Limavady man returns to Ulster

The Drumsurn man said that he is delighted to be returning to Ulster and said that he believes his game has been improved by the stint in Galway.

O’Connor, a fly-half who has played for the Ireland A squad which was defeated by England Saxons in 2008, returns to Ulster after spending one year with Connacht. During his previous spell with Ulster, O’Connor made 51 appearances and scored 212 points.

The Roe Valley man was part of the Connaught side who secured their first-ever victory in the Heineken Cup last season with a 9-8 win over Harlequins.

The 24-year-old will compete for the fly-half position with Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar following the departure of Ian Humphreys to London Irish.

The Ulster Director of Rugby, David Humphreys has said that Niall O’Connor man will enhance the squad: “We are continuing to build our squad depth and the addition of Niall will further enhance our ability to compete over the course of a gruelling season. Niall went away and gained a year’s experience playing with Connacht and he has now come back to challenge Paddy and Ruan for the number 10 jersey.”

Niall O’Connor himself has spoken of his desire to establish himself in the Ulster squad if he can get a “run out in the friendlies” and “take it from there.”

Speaking about his time playing for Connaught, he said: “I got a fair bit of game time down there and I’d like to thank Eric and his staff for that. I gained more experience and feel I have improved as a player over the past season. But when the possibility arose to move back up to my home club, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity as Ulster are one of the best sides in Europe.

“It was great watching my mates do so well in the Heineken Cup last season. I’m looking forward to getting back to training next week to see them all again. I’m not thinking too far ahead but I’ll get pre-season under my belt and then hopefully I’ll get a run out in the friendlies and I’ll take it from there.

“It’s good to be back into it. I’ve had quite a bit of time off, Connacht finished in the first week of May so I’d a good break and it’s nice to be back training and fit and well. I took a bit of time off, close to 8 weeks and then came back the last four weeks of the season and did a few sessions and weights but I was told I was out for the season so I was just doing bits and pieces to try and stay in shape.

“I would like to think I’ve improved my general game. I think that comes with getting a run of games and getting a lot of game time. Game management has improved a bit. I’m a little bit more experienced and relaxed. But going into the new season, I’m like everyone else, I’m still trying to work on all aspects of my game. I’m still trying to take my game to a new level. Going into the new season I’m looking to improve everything, goal kicking, game management, defence, attack. I feel more experienced and comfortable and confident in my own ability.”