Recovered Kieran Marmion keeps eye on old understudy

Kieran Marmion may have won 10 of his 16 Irish caps since November in a rich vein of form but he knows that the immediate impact made by his former Connacht team-mate John Cooney in Ulster will not go unnoticed.

Cooney moved to Belfast in an effort to get more game-time after playing understudy to Marmion at the Sportsground for three years, and the 27-year old has slotted seamlessly into Ruan Pienaar’s shirt with superb displays against the Cheetahs and Benetton Rugby as Ulster started with two wins.

Marmion is pleased for his former teammate.