Ulster and Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey does not believe any side can produce a complete 80-minute performance in rugby – despite “constantly striving” towards that target.

Ulster have led the past two games - Cardiff by 14 points and Leinster by 10 – before losing late on.

“I don't think there is such a thing as an 80-minute performance, it's one of those things you're constantly striving for but I don't think any team will ever reach,” reasoned McCloskey. “I suppose you just look at the mentality they attack the whole thing with...you're never going to have an 80-minute performance but I think if the mentality is right of wanting to play, the attacks say we want to play the whole time, we want to make sure we're always looking for the best space.

“We maybe went away from that for 20 minutes of the game, maybe that 50-to-70-minutes period against Leinster...defensively you just want to be constantly aggressive.

placeholder image — Ulster's Stuart McCloskey. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think it was obviously two slightly different teams as well...the team we sent over to Cardiff was quite young in experience, the team we had last week was pretty much full whack.

“But games are going to go like that...bits where you're going to be very good, bits where you're not so good.”

Connacht have lost their last nine games against fellow Irish provinces but McCloskey is expecting a tough URC test tonight at the Dexcom Stadium.

“It's always tight with these guys,” he said. “Even if they come up here, there's always one or two points in it...they always tend to make it very scrappy.”

“Even when we were very good four or five years ago they were kind of our bogey team, then when we weren't brilliant last year we won twice...all bets are off when you're playing Connacht.”