Ulster Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors

JARED PAYNE: AIMING TO MAKE HIS MARK

There are big games coming up for Jared Payne...

JARED PAYNE

Payne played his first seasons at Ulster as full back but perhaps with a view to the international set up, he has been playing 13 all season: “There is a difference, but you pick it up pretty quickly,” he says. “It is just switching from training mode, pre-season and then switching back into the actual physical side of the game. You have to change your lines slightly. The more games you play them more it improves hopefully. He added: “The great thing about our squad at the moment is that we have plenty of 12s, plenty of 13s, plenty of wingers and plenty of fullbacks! Its good to have that within the group and to have it within Ulster. Whoever puts that jersey on that week is going to do a job.” With the league so close at the top, Payne believes that even at this stage of the Guinness PRO12, every point matters: “Each week is important, he concludes. “It’s a close competition. Last year we just scraped home – a few results went our way so if you slip up in these early games, they can come back to bite you later in the year. It’s nice to get a bit of momentum with the European games coming

Tonight’s for example, a PRO12 game against table toppers Glasgow Warriors. Next week is reasonably big as well – back to Welford Road in the new Champions Cup to take on Leicester Tigers. Then, it’s the visit of Toulon, then perhaps games for Ireland and the possibility of pulling on that green shirt for the first time. These aren’t just season defining weeks for the newly-Irish qualified 28 year-old. They are career defining. However, if he is feeling the pressure, he isn’t showing it: “It could be exciting times, but it could be disappointing times as well!” he jokes. “You just have to play well each week and hope that the opportunities come. I can’t think about too much about Ireland – I am just focused on this game against Glasgow.” And what of the challenge of the league leaders? Ulster have lost their past three encounters with Gregor Townsend’s side. Last season’s home encounter was particularly galling, The Province led until the 79th minute, only to see the Scots grab a last minute try to seal the victory. “They are riding high for a reason,” says Payne. “They are playing some awesome rugby, they are working hard for each other as a group and they are testing teams right across the paddock so we will have to be at our best to beat them. “Last year is something that you can look back and say we should have done better. But we created those chances and we just need to finish them. We just have to learn lessons from every loss and need to be a bit more clinical, hold on to that ball and score those tries.” Payne was superb in the pre-season game against Leinster but a hip injury against Scarlets put him out for three weeks. Now fully recovered he is determined to make his mark in these upcoming matches: Speaking of his fitness he says: “I’m 100% again physically. It is just the rugby side of things that needs to come up. Friday against Edinburgh definitely felt like a first game back and I was disappointed with the way I played by my own standards. Hopefully I have blown out a few cobwebs and I’ll improve this weekend.”

up so it’s massive.” A massive game tonight and a massive

few weeks ahead for Ulster’s flying centre.

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