Ulster boss trusts Afoa to bring A game

Mark Anscombe admits that John Afoa’s preparations for Saturday’s crucial Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens at Twickenham have been far from ideal.

However, the Ulster coach has backed his powerhouse tighthead to hit the ground running against the English giants, despite the fact that the World Cup winner will have just recently returned from New Zealand.

The 29-year old Afoa returned home late last week to attend the birth of his third child, missing the RDS defeat of Leinster, and will not return to training until tomorrow at the club’s Newforge base.