Marcell Coetzee insists he wants to do the Ulster jersey justice when he returns to action next season.
The 26-year-old Springbok made his long-awaited debut in February, racking up 26 carries (in just 60 minutes) for what was a record for an Ulster player in a PRO12 match.
He played in the following three matches and combined well with fellow back rowers Chris Henry and Sean Reidy as Les Kiss’ men went on a winning streak.
But the comeback was short-lived as the powerful forward suffered an unfortunate medial meniscal cartilage injury, forcing him to sit out the rest of this season.
It was a blow not only for the player and the squad, but for the supporters who got a tantalising taste of what he could deliver.
"It was such a disappointing year," Coetzee admitted.
“I had four games and then all of a sudden that was it. It's been unfortunate, especially coming into the play-off run when there were a lot of big matches to be playing.
"We were building momentum, we had six wins in a row, then it all went a bit askew.
"It's been a frustrating season, not just for me, but for everyone. We have the players, we have the quality, we just have to build on that. We have to identify the mistakes that we made and put that right next season."
The good news is that Coetzee believes that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. His second knee injury of the past 12 months was not of the same severity as the first, with the damage being done to his medial meniscal cartilage rather than his ACL.
Indeed, he is already looking forward to the first pre-season friendly ahead of the new campaign.
"Everything is going well at the moment," he said.
"I'm off the crutches for over a month and the rehab group has been excellent. Next season, for pre-season, I'll be with the squad already and we're looking forward to it.
"I can't wait even for the friendlies, the hunger is there already. I'm really looking forward to it personally.
"Every time you pull on an Ulster jersey you want to do it justice and do yourself justice. As a player, you want to contribute and give your best. There's so much to look forward to for me.
"If I have an injury-free year, everything else will really be a bonus after the last few years. I just can't wait to play rugby again.
"Next season, we'll be building a new culture," added Coetzee. "There'll be a lot of changes with new management and some new players coming into the squad. It's interesting times to see how that evolves."
Tickets are already on sale for Ulster's pre-season fixture at home to Wasps on Thursday 17th August (7.30pm, Kingspan Stadium).
Visit ulsterrugby.com/buytickets to purchase.
The 26-year-old Springbok made his long-awaited debut in February, racking up 26 carries (in just 60 minutes) for what was a record for an Ulster player in a PRO12 match.
He played in the following three matches and combined well with fellow back rowers Chris Henry and Sean Reidy as Les Kiss’ men went on a winning streak.
But the comeback was short-lived as the powerful forward suffered an unfortunate medial meniscal cartilage injury, forcing him to sit out the rest of this season.
It was a blow not only for the player and the squad, but for the supporters who got a tantalising taste of what he could deliver.
"It was such a disappointing year," Coetzee admitted.
“I had four games and then all of a sudden that was it. It's been unfortunate, especially coming into the play-off run when there were a lot of big matches to be playing.
"We were building momentum, we had six wins in a row, then it all went a bit askew.
"It's been a frustrating season, not just for me, but for everyone. We have the players, we have the quality, we just have to build on that. We have to identify the mistakes that we made and put that right next season."
The good news is that Coetzee believes that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. His second knee injury of the past 12 months was not of the same severity as the first, with the damage being done to his medial meniscal cartilage rather than his ACL.
Indeed, he is already looking forward to the first pre-season friendly ahead of the new campaign.
"Everything is going well at the moment," he said.
"I'm off the crutches for over a month and the rehab group has been excellent. Next season, for pre-season, I'll be with the squad already and we're looking forward to it.
"I can't wait even for the friendlies, the hunger is there already. I'm really looking forward to it personally.
"Every time you pull on an Ulster jersey you want to do it justice and do yourself justice. As a player, you want to contribute and give your best. There's so much to look forward to for me.
"If I have an injury-free year, everything else will really be a bonus after the last few years. I just can't wait to play rugby again.
"Next season, we'll be building a new culture," added Coetzee. "There'll be a lot of changes with new management and some new players coming into the squad. It's interesting times to see how that evolves."
Tickets are already on sale for Ulster's pre-season fixture at home to Wasps on Thursday 17th August (7.30pm, Kingspan Stadium).
Visit ulsterrugby.com/buytickets to purchase.