We are always looking to improve, says Ulster hooker John Andrew ahead of back-to-back games in South Africa

Ulster started the United Rugby Championship campaign with a last-gasp victory over Glasgow and now the hooker is bracing himself for the physical onslaught posed by sides from the Rainbow Nation.

However, he thinks that if the Province are technically better they can win despite having to deal with the altitude as well.

“I think everyone talks about the South African physicality because they are big and they have big packs, they have big scrums and they are physical, but I don’t think we are not,” reasoned Andrew.

“We are potentially not as heavy but there is stuff that you can do in the scrums and your mindset and mentality has to be right or there is no point in having the technique.

“I think they go hand in hand in trying to do a job over there.

“It is always tough and it is warm as well. The weather is different, you would hope coming off the back of a pre-season we’d be pretty fit, it is not coming towards the end of a six or eight game slog so hopefully that will help us with the altitude.”

Andrew knows that Ulster were far from convincing against Glasgow and will have to up the performance level in South Africa.

He added: “I think as rugby players you are naturally hard on yourself. I think we tend to focus on what we need to improve on most of the time, now it is trying to get the balance right.

“What was good, getting the win and grinding it out on to what needs to improve and there is loads, after every game you are looking stuff to improve - it is just the nature of the whole thing.

“It can be difficult at times to get the balance right but we are one game into the season and we managed to scrape a win and show good character, so hopefully we can just improve on the different types of rugby aspects we need to improve on going to South Africa.”

Andrew started in the front row with Corrie Barrett in the Glasgow win and he has been impressed how the tighthead prop has gone from trialist to securing a contract with Ulster.

“I think it was great for Corrie, he is a Belfast Inst boy and he probably hasn’t went the traditional route to become an Ulster player," he continued.

“He went away, worked really hard and he has come back and got his chance and I thought he took it.

“He has looked really good in training and he is good to play alongside. I was really happy for him to get his first cap because he had been in times before training with us.

“It has been a different road for him to get here but he has got here, and it is good to see.”

With Rob Herring and Tom Stewart out for lengthy periods, Andrew has a chance to make the number 2 shirt his own.

He stressed: “I’m not really looking too much past every game. If you start thinking maybe I can play these games or this game you end up not performing the way you want to.

“So, I’m just happy at the minute in whatever games I get to play in that I try to perform to my best and I’m happy with how it went at the weekend.

“There is still loads to work on and I was pretty rusty. I was happy to get the start and play a few minutes to see where I’m at and see what needs improved and what is going ok.”