| Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Sunday, 18 February Kick-off:15:00 GMT |
| Coverage: Listen on BBC Sounds & BBC Radio Foyle; live text updates, report, reaction & highlights on BBC Sport website & app |
Ulster prop Marty Moore says that their recent run of results have been a “head scratcher” ahead of his side’s return to action against Ospreys.
The United Rugby Championship clash is Ulster’s first game since their two heavy Champions Cup losses against Toulouse and Harlequins in January.
And Moore is eager for Ulster to put things right on Sunday.
“It’s been tough not having a game in the near future to really target and to rectify things,” he said.
“We’ve done a good basis of work in the last few weeks so we can put our best foot forward this weekend.”
“It doesn’t happen very often [having a four-week break] the games are normally relentless and you complain about the quick turnaround, but the bodies have got a rest and they’re refreshed.”
Ulster return to URC action four weeks on from the chastising 47-19 defeat to Harlequins which knocked them out of the Champions Cup at the group stage.
Dan McFarland’s side started the year positively with a memorable victory against Leinster in the URC, before succumbing 48-24 to Toulouse and then losing to Harlequins.
Moore acknowledges that Ulster’s inconsistency has blighted them so far this season and admitted honest conversations were had to try and iron out their issues.
“A lot changes very quickly, we were one of the in form teams and then two bad games changed things and you tend to forget the level of performances we put in weeks prior to that,” he explained.
“I don’t think it will take much for us to go out and put in a performance and get back on a level we know we should be.
“It is not something we as a squad have done consistently [lose heavily] before, which is probably what caught us off guard.
“We had some hard conversations between the coaches and the players in the days following those performances.”
The 32-year old continued: “It is what it is at this stage, there is no point going on about it too much more and we have this weekend to look forward to.
“It is definitely a head scratcher you don’t expect to go out and give a performance like that [against Harlequins]the basics have let us down in that game.”
‘Reset’ Ulster ready for run-in
Moore returned for Ulster in November after spending 11 months out with an ACL injury which he sustained against Munster on New Year’s Day last year.
The Dublin native, who has won 10 caps for Ireland, revealed that his return to peak performance has not been as easy as he envisaged.
“It took me longer than anticipated to get back to a level I was comfortable with,” Moore conceded.
“But now I’m at a level where I’m operating well, where I’m not thinking about the leg or knee, so I’m happy.”
Ulster have a run of four URC games before the Challenge Cup and are able to call upon Irish squad players Jacob Stockdale, Iain Henderson, Nick Timoney and Tom Stewart for this weekend’s game against the Welsh side.
Moore believes the break ahead of the run-in feels like a “reset” for the squad, but warned that Ospreys will pose a difficult opponent in Swansea.
The Welsh outfit are three places and three points worse off than Ulster in the URC table as they sit eighth. They have however, won six of their last seven matches at home.
“We have a block of nine games now to really go after it. It feels like the midway point [of the season] and that has been beneficial to us giving the two games we’ve come off the back of.
“We’ve had some tough battles with them over the years and the games have been low scoring. When I think back on recent fixtures the games have been heavily reliant on set piece and territory battles, so we’ll prepare accordingly.”
