Ulster Rugby vs Barbarians

CRAIG, ROB AND ROGER LOOK FORWARD TO FACING THE BAABAAS

CRAIG GILROY Hopefully the weather will be good and that will give us the chance to throw the ball about a bit and have some fun. It’s been a tough season for us, so hopefully we can finish with a bit of craic, a bit of running rugby and maybe give some of the younger guys a chance to put their hands up for next season. The Barbarians have a star-studded squad with a lot of top quality players to pick from. I’m sure like any Baabaas team that I have played against they will want to have fun and pass the ball around, so it’s going to be a challenge but a great way to round off the season, especially nice for Roger and Ruan We want to go out there and impress and give the fans something to cheer, hopefully put together some nice tries and play an entertaining game. I’m still on standby for Ireland, so I want to keep myself ticking over, there are always injuries, and they will have a knock on affect for the national team as well, so I’ll keep myself prepared and if the call comes, then I’ll be ready and if not then I’ll just enjoy a bit of time off and look forward to hitting the ground running again come July. ROB HERRING It’s been a while since the Leinster game and it does feel a bit strange to be honest. We fininshed up earlier than we would have liked, and now one month later we have a full competitive game against the Barbarians. We have some experienced guys away with the Lions and with Ireland and a few guys away home already so it’s a good chance to give the younger guys coming up some experience. It’s a good mix of players and a good test leading into next season to give the younger players some exposure. As a squad we are taking this game seriously. We want to win it, but at the same time we are going to be in the spirit of a Baabaas game and try to throw it around a bit and play an expansive game. The to have one last game in an Ulster jersey. I have no doubt they will be unpredictable opposition. They are going to throw the ball about, we know that and we need to keep talking and keep alert as they will throw everything at us.

forecast is looking good and hopefully we can put on a good show for the home fans! Rob Lyttle, Jacob Stockdale and Kieran Treadwell are all great examples of what experience, drive and a taste of senior rugby can do. They pushed on at the beginning of last season and have really made their mark. Showing those young guys that if they play well, they will get a shot in the senior team. ROGER WILSON Leinster was a bit of a fairytale ending for me but here we are again, my last game! My best man is coming over from Dubai and some good friends are coming to this game, so it will be nice to pull on the jersey for the very last time and celebrate with them after. Hopefully I can keep up the try scoring record!! It’s going to be a fast-paced game with lots of throwing the ball around. We want to put in a good performance and get the win but as well we want it to be a good spectacal of rugby from both teams for all the fans coming out to watch. They have a lot of special plays and like to entertain the crowd but we also have the opportunity to practise our attacking play. The game should be a bit more relaxed and hopefully there is a good buzz amongst the crowd and everyone is up for a bit of fun. The year before I played for the Barbarians they suffered a record defeat to the Lions so the committee gathered together and pretty much said it’s time to get serious and honour the badge and not focus so much on the social side. The year I played, they focused a lot on their heritage and motivational try scoring footage so performance is key for them now. Their tradition is so important so it’s critical that they get the balance right between performance on the pitch and social time off it, something they have been successful in doing the last number of years. Dusautoir will also play his last game. He was my year at U21 level so I played against him in the Rugby World Cup in Johannasberg. He has been around the block and had a great career, so this is a nice send off for him. He has a huge work rate about him, and many international caps so a Baabaas tour is a great way for him to finish his career with a memorable and enjoyable experience.

MATCH PREVIEW

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