MY BEST IS STILL TO COME Rory warns Racing he’s not over the hill

FAR from thinking about retiring, Ireland skipper Rory Best believes he is getting better with age.

The 36-year-old admits he is “fairly competitive” and while he says he’ll know when the time is right to bring his fantastic career to an end, he’s doing everything in his power to ensure it’s no time soon.

His most recent displays for both club and country would suggest he’s still at the peak of his powers.

A superb showing against England at Twickenham on St Patrick’s Day helped land the Grand Slam and he sparkled in last week’s Champions Cup win over Leicester Tigers, charging down a goal drop and managing a grubber kick into enemy territory in the big home win.

Ulster are in Paris for tonight European clash with Racing 92 with Best leading by example: “You try to work at training and you try to get better so it shouldn’t matter if you’re Michael Lowry at 20 or me at the other end at 36,” Best claimed.

“If we can get that mindset within the squad that every opportunity you get on the pitch, whether it’s training or playing, that you try to get better, it’s a great atttitude to have – and one I’ve tried to live my career by.”

Best says he does “creak a bit more” than he used to but the biggest problem he has is trying to avoid people talking about how old he is.

He’s honest enough to admit it’s important to know when to exit stage left gracefully, and vowed he won’t stay around for the wrong reasons.

“I think the biggest problem I’d have is if I felt I couldn’t perform or felt you were only in the team solely for your leadership – or because they were afraid to drop you or you were holding someone else back or blocking a pathway.

“I think once you start feeling that, you go.

“But I’m fairly competitive and I just want to get better.

“These guys are coming up behind me and they’re coming up fast and you do want to stay ahead of them.

Ulster will be without influential scrum-half John Cooney with a shoulder injury, which is a big blow.

Like all French teams, Racing will pride themselves on winning the forward battle and with ex-munster men Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan on board, Best warns they’ll have the inside line on Ulster.

“You can be sure that Donnacha will have studied the lineout inside out, he does that.”

Rory Best shows no signs of easing down his career