Ulster kick of the new season at home on 2nd September
With several new additions to the squad, Ulster will look to get their season of to a good start next Friday. The season opener at Kingspan with Newport Gwent Dragons comes after plenty of preseason preparation by the Ulstermen.
Prop Callum Black told Q Radio Sport about the importance of such preparation, even just in the sense of bringing the squad back together after a long summer.
"Once we're all together its good; to get up to speed and on the same page, to get our play ready for the new season" said the Ulster prop. Black also said that the current preseason was particularly important to help any new players gel with the squad.
Rodney Ah You, Charles Piutau and Marcell Coetzee all joined this summer. "We have to get a tight-knit squad with new players coming in" said Black. However, South African Coetzee won't feature in the season opener, the flanker sustained an ACL injury while playing for his previous club Sharks.
And while Black has sympathy for the star South African, he also praised his commitment and hunger to get onto the pitch.
Ulster play a friendly with Northampton Saints at Kingspan this Friday, followed by their season opener a week later.