Ulster’s John Andrew feeling upbeat as focus switches to Europe

Four-time champions Toulouse are first up at Kingspan Stadium next Friday night.

The teams have met on 10 occasions in Europe with Ulster winning five, losing four and the other game was a draw.

Toulouse’s only win in Belfast came in October 2000, however they did end Ulster’s European hopes last season with a 36-8 win.

Ulster hooker John Andrew - fresh from his-trick in the Scottish capital - is looking forward at getting another crack at the French side.

“I think Europe is always a step up, there is always more excitement around the weeks and things like that,” stated Andrew.

“We’re excited about the challenge and there is confidence around the squad, we’re going well and we’ll attack that week just like it is any other game; we’ll just prepare like we have been preparing the last eight weeks and even longer with the tail end of last season.

“We’ll just try to get our standard of performance that we know that we can do out there and see where that takes us.”

With Rob Herring on Ireland duty during the Autumn Nations Cup campaign Andrew has started five of Ulster’s last six games, scoring four tries.

“I’ve just enjoyed the run of games that I have got and the minutes that I have got, I feel that I have been able to contribute to the performance and the team as a whole,” he said.

“I don’t look too far ahead on the whole I think that works better for me and I have found that out over the years that I have been involved with Ulster.”

“I’m just enjoyed it but it is easy to enjoy it when the team is playing so well.”

Andrew puts he strong performances on the pitch down to preparation and being able to relax more away from the game.

“I’m just enjoying working hard in the games and just trying to be relaxed and not spending the whole week thinking of the game,” he said.

* A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. To subscribe, click here.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor