'We're relishing it' - Ulster excited by South African challenge as Irish internationals travel to Cape Town

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland says his players are 'relishing' the prospect of being the first northern hemisphere to win away in South Africa in the URC.

The second place side begin their two-game tour of South Africa this week, starting against the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday, before they move into the Highveld to face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

Despite making a poor start, the South African franchises have looked far more formidable on home soil, with the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks all climbing into the top half of the table.

In recent weeks, Munster, Scarlets, Cardiff and Zebre have all travelled to the rainbow nation, and come home with two defeats each.

But with those tours coinciding with the final rounds of the Six Nations, all four teams were shorn of key international players, an issue Ulster have not had to deal with.

Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, James Hume and Mike Lowry have all gone straight from Ireland's Six Nations camp to Ulster's base in Cape Town, while the province have also been able to call upon Tom O'Toole, who missed the final three games of Ireland's Six Nations campaign due to a hamstring injury.

Wing Robert Baloucone is the only one of Ulster's international contingent who hasn't travelled with the squad.

With Henderson having played just three times this season for the province due to a series of injuries, he's likely to be available this week for Ulster.

"It's pretty important to us now that we’re coming into the thick end of the season, post-Six Nations, guys get reintegrated as quickly as possible," said McFarland.

"A chunk of the guys that are out here with us didn’t get a massive amount of game time over the Six Nations period.

"Guys like Hendy were out