Neil Best defends reputation

Ireland flanker Neil Best claims the need to steel Ulster’s pack led to his “screwball” reputation – and warned Romania he will tackle them with the same attitude at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

Best has been one of Irish rugby’s more uncompromising operators since making his Ulster debut three years ago but the arrival of some extra beef at Ravenhill has allowed him to vacate his enforcer role.

The change in emphasis has paid off with Best emerging as Ulster’s leading try-scorer by crossing the whitewash six times, but the 26-year-old’s belief that a physical pack is essential remains as strong as ever.

“You can’t get involved now because it gets picked up so quickly. You get a bad name for yourself because everyone thinks you’re a loose cannon,” he said.

“Sometimes a bit of shoeing has to go on. But if you’re the only one doing it in the team, you look like the worst person in the world. If everyone is doing it, it seems to be okay.

“Your forward pack has to be nasty, dominant and have proper hard men because the big French packs don’t take stick from anyone. They just kick the absolute living daylights out of you.

“If there’s only one of you doing it, it becomes a hard day at the office because you get your head kicked off. That’s what happened over the last couple of years so I’ve been singled out as being a screwball.

“I was annoyed and frustrated at how we were getting bullied. But now at Ulster we have players like Justin Harrison and big Roger Wilson.

“These guys are strong and won’t take a backwards step, which means I don’t have to get involved anymore and can concentrate on scoring one-metre tries.”

Best makes his full debut against Romania after appearing as a late substitute in the 45-7 thrashing by New Zealand and the blindside flanker is braced for a ferocious forward battle.

While the Oaks may be limited behind the scrum up-front they are formidable opponents with all eight forwards – including Biarritz prop Petru Balan and Pau openside Alexandru Manta – playing in the French league.

“Romania’s gameplan will be to take us apart in the forwards because they’ll be thinking they’re physically bigger than us,” said Best.

“They will try and get us rattled. They’re a weaker side and weaker sides try to drag you down to their level. But we’re not going to take a backwards step.

“People make the sport overly complex but if you’re aggressive and physical you can play. I’m a firm believer in that.”

Best insists he will not feel any nerves tomorrow as an off-the-pitch incident earlier in the year, which saw him cautioned for assault, has provided him with a different perspective.

“My whole outlook has changed over these past 10 months. I don’t feel pressure at all now. Even in my personal life things just wash over me,” he said.

“It’s probably not a good thing generally but for an occasion like tomorrow it is because it means I don’t really think about 30,000 fans watching me.

“The occasion doesn’t worry me at all. I went through a personal problem in January and my attitude stems from that.”