Bryan, how are you enjoying being part of the Ireland set up?
It is brilliant being part of Ireland set up.  For me it was a brilliant personal achievement to get selected for the tour to New Zealand, and I thought the team put in some good performances and were unlucky not to win.  Gaining my first and second caps against New Zealand was a fantastic personal achievement, and something I wouldn’t have thought about at start of 05/06 season.  It is everyone young player’s ambition to play for Ireland. For me, there were some season-making matches.  I normally take one game at a time, and felt that if I was playing well and I could get into the Ulster squad, but I didn’t think about playing for Ireland.

How did you find the ‘rugby atmosphere’ in New Zealand?
The culture of rugby in New Zealand is so different.  Rugby not only appears in the sports pages but also on the front and back pages of newspapers, as well as receiving far more coverage on television.  There is just more of a media frenzy surrounding the sport.  Thankfully I wasn’t exposed to it too much, though I was definitely aware

It has been a busy few weeks for you, with the Ireland camp in Poland and now the mini camp.
I am enjoying the mini camp, and we have been busy with training and weights sessions.  I also enjoyed the camp in Poland, though it was very different.  I like training camps where you just focus on training sessions and eating, and nothing else outside of that.  We did three weeks worth of training in one week – a total of about 1000 minutes.  We had three to four sessions in the morning and pitch work in the afternoons.  We also spent twice a day in the cryogenic chamber, specially built to aid recover.  It is like a walk-in freezer which has liquid nitrogen pumped into it.  The temperature is set at different levels, up to –125 degrees Celcius, and you wear special kit to enter the chamber.  You only spend about three minutes at a time in it, and you certainly have to trust the people who are operating it!

Last season was a successful one for you as a player, as well as part of the Ulster team?  What do you put that success down to?
It all happened very quickly last season.  I have always worked hard, as I have been told working hard brings you rewards.  I think it was a combination of hard work, being older and a bit of luck.  I learnt a lot throughout the season, and I felt that my body was more ready for the season.  I felt stronger, more able to cope with the demands of the Celtic League and Heineken Cup season, and I stayed in the Ulster side.

Have any of the Ulster squad been a particular influence to you?
Justin Harrison has had an immense influence on squad, and I think he has helped the squad gain in maturity.  He certainly took a lot of pressure throughout season and was able to guide players.  The experience of Justin Fitzpatrick also helped, and his arrival back kept up competition for places and helped me keep performing well.  I think that the front row gained a lot of confidence during the season and became a formidable unit.  Simon Best talked me through a lot of games and Rory is a renowned scrummager.  I think that the three of us gelled as a unit, demanded a lot of each other and pulled each other through season.

Are there any other players and sportsmen in general you particularly admire?
I really respected Robbie Kempson and learnt a lot from him.  As far as opposition players go, the toughest playerr I came up against last season was the Saracens tighhead prop Cobus Visiagie, who is is a very good player.  As for other sportsmen, I really admire Lance Armstrong and his fight back to the top having suffered from cancer. I respect sportsmen who have got to the top of their sport and have pushed the standards of that sport higher.  Roy Keane and Michael Jordan are definitely two sportsmen who have done that.

What are your personal goals for the season, as well as those of the Ulster team?
I think we all want to improve on the standards we set last season.  If we were being hard on ourselves, I think the team would say that we were good last season, but could have been better.  We just about managed to win the Celtic League title at the end of our last match, and if we were being very critical, we should have had it wrapped up sooner.  For me personally I will continue to try and improve myself and my performance.  I am coming into tonight’s match on the back of a poor performance against Edinburgh.  I was personally devastated with my own performance.  I was playing at tighthead prop, and whilst I am able to play on both sides of the scrum, my preferred position is at loosehead prop.  However, failure is not an easy thing to take.

How do you get motivated for matches?
The crowd at Ravenhill is fantastic and on away trips the Ulster supporters definitely give you a lift during the game.  However, essentially it comes down to personal motivation before a match.

What advice would you give to young up and coming props?
Pick your spot and hit the opposition as hard as you can.  Technique can develop and come at a later stage, but you should try to put yourself if a physically dominant position.

Coming into the Magners League as champions, how do you rate the competition this season?
I think the league will be a lot closer this season, but I always feel that the toughest opposition is always the next team you play.  I believe that we can beat any of the other teams in the League, but that they also believe they can beat us.  Certainly tonight’s opposition, the Ospreys have a formidable pack.

Finally are you looking ahead to the 2007 Rugby World Cup?
I wont think about the World Cup until nearer the time.  At the moment I am just thinking about the match against the Ospreys and about giving the supporters a performance they expect.  However, if I am playing well, then I hope I am in with a shout of making the squad.