Need for game time behind O'Connor move

With Ian Humphreys preferred at fly-half by Brian Mclaughlin and Paddy Wallace and Ruan Pienaar both able to offer cover in the position, O'Connor has found his opportunities limited this season and hopes the move to Galway at the end of this season can reinvigorate his career.

"Obviously I'm sad to leave Ulster Rugby, it's my home province and it's all I've ever really known but this is a new departure and hopefully an opportunity for me to get a bit more game time. It's always been between myself and Humph but with Ruan and Paddy both able to cover at fly-half as well, there hasn't been that need to carry and extra specialist at 10. Things started well for me at Ulster but over the last couple of years I haven't got the chance to play as much rugby as I would have liked, hopefully the move to Connacht will afford me that opportunity," he said.

The departure of Ian Keatley to Munster has opened up a vacancy for fly-half in the western province and O'Connor is looking forward to a new challenge.

"I think Connacht are a good side, the gap between them and the rest of the Irish provinces has closed in the last couple of years. If you look at the Magners League they have suffered a lot of very narrow defeats and they are definitely a side that are improving. I'm also looking forward to working with Eric Elwood again, he was my coach with Ireland Under 20's and he's someone I've a good relationship with. As a former Ireland outhalf he's the ideal person for me to be working with and he's a great guy as well.

"You don't go in anywhere as number one, Miah Nikora is going to be there and it's going to be up to me to go down there and have a good pre-season and try and get as much first team rugby as I possibly can. I had looked at the possibility of going to England but once I became aware that there was a chance to stay within the Irish Provincial set-up with Connacht then they were always my first choice," said O'Connor.

The former Limavady Grammar School and City of Derry underage star will remain at Ulster until the end of the season. With the province on the verge of qualification for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup for the first time since 1999 it's an exciting time to be involved at Ravenhill and O'Connor says he will be ready to play his part should he be called upon.

"I'm delighted that we are in the position that we are. It's great to see all the hard work that has been going in over the last couple of seasons finally reap rewards on the pitch. Okay it's frustrating for me not be out there on the field but I have to keep my head right. You are only ever an injury away from being involved again you have to make sure that you are in the right shape to make sure that you don't let your team-mates down if you are called upon. I've been able to keep a bit of sharpness playing with the Ulster Ravens and my club Belfast Harlequins. It's all about staying sharp and keeping myself injury free so that I can do a job if called upon. There's still a lot of rugby to be played the season and I might have a part to play yet. I owe a lot to Ulster Rugby I've been part of the set-up here for four years including my year in the Academy and I can't thank them enough for what they've done for me."