Ulster attack coach Mark Sexton determined to keep evolving after impressive start to season

Under Sexton Ulster have taken a maximum 10 points and scored 10 tries in their opening two United Rugby Championship encounters.

Ulster embark on two games in South Africa starting against a full load Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday.

Sexton believes the rule changes to the game have made it a better attacking spectacle and has helped to negate the influx of rugby league defence coaches.

“I think there's always a game of cat and mouse between attack and defence coaches, and I think as soon as you think that you've got one up on them, they're always chasing you,” he said.

“So, you're always looking to evolve and you're always looking for ways to beat the defences; when league defence coaches came into the union, it was very tight.

“There were very few tries, now we're seeing massive scores in every game.

“I think the rules changing has played a big part in that, so you look at the aerial contests now, you can't create that glove anymore.

“So, we're seeing a lot more turnovers from those contests, you're seeing the scrum halves aren't allowed up the scrum anymore.

“So it's way harder to defend scrums, you're not allowed to play the nine at the maul any more and you shouldn't play them at the ruck either.

“So there are certain rules that have certainly helped the game from an attacking point of view,” he added.

“My job is changing all of the time, trying to understand how defences are changing. It's probably the simplest way of putting it.”

Sexton is delighted to be reunited with Richie Murphy after working with the Ulster head coach at Ireland U20s level.

“Me and Richie have had a great relationship for the past couple of years since we worked together and I coached his son, Ben, at Leinster under-19s, so Richie would have always been around watching those sessions,” Sexton said.

“So I've always had a good relationship with him. At some stage, I really thought and knew that we'd work together again so Richie's a great man and a great coach, so I'm delighted to be back working with him.”

Murphy has reassembled his whole Irish U20s coaching ticket at Ravenhill.

“We had great success before, we had back-to-back Grand Slams and a World Cup final, so it's been brilliant,” Sexton said.

“We've had a great time for each other, we're friends with each other and we can challenge each other as well, so it's a brilliant way of working, and also Dan Soper is with us and he's been brilliant.

“He's helped me settle in and he's working away as well, so he's excellent in the group.”

Despite their impressive start to the season, Sexton still thinks the Ulster attack can improve.

“I think our ability to finish line breaks, I think we had eight line breaks against the Dragons and eight against the Bulls and we probably just didn't finish the last pass, so I definitely think that needs to get better, and then I think against the Bulls, we were a bit cagey for 30 odd minutes,” he said.

“So I'd love us to be able to rip the shackles off completely and just keep playing the picture that's presented in front of the lads' faces.”