Devin Toner: Experienced lock says he can sense Ulster's bid to close gap on Leinster

23 November 2021

Devin Toner has said he and his Leinster team-mates can sense Ulster's ongoing bid to close the gap on them.

Toner was speaking ahead of the sides' United Rugby Championship meeting at the RDS on Saturday.

Leinster are top, having won all five matches, with Ulster in second with four wins from five as the competition returns from a four-week break.

"I think we absolutely can, yes," Toner said when asked if Leinster can sense Ulster improving.

"We have had the last four weeks off but we know that they have also had four weeks off to prepare for us.

"It's not that Ulster target Leinster each year, but Leinster-Ulster has always been a very good game. I think they are in a very good place - they are second in the league, having won four out of five and will be 100% up for this game.

"The last time we played Ulster in the RDS they disrupted a lot, our set-piece wasn't great and they obviously stole a couple but we hung in for the win - but it is always a good game against Ulster."

Henderson 'huge' but Ulster well covered

Inpho

Toner and Iain Henderson are former Ireland team-mates

Ulster lost their 100% start to the season on their last outing when a disappointing performance saw Connacht beat them 36-11 at the Aviva Stadium on 23 October.

Head coach Dan McFarland may have to do without the services of captain and talisman Iain Henderson after the lock got injured during the warm-up for Ireland's win over Argentina on Sunday, and was forced to pull out.

The extent of Henderson's injury is not yet known but Toner, while full of praise for the Ulster captain, believes McFarland is well covered in that area if the British and Irish Lion is not fit.

"Ulster will have been disappointed with their performance against Connacht in the Aviva, will obviously have felt that it wasn't good enough and will have been working for the last four weeks leading up to this game," said Toner, 35, who himself has won 70 Ireland caps.

"He [Henderson] is huge for Ulster, as he is for Ireland. I'm a big Henderson fan and am a good friend of his. He is a phenomenal player who probably should have got more game time with the Lions.

"He is the Ulster captain and is huge for them, but saying that Alan O'Connor is a big player and Sam Carter has come into a big leadership role so they are not wanting for second rowers. They are well stocked there if Henderson is not able to play."

Toner will have been involved with Ireland for the autumn internationals for much of his career but, as he is not in Andy Farrell's current squad, has been able to enjoy the last few weeks without a match.

"It is strange, though nice at the same time, to have a bit of time off. We had 12 days off where we were able to just go and switch off," he explained.

"This is now such a big block of games coming up - big interpro games and big European games - so we kind of needed it [the rest] to be able to switch on for the next 10 weeks."