Dan Soper stands as ‘realist’ over any Ulster pitch talk

Ulster are exploring the possibility of laying a new surface at the Belfast venue for the start of the new season - following the likes of other United Rugby Championship sides Connacht, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Ulster travel to Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday night to face the Blues in what will be their second game on an artificial surface in three weeks.

“If it is going to help the product of the type of rugby that we are able to play then, yeah, maybe it is going to be the best thing, but I will let the powers-that-be do the research and they will find what they find and we will go from there,” said Soper. “One thing I do know is it is not very easy to grow grass in this country in the middle of winter and if we don’t have grass out there it makes for a pretty difficult surface to play on.

“I am a traditionalist but I’m also a realist, there is a lot of research going into the surface way above where I’m involved.”

Soper feels with more teams having an artificial surface it isn’t as big an issue playing on it as it once was the case.

“I suppose a year or two ago when maybe there was only one surface in the league it was a discussion point making sure everyone was aware of it and different bits and pieces,” he said. “You have got a few now...Glasgow, Connacht we have been on two already this year so the guys know what to expect turning up on that surface and most of them enjoy it but we don’t do anything practicality different.

“They probably have improved, it is like anything, the technology is improving all the time, the ball can still bounce a lot on it.

“I don’t hear the players talking about it massively like they did two or three years ago when they were just coming into the game, it seems now the guys get on it and play and get on with it.

“There has been talk that if you are mauling on it and you can get your maul going it can be more difficult to stop because one you get it going with the traction you can keep going at it.

“I don’t think we’d be changing the game plan.

“You look at the teams that are playing on those surfaces, you look at the Scottish teams they are both on that surface and this year both are trying to play a lot of rugby.

"Connacht are the same and they have that surface so I don’t know if that is directly related to the surface or they would be playing that brand of rugby whatever pitch they are on.

“If it happens, we’ll worry about it when we get on it and get training and see if it does alter things at all.

“But, in the meantime, we just approach each game the same."

Ulster welcome hooker Rob Herring, lock Kieran Treadwell and winger Jacob Stockdale back from the Ireland squad for the trip to Wales.

Hooker John Andrew and winger Craig Gilroy both sustained concussions in Saturday’s win over the Sharks and will follow return-to-play protocols.