Wiehahn Herbst finding his feet in Ulster pack

It’s just over three years since 29-year-old tight-head prop Wiehahn Herbst packed his bags and headed from Durban in the hope of starting a new sporting life in Belfast.

After 57 appearances and a plethora of injury problems, the South African is now ready to fulfill his potential at the coalface, having extended his Ulster contract until June 2019. He has started all three of Ulster’s Guinness Pro14 games so far, and is again expected to wear the number three jersey when Bernard Jackman’s Dragons come to the Kingspan Stadium tomorrow evening.

Herbst, who came to Ireland as a project player to replace All Black Gloucester-bound John Afoa, has been the cornerstone of an Ulster pack that has shown good form in the tight this season. Herbst puts that down to his hard graft under new head honcho Jono Gibbes and scrum coach Aaron Dundon.

“It’s been brilliant so far,” said the quiet-spoken Afrikaner who along with hooker Rob Herring and loose-head Kyle McCall, gave an international Scarlets front-row a testing time last week. “I really enjoy what the new coaches are bringing to the club. It’s really good to get a fresh insight. It was good for us last week to go up against good opposition. That’s how you test yourself. It was good to get the result that we did,” said Herbst of Ulster’s excellent 27-20 win against the champions last week which kept their unbeaten start intact.

“We’re not getting carried away, it’s was the third game of the season. There’s a lot of games to play,” explained Herbst who is not too worried, yet, on the absence of skipper Rory Best with a hamstring injury.

“We had a really good pre-season together and we worked through all the combinations. We know the player you’re playing next to no matter who it is.

“That’s really important when you’re playing as a team. As a front-row, we have to be able to work together,” said Herbst, who expects the new South African Pro14 teams to come good once they find their feet.

“I only know a few of the guys I’ve played against. I never thought that I would play against a South African side again,” he said. “It’s good to have the whole tournament moving in that direction. It’s good for them. It will take them a few games, they’re not used to the rugby we play.

“It’ll be tougher going there. We have to adapt to the conditions. It’ll be nice to see what the boy’s think when we go to South Africa to play the Southern Kings in November!”