Ulster 'ready to take the next step' this season

Ulster's back to back wins against Leinster last season showed they're "ready to take the next step" to silverware, according to the province's former second row Mick Kearney.

The sides meet tonight in Belfast in the BKT United Rugby Championship (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player), having both won their owning two games of the campaign with bonus-points.

Ulster came out on top in both meetings of the teams in 2021/22, first winning at the RDS in November before completing the double at Kingspan Stadium in March, eventually going on to suffer an agonising semi-final defeat against the eventual champions Stormers.

And the recently retired Kearney - who featured in each of those derby wins for Ulster last season - says Dan McFarland's side have every chance of ending their long wait for silverware, which dates back to 2006.

"We had a gameplan going to the RDS that worked pretty well, it was an effective gameplan on the night and thankfully worked out, and when it came to after Christmas in the howling wind and rain we implemented a very similar gameplan and it worked again," he told this week's RTÉ Rugby podcast.

And the 31-year-old, who also featured for Leinster and Connacht during his career believes the northern province are capable of a prolonged period of success if they can get over the final hurdle this season.

"They're the best. Leinster, from a URC point of view have been the best, so to beat them home and away gave the group massive, massive confidence.

"The players they have, and the depth Dan McFarland has built, they're ready to take the next step. Now it's just about doing it.

"I think once Ulster do win the URC, or win something, they'll be fully set up to go on and win more and more things. They just have to get that