Ulster Rugby v La Rochelle

It’s been a tough run of games for us to get to this game so I think we can take a lot of stuff out of previous games and lessons learned out of the La Rochelle game in October and the Harlequins games in December. We’re really looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be a massive one but we’re going to give them a fight to the end and put up a great game for the fans. What are your thoughts on how the Champions Cup compares to Super Rugby? It is quite similar. The difference that I immediately feel from the Champions Cup to the PRO14 and Super Rugby is the hype around it. The build-up week is massive. There’s a different vibe in the team, there’s a different vibe around the stadium, there’s a different vibe around town, so it’s got this massive build-up. I think it’s the closest you’ll come to playing a Test. If you never get selected for your country it’s a phenomenal feeling and you can feel the same hype from Monday all the way through to game day. In terms of your personal ambitions, what is next on your to-do-list? I just want to have a good season with Ulster. They gave me the opportunity to come here and unfortunately I had to sit out a few games with injury, so it still feels a bit like I haven’t given back as much as I want to. So for me, for the rest of the season, it’s just trying to stay fit and give 110% every time I put the Ulster jersey around my neck.

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