FORMER IRELAND CAPTAIN Rory Best, who retired from playing after the 2019 World Cup, has been mentoring Ulster’s front row players and was with the Ulster A team coaching staff for last weekend’s win over Leinster.

The 38-year-old has been working with his former province on an informal basis in recent months as he dips his toe into the coaching world amidst other commitments.

Best won 124 caps for Ireland and went on two Lions tours, as well as playing for Ulster more than 200 times.

“During the summer Rory gave me a call,” explained Ulster A head coach Kieran Campbell after his side’s impressive 37-14 victory against Leinster A on Friday night. 

“He’s really busy, he has a load of things going on off the pitch between business and farming. I’m from the city, when he tells me about farming I’ve no clue what he’s talking about, but he was looking to just keep that connection [with Ulster].

“He has been in and out. He enjoys mentoring those front-rowers and obviously the hookers. He has a lot of business on but he enjoys giving back and mentoring.

“Former captain of Ireland, hugely successful, it’s been good for me too and the staff to bounce things off him about how we’re doing. Even today, sitting in the coaches’ box, he could give us some feedback on how we were coaching and the language we were getting down to the players.

“It’s sort of a mentoring role all round but to be honest, as he said himself, he was out with the cattle at the crack of dawn and just came over after. He seems to enjoy it.

“I think we give him a lot of stick because if you go on his Instagram he’s never off the golf course. We’ll say to him which course is he fitting us in around today?

“But I think it’s good. Having someone with that level of experience around, you’re only going to benefit from it.”