Ulster’s Matty Rea determined to draw lessons from Ulster defeat

Ulster flanker Matty Rea feels playing against the Saracens backrow at Kingspan Stadium last week was an education.

The three-time European champions started with Grand Slam winners Billy Vunipola, Ben Earle and captain Jackson Wray in their back row - not exactly the gentle pre-season hit out Rea and his Ulster colleagues were expecting.

“It’s a good test and we knew they were going to go for it,” said Rea. “You want to test yourself against the best and that was the first game of the year.

“We take a lot from that, all those guys are world class in different areas and it was a good test for us.

“And it showed us a lot of different pictures from what we have been getting against ourselves...it was definitely worthwhile.

“You have to be able to adapt and look at what those guys are doing, as a team we are looking to progress.

“We look at what other teams do well and see how we can implement it ourselves and that is something from a personal point of view as well.

“You can see what those guys do and what they bring to the game and trying to add that into your own game is never a bad thing.

“For me personally, it could be the last time if you don’t show up, you never rest on your laurels.

“If you don’t keep moving forward young guys will break through, so the threat of that drives you on to keep working hard.”

Rea believes that facing a top English side will stand Ulster in good stead for when they meet Northampton later in the season.

“Over there (English Premiership) they are all big men, and it is a lot different to what we are used to as the packs are more mobile in our league than they would be in the Premiership,” he said. “You get your strengths from that, you get some good going forward but with that extra weight they were able to get the better of us in some aspects.

“We are able to bring our own spice to the game with how we move the ball and being mobile.

“I think you have to have a good mixture.

“It was a good test for us against a pack as big as that, so it is being able to work with everything.

“It will help, it teaches us how to adapt and we will know what it is like that week when we go to prep for the European games and what we will be able to expect from them.

“We played them last year and we know what they brought and in those weeks you are able to hone in and focus on what they are going to use against us.

“And that size and power is one of the things they go to.

“Whenever you are in that week it is fine because you sort of know what to expect but it helps to have that exposure during pre-season.”

Dan McFarland is able to name a strong team for tonight’s match with Saracens at the Honourable Artillery Company (5pm kick-off).

Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Billy Burns and John Cooney all return in the back line, while Nick Timoney comes into the back row.

Ulster: (15-9) Michael Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Craig Gilroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney; (1-8) Andrew Warwick, Brad Roberts, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (captain), Mick Kearney, Greg Jones, Sean Reidy, Nick Timoney.

replacements: John Andrew, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Sam Carter, Matty Rea, David Shanahan, Ethan McIlroy, Ben Moxham, Ross Kane, Marcus Rea, David McCann, Harry Sheridan, Ian Madigan, Angus Curtis, Ben Carson.

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