Anscombe looks to future after committing to Ulster cause

Ulster head coach Mark Anscombe has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Ravenhill until June 2015.

New Zealander Anscombe arrived in Belfast from Auckland in the summer of 2012 and will complete a three-year stint at the helm. Anscombe came in on the back of his predecessor Brian McLaughlin’s success with the team and the Kiwi initially guided the team to an unbeaten 16-game run. In his first season he took the side to the final of the RaboDirect PRO12 and the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup. Anscombe also heralded a first win on French soil when they defeated Castres 9-8 just over 12 months ago.

This season he led the team to an Ulster record six wins out of six in the Heineken Cup pool stages, including memorable wins over Montpellier in France and Leicester Tigers at Welford Road. Ulster will now play Saracens on April 5 in the club’s first home European Cup quarter-final in 15 years.