Head coach Dan McFarland has praised the impact of Steven Kitshoff at Ulster, highlighting the Springbok loosehead prop’s credibility and incredible work-rate.

The two-time World Cup winner joined the Irish giants from the Stormers this season, and has wasted little time putting his shoulder to the wheel while sharing his expertise.

Renowned for his superhuman output around the park and unique breakdown ability, Kitshoff has often been the catalyst for the Bok pack engaging another gear in the second half of Test matches, and as a scrummager, the former Stormers skipper boasts an almost unmatched engine.

The 31-year-old featured prominently for Ulster in a gutsy 22-21 victory against Leinster in the Vodacom URC at the RDS Arena on Monday, and speaking post-match, McFarland extolled the value of Kitshoff’s role for the men from Belfast.

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“He lands with an incredible amount of credibility, full stop. I think his play around the park is probably the biggest [asset],” McFarland told reporters.

“He spoke to us at a scrum meeting two weeks ago, and there’s something very specific about what he said that really hung in the air for the lads, I thought that was excellent.

“But it’s his stuff around the park – he carries well, he’s involved in really good defensive plays, and he’s always a jackal threat. He just moves really well.

“He’s not afraid of saying it how it is, if we need to change or someone needs to do something he’ll point it out. He’s a double World Cup winner and captained a URC-winning team, so Steven’s a top man.”