READY TO PLAY ..& MAYBE STAY

Christian hints at extending contract as he prepares for his European bow

ULSTER’S Auatralian fly-half Christian Leali’ifano believes he’ll have no trouble making the step up to Europe’s biggest competition tonight.

The former Wallaby, 29, is loving life in Belfast since his summer move and will be pulling the strings for his new team in the European Champions Cup opener at home to Wasps tonight (7.45).

He said: “I’ve only really been told how big the occasion is but I probably don’t need any advice on stepping up or having to shift into another level.

“Your game will lift naturally and hopefully the team can function well too.

“It’s something we see in the southern hemisphere, how big these games are, but it’s not the reason that I came over here.

“The draw was just to have fun playing rugby again and I’m enjoying being in this environment.”

Leali’ifano has made a big impression since arriving at Kingspan Stadium in the summer having battled back from leukaemia last year - but thinks he can play even better.

“I have been probably a little bit inconsistent. I have had three weeks on, a week off, and then back into it again to try to build some momentum.

“The process we are taking so far is definitely holding me in good stead but am I happy right now? Not really.

“That’s where I am looking to improve and set a standard for the group and hopefully pick up a few wins along the way.”

Ulster haven’t got out of their pool for the last three seasons and are desperate to start with a home win.

Iain Henderson will captain them against a Wasps side that’s out of sorts in the English Premiership, losing four of their six games so far.

Ulster have won five out of six and Director of Rugby Les Kiss has made three changes from last week’s win over Connacht with Robbie Diack, Sean Reidy and Louis Ludik back in.

Leali’ifano is in Belfast on a five-month deal and is supposed to return to the Brumbies after the European Cup pool stages.

He’s hinted though that he might stay be interested in staying on, he’s enjoying the slow pace of Belfast life so much.

“When you’re sitting in traffic and there are cars backed up for miles and someone lets you in and you think ‘that is the politeness of the people and this culture’.

“It is pretty easy, people are not in a big rush to get anywhere and that took me by surprise.

“Everyone is tooting horns back in Australia and trying to get somewhere as fast as they can.it is just a small example but it encapsulates the nature of Belfast people.”

WASPS welcome back five of their big guns for tonight’s clash curtain-raiser.

England duo Joe Launchbury and Nathan Hughes, Jimmy Gopperth, Christian Wade and Dan Robson all return.