Forgive Gavin Hogg for admitting that there is a degree of pressure on his shoulders right now.
It comes with the territory of being Academy manager of a province that is going through a period of transition and trying to work its way back into contention.
While every team needs a steady flow of new blood coming into its squad, Ulster in particular require fresh impetus.
With a young squad already, replenishing their depleted stocks is essential and that starts in the Academy.
That’s where Hogg and his team come in, the pioneers of bringing through the next generation of stars and the hope is that they will be able to unearth the talent that will bring Ulster back to the top table in Europe once more.
“How the rugby landscape has changed over the last 12 to 18 months, there’s a lot of pressure even financially to bring through younger homegrown players,” concedes Hogg.
“Some of the players are now being accelerated into the senior squad and the training exposure is a big thing, so there is a real pressure on getting those players prepared quicker.
“I’ve been in the job now for around three years and I’ve been linking in closely with Bryn Cunningham on what our succession planning looks like in the next three to five years and look at who’s next to come through.
“We need to make sure the programme is as strong as possible so when the opportunity arises, they’re best prepared to take it. Integrated training is really pushing guys forward, it’s challenging them and allowing them to accelerate their development.”
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So far this season, there have been green shoots of what the Academy can offer, with lock Charlie Irvine winning his first Ulster cap against the Bulls the undoubted highlight.
But when you consider that development players James Humphreys, James McCormick, James McNabney and Scott Wilson have also played key roles this season having all graduated the Academy, it’s a sign that there are fruits coming from the labour.
“There’s pride when you see the likes of James McCormick and James McNabney getting so many minutes. Ben Carson, I would have worked with a lot, too,” points out Hogg.
“The current Academy players can look at that and think it’s not that far away until they get their opportunity.”
Part of that is the Academy making sure they are ready when their opportunity comes. That has been what Hogg has placed his focus on in his three years since taking over and will continue to be his aim moving forward into the future, too, if they are to bring Ulster up to the level they need to be to finally end that wait for silverware.
“There’s been an evolution in what we see at Under-16 level right up to guys progressing into the senior squad,” he explains.
“We’ve been trying to build that depth and make changes to the pathway that gives more opportunities to guys who lie outside those so-called top-six seeded schools. We’re seeing lots more of those players in our age-grade squads.
“We’ve more staff and volunteers out looking at games and making sure nobody goes unmissed and there’s chances to come into the system.
“We’re always trying to be proactive in making our programme better. The second we stand still, we get left behind.”
Hogg will get a good look at plenty of his young stars in Friday’s Ulster ‘A’ match against Connacht Eagles in the opening game of the Interprovincial Championship (3pm), with six Academy players in the starting line-up and a further eight on the bench.
“It’s a chance to see some of the guys in the Academy and see how they deal with the step-up, try and bridge the gap between the All-Ireland League and URC,” adds Hogg.
“We want them to be brave and put their hand up and show what they’re about. We learn a lot about these guys in these situations.”
ULSTER ‘A’: (15-9) A Sexton; B Moxham, S Berman, W de Klerk, Z Ward; J Humphreys, C McKee; (1-8) J Boal, H Walker, C Barrett; J McKillop, C Irvine; Matty Rea (c), L McLoughlin, J McNabney.
Replacements: Z Solomon, J Boyd, C Doak, J Hopes, R Crothers, T Brigg, M McDonald, J Murphy, R Telfer, L Kenny.