CONNACHT HEAD COACH Andy Friend admitted a lack of control was what cost them at Kingspan Stadium as they suffered a fourth straight defeat in all competitions after losing 32-12 to Ulster in the United Rugby Championship.

The western province managed to keep themselves in touch up to the hour mark through tries from wingers Oran McNulty and Alex Wootton, but their raids into the Ulster 22 were more smash-and-grab as opposed to sustained pressure on their hosts.

The stats don’t lie as Ulster dominated 64% of the territory throughout, and it was only down to the excellence of Cian Prendergast and Conor Oliver producing timely turnovers under the shadow of their own posts that the scoreline wasn’t a bit more lopsided at the full-time whistle.

Friend was pleased with how they responded to last week’s 42-20 loss at the Sportsground to Glasgow Warriors, admitting the effort was much improved, but was frustrated at how little they dictated the play in Belfast as they stayed eighth in the URC standings.

“There were a lot of good things in there but, at the end of the day, on the scoreboard it looks like we were absolutely demolished,” conceded Friend. “When we look after the ball the way we looked after the ball, i.e. we didn’t, and the kicking game is the way it is at the minute, it makes it very hard to play.

“I thought our forwards put in a brilliant shift, to be honest with you. They had to defend a lot of mauls, and we leaked one early, but I thought our scrum was dominant and around the field, the way they put their bodies on the line was really pleasing because we missed that last weekend. Our emotional bounceback in that area of the game I thought was excellent.

“But at the end of the day we didn’t control the game, and when you don’t control the game and cherish the ball you get and you turn the ball over to a side like Ulster at Kingspan, they’re going to hurt you and they did.”

With a week off now until they’re back in action against Scarlets, Friend admits that the break has perhaps come at a good time for them, particularly with their list of absentees at present both due to international call-ups and with injuries.

While it is undoubtedly a positive that the western province have arguably their best representation in the Ireland squad at present, it has also worked against them in that their general Jack Carty is not there to lead the line, while Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen are, of course, potent weapons further along the back line.

Indeed, it was ironic that the man who Hansen probably knocked out of the Ireland team who had the biggest impact at Kingspan Stadium, Baloucoune dotting down twice, and if you add Finlay Bealham and Dave Heffernan – a late injury call-up to camp – back into the Connacht front row, it makes a big difference.

“I’ve seen that our game plan, when we execute it, it works. But we need to have the right personnel there to execute it. We have some searching to do but it’s certainly not ripping up the script, I don’t believe in that,” continued Friend.

“We got good players there but just at the minute… I felt really bad for Pete Sullivan, it’s his first chance and two minutes thirty into the game he’s off and he doesn’t get to feature again. We got young good blokes to come on and they’ll probably reflect on that game and wish they did better.

“At this stage, with every loss, we’re making life ever more tricky. It’s new territory for us this year, so we’ve put a lot of energy into our Champions Cup. We got out of the pool stage, which is what we wanted to do at the start of the season, but at the same time it’s probably biting us a bit because we put a lot of emotional energy into those four games for one win. At the moment, as a young squad, we’re seeing the effect of that.

“Everyone just needs some time to get away and refresh. It was going to be a long block, it was a week longer because we lost this game which was supposed to be on St Stephen’s Day. The break has definitely come at the right time for us, for sure.”

In the meantime, Friend will certainly be an interested spectator come Saturday afternoon at the Aviva Stadium, and he hopes that will continue to be the case long into the future.

“I’m proud of them and stoked that they’re there,” he added. “Mack Hansen, what a rise. Jack, so great to see him so close to being involved again and I wish he was in that 23. Finlay, Bundee and Heff getting a late call-up – it’s great seeing that but if we keep pushing, we’ll get a few more, too.”

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