Ulster's Rob Herring relishing scrum battle against Ireland teammates in United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash with Leinster

Hooker Rob Herring knows how important the scrum battle will be against his Ireland international colleagues in the Leinster front row as Ulster travel to the Aviva Stadium in the United Rugby Championship this evening.

Last week, the Ulster scrum was dismantled in the second-half as Munster sprung Oli Jager from the bench – all three scrums he was involved in ended in penalties against Richie Murphy’s side.

During the regular season the Ulster scrum won 17 penalties, the second-lowest total in the league, while Leinster forced their opposition into conceding 30 penalties, the fourth-highest in the URC.

Herring and Co are set to face Leinster’s first choice trio of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.

“We know quite a bit about them,” said Herring. “Tom O’Toole knows a lot too so we’re just trying to share bits and pieces that we think we can have a look at, but at the end of the day it’s eight vs eight.

“Too many times you can go looking at other teams’ scrums and try to adapt yours to theirs, but we just have to be at our best in what we do and really try and impose our scrum on them. It’s going to be a tough challenge and one of the very many mini-battles we’re going to have in the forwards.

“We’ve got to go and give it our best shot. For me, I’m just trying to get the best out of the boys either side of me.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in the scrum and I think it’s one of the strengths in my game, so I try to give the guys either side of me confidence so we can really go and attack them because I think their scrum has improved massively this season...I think they’re scrumming really well and have had big moments in big games.

“Our scrum has been up and down this season as well so it’s going be a massive test for us to try and impose what we want to do on them, and I think it’s going to be a big part of the game and it’s something I’m looking forward to.”

The last time Ulster got the better of Leinster in a knockout game was in 2003, and that was only on try count after a 23-23 draw following extra-time in the Celtic Cup quarter-final – since that night at Ravenhill the Dubliners have won all eight cup ties.

“I’ve not many more years left so you’ve got to take these opportunities,” added Herring. “I’ve been in knockouts before; some haven’t gone our way, but I just take it moment by moment now I’m not trying to think of the results or anything, I’m just trying to think of the areas of the game where I can have an impact and making sure I do my job well – if everyone does that, we have a chance.

“Knockout games against them are always tough with the quality side they are and quality players they have, but what we’ve been saying all week is that we’ve just got to go and put in our best performance.

“I think we’ve got a good game plan and if we can execute that to the best of our ability we have a good chance of going and creating a bit of an upset. I see them as the best team in Europe...I know they just lost out in the final – it’s going to be a great challenge.”