 Ruan Pienaar made an impressive debut against Glasgow at Ravenhill |
The addition of three South Africans to the Ulster squad for this season's Heineken Cup was designed to bring the steel, experience and ruthless winning mentality which have been the missing ingredients as the province missed out on quarter-final qualification in recent years. Speaking to Ulster Rugby Supporters' Club members in the relaxed surroundings of the Ravenhill Hospitality Suite, the trio indicated they are up for the challenge and relishing the prospect of the heat of battle generated by Europe's most prestigious club competition. Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Pedrie Wannenburg mingled with fans, signed autographs and posed for photographs, but the business of taking on the continent's finest will be the only thing on their mind when Ulster begin their campaign at home to Aironi on Friday night. "I've always wanted to play in the Heineken Cup and when the opportunity came along to join Ulster I didn't have to think twice about it," said second-row Muller. "I've been pleasantly surprised by the intensity, the brilliant coaching and the sheer professionalism of the set-up. "Back home, rugby is like a religion but there are some real quality players here and I'm looking forward to stepping up from Magners League to European competition. "I've only been here for three months but already I feel like I've been here for years - it's been a very easy transition to make.  Johann Muller greeted fellow Springbok Ruan Pienaar in Belfast last month |
"We don't have the easiest of draws as Biarritz were beaten finalists last year, Bath will be tough opposition and Aironi are an up and coming side but I believe we can reach the quarter-finals and even win the tournament if we get our strongest team on the field. "That's the important thing - if everyone keeps fit and we get our best 22 or 23 players on the pitch, then we can compete with any team in the world." The three Springboks were joined at the top table by fellow close season signings Adam D'Arcy, Paul Emerick and Tim Barker, and were greeted by a flag made up of a mixture of Ulster and South African colours. The six fielded questions on a range of topics from their first impressions of Northern Ireland and the Ulster set-up, golf swings, local accents and cheerleaders to what they miss most about home. They were also quizzed about their favourite rugby stadium and their most difficult opponents, Paul O'Connell featuring among Muller's selection and Justin Marshall and George Gregan among those most respected by Pienaar. With tongue firmly in cheek, Muller suggested he had "had enough of Durban in 27 degrees and wanted to sample some cold weather" but gave the game away by adding that barbecues were thing he missed most about home.  | The Heineken Cup will be a change from what we are used to in Super 14 and the Currie Cup |
The most recent arrival from the southern hemisphere, World Cup-winning scrum-half Ruan Pienaar, explained what it was like to face the Lions and win the World Cup, and added that his first impressions of Ulster were good. "The Heineken Cup will be a change from what we are used to in Super 14 and the Currie Cup but the boys have built up momentum going into the opening game through our results in the Magners League," said Pienaar. "I've seen a lot of the European games on television in South Africa and there's no doubt that it's a very competitive tournament, with a lot of the world's best players taking part. "The style of play looks a lot more forward orientated than we would be used to back home and a lot will depend on the weather, but we will have to adapt to the conditions and expect a physical battle up front. "Biarritz and Bath will both be a force to be reckoned with and it's a massive challenge for us but we have a good squad, with some exciting players, so I'm hopeful we can do well." Back-row forward Wannenburg explained that playing against the best teams in Europe was "one of the things that attracted me to play for Ulster".  Pedrie Wannenburg is tackled by Edinburgh's John Houston during a Magners League game |
"I always wanted to play in this competition at some stage of my career and I expect it to be more physical than I was perhaps used to at home, but not as fast because of the weather," he added. Ulster Rugby Supporters' Club Chairman Iain Campbell was pleased with the turnout of 150 members for the 'Meet the Bokkers' evening and pronounced the evening a success. "This is the first time we have met in these surroundings and the first time that Ulster Rugby have directly helped with the ticketing and promotion of one of our events," he outlined. "This is probably the best attendance we have ever had and we are gaining members at a rate of around 50 every week. "We presently have around 600 members and considering that many of those are representing households, our membership probably accounts for about 15% of the core attendance at Ulster games."
Ulster's opening Heineken Cup game against Aironi will be broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster MW from 1915 BST on Friday 8 October.
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