“You’re playing against a top calibre of player, so if you’re not on your money, you’re going to be in trouble as well” - Reidy
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Sean Reidy says that any mistakes can prove costly in the Champions Cup as Ulster prepare to face Gloucester Rugby in Round 2 this Saturday.
The Irish province endured a 29-22 loss at the hands of four-time winners Toulouse in the opening round of this year’s competition.
Reidy has called for his side to be clinical in the coming games.
“The physicality and the speed is a lot quicker, and you just don’t get as many opportunities in these bigger matches,” he pointed out.
“You might only get two or three a game, and if you don’t take them, you’re in for a hard night.
“On the back of that, you can get punished for your mistakes fairly easily at this kind of level.”
New Zealand-born Reidy also recalled watching the Heineken Champions Cup as a youngster and compared the standard of the competition to the best sides in Super Rugby.
“The Heineken [Champions] Cup, it’s like the equivalent to the top teams of Super Rugby when I was growing up,” he commented.
“So, yeah, I just remember, back in the day, watching those fixtures, whether it was Wasps or Munster growing up, when they had Ricky (Rua) Tipoki, a couple of fellow New Zealanders playing for them.”
Reidy went on to reiterate the small margin for error in the competition but admitted that every player wants to play in the competition.
“You’re playing against a top calibre of player, so if you’re not on your money, you’re going to be in trouble as well,” he stated.
“So, I think there’s really a small [margin for error] in these games, but hey, they’re the ones you want to play in.”