Robert Baloucoune keen to start Ulster's European run on high note after recent setbacks

​Defeats against Glasgow and Edinburgh saw Ulster slip to seventh in the United Rugby Championship table and had coach Dan McFarland slamming training as ‘not being good enough’.

Winger Robert Baloucoune admits there has been a lot of soul searching as Ulster start their Investec Champions Cup campaign against the side sitting second in the English Premiership.

“There is definitely a responsibility on both sides (players and coaches) and we are not stepping away from that either,” he said. “I think it was on Tuesday’s session that we knew we won’t good enough.

“It is that switch of being able to gather ourselves together, come together as a group that allows us to switch on, then the Thursday session was a lot better.

“It is not missing that time because we only get so little time anyway when we are training so it is just about being on top of it from the very start and having all your detail and stuff ready to go.

“It is hard because you always take each week differently, it’s a really tough question to answer.

“We have talked about what we can do in terms of trying to bring the squad together and after a load of losses it is just trying to be focused on yourself and trying to get all the stuff that you can do right and you just go from there.”

At 26 and with four Ireland caps, Baloucoune is one of the senior members of Ulster’s back-line and is keen to lend any leadership he can to stop their form slumping, as it did this time last year when they lost six from seven games, including three in the European Cup.

“I’m feeling quite old at the minute because of how many young back three there are,” he added. “Yeah, it is a bit of experience and I think a lot of them have played enough games now to come and get defensive advice from me.

“I’m happy to say what I have learned from Ireland camp and from the coaches over the last few years here, so whatever advice I can give I share it with the younger lads.”

Baloucoune thrives in Europe, scoring eight tries in 11 games in the Champions Cup, including a hat-trick at Toulouse.

“You know going into that week the opposition and the talent they have got,” he said. “For me, it is another step and you are always raring to go.

“I just think it is always a class occasion, If you are a supporter or a player, you don’t go into a URC game any different, but it is just a bit more atmosphere and the whole set up just pushes you through it.

“It is always nice to score a try.

"That is what I’m looking forward to do on the pitch and I’ll try to get some more this week.”

Ulster team: (15-9) Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak.

(1-8) Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (C), Dave Ewers, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.