Best Eyes Return In Early October

Rory Best is targeting Ulster’s home game against Connacht in October for his first appearance of the season after injury. The Ireland captain has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury in the build-up to Ulster’s crunch European Champions Cup play-off victory over Ospreys back in May.

Best missed Ireland’s three Test matches against Australia over the summer and has yet to feature this term, after admitting he had pushed himself too hard in a bid to make the plane for the trip Down Under.

The 36-year-old sees the visit of Connacht on Friday, October 5, as an ideal opportunity to reintegrate himself into the side ahead of Ulster’s European games against Leicester Tigers and Racing 92 later in the month.

“We have Connacht at home to lead into the two European fixtures and that gives me a good run of four games hopefully before the November internationals,” he told the Newry Reporter.

“It’s nice to get back playing in September but ultimately it’s a long season and to be delaying the start of it by a month, it will probably do me no harm.

“Obviously I’m a little bit older and the body’s been through a lot in the past 15 years so it will do no harm. Hopefully I’m on the right track now and the good thing is I’m really excited about getting going again. Hopefully it holds together.”