James Hume: Ulster camp frustrated but short-term pain will turn into long-term gain

The Irish centre last played a full match in the Challenge Cup quarter-final at Montpellier last April before injury stuck against Cardiff and he had another endure another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Even playing his first full match in nearly a year couldn’t mask Hume’s disappointment at the defeat in Treviso, which saw Ulster plummet to 14th in the URC table.

“I was raging and felt like I just wanted to burst into tears it was just so frustrating,” he said. “We had a good first half and then I felt I didn’t do anything in the second half except defend under penalty advantage.

“I just felt really annoyed and Gareth O’Neill (head physio) was like, ‘I understand why you’re annoyed but you’ve just come back from a 10-month injury and just played 80 minutes in your second game so take that as a small win’.

“And I did and which I do still, but ultimately, I’m not here just to worry about how I played and how my knee is.

"I want to get results because it’s very draining coming in every week after losing games you should have won and watching videos back of things you know you can do better and you know have been talked about the previous week but aren’t getting it right.

“It is very frustrating, so I think the results are more important.

“Everyone is in the same boat of just being very frustrated. No one is going out there and not trying I think maybe it’s a confidence thing with the team.

“I’m fully confident that it will come, it’s just more everyone’s upset and feeling like they’re not getting the best out of themselves and the team.

“We are a group that is driven and you can see the extras everyone does and how hard everyone works in the gym, how much everyone cares in meetings and on the pitch. We’re not a group just sitting back and letting things happen.”

Ulster were 19-10 up against Benetton and not for the first time this season let a lead slip.

Hume reflected: “It’s an experience thing in that when you’ve been in those positions before at a top level you understand what it takes to then put the foot on the throat and kill the team.

"I just think when we play well and spark at the start of the game it’s how can we manage the game and keep them away from our tryline and do what top teams do so well and just keep them down in their half with kick pressure.

"We make too many mistakes and give away too many penalties and next thing you’re back on your own tryline defending a maul.

“So, it’s something we’re trying to figure out at the moment and trying to nail down.”

Despite just five wins from 15 games in all competitions this season, Hume feels Ulster are not far away from turning things around.

“It is tough to take as I’ve been involved when we’ve beat Toulouse away in Europe,” he continued.

"It is frustrating when you’ve been involved in that to see where we are now, but ultimately, I think the end of the season and maybe next season and the season after you’ll get the rewards from going through this period.

“I believe that all clubs go through a rough period and a rebuild and we haven’t really had that so I think it’s only a matter of time before it all clicks and we’re back up there.”

Ulster team: Stewart Moore, Michael Lowry, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Jack Murphy, Conor McKee, Callum Reid, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson, Alan O’Connor, Matthew Dalton, Matty Rea , Nick Timoney, James McNabney,

Replacements: John Andrew, Sam Crean, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, Nathan Doak , Jake Flannery, Jude Postlethwaite