Alan O’Connor is raring to go for new season

The lock will also face his native province Leinster in round three, an unusual occurrence to face two interpro rivals so early in the campaign, but O’Connor feels it will be the perfect test for Ulster and insists there will be no hangover from the agonising semi-final defeat to the Stormers last season.

“You want to see where you are don’t you,” reasoned O’Connor.

“You don’t wait until the end of the season for your so-called peak, end of season then comes, and you don’t win the semi-final like we did so you want to see where you are straight up.

“I think playing Irish teams in the first few games will let you know where you’re at and what you need to work on and what’s going well and will help with how you go about your business from then on.

“We had a good building block with the Exeter game. Obviously it was two different teams with one playing one half and then the Glasgow game was cancelledm but we’ve a rough idea where we are with training.

“We’ve trained at a really high level and with a lot of intensity so it’s going good.

“The Stormersm that was a tough one, wasn’t it?Hopefully we’ll get out there and do ourselves justice...it was a tough way to end the season.

“You’ve got to take your lessons from it, you can’t just skim over it and you have to look at it deeper. Why did we lose in the 84th or 85th minute when I’d say we were in a good position to win that game and get a home semi-final.

“We take our lessons, a couple of harsh lessons learned and we go again, hopefully go one step further.”

Competition for starting places and the match day squad will be at a premium after Ulster made a number of summer signings to add strength in depth.

O’Connor, who recently turned 30, knows he will have to perform at every opportunity especially after Kieran Treadwell’s displays for Ireland during the summer.

“Treads did class in New Zealand and he’s really coming on with his ball-carrying,” he said. “We know what he offers and he’s doing it so consistently now, hats off to him, he puts a lot of hard work in on and off the pitch.

“Frank (Bradshaw-Ryan) he definitely offers something different to me, he’s nearly half a foot taller, so he’s a good lineout option.

“Sammy (Carter), Iain (Henderson) and young Cormac Izuchukwu as well he offers something really different as well.

“He’s a class athletic specimen and he’s working so hard. His ball-handling skills are great and his lineouts as well, get his hands on the ball and he can do plenty.”

Connacht arrive in Belfast missing a number of key players including captain Jack Carty, but O’Connor is expecting a full on interpro regardless of who takes the pitch.

“Connacht have definitely humbled us a few times over the last few years,” he said. “They beat us here during Covid and they beat us in the Aviva, but last year we did a job on them at home so that was good.

“But, yeah, Connacht keep you honest, they’re a hard-working team, they’re physical and they’re fast and play some good ball.

“Where they finished in the league last year wasn’t a reflection of how good they are.

“It’s a massive challenge for us and we’re looking forward to every aspect of the physicality, tempo and speed of an Irish interpro.”