Jamie Benson says prospect of playing for Ireland chief among his reasons for joining Ulster

With a mother from Belfast and Dublin grandparents, Benson – who can cover three positions across the backline – was called into an Ireland training camp during the summer and has ambitions to don the green shirt.

However, he knows he has a lot of work to do to catch Andy Farrell’s eye.

Speaking ahead of Saturday evening’s trip to face Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship, Benson said: “There was a lot that went into the decision to come to Ulster. Ultimately, I think it boils down to the fact that I felt like I was at a point in my career where I was ready to be playing and playing regularly, and I didn't feel like that pathway was maybe there for me back at Harlequins.

“So, I spoke at length with the coaches here and they managed to convince me that this was a better club for me to be at. I think every player throughout their career looks for opportunities to be playing and obviously playing in good teams.

“Over the course of last season at Quinns I probably felt like I was getting a little bit frustrated with the amount I was playing and so when the opportunity to move across to Belfast and play for Ulster came up, it was one that was very attractive to me and obviously ended up making the decision to come.

“Ireland is definitely a long-term ambition of mine to be playing international rugby, but I feel like there's a lot of bridges to be crossed before we get there.

“So for the time being, I'm focusing on just taking things week by week,” he added. "Obviously, I just played my first game there so yes, just taking things step by step, putting my best foot forward and seeing where that lands me.”

Benson has already played for Ulster at out-half, centre and full-back and believes his versatility is a strength.

“It’s something that I pride myself on, being able to play in multiple positions,” he said.

“It's an attribute that I think helps whatever team I'm playing for. Obviously a season is a long time and unfortunately a lot of boys pick up injuries and the availability sometimes is therefore stretched a little bit, so to be able to be flexible and versatile is something that will hopefully help myself and the team going forward.

“My favourite position to play is definitely out-half, but there's so much more that goes into picking a team each weekend than where I want to play, so I'll leave that down to the coaches and I'll be grateful for every opportunity I get.”

It wasn’t the competitive debut Benson wanted as Ulster suffered a surprise opening defeat to Edinburgh, but he is hoping the team can bounce back in Glasgow.

“Certainly, we were frustrated with the weekend just gone,” he added.

"We felt like we struggled to get into the game and credit to Edinburgh, their game plan probably worked perfectly for them.

“So for large periods, we were frustrated and that emotion has definitely pent up into this week and hopefully this weekend coming. It's a big game for us, it's a tough place to go and so yes, we're very much up for the challenge.”