'My superpower is my energy and ability to keep going'

With a adjacent fewer miles connected nan timepiece and having grappled pinch nan full spectrum of emotions that comes pinch being a high-level sportsperson, John Cooney seems comfortable successful his skin.

Now 34, Cooney comes crossed arsenic 1 of Irish rugby's deeper thinkers. He is contented pinch what he has achieved successful nan crippled and, possibly much importantly, nary longer dwells connected what he hasn't.

Cooney's fame astatine Ulster stems from his willingness to unfastened up erstwhile placed successful beforehand of a dictaphone aliases camera, a mindset not shared by a batch of his peers.

He was comfortable admitting that he was "quite bitter" astir losing his spot successful nan Ireland squad, while arsenic precocious arsenic 5 weeks agone he said candidly astir having questioned his ability pursuing Ulster's conclusion by nan Sharks successful March.

Having absorbed capable setbacks passim his career, it could person surgery him. Cooney, however, had different ideas.

"My superpower is my power and expertise to support going," he tells BBC Sport NI.

"In nan depths of winter, possibly I did deliberation 'can I support going?'. It was thing to do pinch my body, it felt amazing, but mentally because I'd put truthful overmuch into it."

As Cooney put it, he could person "fallen backmost into nan wilderness" aft nan Sharks game.

Instead, he plotted his way retired of nan acheronian and it has benefitted subordinate and club, his precocious punishment sealing Ulster's 23-21 triumph complete Leinster and a spot successful nan United Rugby Championship play-offs.

Cooney, for illustration respective of his team-mates, person looked rejuvenated successful caller weeks. With Richie Murphy now installed arsenic Dan McFarland's imperishable successor, stableness has bred amended results: Ulster won 4 games connected nan rotation earlier falling 29-24 to Munster past week.

Their reward for making nan play-offs is different day pinch Leinster. Ulster person beaten Leinster location and distant this play but connected Saturday they will look a broadside driven by nan wounded of different heartbreaking Champions Cup last defeat.

Naturally, facing Leinster stirs analyzable feelings for Cooney. While he has family connections successful Scotland, Connacht and Ulster, he grew up successful Dublin and started his profession astatine Leinster.

When his profession began to stall, he moved west, wherever he helped Connacht declare a daze Pro12 title triumph successful 2015-16.

For him, location are similarities betwixt that Connacht squad of 8 years agone and this existent Ulster crop.

"I had a emotion past week that possibly this is america going connected our run," says Cooney, who is 2nd successful Ulster's all-time points database pinch 1,116.

"I had it nan twelvemonth we mislaid to nan Stormers [2022] and mislaid successful nan past play. That twelvemonth we should person won it, personally."

Of course, Ulster's dream of winning nan URC will not past nan play unless they show up connected nan large shape and hit Leinster astatine Aviva Stadium.

When Ulster travelled to Lansdowne Road for past season's Champions Cup last-16 encounter, they were outplayed and mislaid 30-15. The Aviva tin beryllium an intimidating venue for opposing teams, but Cooney insists Ulster are not scared.

"We've decidedly gained assurance from nan past mates of years," said Cooney.

"Everything's successful their court. It's theirs to suffer really. I cognize they're gunning for us, gunning for maine but it is what it is, I'm going to spell retired and effort my best."

Crucially, Cooney insists Ulster person learned nan lessons of past year's play-offs erstwhile they amazingly mislaid their location quarter-final to Connacht having vanished nan regular play second, 18 points up of their Irish rivals successful seventh.

"It's astir apt nan polar other of what happened successful nan quarter-final past year.

"We went successful 2nd reasoning we were monolithic favourites, we were going to put them distant and move connected to a location semi.

"We were decidedly excessively assured and we sewage bullied retired there. That was a difficult crippled for maine to take. It's now much for illustration we person thing to lose. We're nan Connacht going to Leinster. They're nan ones nether a spot of unit astatine nan moment."