Best calls on Ulster youngsters to step up

The 31-year-old, who has made 152 appearances for the province, was named Johann Muller's replacement as captain last week and he has been quick to lay down his vision for the club.

Ulster finished fourth in the table last year, losing to champions Leinster in the play-off semi-final, and they have seen a number of changes over the summer, notably Les Kiss becoming interim Director of Rugby.

And Best believes the key to Ulster's season, which gets underway against Scarlets on the first weekend of September, will be how the club's young players perform during international periods.

"When you look at our performances over the last number of years, we struggle when we lose our Ireland internationals, though we didn't identify it for a long time," Best told the Belfast Telegraph.

"Hopefully, touch wood, we're going to lose our captain and a lot of our senior players to Ireland this season, so that has to be addressed now.

"It's one of those things where, if you don't talk about it, it doesn't get fixed. And probably over the last couple of years we haven't talked about it much. But now I think boys are going to have to step up."

Best is now in his second spell as Ulster captain, having previously held the role between 2007 and 2011, but he admits that, given the stage he is at in his career, he is already searching for his replacement.

"We have to plan for these things and that includes trying to see who the next captain might be. I have a two-year contract and I'm 31 at the minute. I'm not going to be here forever so there needs to be somebody else stepping in," Best added.

"There's a group of under-25s here and they're going to be world-class players. But it's about finding out which one of them can step up and be the next captain, the guy to lead Ulster into the next generation and bring the next group of young players through.

"I think we're going to have to put a bit of pressure on some of those boys to stand up and, rather than going under the wing of senior players, be senior players themselves. That is something we have to address."

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