Jacob Stockdale is thriving in his current environment at Kingspan Stadium as he looks ahead this season's European Champions Cup adventure.
The 21-year-old has started the Guinness PRO14 season on fire, scoring four tries in his four appearances to date, including a remarkable effort against Connacht last weekend.
But the versatile back, recently capped by Ireland, remains as modest as ever when asked about his try-scoring exploits.
“I'm trying not to score but the ball keeps coming my way!” he joked. “The team has been performing well and we’ve been creating plenty of chances. My try against Connacht shows the benefits of having an All Black beside you - he's always going to be in support. I saw the hole and went for it and Charles was there to give me a hand and put me in.”
Stockdale was also keen to praise the impact of Christian Lealiifano, another Southern Hemisphere star who has added real value to the culture at Ulster.
“They’re both having a massive influence on the squad. They've come from Super Rugby where it's all fast-flowing and if you see an opportunity you go for it. I think that's really starting to rub off on me and the other players. They're really enthusiastic about attacking from anywhere and it's pretty exciting.”
That attacking ethos is shared by the coaching team, led by Les Kiss, which has watched its players run in 22 tries in the opening six rounds of PRO14 action.
“There are times where you need to be smart or safe with the ball, and they'll tell you that, but the coaches have a ‘let's have a go and see what happens’ mentality, and that's why we're able to attack from deep. It's really exciting for us as a group, especially the back three players,” enthused the 6’ 3” star.
“I try to play the best that I can every week and to improve with every outing. If I do that, then great, and if not, I’ll just work even harder,” insisted Stockdale, determined and impatient to make progress.
A real marker of that progress will come against a star-studded Wasps side at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night - and Stockdale is well aware of that:
“The inter-pro last week was a real test to set us up for this game and there are definitely some areas that we need to work on. That being said, we showed an awful lot of grit and determination, especially in the last three minutes to not let them score a try and we're going to bring that into the Wasps match.
“Wasps are a different animal, a very difficult team, but we feel we have the beating of them. Their back three players are particularly dangerous, but hopefully we come away with the right result.”
Tickets for Friday's fixture are available at ulsterrugby.com/buytickets.
The 21-year-old has started the Guinness PRO14 season on fire, scoring four tries in his four appearances to date, including a remarkable effort against Connacht last weekend.
But the versatile back, recently capped by Ireland, remains as modest as ever when asked about his try-scoring exploits.
“I'm trying not to score but the ball keeps coming my way!” he joked. “The team has been performing well and we’ve been creating plenty of chances. My try against Connacht shows the benefits of having an All Black beside you - he's always going to be in support. I saw the hole and went for it and Charles was there to give me a hand and put me in.”
Stockdale was also keen to praise the impact of Christian Lealiifano, another Southern Hemisphere star who has added real value to the culture at Ulster.
“They’re both having a massive influence on the squad. They've come from Super Rugby where it's all fast-flowing and if you see an opportunity you go for it. I think that's really starting to rub off on me and the other players. They're really enthusiastic about attacking from anywhere and it's pretty exciting.”
That attacking ethos is shared by the coaching team, led by Les Kiss, which has watched its players run in 22 tries in the opening six rounds of PRO14 action.
“There are times where you need to be smart or safe with the ball, and they'll tell you that, but the coaches have a ‘let's have a go and see what happens’ mentality, and that's why we're able to attack from deep. It's really exciting for us as a group, especially the back three players,” enthused the 6’ 3” star.
“I try to play the best that I can every week and to improve with every outing. If I do that, then great, and if not, I’ll just work even harder,” insisted Stockdale, determined and impatient to make progress.
A real marker of that progress will come against a star-studded Wasps side at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night - and Stockdale is well aware of that:
“The inter-pro last week was a real test to set us up for this game and there are definitely some areas that we need to work on. That being said, we showed an awful lot of grit and determination, especially in the last three minutes to not let them score a try and we're going to bring that into the Wasps match.
“Wasps are a different animal, a very difficult team, but we feel we have the beating of them. Their back three players are particularly dangerous, but hopefully we come away with the right result.”
Tickets for Friday's fixture are available at ulsterrugby.com/buytickets.