AFTER a short period of rest and reflection we’re back in action tonight and determined to start an important final block of fixtures with a big win.

There are five games left this season in the Guinness PRO12 with two derbies against the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues and fixtures away to Edinburgh and Zebre, two teams at our end of the table.

But first up we have Ulster in our last game of the season at Rodney Parade and we are positive that we can record what would be a huge win against a team that are in contention for the title.

It’s going to be a tough one but a strong performance and a victory would really set us up nicely for the final month or so.

We won four games in the PRO12 last season, a total that we are currently on. If we can get at least a couple more then it would not only show signs of improvement but it would allow us to build for next year.

I think as a team we are in a good place with competition for places in every position and we have the ability in our squad to get the results that we need to finish this year on a high and gather some positive momentum for next year.

I believe we definitely benefited from having a fortnight off to rest body and mind and prepare for the final games.

Our defeats to Leinster and Glasgow have been well documented so it was important to get away from the environment mentally but also refresh our bodies physically.

Personally it was a good opportunity to mend. You have down weeks and conditioning weeks and they can sometimes put you out of sync but this has been good for all.

I actually tweaked by calf in the training block up to the Gloucester away game in the Anglo-Welsh and it’s only now, after playing with that niggle, that I’ve had the chance to recover from that and also a groin issue.

I’d say I’m at 95 per cent fitness now… which is about as good as it gets for any professional rugby player!

We used the break from the PRO12 to rest up but also to get dressed up smartly and do a bit of team bonding with an outing to the Cheltenham Festival.

We haven’t been able to do that much this season because of the hectic fixture list – Christmas being a prime example – and I am a firm believer in teams getting tighter as a group thanks to the occasional social.

I remember in December 2012 when we played an away game at Treviso and then stayed out there to play Mogliano in Europe the next weekend.

It was done primarily for training reasons because we didn’t waste days off for travel; we got plenty done on the training pitch but we also mixed together as a group for a week and that was just as important.

You can do as much as you want in the gym or on the training field but sometimes an old school mentality, with a few drinks if players want, and getting together in a different environment can help you to get results on the field.

Fingers crossed we will have similar luck against Ulster tonight as a few of us did in Cheltenham when we got a good tip from Darran Harris (perhaps it was down to his Brecon farming roots).

We had a fortnight without games but we didn’t completely switch off and we were able to do some extra analysis and preparation for the five big games left.

We could also reflect on the Leinster and Glasgow games because we know that those performances were not good enough.

It was upsetting to see the scoreboard at the end of the games because while the decision-making, accuracy and execution at critical moments could be questioned our effort couldn’t.

Being 10-0 up after half an hour in Glasgow we were in a good place so looking at the final score it almost seems bizarre that momentum changed that much over the remaining 50 minutes.

We looked like a team low on confidence but we look forward to getting back out there tonight for our final game in Newport.

Ulster are a strong side, Ruan Pienaar is an unbelievable threat and with the likes of Charles Piutau they can score some fantastic tries.

But after Leinster we are determined to put in a big performance and get some pride back in the jersey in front of our home support.