Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

MATT

Normally on a day like today, most southern hemisphere arrivals are eagerly anticipating their first glimpse of Kingspan Stadium on a matchday. FADDES

The early indications are that he's made a wise choice and he has been enjoying his new environment, even if a particularly damp summer has taken some getting used to. "It's cool," he says. "It's an awesome environment. It's a great bunch of guys and the support sta‰ are awesome. "(The style) is what attracted me to Ulster, it's a side that likes to use the ball. Coming from the southern hemisphere, or at least playing with a roof on your home stadium in Dunedin, it's a brand we're used to. It's nice to come in and do similar stu‰." Having most recently been turning out for Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup, a campaign that started all the way back in the winter with Highlanders' pre-season has already been a long one, but Faddes still can't wait to get out there today. "The body is pretty fresh which is quite nice," he says. "Going from December last year into what will hopefully be June next year, it's a fair old chunk of footie. I suppose

Not so Matt Faddes, who was a member of the Barbarians team that took on Fiji here in November 2016. The place obviously made an impression on the 27-year-old who this summer made the switch from the Highlanders in Super Rugby to Ulster. "It's time for a fresh start, a new challenge," he says. "When we had the opportunity to come here for a few days in 2016, we just really enjoyed the feel of it. When we played here there was sideways rain but the crowd was still out in force. It obviously doesn't scare the supporters anyway so that's pretty cool. It's a similar feel to home, a community- based side. "We to-ed and fro-ed a bit and then we came to an agreement around Christmas time last year and we decided to make the move. It's pretty exciting."

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