Ulster's James Hume fired up to resdiscover top form in top-of-table clash with Leinster in Dublin

Hume is hoping to rediscover his form of 12 months ago when he hit a purple patch coming out of the autumn internationals.

Selected for Ireland’s tour of New Zealand in the summer, his trip came to a premature end due to a groin injury that has curtailed his progress this season.

“I’d say [it was] third most significant (injury of career) – the broken ankle was bad but the hamstring off the bone was the worst,” Hume said.

“But then I turned around from them very quickly and I expected to turn around from this one quickly, but it lasted a wee bit longer because I had high expectations.

“The way I looked at it was this is the first significant injury I had where I’ve had to come back and be under pressure fighting for a place when I have been at a higher level.

“I think my last injury before that was my hamstring and I wasn’t even a regular Ulster starter. I maybe had 14 Ulster appearances by then; I had two seasons where I racked up to close to 40 appearances,” he added.

“I became a starter, I got my Ireland cap, I was in the autumn and Six Nations camps then I get this injury.

“In my head after a significant injury I want to return to that level, but it is a lot harder because you have expectations.”

Hume says he still has some way to go to reach his peak performance levels.

“There's a bit to go. I'd say the Munster game and the Ireland A game I was probably operating close to 60 per cent.

“I had an ongoing problem just above where my surgery was and I just didn't manage it right.

“I was playing it off as if it wasn't anything serious and I think halfway through that Ireland A game it went again, or I felt something,” he added.

“I wasn't ready yet. It was a blessing not being kept in Ireland camp, coming back here (Ulster) and rehabbing, finding out it was something I just need to maintain and operate differently.”

Hume, though, was happy to see his Ulster colleague McCloskey start all three of Ireland’s autumn games.

“I’m absolutely delighted for Stu – it was always a running joke that he was a tier two specialist international!

“I think he so deservedly got the call-up and he performed at such a high level in the autumn. I can’t wait to get back on the pitch with him this week hopefully.

“Every Ulster fan and all our team know how much he deserved to be in the Ireland team in the past years when he was playing his best rugby in Europe, so hopefully that will be him in there for a long time.”

Ulster team to play Leinster, United Rugby Championship Round 9, RDS Arena (7.35pm): (1-8): Andy Warwick, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Iain Henderson (Captain), Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Sam Carter, Duane Vermeulen, Nathan Doak, Jacob Stockdale, Matty Rea.

(15-9): Michael Lowry, Ethan McIlroy, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Stewart Moore, Billy Burns, John Cooney;