IT WAS A case of Murphy and Son in Kingspan Ravenhill on Saturday night.
Dad Richie won his second game of the season, the second at home following the opening day win over Glasgow.
But son Ben added to his growing reputations with a daring try on the stroke of half time, spotting a gap and committing with a great turn of pace to go over the line.
It was his fourth try in four games this season, and he downplayed the family element to this week afterwards.
“It was a little bit of fun, back and forth on the phone. But other than that it was just similar; a big game for him and a big game for us as well,” said Ben.
“I suppose just trying to play with your heads up. I saw a gap and was kind of expecting it. I just opened up and trusted my instincts to go through.
“Ultimately the result is all that matters, we will pick ourselves up go again.”
For Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins, it was a battle between the glass half full of two bonus try points, and the dropped three points by not pushing on when they had a chance.
“With the way the scoreboard flowed at the end, it was two points gained. But that comes with the frustration of knowing that we could have played better. Knowing that Ulster handled those pressure moments better than us,” Wilkins said.
“They turned the games into another little game and another little game. Getting to the 22 and I thought they were outstanding once they go there. By the end of the game they were running five points for every entry into the 22, but we have to ask how we let them get to there.”
Undoubtedly, Connacht’s efforts were harmed by the late red card awarded to Josh Murphy with his unnecessary and dangerous hit on James McCormick. The extra gap helped Nick Timoney record his match-winning try on his 150th cap.
“It is a big moment in the game,” acknowledged Wilkins.
“It hurt our chances of getting the result from that point onwards. I think we managed to tackled Doak in behind him, he wriggled out and some of those little pressure moments, Ulster handled them better than us. No doubt it was costly.”
When he bounded into the room, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy looked like a man that all was well in the world with.
“First thing is, delighted to get the five points. Came back from South Africa, obviously a lot of pressure on us to perform and I thought in a lot of periods of the game we have done really well,” he said.
“I thought the commitment was there from the start, physicality was right up, the guys were really going for it from early on.
“They probably lost their way for a time and they turned over some easy ball in midfield and we probably didn’t kick the ball enough.
“Connacht, the way they are playing with loads of confidence, they are playing good rugby and capitalising on some of our mistakes.”
Midweek, he was coming home from a friendly game of padel with his wife when their son called. It was tight lips all round prior to this game, but few know the son quite like the father and Richie insists he could see Ben’s try coming.
“I could see it happening. I could see it happening before he went and then when he went through the gap that nobody would catch him. He is extremely quick. Playing with a bit of confidence as well,” Murphy said.
“From a father’s point of view, I am really proud of the player he is becoming and I think he is doing a really good job for Connacht over the last few weeks.
“He is allowed to come home tonight to stay with us!”
With 20 minutes left, the score was locked 24 apiece. It could have gone either way as Connacht were brimming with purpose. But it does Ulster no harm to win games like these with a smattering of ugly about them.
“It shows the character of the team there,” says Murphy.
“We are not worried about the defeats in South Africa. We are disappointed. But the first game, it probably arrives a little bit quickly for us and we are not set.
“We are coming off the Glasgow game and that’s the test for us this week. Can we back up the commitment and physicality to ourselves that we have shown together, when we play Ospreys.
“If we can do that and get another win here next Friday, we are right back in this.”
Ospreys up next on a chilly Friday evening. Just the way they like it.
He’s a threat with his running game and ran in another nice try, but overall, he was poor. Control at breakdown was haphazard and poor kicking out of hand. Fully expect both Connacht and Ulster to finish in the bottom half of the table. Apart from Zebre, they have both conceded the most points so far in the URC, and it’s not hard to see why. Munster have serious improving to do to get a top half finish. Leinster will be top 4 but won’t win URC or champions Cup again this season.
@Ray Ridge: I agree regarding Murphy. Plenty of people are blinded by scrum halves that kick, run nice trail lines etc but their basics of the role is so, so poor. There’s underage club scrum halves that can pass a ball better than some pro scrum halves
@5sZl1dX2: True, there’s a lot to like about Murphy but definitely a work in progress. Connacht once again look like they will be their own worst enemy again this season.
@Ray Ridge: ever the optimist Raymond!!!
@Jacob: I don’t live in a world full of rainbows and unicorns and fairytales Jacob. I live in a world of reality. The reality being that Ireland with a world Cup winner thown in just for the craic failed to scored for 65 minutes last night against Munster and 65 minutes the week before against Benneton. Ireland with a world Cup winner thrown in just for the craic also have the worst Scrum in the URC statistically, as in most penalties conceded at Scrum time. That’s not optimism or Pessimism, that’s the reality unfortunately.
@Ray Ridge: I can’t see them winning the URC unless they prioritise it, and I can’t see them prioritising it over the Heineken cup, particularly with Barrett and Snyman on board.
@brian o’leary: Agree. You can be sure Glasgow and especially the bulls will be prioritising the URC. It’s too competitive to expect to go full bore and win both. Only Toulouse are good enough for that.
@Ray Ridge: historically Toulouse used to prioritise one competition at a certain stage of the season, particularly if they had a home run in the knockouts of one and were away in another, probably why the were so successful. Very hard to fight on two fronts.
@Ray Ridge: it’ll be interesting to see if our club’s scrums can remain competitive with the increased restrictions placed on them.
@Ray Ridge: you’re a realist in the same way that Eeyore is a realist. Your instinct is always to find and inflate the importance of negative perspectives. You may not make them up but you sure do interpret them and it sounds like you think Irish rugby is in serious trouble. Is there any hope for us or is this the beginning of the end? Common Ray, give us some hope!
@Ray Ridge: I wonder will Farrell continue with conor Murray in November?
@Petter Sellberg: I leave the cheerleading and high fiving to the other lads. I’m here to play devil’s advocate and bring balance to the conversations. I’m almost full time bursting bubbles on here now!!
@brian o’leary: Something wrong if he does. I also think we’ve seen the last of Bundee and Hansen in the green of ireland too if I’m being honest.
@Ray Ridge: fair enough. So give us your predictions. Who will win the URC and the CC this year since you don’t think the Irish teams are good enough? Surely not Glasgow this year since they lost to Ulster who you think are bottom dwellers. The Stormers are not much better with a big loss to Edinburgh who lost to a weak Leinster side. Bulls and Lions in the final?
@Petter Sellberg: Fancy the Bulls for URC. Toulouse and Bordeaux look well placed in Champions Cup. La Rochelle seem to be gone backwards. Leinster will need to pick one and go full bore.
@brian o’leary: lots of Leinster fans are still whinging from a couple of seasons ago when they put out a B team in the URC semi and were beaten by Munster.
Coaches accused of dis-respecting the league.
Damned if you do damed if you dont!
@Oran Burns: personality I’d like to see greater separation between the two competitions, ideally running the Heineken cup off over consecutive weekends at the end of the season for example.
@Ray Ridge: Looking forward to reminding you of this nonsense after the November internationals when both will start against NZ. I’ve never seen someone so bitter and negative and given the people who comment on this website, that’s really saying something.
@Ray Ridge: who are your picks to replace them?
@Patrick Kennedy: the guys a complete steamer. Click bait nonsense.
@Ray Ridge: if he french are english you be saying he is world class ffs
@Ray Ridge: Comnacht will finish top 6 and ulster will do well as well leinster have a great chance off winning plus munster will improve you posted this same drivel past nite copy paste
@Shawn: post
Ben may be the from scrum half in Ireland so far this season, should be in the November squad with Casey and JGP
@Owen ODonoghue: maybe, was poor at the weekend tho. Would say from the inter-pros Cooney probably had the best outing.
So far I wouldn’t be too pleased with Nienaber if I was a Leinster supporter, they look nowhere near as good as they were under Lancaster
@Barry Leahy: As a Leinster supporter I have to agree, getting pretty bored of the “score 4 tries in 20 mins then just defend for an hour.” I know we were doing this before Jacques came aboard but it’s hard to see any sort of progress or development over the past few seasons. To borrow a term from the insufferable man himself, Leinster play a little beautiful free flowing rugby but a lot of puke rugby
For the game itself, for Connact Wilkins seams to relieved the pressure he was under, playing well and could have won the first 4 games, new attidions bedding in well esp Ben, jury still out on Ioane. For Ulster Kok has been a great addition, don’t think it was a yellow, was a fair challenge in the air. Stockdale has upped the physicality since Kok arrived and is in fine form, seamed to have identified Hansen as the danger man and he was tackled every time he touched the ball, as such had a quiet game. McCann contines to impress, Postlethwaite and other young guns too. Ulster seam to have more fight inthem and with izzy, herring, Stewart, Sheridan, big stu, bobble B and Wilson to come back into contention things could be on the up.
Front row remains the achilles heel and needs quality additions. Bryan O’Connor joining (not reported by the 42) doesn’t seam to be the answer, but a welcome addition for depth none the less. With a small squad have to hope for good luck in regards to injuries.