Sean Reffell 'all or nothing' for Dan McFarland as Ulster coach celebrates flanker's growing pitch gains

Reffell came through the Saracens academy and holds the club record for most tackles in a game when he made 39 against Worcester Warriors in a Premiership Rugby Cup tie. The backrow won the London club’s ‘Young Player of the Year’ award for the 2020/21 season.

Irish-qualified Ulster snapped Reffell up at the start of the 2022/23 season, but he has been plagued by injury since arriving in Belfast and only played five games. However, in his brief glimpses in the Ulster shirt he has kept his huge tackle rate up – earning the praise of McFarland.

“Being out that long and at a new club, rugby players are rugby players and to bed into any environment you need to show what you can do, or you want to show what you can do, really that's on the pitch,” said McFarland. “Sean is a really good bloke and he gets on well with everybody, but you know he wants to be on the pitch.

“That's where he's showing his mates what he really can do, we knew what he could do and we got glimpses of it, but he'll have been so frustrated not to be out there.

"But he's a ‘head down, work hard’ guy.

“There's lots of things you can achieve when you're injured and he's gone about that diligently. He's come back and I wasn't afraid at all to throw him straight back in as soon as he was ready and he was magnificent in both games.

“He's been excellent, there are some players that when they get on the pitch, they don't hold back. It's everything.

"You're almost having to drag them off the pitch at the end because they're so exhausted.

"He's one of those players and that's why he gets through the stats that he does and makes the plays that he does.

“He's all or nothing.

"I don't know whether you saw the clip of Leavni Botia at the weekend making three tackles in a row, some players have that mentality.

"I never had it as a player but Sean Reffell does, that can make you very special.

"Turnovers, the line break, a couple of breaks in terrible conditions, it's exactly what we needed.”

Reffell starts in the Ulster back row against the five-time European champions, with Dave Ewers and Nick Timoney.

“It’s a great feeling after being out for a while, all you want to do is get back on the pitch and be involved, especially to get two great wins in the first two games back,” said Reffell. “It is a great feeling and I’m just excited to get some momentum and get stuck in.

“Being at a new club, you want to make a good impression in your first season especially.

"And for that to get taken away by injury is pretty tough to deal with.

"But I have been working closely with the coaches and the physios and always checking in sort of made it a lot easier.

“I’m obviously back fit now so that is all in the past, it sort of builds your character and I just want to get stuck in as much as possible now.”