One might have thought that a barman in a Dublin pub would respond positively to a polite request to switch on the Connacht match last Friday night, especially coming from the imposing figure of a professional rugby player.
The Westerners were away to Cardiff in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup and a win would guarantee a home run as long as they stay in the tournament.
Missing from the travelling squad was Shamus Hurley-Langton, the New Zealander was being rested and instead stayed with his girlfriend in Dublin, confident enough that he'd find a nice pub to sit down and watch his team-mates take it home.
"They were actually showing the Ulster game, and they wouldn’t put on the Connacht game for us," says the 24-year-old back row.
"They wouldn’t have a bar of it.
"I had to pull it up on my missus’ phone so that’s how I watched it."
The result would have made the pints taste sweeter and Hurley-Langton and his team-mates can look forward to a home clash against the Welsh side in early April.
If they stay winning, they stay in Galway, three knock-out games at the Dexcom Stadium a tantilising prospect.
Languishing 13th in the URC table ahead of Friday night’s trip to Glasgow, Europe is their best chance at landing a first piece of silverware since 2016.
"We talked about it leading up to last week, how important it is to get that home run of games," said Hurley-Langton (above), who has made 48 appearances for the club since joining from Manawatu Turbos in 2022.
"Any rugby player will tell you how important it is playing at home, especially once you get to quarter and semi-finals, taking that travel aspect out of your week. It’s massive.
"Obviously, home support always plays a part.
"As much as some people try play it down, it definitely does. It’s a definitely a trophy we’re targetting, we’re just going for it."
Before Pete Wilkins’ side return to Euro action, there’s URC business to attend to and they will host Munster on 29 March in a sold-out Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Mayo, the first competitive venture outside Galway for the Westerners.
Despite his name, Hurley-Langton's Irish roots go too far back to make him Ireland-qualified but he’s well aware of the significance of their Castlebar date.
"As soon as I touched down in the country three years ago, the first couple of nights was the All-Ireland final in football," he adds.
"As soon as you come here you start to understand how big GAA is in this country, and how important it is to the culture.
"I definitely understand what an occasion it is to play up in Mayo. It’s a massive privilege to play there."
As for picking between hurling and football, he says: "I’d say I’d be pretty useless at both, I’d probably chance hurling, I couldn’t imagine my right boot being too good in football."
But it’s the upcoming "battle" against the defending champions that’s to the front of Hurley-Langton's mind now.
"If we win that game we can get up in the top half of the standings," he says of Friday's night's 7.35pm kick-off in Scotstoun, a venue they have never won at in the URC.
"It’s such a tight competition. We need the points and we are going to go for it.
"[The wins in Europe] have been massive in terms of building our confidence again because we had a couple of disappointing interpros there, but the two wins have allowed us to remind ourselves how good a team we are and show the supporters the kind of rugby we can play."
Watch Dragons v Munster in the URC on Saturday from 7.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player; Watch Ulster v Zebre in the URC on Sunday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
