Rugby Union: Guinness PRO14: Dragons v Ulster (tomorrow, Rodney Parade, 3pm)
SEAN Reidy will join Ulster's century club tomorrow afternoon when he wins his 100th cap for the province against the Dragons in a crucial PRO14 clash at Rodney Parade.
Reidy will be joined in the back row by Jordi Murphy, who, along with scrum-half John Cooney, has been released from Six Nations duty with Ireland.
Cooney will be partnered in the half back line by Billy Burns, who has recovered from the calf injury which sidelined him for Ulster's last three games.
The wheel has turned full circle for Irish international flanker Reidy, who made his Ulster debut against the Dragons side in a 23-6 win in Belfast in November 2014.
Reidy arrived from New Zealand as an unknown quantity after contacting all four provinces in a bid to be offered a trial when he decided to travel to the northern hemisphere.
The 29-year-old says he's proud at his impending achievement although his journey to Belfast wasn't straightforward by any means.
“I originally came here on a pre-season trial after contacting (then director of rugby) David Humphreys, but when I got here for my first day, he wasn’t here any more, and neither was the head coach (Mark Anscombe)," Reidy recalled.
"It was all up in the air, but Ulster gave me a chance with that trial, and it all worked out.
"To be honest, if you told I’d be playing 100 games for Ulster on my first season here, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’m proud to put on that jersey for that many times.
"It's been of a bit of an honour, and I would like to thank Ulster for giving me the opportunity to come over here and ply my trade in Ireland.”
Reidy hasn't looked back since his arrival in Belfast and he believes he has become a better player as his elevation to the international arena has suggested.
He made his Ireland debut on the 2016 tour to South Africa and, although he isn't in the current squad, head coach Joe Schmidt name-checked him favourably ahead of the Six Nations.
"It's been a roller-coaster. There’s been a lot of coaches that have come and gone at Ulster but I think I’ve developed better as a player," he added.
"I got a lot bigger since I turned up here, more physical, my skills have got better and I think I’ve progressed. I put that down to the people still involved in the coaching, and the players. I’ve really enjoyed it.
"I've been working hard with Jared (Payne) on the defence side of things and just reading situations a bit better.
"We’ve all got constant work-ons but that’s the one for me lately."
The Auckland native, Irish qualified through his Kerry-born grandfather, hasn't given up on the possibility of adding to his tally of international caps but, for now, his focus is on Ulster and tomorrow afternoon's clash with the Dragons.
"It’s quite ironic, as my debut was against the them here, so it’ll be pretty special to me to be at Rodney Parade to win my 100th," he said.
"Dragons at home are very strong and it’s going to be a tough match especially up front. They are a physical team, so we are expecting a pretty strong challenge over there and it’s going to be tough."
