Leinster game 'all about winning' - McCloskey

Listen to live commentary of Ulster v Leinster on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Foyle from 19:30 BST, with audio, live text commentary and report on the BBC Sport website

Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey said Saturday's United Rugby Championship game against Leinster is "all about winning" for his side.

The province are sixth in the URC table and a win against their interpro rivals in their penultimate game could seal a place in the play-offs involving the top eight sides as well as qualification for next season's Champions Cup.

With so much at stake, McCloskey admits Ulster's focus will be firmly on winning by whatever means necessary.

"It would be great to get a performance, but more importantly we need a win to make sure we get top eight," he said.

"I think the top four has got away from us and I'd like to get that win here in front of our home crowd rather than have to go to Munster and get a result there in the last game."

'I wasn't too pleased'

While now fully focused on the end of Ulster's season, McCloskey admitted it was difficult to deal with speculation over his future earlier in the year, adding he "wasn't too pleased" with how a proposed move to Bayonne was handled.

During the Six Nations, it was reported in French media that the Top 14 club were happy to buy out the last year of the 31-year-old's deal to facilitate a move to the Stade Jean-Dauger.

"It was tough," said the 17-cap Ireland international.

"There was a lot going on. It [the reporting] wasn't overly wrong, a lot of the stuff.

"It's hard to say too much. It's hard to comment on it.

"I wasn't too pleased with the way the whole thing was handled if I'm being honest.

"That's the way I'd leave it."

'Not many teams have done the double over Leinster'

McCloskey started in Ulster's narrow win against Leinster in January at the RDS

Ulster recorded a famous 22-21 win earlier this year against Leinster, but for Saturday's meeting, they will be without five of the starters from that game at the RDS with injuries ravaging the squad.

Leinster, who sit second in the table, have been much improved since that loss, but with a Champions Cup final against Toulouse next weekend, Leo Cullen has opted to rest several key players.

McCloskey knows that Leinster will still pose a big threat, but he hopes Ulster's own recent good form after a three-game winning streak can help them over the line.

"Whatever team they’ll bring it will be a tough task, but realistically we just want a win, get into the play-offs and give ourselves a chance," McCloskey explained.

"We really needed it [a winning run], we were at the bottom of the well after the Clermont loss and we knew we would need 14 or 15 points out of the next three games to give ourselves a chance to get into the play-offs.

"We need to go now and deliver at home which we have done over the years. Not many teams have done the double over Leinster in recent years, and we've taken learnings of what went well and what didn't go well [in January] and we'll try squeeze out a narrow victory."