On-song John Cooney looks back on Ulster win as ‘one for the fans’

John Cooney scored two tries and 30 points across the 55-39 success in Llanelli - the scrum half also chipped in with three try assists.

Cooney, playing in his first game of the season after a calf injury forced him to sit out the opening night victory over Connacht, felt the key for Ulster maintaining their 100 per cent start to the season was scoring two converted tries before half-time after Scarlets out half Sam Costelow was sin-binned on 32 minutes.

“I think it was one for the fans, I’d say it was a very good game to watch,” said Cooney. “It was a very quick opening 20 minutes, we went 14-0 up then 15-14 down and that kind of gave us a chance to catch our breath.

“I think for us to go in ahead at half-time, we spoke in the huddle on 32 minutes saying ‘we need to go at half-time ahead’...so I think for us that is growth from last season, it was hugely important and very pleasing.

“I thought in the first 20 minutes the speed that we played was very good and pleasing from last season, it was a very competitive game and very close and I think we came out on top in some of the bigger moments.”

Cooney thinks Ulster will improve this season.

“Our whole season came down to two points in the league and one point in Europe against top quality teams,” he said. “We built a lot last season and we knew this season we would build on that and the Scarlets was a reflection on that.

“Is there things that we can do better? Yeah, massively, to let them back in the game was quite sloppy for us.

“Some of the penalties we gave away, some of the kicks that we probably could have regained we gave to them...so there is a lot to work on.

“We need to be much better in terms of letting teams back into games, we need to be more clinical and we need to be more ruthless.”

Cooney was pleased with his own personal performance.

“My only goal going into the game was to do the simple things well,” he said. “I thought I did the pass kick well, when you haven’t played in a while you just want to fit back into the team.

“A major ethos for me throughout my career is, when I get opportunities, to fit into the team and try to make them better.”

Cooney is relishing his battle with Jamison Gibson-Park when Leinster come to Kingspan Stadium on Friday night.

“Last season we beat them away and the home game was an awful night, and it was one of those games that could have gone either way,” said Cooney. “it’s a big game and we’re looking forward to it.

“My goal is to play better than the opposite nine and I have always been incredibly competitive, when I play against these guys I want to play as well as I can do and I want to go against the best.

“Gibson-Park was brilliant last season and I look forward to playing against these guys.”