Guinness PRO12: Leinster v Ulster (Saturday, 3pm)
ULSTER hooker Rob Herring says his side are entering the “defining part of the season” as they prepare to take on Leinster in Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 clash at the RDS.
The New Year’s Eve showdown is the first of three on the road for the northern province, with a trip to Scarlets next up next Friday, before they return to European Champions Cup action against Exeter Chiefs on Sunday, January 15.
Ulster currently sit fourth in the PRO12 table, five points behind Saturday’s opponents and Herring is well aware of the magnitude of the game: “It’s interpro, it’s away from home. Especially at this time of year, it’s a massive game for us and we’re pretty excited for it,” he said.
“It’s a big part of the season for us, it’s probably a defining part of the season for us, so it’s a massive challenge and we’ve got some big games coming up, but we’re not looking past this one.
“Like I keep saying, interpros away from home, it’s going to be a good old game and a tough game for us, but the boys are looking forward to it.”
Leinster boast a 100 per cent record at the RDS this season, with a 60-13 hammering of Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup earlier this month among a formidable array of results, and Herring knows it will take everything Ulster have to take a win away from the capital.
“I think they’re unbeaten at home this season. It’s going to take a special performance from us,” he added.
“We know we’re going down there with a good squad and we’ve just got to stick to our processes and back ourselves.”
Andrew Trimble will return to the starting 15 in Dublin, having recovered from the foot injury he sustained in November, while Paul Marshall, Darren Cave and Tommy Bowe are selected in the back-row.
Rory Best will be among the absentees due to Ireland duty, but Herring is confident Ulster can cope without them: “We’ve guys missing, but we never talk about the guys who aren’t here, we talk about the guys who are here,” he said.
“We’ve got a good squad and what it does is open up opportunities for other players to come in and do a job. We’ve some very exciting pretty exciting guys coming in this week and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do for us.”
Coach Les Kiss has placed a large emphasis on steady improvement as the season progresses and recent home victories over Clermont and Connacht seem to indicate the message is getting through to his players.
Herring said: “Against Connacht, we took some steps in the right direction. We have been playing good rugby the last four or five weeks.
“Obviously, Clermont was a tough one away from home, but winning against Clermont at home, I thought we did well against a good side who hung in there. We’ve just to keep improving and keep working on those things that make us better. “
If there is a sense of momentum building among the Ulster squad as the new year beckons, Herring – who will captain the side on Saturday – is keen not to take it for granted.
“It’s [momentum] obviously massive, you only build momentum by putting in good performances and that comes down to training and your prep off the field,” he said.
“The guys have been really switched on since we came back from Christmas – they’ve been really switched on and are eager to get stuck in.”
TEAM NEWS
Ulster: C Piutau, A Trimble, D Cave, S McCloskey, T Bowe, R Pienaar, P Marshall; A Warwick, R Herring (captain), R Ah You, K Treadwell, F van der Merwe, C Ross, S Reidy, R Wilson; Replacements: J Andrew, C Black, J Simpson, P Browne, C Henry, B Herron, L Ludik, J Stockdale.
Leinster: I Nacewa (capt); A Byrne, G Ringrose, N Reid, R O'Loughlin; R Byrne, L McGrath; J McGrath, S Cronin, M Bent, D Toner, H Triggs, S O'Brien, J van der Flier, J Heaslip; Replacements: R Strauss, A Porter, J Loughman, M Kearney, J Conan, J Gibson Park, T Daly, Z Kirchner.
