Ulster 'need to put together 80 minutes' - Timoney

Nick Timoney says Ulster "need to put 80 minutes together" against Munster on Saturday to try and secure their first victory of the United Rugby Championship season.

The Irish province suffered an opening weekend defeat to Edinburgh in Belfast and then drew with Glasgow in a dramatic encounter at Scotstoun.

The Ireland back row sat out both games but is raring to go for this weekend's interprovincial meeting at the Affidea Stadium.

"Lots of glimpses of amazing rugby we have been playing, and lots of impressive performances, we just haven't probably put it together for 80 minutes just yet," Timoney said of Ulster's first two games of the new campaign.

"The Glasgow game was closer to that but we probably left a couple of chances out there to try and win the game. It felt like an improvement from the week before.

"We're striving to get better in a lot of areas and bits of that are coming through.

"It's just about putting it together for 80 minutes on the pitch and if we can do that we will be in a good place."

The Ulster forward added that the squad are keen to make up for the disappointment of last season when they finished outside the top eight in the URC and went down heavily to Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final.

"Last season tailed off a bit and didn't end the way we wanted it to and we just want to rectify that really and I want do the best I can for the team.

"It starts with being the best individual rugby player I can be."

Timoney knows the visiting Munster team will pose a significant challenge.

"There's an intensity to them [interpros] that's a little bit different. We know them a bit better and they know us a bit better than the other teams.

"When this place gets rocking, there is no better atmosphere and there is no better team than Munster to play in that context."