Nerves hit me when I heard that song

STAND UP FOR THE ULSTERMEN TUNE LEFT NEW STAR BILLY FEELING OVERAWED BY FANS’ PASSION

ULSTER new boy Billy Burns says hearing a first raucous rendition of ‘Stand up for the Ulstermen’ prior to Saturday’s Scarlets showdown left him wobbly at the knees.

The Irish qualified No10, who signed a two-year contract with the province in July, enjoyed a winning debut thanks to John Cooney’s last-minute penalty at the Kingspan Stadium.

But while the former Gloucester pivot revelled in his first competitive start in Belfast, he wasn’t prepared for the vocal passion of the Ulster faithful.

Asked if he had suffered nerves ahead of his Ulster bow on the opening week of the PRO14, Burns said: “I don’t want to sound like I’m too cool for school but I was pretty good all day.

“It wasn’t until I ran out and ‘Stand up for the Ulstermen’ was sung that it sort of hit me.

“The first five minutes were a little bit nervy and you could probably tell that as I made a couple of small mistakes but I eased into it after that and really enjoyed myself.

“The atmosphere was awesome and it was nice to get that first one under my belt.”

Burns, who has represented England at U20 level, says his settling in period at Ulster has gone smoother than he could have hoped.

He is also relishing the opportunity of playing under new head coach Dan Mcfarland who is keen to implement a faster, more expansive game at the

Kingspan.

“It’s been a real awesome challenge for me coming over here and it’s definitely a challenge

I’ve enjoyed so far,” he said.

“I knew I was coming to a great club with a great history but I probably didn’t expect it to be quite as good as it has been.

“I can also see the ambition of the coaches and players and that’s something that really excites me.

“We’ve got a style that really suits the players we have which is important. It’s going to take a little while to get it nailed on but we’re showing signs which is great.”

Burns knows another win over Edinburgh tomorrow would constitute a positive start but he warned: “We’re expecting a massive test because they are a very well coached team with Richard Cockerill there and they have some great players.

“We know we’re going to have to be a lot better than we were on Saturday but we’re excited to get back out there and hopefully get a massive result.”

GOOD IMPRESSION New Ulster out-half Billy Burns says his time with team has gone better than expected