Paul Marshall in line for 200th Ulster cap
Last updated 24th Nov 2017
Scrum-half Paul Marshall is expected to make his 200th appearance for Ulster on Friday night - becoming just the 5th player to reach the milestone for the province.
The 32-year-old, who made his debut in 2006, is named among the replacements for the PRO14 visit of Benneton Treviso.
"At the beginning, you get a taste for it and you think about getting 10, 20, 30 games - that would be great. At the big, first milestone of 100 games your mind wanders and you think, 'will I still be here, will I still be playing enough to push on to 200?'" said Marshall.
"I still get nervous, especially when I'm starting a game. Still in the toilets trying to control myself. You're still trying to prove to yourself, to your teammates, to everybody that you deserve to be playing."
Considering Marshall often played second fiddle to the likes of club legend Ruan Pienaar, his haul of caps is all the more impressive.
However, this season he has often found himself among the replacements, despite the controversial departure of the Springbok.
John Cooney arrived in summer, and has so far commanded the starting berth at number 9.
"It's been a bit frustrating because I was really looking forward to this season, to kick on, and really make the jersey my own."
"John's come in and done really well and taken his opportunities. Going forward I hope to be involved a bit more and put some pressure on him. I don't want to be sitting watching someone. I want to play as much as I can," said Marshall.
"I still get as much enjoyment from playing and training as I ever have done, so I want to go on to play for as long as I can."