Wilson calls for Ulster concentration

ROGER WILSON aims to make up for lost time when Ulster face a tough Heineken Cup re-match with Saracens at Vicarage Road at lunchtime today.

Wilson was the rising young star of Ulster at the start of last season, but although the 24-year-old number eight made his international debut in Japan during the summer, his year had already turned sour.

Now he aims to carry on from last week’s five-star performance when Ulster shocked the Premiership side with a late burst to take the points.

“That was the best game I’ve played for a while,” said Wilson. “Now it is up to us to get our first European win on English soil.

“We do not want to be playing 15 or 20 minutes before we get into the game. If we allow them to get a stranglehold on the game early, it is going to be incredibly difficult to come back. We cannot allow them to bully us off the park.

“We have to go into the game in a right mental attitude which maybe we have not done in previous years on away trips.

“In terms of the group standings, if we win we would be in a great position of making the knockout stages for the first time in six seasons, particularly as we have Biarritz at home and then a trip to Treviso.

“But we are not thinking any further past Saracens. It is crucial we get a win if we want to qualify, and to do that we must start well.”

SARACENS: K Yates, S Byrne, C Visagie, S Raiwalui, K Chesney, H Vyvyan, B Russell, B Skirving, K Bracken, G Jackson, T Vaikona, B Johnston, T Castaignede, P Bailey, D Scarbrough.

Replacements: M Cairns, B Broster, T Randell, D Seymour, A Dickens, M Bartholomeusz, B J Russell.

ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Bowe, K Maggs, A Trimble, P Steinmetz; D Humphreys, K Campbell; B Young, R Best, S Best (capt); J Harrison, M McCullough; N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson.

Replacements: N Brady, J Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell, S Ferris, I Boss, A Larkin, J Topping.