51
ULSTER
RUGBY
Tonight’s for example, a PRO12 game against
table toppers Glasgow Warriors. Next week
is reasonably big as well – back to Welford
Road in the new Champions Cup to take on
Leicester Tigers. Then, it’s the visit of Toulon,
then perhaps games for Ireland and the
possibility of pulling on that green shirt for the
first time.
These aren’t just season defining weeks for
the newly-Irish qualified 28 year-old. They are
career defining.
However, if he is feeling the pressure, he isn’t
showing it: “It could be exciting times, but
it could be disappointing times as well!” he
jokes. “You just have to play well each week
and hope that the opportunities come. I can’t
think about too much about Ireland – I am just
focused on this game against Glasgow.”
And what of the challenge of the league
leaders? Ulster have lost their past three
encounters with Gregor Townsend’s side. Last
season’s home encounter was particularly
galling, The Province led until the 79th minute,
only to see the Scots grab a last minute try to
seal the victory.
“They are riding high for a reason,” says
Payne. “They are playing some awesome
rugby, they are working hard for each other
as a group and they are testing teams right
across the paddock so we will have to be at
our best to beat them.
“Last year is something that you can look back
and say we should have done better. But we
created those chances and we just need to
finish them. We just have to learn lessons from
every loss and need to be a bit more clinical,
hold on to that ball and score those tries.”
Payne was superb in the pre-season game
against Leinster but a hip injury against
Scarlets put him out for three weeks. Now fully
recovered he is determined to make his mark
in these upcoming matches:
Speaking of his fitness he says: “I’m 100%
again physically. It is just the rugby side of
things that needs to come up. Friday against
Edinburgh definitely felt like a first game
back and I was disappointed with the way I
played by my own standards. Hopefully I have
blown out a few cobwebs and I’ll improve this
weekend.”
Payne played his first seasons at Ulster
as full back but perhaps with a view to the
international set up, he has been playing 13
all season: “There is a difference, but you
pick it up pretty quickly,” he says. “It is just
switching from training mode, pre-season and
then switching back into the actual physical
side of the game. You have to change your
lines slightly. The more games you play them
more it improves hopefully.
He added: “The great thing about our squad
at the moment is that we have plenty of 12s,
plenty of 13s, plenty of wingers and plenty
of fullbacks! Its good to have that within the
group and to have it within Ulster. Whoever
puts that jersey on that week is going to do a
job.”
With the league so close at the top, Payne
believes that even at this stage of the
Guinness PRO12, every point matters: “Each
week is important, he concludes. “It’s a close
competition. Last year we just scraped home
– a few results went our way so if you slip up
in these early games, they can come back to
bite you later in the year. It’s nice to get a bit of
momentum with the European games coming
up so it’s massive.”
A massive game
tonight and a massive
few weeks ahead
for Ulster’s flying
centre.
JARED PAYNE
JARED PAYNE:
AIMING TO MAKE HIS MARK
There are big games coming up for Jared Payne...
