James Hume praise for stand-in coach Dan Soper ahead of crucial Dragons clash at Kingspan Stadium

On Saturday evening at Kingspan Stadium both will have added responsibilities as Ulster try to resurrect their season.

It has been a turbulent few weeks on and off the field for Ulster, which has seen the province crash out of the European Champions Cup, slip to eighth in the domestic championship and depart ways with coach Dan McFarland last week.

Soper has been put in charge for the visit of the Welsh region while Hume will don the skipper’s armband.

“Dan’s been valuable and it is a good thing that he has never changed any role he has been in – skills coach, attack coach. As this interim head coach he is just the same person and I think that is where he gains a lot of respect from the players,” Hume said.

“He doesn’t get a higher role and buckle down and not talk to you and stuff, he is just the same bloke.

“Obviously his influence on me is special because he has had me from a young age, so it is class to see his rise into that role as well.”

Hume recalls the first time he came across the Kiwi at RBAI.

“Fifth year he was coaching the firsts but I don’t think he liked me, though I was a cocky because I threw the ball away in cricket! So I had to redo my first impression.

“I’ve seen him develop and get better. I wouldn’t say he has changed in a bad way at all, he has literally just got better which is class to see.”

Hume launched a passionate defence of his teammates after criticism of Ulster’s last three performances.

“You never question the player group, that is one thing that really pisses me off when I see it online, is when people go ‘the player group don’t care’, he said. [If you] see the work we put in day in and day out and if you came in, you wouldn’t be saying that.

“It is just keyboard warriors and that is the kind of stuff you just have got to ignore and the type of stuff you have got to put aside and move on for the rest of the season.

“I think the players have to do what they can and just get on with it, they have accepted it is difficult circumstances and it is not something that usually happens.

“I think at this point of the season you’ve just got to get on with it, regroup and just look forward to the remaining fixtures and try to get ourselves into a good position to win some silverware.”

Hume is hoping Richie Murphy will have a positive influence on the squad when he takes over as interim coach at the end of the U20s Six Nations.

“It will be different. I won my first cap in 2018 and Dan came in that season so it is all I have known. For a personal point of view, I don’t know any different – I have only worked with under age coaches,” said Hume.

“A new voice and a new perspective coming in will be exciting and hopefully the season will go well.”

Hume is joined in the centre by Jude Postlewaite. Mike Lowry starts on the wing, Jacob Stockdale drops to the bench while Rob Baloucoune is omitted for the squad.

Ulster: Will Addison; Ethan McIlroy, James Hume (capt), Jude Postlethwaite, Mike Lowry; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O'Toole; Cormac Izuchukwu, Harry Sheridan; David McCann, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reffell, Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, Jacob Stockdale.