Centre James Hume says Ulster’s players are “embracing” the chance to make history in the Challenge Cup final on Friday.
Richie Murphy’s side face Montpellier in Bilbao as they look to end a 20-year trophy drought and also secure their place in next season’s Champions Cup, having missed out through the United Rugby Championship [URC] with a ninth-place finish.
With no URC play-offs to look forward to, Friday represents the final act of Ulster’s season and the opportunity to bring a first trophy back since the 2006 Celtic League success.
There have been some near misses since, with Hume part of the squad that lost out in the 2019-20 Pro 14 final, so the 27-year-old is keen to make up for that disappointment.
“I’m definitely embracing it,” Hume said.
“Richie [Murphy, head coach] said just this morning, ‘you have a chance to write your name in history’.
“I think it’s my eighth season and there’s times where you get really, really close, like the semi-final in 2022 [a last-gasp loss to the Bulls in South Africa]. The Pro 14 final during Covid – stuff just didn’t go as we had planned.
“This is a massive opportunity for us to bring some silverware back home to Belfast, where there hasn’t been since 2006, so we’re buzzing for it.”
After Friday’s disappointment when a late Glasgow try saw the Scottish club claim a dramatic 26-22 win in Belfast, Ulster’s eggs are firmly in Friday’s Challenge Cup final basket if they want to play in next season’s Champions Cup.
With a cup final to look forward to, Hume insists “you can’t let that affect you too much” as they prepare to face the side sitting second in the Top 14.
The three-times capped Ireland international admits away defeats in the league against Scarlets and Ospreys “cost us” but the challenge of European rugby is one in which Ulster have produced some of their best moments this season.
“It seems that when we play in Europe against teams that aren’t in our league [URC], we seem to play better rugby or it’s like more enjoyable to attack against.
“French defences are a bit more erratic and not as organised as what the northern hemisphere rugby usually is within our league, so sometimes that presents different opportunities and maybe suits us a bit more, but we’ll see in the weekend.”