Best confident Ulster can improve further

Rory Best has quickly taken over as Ulster’s iconic leader from the now retired Johann Muller.

Best is one of those captains who leads from the front and does most of his talking on the pitch.

The 32-year-old, who makes his 49th cap European appearance against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in Saturday’s European Champions Cup opener, knows what has to be done to emerge from the group, where Toulon and Scarlets are waiting in the wings.

“In any group you have to win your home games, then you need to pick up something away from home, so you have to take this game as one of those games,” said Best.

“This weekend, we have a bigchance to pick something up and set us up in a great way in our group. We travel reasonably confident as we have performed well and I feel there is a lot more to come from our squad,” said Best who believes the Pro12 win over Glasgow was superb preparation.

“To get that win against a good Glasgow side has given us confidence. Our set piece was rock solid. They had to force the game, made a couple of mistakes and we capitalised.

“In terms of this week, same applies. We must win the forward battle. Forward power is an area which is traditionally strong for them. If we don’t get on top we know that Leicester will strangle us and maul us off the park.”

Best is confident Ulster can improve their game further this season.

“Definitely we can go up a gear. There were a lot of elements that were very pleasing against Glasgow, but there were also some that we could do a lot better.

“We are still coming together as a team and there are some ‘mini’ units that have to mature. Our front row, Andy Warwick, Wiehahn (Herbst) and myself have only played four games together. Also Franco (van der Merwe) has only been in since the start of the season. However, as a squad, we feel there is lot more to come. We’re trying to push each other to new heights.”

Best is in no doubt that while last year’s win at Leicester will stand Ulster in good stead, Saturday represents a different proposition.

“It still is a massive challenge. Last year is history and when you look at the two squads then they are not going to have much of a bearing, apart from the fact we now know we can win there. We came off the pitch last season everyone was totally exhausted. We were battered and beaten up because it was such a physical game. So if you are going to beat Leicester at Welford Road, you are going to have to man-up.”

Ulster second-row Alan O’Connor has received a six-week ban after his citing for a dangerous tackle on Glasgow’s Mark Bennett in their Pro12 game last weekend.

Bennett was left unconscious and Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend claimed he had been choke tackled.

O’Connor is free to resume playing from Monday, November 3.