'I play my best rugby when I'm having fun' - Ulster hooker Andrew on his fresh outlook
- Published
John Andrew has adopted a new attitude of taking one week at a time
Pro14; Cardiff Blues v Ulster |
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Venue: Cardiff Arms Park Date: Monday, 2 November Kick-off: 18:00 GMT |
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and the BBC Sport website |
Ulster hooker John Andrew has explained that he is adopting a fresh approach to his rugby in which "enjoying the game and having fun" are most important.
The Ballymena-born forward was handed his first action of the new season when he started last week's 40-17 Pro14 win over Dragons, playing 52 minutes.
"I've made a deliberate shift in my mindset to enjoy every moment. That's when I feel I play my best," he said.
"I had lost the sense of fun and was putting too much pressure on myself."
The 27-year-old is in competition with Ireland's Rob Herring and Adam McBurney for the number two shirt as Ulster seek to continue their three-game winning streak in the new campaign away to Cardiff Blues on Monday night.
McBurney has been handed the starting role at hooker for that encounter, with Andrew hoping to be called into action from the bench.
"I enjoyed getting my chance to start against Dragons. Last season I was coming on a lot with 20 minutes to go," explained Andrew.
"I'm now just concentrating on the week in hand, the next match, training and playing well - focus on my own game and not look too far ahead.
"I want to have fun and not look too long into the future. You start playing at five or six years old with the idea of having fun, not with the idea of it becoming your job.
"I've sat back and reassessed things - that comes with the disappointment of not being involved when I had hoped to be and not performing as well as I would have wanted to on occasions when I was given a chance," added Andrew candidly.
Blues 'can score from anywhere'
Having run Munster close for much of the game at Thomond Park last week, before succumbing 38-27, Andrew knows Cardiff Blues will provide stiff opposition on their home patch in the first of a series of three Monday night matches for Ulster in successive weeks.
"Cardiff are very dangerous. Their centres and 10 are very good players and they have effective players across the whole team who can score from anywhere.
"Jarrod Evans scored from virtually the halfway line last week. Hopefully we have a gameplan that will allow us to go there, put in a good performance and win."