Rugby Development

Coetzee excited for Heineken Champions Cup debut

12th October 2018
South African backrow forward Marcell Coetzee is primed for his European debut against Leicester on Saturday (Kingspan Stadium, 5.30pm). Tickets for the Heineken Champions Cup Pool 4 clash are available at ulsterrugby.com/buytickets. The 27-year-old has endured some difficult times with injuries since his arrival in Belfast but his performances in the early part of this season have underlined his international quality. He has carried powerfully, offloaded with great effect and been a nuisance at the breakdown, as evidenced by his 7 turnovers against Connacht last weekend, a joint high for a match in PRO14 history. Now, having enjoyed his forays in the PRO14, he is intent on making an impact on the European stage, starting with Saturday’s clash against the Tigers. “I’ve been waiting two years for this, so yeah, it is great to be finally playing in Europe,” he enthused. “Things didn’t go my way in the past couple of seasons but fortunately, I’ve been blessed to get the chance to play in this tournament now and hopefully it’ll be a good one this weekend.” “(The European Cup) is a great tournament to be part of. You take the teams in it and it’s a good platform to measure where you are as a team. It’s definitely an electrifying atmosphere and we’re just looking forward to the challenge this weekend,” he added. Following his injures, Coetzee says he is grateful for the opportunities he has now, while offering his thanks to his family, Ulster Rugby, and its fans. “I want to focus on my own game and get to where I was before the (knee) injury and just keep building on that. It’s maybe a reminder for me to be grateful every time I can play and that’s maybe a new outlook for me. “The biggest challenge was getting back on the field and just handling that process. Rehabbing, as much as it’s physical, it’s mental. “I have a great support system, a great family at home, a great wife who stuck with me through that. Whenever I step off the field now and I’m 100%, that’s what I think of first, before anything else, and I’m just grateful for that. “I have to give credit to Ulster for sticking with me,” he added. “I don’t know of a club that would stick with a player in the modern day that has as many setbacks as I had. And I really want to thank Ulster and the fans for being supportive through that time. I’ll always cherish that.” Looking ahead to the Leicester game, Coetzee said: “It’s a huge challenge this weekend, but one I'm looking forward to. If we play the way we want to play and cut down on mistakes, then we can be dangerous. “It’s a new tournament, a fresh start. If there’s one tournament you want to stamp your authority on, it’s this one, and I think the whole mindset around the squad is one of excitement - there is a buzz to get out there - and luckily it’s at home as well so the crowd will be behind us and we can feed off that energy. I can tell you the guys are definitely looking forward to it,” he added.