With the South African tour for this season’s United Rugby Championship now well underway, Head Coach, Dan McFarland, gives us insight into how both the travel for the team has gone, as well as what it is like to link-up again with the Emerging Ireland players, who had a hattrick of wins on their recent tour in Bloemfontein.
As we charge ahead with the second season involving the four South African sides, we were curious to know Dan’s thoughts on how they have settled into the league – and whether he thinks we’ll face a different side to the one that came to Kingspan Stadium a year ago.
And when asked what impact he thought the Lions, Sharks, Stormers and Bulls have had on the competition for Ulster and all the teams, Dan shared his thoughts on how they’ve found their feet in the Northern hemisphere – including how their performance has been in the opening rounds of the new season, and what a difference the recent return of the Springboks will make.
We also chatted to young centre, Stewart Moore, on how his involvement with the Emerging Ireland tour went over the past few weeks, which included winning the Toyota Challenge, with the prize money going to a local charity that cares for children and young people.
When asked how his try in the victorious Griquas game went, including assistance from Ulster teammate Rob Baloucoune, Stewart said the squad quickly got to know each other over the tour, which helped with their winning performances.
With a couple of weeks at altitude, and in the heat, already under his belt, we asked Stewart if the recent training sessions have been as tough for him this week as for the wider Ulster squad who arrived in South Africa on Wednesday.
Stewart also thinks that the South African teams have brought a lot to the URC, both last season and in the rounds so far this time around.
To finish, we asked Stewart what his ambitions are for the season ahead, as well as what the Ulster men have their eye on in this year’s United Rugby Championship.