Ulster face two huge weekends of rugby as they travel to fourth-placed Ospreys on Saturday, before entertaining table-toppers Leinster in Belfast seven days later.
It is high pressure stakes, with at least one win required by Les Kiss’ men to secure Guinness PRO12 play-off rugby for a fifth season in succession.
The situation is not unfamiliar. Wind the clock back 12 months and Ulster faced must-win fixtures against the same opposition.
The outcomes? A 30-6 success against Leinster at Kingspan Stadium, followed by a 26-46 triumph in Swansea a week later.
Repeating that win over Ospreys this weekend would represent a major step towards realising their top four ambitions, while defeat could effectively end the season.
Director of Rugby, Kiss, insists his men can handle the pressure of what Saturday will bring:
“You can ponder the outcome you don’t want but you have to shove it out of your mind straight away,” he said.
“Obviously you have to be aware of it (that the season could end with defeat), but you cannot be hijacked by that.
“There is a high level of confidence and belief and that is what we are tapping into more than anything. There is a really good spirit within the group at the moment.”
While Kiss acknowledges Ospreys’ poor form of late, which has seen them fall to four consecutive defeats, he will be acutely aware of the talent they possess, and of the fact that those recent results could have gone either way.
“They have been a top two team all year, but are now stuttering a bit,” explained Kiss. “There’s no mistaking that they were a top two team - they have played some fantastic rugby throughout the year.
“They’re in a space where they’re going to be asking questions of themselves and we have to make them ask deeper questions. I would imagine they’re saying the same thing about us.
“A lot of the game at this time of the year is mental, a lot of it at this time of the year is emotional, and when you are in battle you have to have that steel and composure to apply your plan accurately.”
It is high pressure stakes, with at least one win required by Les Kiss’ men to secure Guinness PRO12 play-off rugby for a fifth season in succession.
The situation is not unfamiliar. Wind the clock back 12 months and Ulster faced must-win fixtures against the same opposition.
The outcomes? A 30-6 success against Leinster at Kingspan Stadium, followed by a 26-46 triumph in Swansea a week later.
Repeating that win over Ospreys this weekend would represent a major step towards realising their top four ambitions, while defeat could effectively end the season.
Director of Rugby, Kiss, insists his men can handle the pressure of what Saturday will bring:
“You can ponder the outcome you don’t want but you have to shove it out of your mind straight away,” he said.
“Obviously you have to be aware of it (that the season could end with defeat), but you cannot be hijacked by that.
“There is a high level of confidence and belief and that is what we are tapping into more than anything. There is a really good spirit within the group at the moment.”
While Kiss acknowledges Ospreys’ poor form of late, which has seen them fall to four consecutive defeats, he will be acutely aware of the talent they possess, and of the fact that those recent results could have gone either way.
“They have been a top two team all year, but are now stuttering a bit,” explained Kiss. “There’s no mistaking that they were a top two team - they have played some fantastic rugby throughout the year.
“They’re in a space where they’re going to be asking questions of themselves and we have to make them ask deeper questions. I would imagine they’re saying the same thing about us.
“A lot of the game at this time of the year is mental, a lot of it at this time of the year is emotional, and when you are in battle you have to have that steel and composure to apply your plan accurately.”