URC: Back row Nick Timoney says Ulster are ready for 'season-defining run'

Nick Timoney is relishing Ulster's upcoming clash against Glasgow Warriors.

Ulster back row Nick Timoney believes the squad are ready for the first in a sequence of "season-defining games".

Dan McFarland's side are third in the United Rugby Championship table, but face a tough test against an in-form Glasgow side on Friday.

Glasgow are four points behind Ulster and are unbeaten in their last nine.

But Timoney insists Ulster will relish the challenge after their own recent upturn in form saw them beat Sale and the Stormers in their last two games.

"We had our rough block, then it felt like we had a couple of good games and now we are straight back into season-defining games and it is a chance to put everything right," said the 27-year old.

"I think it helped that we finished that last block of games on a positive rather than the negatives we had been going through for a while. It was nice to get a week off after that, the mood is good".

• McFarland wary of 'dangerous' Glasgow in URC encounter

Timoney, who is joined by Harry Sheridan and Jordi Murphy in the back row for Friday's match, is under no illusion as to how difficult the task will be against Glasgow.

"I think we have turned a corner, we've won our last few games and things have seemed better, but we have a tough game against a Glasgow team who are going well," he added.

"They won't respect the fact that we have won our last few games. There are probably going to be a few of the Scottish lads released and playing and I have heard that it is a sell-out, so it is a huge challenge.

Glasgow: Ollie Smith; Sebastian Cancelliere, Stafford McDowall, Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes; Tom Jordan, Jamie Dobie; Nathan McBeth, Johnny Matthews, Lucio Sordoni; Lewis Bean, Scott Cummings; Thomas Gordon, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey.

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan, JP du Preez, Alex Samuel, Euan Ferrie, Ali Price, Duncan Weir.

Ulster: Ethan McIlroy; Ben Moxham, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, Nathan Doak; Eric O'Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Jeff Toomaga-Allen; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; Harry Sheridan, Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Rory Sutherland, Andy Warwick, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, John Cooney, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy.

"We don't have a great record over there, we know them pretty well and we know what their strengths are. They have a set style on that expansive pitch and it can be tough to play against.

"The crowd can be hostile and loud, but we are raring to go and get back into it. We need to embrace the hostility and not make any excuses for ourselves."

Jacob Stockdale and Tom Stewart will also start for Ulster on Friday having been released from the Ireland camp, while loosehead prop Eric O'Sullivan will earn his 100th cap.

Lessons learnt

Approaching the business end of the season, Timoney was adamant that a win by any means will be their priority on Friday night as they aim to seal home advantage for the upcoming play-offs and generate positive momentum ahead of their Heineken Champions Cup knock-out game away to Leinster.

"It is a huge game in terms of our place in the league," said Timoney.

"We are third now but there is a group between fourth and sixth who are close and we want to put ourselves ahead of that pack.

"The points are huge in terms of getting a home quarter-final. Glasgow are not naive they will know the importance of it too, so it is going to be exciting.

"Last year travelling to South Africa without much notice was a tough ask so it would be nice to get home play-off games.

"If we can win these next couple of games we can feel good about ourselves going back into the European games, so it is huge."

Jacob Stockdale is one of a number of Ulster players released by Ireland

Timoney admitted that their six-game losing streak was tough to take, but that the squad are better placed to deal with any adversary thrown their way in their upcoming fixtures after coming through their rough patch to clinch consecutive wins.

"I think that was a long, hard block and physically, it is good to regroup and refresh.

"We learnt a lot of technical stuff which initially we didn't get right. Then we learnt more about discipline, the flow of the game and then about our mindsets.

"One of the best things that happened in that last block was our reaction in a time when it felt like it was as bad as it got.

"We managed to come back from that and we forced ourselves to come into training feeling good and with a bit of energy in the face of things being poor. You have the best chance of winning when people feel good."