James Hume's try emotion part of Ulster 'pay off' delight

However, as Hume explained ahead of facing Glasgow Warriors tonight in the United Rugby Championship, there was a personal reason for releasing the pressure valve when he crossed the whitewash.

“It’s stuff I love because I wear my heart on my sleeve, so it probably comes out more than anyone else,” said Hume. “That feeling of running out and scoring, all that type of stuff is stuff you need to soak up.

“A lot of personal stuff going on at the minute...had a rough week last week so it was a bit of pressure going into that game for me personally because it was just different the way I had handled things.

"It was just probably the last couple of weeks’ frustration, aggression, emotion just all came out.

“I apologise to the kids I did it in front of because they probably don’t want to go back to the family stand again.

“I just didn’t appreciate that the power maybe wasn’t there last year but the pre-season really did me good.

“I think that last year my fitness wasn’t up to where it needed to be as well so I couldn’t get involved in the game as much and I was walking too much and this year I’m working way harder and I can see that in my stats.

“It allows me to make those carries and that explosiveness and all that kind of stuff and be able to make the effort to get round that line.

“There’s no better feeling than running out and every time I do I try and relish it now...‘Gilly’ (Craig Gilroy) said to me when he retired that he didn’t take it for granted but he just misses it so much.

“Every time I run out now I’m just soaking it all up and the emotion is even higher and I feel that my role in the team this year is different and my mindset is different and I’m seeing a pay off.

“I know it’s early in the season, but I feel like I’m in a much better place than I’ve been in my whole playing career basically.

"But obviously dealing with stuff off the pitch and stuff brought on the pitch as well and I feel like there is a lot more emotion, a lot more.

“I don’t know what I’m trying to say...but I feel like I’m in a good place at the minute but I’m still dealing with it.

“I put on a brave face last year and was like I said in pressers before that I didn’t appreciate the severity of the injury and then pushed everything to the back of my head and then was like ‘everything’s fine and I’ll get better’.

"And I didn’t work on myself as much as I should have so it took that pre-season and the start of this season to change the way I’ve reviewed games, changed the way I’ve prepped, using our psychologist Darren (Devaney) and stuff...he’s been unbelievable.

“My mentality has changed for the better and it’s working, hopefully.”

Hume starts tonight in Glasgow with Luke Marshall in the centre. Armagh backrow James McNabney makes his debut at No8 while Steven Kitshoff is on the bench.