Ben who told him that he wasn’t needed
to play rugby anymore in the garden because
now he had a little baby brother to play with. So
for me that is what rugby is all about. My family
love coming to watch at Kingspan Stadium and
supporting Ulster and hopefully Richie will
be no different.
6
ULSTER
RUGBY
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