Ethan McIlroy backing childhood friend Zac Ward to make impact with Ulster

​Ward was instrumental in helping Ireland 7s reach the quarter finals of the Olympic 7s tournament in Paris.

Those performances led to the 25-year-old being offered a trial with the Ulster senior team. Ward came off the bench against Benetton and started alongside McIlroy in the back three against Exeter last weekend.

Simon Easterby has called Ward up for Emerging Ireland’s three-game tour of South Africa, and despite switching from the back row to the wing, McIlroy is convinced his fellow Ballynahinch colleague has the skill set to succeed.

“I have known Zac pretty much all my life from when I was a little kid, so we already sort of have that relationship there,” McIlroy said.

“Before Hinch minis, we lived in the same street in the Spa Ballynahinch. I didn’t get to play too much rugby with him after mini rugby. I’ve known him since I was three years old and I have known his little brother since he was a baby, so I’m very close with him.”

“Playing with him in the Exeter game I thought he was really good. We didn’t have lots of ball in attack where he is really dangerous although he did set up a try for Aaron Sexton with a really nice pass.

“In defence working with him I had no problems,” he added.

“It was easy to chat to him and it was easy for him to come up to me and ask any questions needed and lean on my experience, especially now that he is playing in the back three.”

McIlroy feels switching positions won’t be a problem for Ward.

“I don’t think wing to full-back would be anywhere near as hard as backrow to wing or back three. He’s obviously got loads of talent – we have seen that in the sevens.

“From open space his running game is so good, and he is already good under the high ball. He has had to do a lot of that from kick-offs in sevens. I think if he just puts a bit of work in he’ll fly in 15s no problem, especially on the wing.”

McIlroy has spent most of his 63 Ulster caps playing at full-back or wing and now ahead of the URC opener against Glasgow on Saturday he wants to concentrate on that position.

“I’d love to nail down the full-back role. I feel that is where you can get the best out of me. I can bring the wingers into the game a bit more but I’m happy to play anywhere and I am comfortable to play anywhere,” he said.

“I can play wing or full-back, and I’m not worried about playing either of them. I’d love to play a bit more at full-back and I have been training more there and training to get more reps there.”

McIlroy has been working hard on and off the pitch ahead of the new season.

“Away from the rugby pitch like organising your week, you find out your schedule so you can organise your week,” he said. “You can see where you need to be doing extras and what I want to be working on.

“I can fit those into the schedule so I know exactly what I am doing every day and I can tick all those off and sleep easy, knowing I have done everything that I have wanted to do and build confidence off that.

“Physically I have put on four kilos. I feel stronger, I have been working on my passing and kicking, those were big things that I needed to improve, especially if I want to be playing in that full-back role and I feel like I have improved.”