On this week's episode of The Left Wing, Will Slattery and Luke Fitzgerald are joined by Ulster scrum-half John Cooney to discuss his breakout season last year as well as his hopes for the upcoming campaign.

Cooney made the move from Connacht to Ulster in 2017 and won the club's Player of the Season. He explains why he originally decided to leave Leinster in 2014 and how he motivates himself with memories of the times in his career when he wasn't getting much game time.

Ulster have made a fresh start this season with new head coach Dan McFarland and Cooney gives an insight into the new regime up north as well as what it's like working with backs coach Dwayne Peel and defence coach Jared Payne. Cooney also earned a recall to the Ireland squad last summer for the tour of Australia, and he says that he is hoping to play a part in Joe Schmidt's squad in what is a World Cup year.

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