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Last week, we had a really good break, I stayed
at home, we just welcomed a little baby girl,
Isabella, into the world, so it was nice to spend a
lot of time with her and to help my wife.
We've had a couple of sleepless nights but she
is really good, she is starting to show some
reactions which is great so it’s an exciting time
for us. She was born in the Ulster Hospital on
2nd October, it was a life changing experience
and great that we will always have a connection
to Belfast!
There has been a lot of preparation for Zebre
this week, an important fixture following a
disappointing few performances before the break.
Everyone was disappointed with our performance
against Edinburgh, so it is vital that we bounce
back from it.
Zebre managed to get a win in Edinburgh, which
didn’t do us any favours, because the Scottish
side came back fighting and played really well
against us. The Zebre game was a bit of a wake
up call for them, so they came out all guns
blazing against us and scored two tries within
minutes. The Italians are really looking good
this season, and we know we have to be well
prepared for them.
We have had some disappointments recently, but
it is by no means the end of the season. We have
got to get as many points as we can in the run up
to Christmas and after the holidays we go back
into Europe so there is no time to hang heads.
We have got to get our chins up and work hard
through this period, we have got to stick together
as a unit and work hard for each other. We have
got to do our job really well and start fresh against
Zebre.
A few days’ rest has been really beneficial. The
boys were back in this week feeling refreshed,
willing to work hard and excited to get back to
playing again. I think for us this week; Edinburgh
will be in the back of our minds acting as
ammunition. We need to prove a point and there
has been a real focus, energy and buzz around
the paddock this week.
FRANCO VAN DER MERWE
FEELING FRESH AND READY TO PROVE A POINT
FRANCO VAN DER MERWE
With it being three weeks since Ulster's last outing, we caught up with lock
Franco van der Merwe to see how he spent the time...