Rugby

O'Connor: Pressure to perform for Ulster has never been greater

Alan O'Connor believes harsh lessons were learnt in Ulster's agonising URC semi-final defeat to Stormers last season
Alan O'Connor believes harsh lessons were learnt in Ulster's agonising URC semi-final defeat to Stormers last season Alan O'Connor believes harsh lessons were learnt in Ulster's agonising URC semi-final defeat to Stormers last season

ULSTER lock Alan O'Connor claims that the pressure to perform at the province has never been higher, but that the pressure is driven within the

team room rather than outside it.

There is a feeling that this Ulster side is well placed to finally end their lengthy silverware drought after coming so close in last season's United Rugby Championship and the squad is now as competitive as it has ever been.

And O'Connor admits that nobody is taking a day off at Kingspan Stadium as they look to start their season on a high note with a win over

inter-provincial rivals Connacht in their opening game on Saturday.

"It's not even like that Dan (McFarland) will be mad at us, it's the group now that we have in that everybody holds each other accountable and if you're the guy who's not working hard then you're going to stick out like a sore thumb," says the Skerries man.

"Then you're not going to get picked and then how are you going to earn the respect of the lads and the fans?

"Every day, I love coming in and into a place where you can get better. I appreciate the everyday nearly more than the big games, if you know what I mean, as they are a product."

The recently turned 30-year-old is likely to captain Ulster in their first competitive game since their heartbreaking URC semi-final loss to the Stormers at the end of last season when the South African side scored in the 85th minute to end the northern province's season.

"That was a tough one, wasn't it?" laments O'Connor.

"You've got to take your lessons from it, you can't just skim over it and you have to look at it deeper and like 'why do we lose in the 84th or 85th minute' when we were in a good position to win that game and get a home final?

"Harsh lessons learned, and we go again and hopefully go one step further. But we're not going back to go forward, we are stepping forward."