WITH one day to go until our first game of the new RaboDirect PRO12 season at Ulster, the excitement in the Glasgow camp is mounting.

I am delighted with how the squad has responded to the message I have been trying to get across all summer.

Throughout the course of our two training games with Castres and Aberdeen, then the two full friendlies with Sale and Exeter, our improvement has been steady and clear.

The hard graft is done. Now my most important task is to pick a team which has the best chance to get us off to a winning start.

To do that I have to take into account the rest and recuperation regime of our returning Scotland internationals from the Australasia tour.

Factor in, too, the huge strides made by players like Gordy Reid and Henry Pyrgos who have been with us for the full pre-season.

Ideally, you want to pick a starting XV strong enough to take the initiative from Ulster from the off and then a replacements bench that is packed with the type of quality that would allow us to come again if and when needed. I have no doubt that we have that.

Al Kellock will, of course, captain us and I'll need a big game from him. His leadership and his presence on the field at Ravenhill will be a galvanising factor for the boys we have not used in the build-up.

Al's second row partnership with Tom Ryder will be crucial to us in looking after our own ball and putting as much pressure on the Ulster throw as possible.

At centre we have a partnership between Graeme Morrison and Alex Dunbar that is the perfect combination of experience and youth that will allow us to take the game to Ulster.

And the return of Sean Lamont on the wing is a prospect that really excites me and Sean himself is desperate to sample success with Glasgow in his second spell with us.

But let us not underestimate the size of the task that awaits us.

For me, between February and the end of May last season when they made the Heineken Cup Final, Ulster were the best team in Europe.

Their tight five is a brutal unit who will test our pack to the full.

Last season we went down to Ulster on the opening day of the campaign and that loss is one we want to avenge.

To do that, though, we must take care of the fundamentals at the set-piece and slow their ball down while recycling ours fast at the breakdown.

In the latter aspect the contribution of Chris Fusaro will be pivotal and I am 100% confident he will continue where he left off last season.

It goes without saying that the performance of Duncan Weir, playing in my old position at stand-off, will be vital.

His contribution against Exeter swung the balance of power his way over Ruaridh Jackson and Scott Wight.

But, like all the players, Duncan knows only his best will be good enough to stay in the team and that underlines the quality we have in the squad.

So, here we go, the new season is upon us and I know that we will take a sizeable group of Glasgow fans with us to Ravenhill.

I can promise them that they will see a Glasgow team determined to get the basics right but also to play an attacking brand of winning rugby.