RICHIE MURPHY WANTS to get to the bottom of why his Ulster side can’t find a way to win in Wales.
Their 21-10 defeat to the Ospreys in Bridgend was the third defeat of the season on Welsh soil this season in all competitions. It saw them drop to sixth place in the United Rugby Championship table, but things could have been so different.
Ulster thought they had edged ahead in the 74th minute at a soggy Brewery Field when Harry Sheridan forced his way over. Italian referee Filippo Russo awarded the try and let the conversion be taken.
That made it 15-14 to the visitors with time running out, until the TMO came in. A head-on-head collision between Marcus Rea and Reuben Morgan-Williams cost Ulster what might well have been a winning score and earned Rea a yellow card.
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Moments later the Ospresy turned defence into attack, turned over Michael Lowry on his goalline and plundered a third try to make it 21-10 in the end.
“We’ve come to Wales and lost two URC games in which we could have picked up eight points and definitely six,” admitted Murphy.
“That’s the way it is, it’s very disappointing and something we need to address going forward to make sure when we come back to Wales we can put our best game out there.
“We have struggled to do that over here and we need to find out why that is. We had a very good side out there and a very good plan.
“There were plenty of things we did well but our set piece just let us down at critical times. The crowds in Wales have been brilliant for the home team with the pressure they put the officials under.
“It’s making some decisions from young and inexperienced officials go their way. We now need to dust ourselves down and move onto the Edinburgh game in two weeks time.”
It was a last gasp try from Wales wing Ellis Mee that earned Scarlets a 27-22 win over Ulster in the URC and Cardiff were 29-26 winners against them in the EPCR Challenge Cup at the Arms Park.
“The disallowed try would have given us enough to see the game out but some of the decisions that went against us were hard to understand, although even at that stage we probably didn’t deserve it,” said Murphy.
“We made hard work of things, and our set piece was under pressure all night. It’s very hard on a wet and muddy pitch to win when your set piece is under pressure.
“We showed great character and fight, and some of our defensive sets in the second half were brilliant to win penalties and get our exits, but then the pressure came straight back on us.
“The pitch was very heavy, and the lighting probably isn’t up to standard. Territory was vital, but it ws the same for both teams.”
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Murphy looking for answers on Ulster's struggles in Wales
RICHIE MURPHY WANTS to get to the bottom of why his Ulster side can’t find a way to win in Wales.
Their 21-10 defeat to the Ospreys in Bridgend was the third defeat of the season on Welsh soil this season in all competitions. It saw them drop to sixth place in the United Rugby Championship table, but things could have been so different.
Ulster thought they had edged ahead in the 74th minute at a soggy Brewery Field when Harry Sheridan forced his way over. Italian referee Filippo Russo awarded the try and let the conversion be taken.
That made it 15-14 to the visitors with time running out, until the TMO came in. A head-on-head collision between Marcus Rea and Reuben Morgan-Williams cost Ulster what might well have been a winning score and earned Rea a yellow card.
Moments later the Ospresy turned defence into attack, turned over Michael Lowry on his goalline and plundered a third try to make it 21-10 in the end.
“We’ve come to Wales and lost two URC games in which we could have picked up eight points and definitely six,” admitted Murphy.
“That’s the way it is, it’s very disappointing and something we need to address going forward to make sure when we come back to Wales we can put our best game out there.
“We have struggled to do that over here and we need to find out why that is. We had a very good side out there and a very good plan.
“There were plenty of things we did well but our set piece just let us down at critical times. The crowds in Wales have been brilliant for the home team with the pressure they put the officials under.
“It’s making some decisions from young and inexperienced officials go their way. We now need to dust ourselves down and move onto the Edinburgh game in two weeks time.”
It was a last gasp try from Wales wing Ellis Mee that earned Scarlets a 27-22 win over Ulster in the URC and Cardiff were 29-26 winners against them in the EPCR Challenge Cup at the Arms Park.
“The disallowed try would have given us enough to see the game out but some of the decisions that went against us were hard to understand, although even at that stage we probably didn’t deserve it,” said Murphy.
“We made hard work of things, and our set piece was under pressure all night. It’s very hard on a wet and muddy pitch to win when your set piece is under pressure.
“We showed great character and fight, and some of our defensive sets in the second half were brilliant to win penalties and get our exits, but then the pressure came straight back on us.
“The pitch was very heavy, and the lighting probably isn’t up to standard. Territory was vital, but it ws the same for both teams.”
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