A PRIVILEGE

Cooney: It’s a great position to be in & another chance to demonstrate what I’d bring to the Irish set-up

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Kingspan Stadium, 3.15pm

IRISH rugby’s man of the moment John Cooney says Ulster are ready to embrace the high-stakes “pressure” of their Champions Cup shootout with Bath in Belfast.

A draw might suffice if other results fall their way, but Dan Mcfarland’s men know a win guarantees a coveted quarterfinal berth for the second successive year.

Expectation will be sky high against a Bath side propping up Pool 3, but Cooney believes “pressure” comes with the territory when a knockout spot is on the line.

The scrum half, tipped to play a key role in Ireland’s

Six Nations campaign after enjoying a red hot campaign to date, said: “The ball is on our side of the court.

“I remember last year Will Addison saying pressure is a privilege and that is the position we have put ourselves in this season. It’s important for us get a win, but Bath have nothing to lose. They are coming here with a team with a lot of good individuals and they will probably throw the ball around.”

Clermont, 29-13 victors over Ulster last week, are firm favourites to seal top spot and a home quarter-final when they face Harlequins at The Stoop.

But Mcfarland’s men, unbeaten in their last 19 games at the Kingspan, are odds-on to secure the victory they need to progress to the last-eight.

The province has also won 12 of its last 13 European fixtures on home soil, their only defeat coming in a 26-22 reverse to Bordeauxbegles in 2017.

“We take a lot of pride in the home games we play and we don’t want to lose the

ULSTER

BATH