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6
KIERAN TREADWELL
This time last year you were looking forward
to making your Ulster debut. It's been a bit of
a whirlwind year since then?
Yes, you could say that! At the start of the season
I was playing for my club, Ballymena, and I didn’t
think I would get much of a chance during my
first year at Ulster, but I’m extremely pleased,
honoured and proud that I managed to get the
opportunity and hopefully this season I'll be able
to crack on and do the same.
It was a real breakthrough year for you in
terms of your form with Ulster, what do you
put it down to?
You've got to set goals but sometimes the goal
posts can move as the season goes on. Once
I got my first cap I needed to change my goals,
and where I wanted to go
to. There are great players
around you, and you've got
some serious experience
with the likes of Rory (Best),
Hendy (Iain) and Jared (Payne)
who went on the Lions Tour,
and then there's Tommy and
Trimby, who all set the bar
so high. Also, the coaches
really helped me to improve,
Les especially. I set a goal
to improve my fitness and
the Strength & Conditioning
coaches, JD and Kev, helped me through and got
me in the best shape I could be to get selected.
Your good form was rewarded with an
International call up, how was that experience
for you?
It was a bit of a shock to the system when I first
got the email. I know I went for a camp before
Christmas but it was still a shock to me. I put my
head down, and carried on playing for Ulster and
thought I just want to have a successful season
at Ulster and then this came up, and the goal
posts moved again. I went out there and thought
I've just got to work as hard as I did for Ulster
for Ireland. It was a successful tour and really
enjoyable. Japan was a hot place to go to and a
tough place to play in but we managed and there
were a few young guys in the same position as
myself, so it was good for us to get exposure at
that level.
Did you notice the lift in intensity being
involved in Irish Camp and in test games?
Yes, definitely. The intensity in the players around
you and the healthy competition within the squad
is massive. Everyone wants to be in the team so it
was intense. It was humid and hot so it was tough
to do those high impact sessions. We trained
hard and then we also had gym work and walking
and talking through different roles, looking at the
opposition, looking at our training and a lot of
analysis was done behind the scenes also. It was
tough, but a great experience.
I'm sure you will be hoping
that that experience will
stand you in good stead
for the season ahead with
Ulster?
Yes, definitely. I'm hoping
that this season we will kick
on. Now that we have new
coaches on-board, you can
notice that the pre-season
sessions have stepped up a
level in intensity and we all
want silverware. At the end
of the day we are all in this business to win and
we have been working hard on all aspects of our
game. We have our own style now and teams
have got to adjust to us rather than the other way
around.
How has it been working with Jono Gibbes?
Obviously, with him being a back row/second
row I can pluck some of the wisdom that he
has gathered over the years with both playing
and coaching. I've only been with him a short
time, but from the time I have been with him he
has been very helpful. If i've got a question, I go
straight to him and see if he has a solution or if we
can work it out together, it has been good so far.
KIERAN TREADWELL:
HOPES HIS SUMMER SUCCESS
CAN CONTINUE ON…