Press Notes: Andrew Warwick

The loosehead prop spoke to the media this week to preview Ulster’s Guinness PRO14 Inter-pro clash with Leinster on Saturday.

You played in the Ulster team that beat Leinster two years ago. How much better do you think this Ulster squad is now?

I think we’re more consistent in what we do. We’ve progressed more since then and training every week is competitive. It’s not a one-off game here and there; every week, we’re putting out performances.

How important is it not to focus too much on Leinster’s form ahead of this game?

We have to respect how good Leinster have been over the years. Obviously, this season, we played them in January and they beat us well [at the RDS]. But you have to block-out the noise and focus on your role in the team, and on the squad as a whole.

What can you take from your game against Leinster in January to apply to this week’s game?

Leinster are so good when they get into your 22. We gave them easy entries, penalties and a few knock-ons. They got possession and you know how dangerous they can be when they get in there. Our discipline has to be good as well as our retention. We need to get the ball in the right areas. Against Leinster, you can’t afford to make many mistakes.

How confident is the team of delivering a victory on Saturday?

We’re confident of going out and putting in a good performance. It’s always going to be a hard task against Leinster, we know that. We can’t afford any mistakes; we have to be on top of our game, win and put pressure on them for the rest of the season.

Have you spoken as a group about the run-in for the rest of the season and how you balance those competitions?

At the moment, as a player group, we’re just focused on the Guinness PRO14 and what we can control. All we can control is trying to win our next three games. Hopefully Leinster slip up; it’s out of our hands now. Hopefully we’ll know how the rest of the season will play out after that.

On a personal level, how do you feel the last few months have gone for you?

I’ve been really happy to get back playing. I had surgery back in August to fix a problem with my sciatic nerve and it’s made a difference. I’m glad to be getting back in the team and getting opportunities. Hopefully I’ll keep trying to take those chances.

You’ve played against a “who’s who” of props over the years. Who has proved to be the trickiest player you’ve come up against?

In the set piece, the tighthead I’ve found hard to play against is Michael Bent. I think he’s one of the better scrumagers. He’s given me a good few challenges and you have to work out what you have to do against him! 

How important is it for the team’s development to be able to turn a dominant team like Leinster over?

There’s no looking past it; Leinster are one of the top teams in Europe and for us to get to get to that next level, we have to beat them. There’s no better opportunity than this week if we’re going to prove to others outside this group that we’re good enough, we have to beat Leinster.

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