Sean Farrell reports from the Ricoh Arena
ULSTER ALREADY KNEW they were up against it before the difficulty of the task against Wasps was compounded by injury to Jacob Stockdale.
Rob Lyttle was stripped and ready to enter the freezing field of play as a ball was kicked for touch. To his credit Stockdale dutifully hobbled up the touchline to cover the possible quick throw before realising his number was up and trudging across the field to the bench.
In the wake of the four-try loss, director of rugby Les Kiss allayed fears over the wing’s fitness for Ireland’s Six Nations campaign.
“I’d say everything will be fine by the end of the week,” Kiss said after reporting just a dead leg for Stockdale.
While the loss of Stockdale so early was a blow, arguably more disruptive to Ulster’s shape and rhythm was the concussion sustained by Louis Ludik in the move that ended with a superb Tom Cruse try from Danny Cipriani’s chip through. Already down an outside back, Kiss had to send Johnny McPhillips in as fullback with the threat of Charles Piutau blunted by the necessity to play him on the wing.
“Losing Jacob, you don’t like those things. We lost Louis (Ludik) as well, it certainly shifted the shape of things, but I think the resolve and physicality was still there,” added Kiss.
“We just couldn’t get consistency of pressure on them by holding onto the ball and making our little line-breaks matter.
“Christian (Lealiifano) got another blow, he’s been hit late a few times during his time here, but we recognised his contribution in the sheds afterwards. He’s been brilliant for us.”
Lealiifano’s end to his time in an Ulster jersey was far from a fairytale. And with doubts arising over the deal to bring Stephen Donald in to replace him as a seasoned 10 – Kiss says there will be clarity one way or the other in the days ahead – there are challenges aplenty for Ulster in the weeks before they return to Pro14 action.
“We’re disappointed. We had control of the pool, we prepared well. We went out and I thought there was plenty of attitude and energy.
“The components of our game were there to do something special.
“We gave them too much, there were a few errors at critical times that gave them field position.
“Fair play to them, they played the conditions well. They had a cutting edge when they needed it.”
