Ulster's Kieran Treadwell points to a mentality change

Lock Kieran Treadwell was part of Irish rugby history in the summer playing in all three tests against the All Blacks as Ireland clinched a first-ever series win on New Zealand soil.
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Treadwell sits out tonight’s clash with the Ospreys at Kingspan Stadium (7.35pm) after starting the first three United Rugby Championship games.

The 26 year-old, who left Harlequins to join Ulster, has put his rise to international success down to a change of mentality.

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“I am not one to sit back and rest on my laurels and bask in it,” said Treadwell on his exploits in New Zealand

Ulster Rugby's Kieran TreadwellUlster Rugby's Kieran Treadwell
Ulster Rugby's Kieran Treadwell

"But in the time, in the moment, it was a special moment for me and my family.

"They have done a lot for me, and my fiancée has done a lot for me as well, so it was nice for everyone to get that sort of enjoyment.

“But going back into the Ulster set-up again, you are very much quickly back into the URC focus and focus with Ulster.

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“It’s good to keep the ball rolling and keep up momentum both personally and with the team.

“I have said previously that my mentality has sort of changed. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself with outcomes and stuff like that where my fiancée actually said to me ‘just go and enjoy yourself’, like on the New Zealand tour.

"I have being doing that and you do start to play well and it is enjoyable in that sense.

“I think it is all about consistency so if you are consistently playing well for your province, you get the just deserts after.

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“In sport at the elite level there are so many small margins where you can tap into different places and I think I have used as many resources as I can.

“Obviously with my family and my fiancée you listen to their judgement because they are with you all the time, just not in a rugby environment, so it is good to listen to people.

“For me it was very outcome based and sort of forgetting how much better you can make yourself almost as a player and as a person and then your performances sort of fall into place after that for me anyway.

“But everyone’s process is different. People make work on the process or outcome, and they might work better like that.

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"For me though it was a time of transition and that sort of worked for me and running with that and seeing what I could add to it.”

Alan O’Connor and Sam Carter will form the engine pairing for Ulster against the Ospreys this evening, while Frank Bradshaw-Ryan is set to win a first Ulster cap from the bench after an impressive try-scoring All Ireland League debut for Armagh last week.

South African World Cup winner Duane Vermeulen returns to action once again after completing his rest from the United Rugby Championship and he is joined in the back row once more by the recalled Jordi Murphy.

In the backline Ian Madigan gets a start at outhalf while Craig Gilroy and Rob Lyttle are on the wings.

Ulster haven't hosted Ospreys at Kingspan Stadium since the behind closed doors meeting in February 2021.