Investec Champions Cup: Ulster 'seeing more of Kitshoff influence on team'

Herring celebrates after Ulster scored their fourth try in December's Champions Cup win over Racing 92

Ulster hooker Rob Herring says the influence of double Springbok World Cup winner Steven Kitshoff on the team is starting to be more tangibly felt.

Ulster go into Saturday's Investec Champions Cup match against Toulouse on the back of three significant wins in response to a three-game losing streak.

Kitshoff started the recent wins over Racing 92 and Leinster and came on as a replacement in the defeat of Connacht.

"I think we are starting to see a lot more of his influence," said Herring.

Prop Kitshoff, 31, joined up with the Ulster squad in November after helping South Africa retain the Webb Ellis Cup by winning the World Cup in France.

"You come in and you're obviously not going to establish yourself into the team straight away but as things go on he's starting to have a bit more influence on things and on the team," added 39-times capped Ireland international Herring.

"It's just small things, things like mindset, a few calls that we have brought in, just having the influence of someone who has done it at the top level as well as he has, as many times as he has.

"When someone like him says something it carries a lot of weight and there's been a good buy-in from some of the stuff he has brought. He's a quality guy and someone I really enjoy playing with."

Herring played with Kitshoff as part of the under-20s set-up at the Stormers and recalls that his young team-mate was single-minded in setting his primary goal from an early age.

"I remember him coming in. We had a goal-setting exercise and I was sitting next to him," recalls Herring.

"We were talking about short term, medium term, long-term goals. I had a whole list of things and I just looked over at him and it just said 'Springboks'.

"He was just 18 years old but he's gone on to do it. He's a quality player who has won two World Cups."

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'This is as good as it gets'

Having lost away to Bath in their Champions Cup opener, Ulster got their Pool 2 campaign back on track by seeing off the French Top 14 leaders at Kingspan Stadium.

Dan McFarland's side conclude their group games with Saturday's visit of five-time winners Toulouse to Belfast and a trip to face Harlequins on 20 January.

The Irish province has had some big battles with Toulouse in European competition in recent seasons, including an agonising one-point aggregate defeat over two legs at the last-16 stage in April 2022.

"Back at home at a sold-out stadium against a team with whom we have had some good battles in the past few years, that's pretty exciting. In terms of games we play at this club this is as good as it gets," said Herring of facing the French giants.

"It's massive, the rivalry we have had with them. It's a tough game, they're one of the biggest sides in Europe and their pedigree is right up there. It's going to be buzzing.

"It's a good opportunity for us to show what we are all about in the big games. They have quality over the pitch.

Herring has faced Toulouse scrum-half Dupont in the colours of France and Ireland

"As much as the talk is about [Antoine] Dupont, I think it will be a big battle between the packs this week. The side who can get the most go-forward ball from their packs will have a good chance of winning.

"They have guys who can carry well, a strong scrum. They've got a lot of power behind them. One of our strengths is the maul so we have to take it to them there.

"We've had some good battles against good packs in recent weeks so it's just about backing that up and imposing what we think we do well on them."

Despite the recent upturn in performances and results, Herring believes there is room for improvement in his side's execution of the line-out.

"We can't shy away from it, the line-out hasn't been good enough the last few games," he said.

"The weather plays a part in that but also quality of throw, quality of drill. The line-out has so many moving parts to it that one thing can set it off and it goes wrong.

"We do have to be better and we have a good plan for this week. Hopefully we can get a lot better percentage than the Leinster game where I think we didn't do as well as we could have."