Ulster’s Nick Timoney has clear targets

A string of fine performances in the second half of last season in Marcell Coetzee’s absence, including a try at Leicester in the European Challenge Cup semi-final, saw the Dubliner nail down the Ulster No8 shirt.

That form lead to an Ireland call-up and he made a try-scoring international debut in the win over the USA at the Aviva.

Duane Vermeulen’s signing prompted long debates about where the Ireland 7s star would fit into Ulster’s backrow when the South African world cup winner arrives, but coach Dan McFarland says it won’t affect Timoney’s game time.

To prove the point, Timoney has scored three tries in Ulster’s opening two bonus-point wins and has also been a nuisance at the breakdown winning turnovers, and he is happy with his form so far.

“There’s still lots to work on but I’m feeling pretty good, I’m in a good place mentally and it’s just about ironing out the mistakes and adding bits here and there,” said Timoney ahead of Friday’s clash with Benetton at Kingspan Stadium.

“There’s still lots of room for improvement.

“I genuinely think most players know exactly how they’ve played coming off the pitch, it’s so drilled into you that you know what you’ve done well and done poorly.

“There’s obviously benefit to the stats and the video analysis and there’s small things that coaches will pick up on but for me, if I know I was in the right place mentally and I applied myself, then I’ll generally have a good idea about how I’ve performed,” he added.

“One of the areas that was enforced in Ireland camp that was when the level goes up, the intensity goes up and it’s physically more challenging.”

There are two changes from the team that beat Zebre last week, Andrew Warwick comes in at loose head prop while Sam McCarter will skipper the side from the second row.

Winning his first Ireland cap was a special moment for Timoney.

“Even though the crowds weren’t huge, some people were still allowed so I still got all the photos with the family and that sort of thing.

“It was great but I don’t want to have one cap and it’s a huge challenge to get back in there.

“That’s a personal goal of mine. I said to myself that I wouldn’t judge myself on selections but how I think I played.”

Timoney is hoping to take what he learned form Ireland camp onto the provincial stage.

“It’s just wanting to bring that intensity and it’s something I’ve learned.

“It’s pushing the boundaries physically so that in the 70th minute or the 80th minute you still have it in you to be just as explosive as the first minute.”

“In training and during the week, I’m just really pushing myself to the limits physically.

“It’s a very measurable thing nowadays with GPS and things so it’s staying on top of that and the game-time then really helps.

“It’s more a focus than a change but it’s something I’m working on.”

Ulster team to play Benetton Rugby, United Rugby Championship Round 3, Friday 8 October at Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm kick-off:

(15-9) Will Addison, Craig Gilroy, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak;

(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Sam Carter (Capt.), Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.

Replacements: Brad Roberts, Callum Reid, Ross Kane, Mick Kearney, Sean Reidy, David Shanahan, Mike Lowry, Ben Moxham.