'I've just simplified everything in my head' - Stockdale on trusting the process

JACOB STOCKDALE IS in a good space, trusting the process and paring his own approach back to producing big moments on the pitch without overthinking or overstressing himself.

So far, it has worked well at Ulster where he has seamlessly moved positions, featuring on the familiar left wing or at fullback and even recently filling in at outside centre, while he has made some inroads again with Ireland playing twice in the recent Six Nations.

“I’ve just simplified everything in my head a wee bit,” explains the long-serving Ulster squad member who last week turned 30.

“(I’ve) Stopped going after things that weren’t important. I’ve focused on the things that I’m good at, and the things that are important to my game. That’s been a massive help.

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“I find that the best thing that I can do for the team is just to get my stuff right and to be as good as I possibly can be.

“Whether it’s preparing for the game in terms of my detail around plays and what I’m trying to achieve, or just when I get out on the pitch to play the best I possibly can,” added Stockdale who scored the third of Ulster’s four tries in last Saturday’s narrow win over the Ospreys in the Challenge Cup’s round of 16.

That victory at the Affidea Stadium has now set up a home quarter-final with La Rochelle on Friday and Stockdale admits that Ulster will be covering all bases against Ronan O’Gara’s side regardless of how strong a selection is sent over to Belfast.

“We have no idea who they’re going to send over,” he said of another week playing knockout rugby.

“But I think every team has some form of an identity, and it doesn’t matter who’s on the pitch.

“We’re looking at it like we just need to get through this game (with La Rochelle). We need to just come away with a win and then we can look beyond that after this week.

“We’re sitting in a position where we can be genuinely competing for silverware at the end of it (in both Challenge Cup and URC), and that’s where we want to be and where we haven’t been for the last couple of years.”

“It’s an exciting place to be,” he admits, “and we do feel like we’ve played very well to be in this position.”