Ulster's Zac Ward just ‘learning each step at a time’

Ward was one of Ireland’s star players as they narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics in the Rugby Sevens.

He decided after returning from France to switch to the 15-man code and was offered a trial with Ulster.

The 26-year-old also switched positions from the back row to the wing...while still learning his trade the call came from Emerging Ireland,

Ulster were impressed with Ward and gave him a three-year contract, he made his Ulster debut in the Champions Cup game against Bordeaux and it what will be only his third appearance for the province he’ll hope to tame the Leicester Tigers this weekend at Welford Road.

The call to the Emerging Ireland came as a surprise but Ward relished the chance to play under Simon Easterby.

“A big surprise, the Monday I was told I was hoping to get picked for the Ulster tour to South Africa but when Richie (Murphy, Ulster head coach) said I was going on the Emerging tour it was ‘jeez, right, ok,” said Ward. “For me, it was a massive learning curve and experience being in that environment with Simon Easterby knowing he’s the head coach for Ireland over the next year or so anyway.

“It was just a brain-picking couple of weeks and trying to play the best I can.

"Express myself and set myself apart from the guys who were there as well.

“The key message said to me both on Emerging Ireland and coming in here with Richie was just ‘don’t try and learn everything all at once, just block learn it and take it each step at a time’.

“They both said there was not that much pressure on me so ‘don’t try and be something or do something you’re not used to’.

“So, I’ve just been learning each step at a time.

"And at the end of my time Simon said ‘don’t set your ceiling too low, you can go as high as you want to go here, just keep learning, keep developing and keep enjoying it’.”

Coming into the Ulster set-up, Ward was able to tap into Werner Kok’s knowledge of switching code, the South African having won a bronze medal in 7s at the Rio Olympics.

“The biggest thing Werner has helped me with is going into Paris they say you get Olympic blues, this lull period because nothing can reach the same heights, so he was a good one to pick his brain on how he coped,” said Ward. “But he came away with a medal so it was a little bit different...but just finding ways to cope with the low period off the back of the Games.

“Then that transition into 15s, he’s given me little pointers that he has found have worked.

"And he is one of very few playing the game at the minute to have transitioned from both.

"So I just listen to what he has to say and, hopefully, try and apply it to my game as well.”

Ward admits he is still learning his trade.

“Since going to Sevens and working for three years on my speed and agility, it’s something I’d be able to give a crack at and I’m still slowly getting used to it,” he said. “But I’m starting to find my feet a little now.

“I have to find ways to get around that and maybe lean on my old back row days of being in contact to get a few extra metres.

"But I think this weekend there will definitely be opportunities, with the way Leicester defend there might be a few extra gaps so, hopefully, I can get the ball and exploit that and get us on the front foot or get across the try line.”

ULSTER: (15-9) E McIlroy; W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward; A Morgan, N Doak; (1-8) A Warwick, J Andrew, S Wilson; I Henderson (captain), C Izuchukwu; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: J McCormick, E O’Sullivan, C Barrett, K Treadwell, H Sheridan, J Cooney, J Murphy, R Telfer.​​​​​​​