"The players we want coming into the Academy, we call them warriors. People who are going to perform in the shirt, whether it's in an Academy, a school, a club, a development side, that shirt is sacred. That's the most important thing. We have to get that back again, where the jersey is the most important thing."
The passion with which the former Ireland captain speaks about the shirt is certainly infectious and appears to have made a marked impression on the players under Anderson's charge.
"We've a lot of young fellas who have been given the right to play for the A team and to be fair to them they're bought into the culture of the A team that Kieran and me are trying to bring.
"I'm very proud to be working in this side, they're a tremendous group of guys who are very honest and they've bought into the idea that it's not a God-given right, you have to earn the jersey."
For the past two years, Anderson has coached the underage forwards who he believes will shortly be making an impact at senior level.
"There's guys who I've no doubt will come through and to be quite honest coming through quicker than expected. I think if we can have even those young guys, and say to the public, these cubs are coming through, stay with us, support us, these guys will die for Ulster. There's something about them. They've tasted success at Age Grade level, they have that confidence. They've an edge too, which is what we need. I think it's important for Ulster Rugby moving forward."
In a tough Pool, made up of Cornish Pirates, Hartpury RFC and Scarlets Select, Ulster A came out on top to secure a quarter-final play-off against Bedford Blues.
The two sides have met a few times over the nine years of the competition and Anderson is convinced that they will meet a very strong side when his team visit Goldington Road.
"It's going to be a massive challenge. We've a lot of young fellas and then Peter [Browne] and Clive [Ross] who have brought tremendous knowledge of what we need to do in games. And keeping their heads, that's vital too.
"They know the importance of this game but we have to go out with the confidence and spirit that we've had all season. It's lovely to hear that they enjoy playing at that level, with the players they're playing with.
"That bond has been excellent and given us a drive, but we have to perform to our utmost this weekend. We have to fight for everything, as we did against Hartpury. That's what you want to instil in any team, it's like the Alex Ferguson thing, you don't give up until the last second."
