YOU CAN’T KNOCK Ulster for entertainment value, that’s for sure.
Three weeks into the new URC season, the province continue to deliver high-action games – great for the neutral, not so much for those desperate to see a more consistent, reliable Ulster side.
On the opening weekend Ulster fell 35-4 behind to Edinburgh, before a late surge delivered two losing bonus points in a 34-29 loss. Last week, they lost a strong lead while holding out to claim a deserved 33-33 draw in Glasgow.
Saturday night in Belfast brought another helter-skelter affair. Ulster looked dead and buried at half-time, trailing Munster 26-5 and struggling to deal with the visitors’ physicality and accuracy at the setpiece, while also being let down by their own discipline and handling.
It was a tough watch, to the point where there were some boos from the Ulster crowd as the sides went in at the break.
Yet a strong final 30 minutes saw Ulster salvage a draw, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half.
“We’re really disappointed with how we started the game,” said Murphy.
“We prepped really well coming into this and felt like we were in a really good position, but for some reason early on in the game we were finding it very hard to get a foothold. We allowed Munster to set the tempo.
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Ulster's Robert Baloucoune with John Hodnett of Munster. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
“We were inaccurate with our first launch, so we kicked off, they kicked out. We were inaccurate with our first launch and on the back of that penalty, penalty and you’re back in your corner, fighting for your life. You can see that once you’re five metres out and the opposition have a lineout, it’s very hard to stop.
“So that gave them control of that first half. We come in at half-time, I thought the lads reacted really well. We made a few changes and still very inaccurate in the second half and didn’t look after the ball well enough.
‘We didn’t control field position at all in the game, but ultimately got ourselves into a situation where in the last play of the game we were running at them and we gave them the ball back again.
“So, our turnover rate needs to come down. Our scrum has been going really well, but took a backward step tonight. I feel like we just didn’t really attack the game like we needed to.”
Murphy could appreciate the spirit shown by his side, but everything was overshadowed by their slow start, while a 17-5 penalty count in Munster’s favour was also damaging.
Ulster's Head Coach Richie Murphy. Dan Clohessy / INPHO
Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO
The Ulster head coach was asked if the result, and manner of the performance, left him with mixed emotions.
“Bitterly disappointed to tell the truth, not mixed emotions.
“It’s good that you can come back, but I guess it’s not getting yourself into that position,” he added.
“We’re still very much in the early part of the season. We’ve got three or four players coming back in for their first games this weekend. The flow of the team probably hasn’t completely settled in.
“At the moment we’re playing matches like they’re training sessions. We’re overplaying with the ball in the middle of the park.
“We need to start applying some more pressure to the opposition, and that’s going to be a key part that we need to learn from this week.”
That’s now two draws and one defeat for Ulster, who sit 11th in the table on eight points. The province need to start taking more from their home games, having last won a URC tie in Belfast all the way back in January.
That can become a monkey on the back, and Murphy admitted nerves may have played a part in Ulster’s slow starts against Edinburgh and Munster across the opening rounds.
“It could be. It definitely could be. It’s something that we need to get to the bottom of.
“It just feels like, as a home team, we need to start fast to get ourselves into the game. We’re not really doing that at the moment.
“If you go back to that very first play off that lineout on the halfway line, we’re looking to play. Maybe we should look to apply pressure on the opposition rather than play, because that’s actually brought all the pressure onto us for that next 10 minutes.
“We’re disappointed with our start. We’re disappointed with how we’ve gone about our business.
“A 17-5 penalty count is astronomical. It didn’t feel like that. I didn’t feel like it should have been that. That’s on us. The biggest part of our game that we need to improve on, there’s obviously things in defence that need to get better on.
“We want to be the team that plays and people think that we’re entertaining, but everyone talks about how inconsistent we are. We need to find some consistency in our performances. If we do that, we’ll be a really good team.”
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'We’re playing matches like they're training sessions' - Ulster still searching for consistency
YOU CAN’T KNOCK Ulster for entertainment value, that’s for sure.
Three weeks into the new URC season, the province continue to deliver high-action games – great for the neutral, not so much for those desperate to see a more consistent, reliable Ulster side.
On the opening weekend Ulster fell 35-4 behind to Edinburgh, before a late surge delivered two losing bonus points in a 34-29 loss. Last week, they lost a strong lead while holding out to claim a deserved 33-33 draw in Glasgow.
Saturday night in Belfast brought another helter-skelter affair. Ulster looked dead and buried at half-time, trailing Munster 26-5 and struggling to deal with the visitors’ physicality and accuracy at the setpiece, while also being let down by their own discipline and handling.
It was a tough watch, to the point where there were some boos from the Ulster crowd as the sides went in at the break.
Yet a strong final 30 minutes saw Ulster salvage a draw, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half.
“We’re really disappointed with how we started the game,” said Murphy.
“We prepped really well coming into this and felt like we were in a really good position, but for some reason early on in the game we were finding it very hard to get a foothold. We allowed Munster to set the tempo.
“We were inaccurate with our first launch, so we kicked off, they kicked out. We were inaccurate with our first launch and on the back of that penalty, penalty and you’re back in your corner, fighting for your life. You can see that once you’re five metres out and the opposition have a lineout, it’s very hard to stop.
“So that gave them control of that first half. We come in at half-time, I thought the lads reacted really well. We made a few changes and still very inaccurate in the second half and didn’t look after the ball well enough.
‘We didn’t control field position at all in the game, but ultimately got ourselves into a situation where in the last play of the game we were running at them and we gave them the ball back again.
“So, our turnover rate needs to come down. Our scrum has been going really well, but took a backward step tonight. I feel like we just didn’t really attack the game like we needed to.”
Murphy could appreciate the spirit shown by his side, but everything was overshadowed by their slow start, while a 17-5 penalty count in Munster’s favour was also damaging.
The Ulster head coach was asked if the result, and manner of the performance, left him with mixed emotions.
“Bitterly disappointed to tell the truth, not mixed emotions.
“It’s good that you can come back, but I guess it’s not getting yourself into that position,” he added.
“We’re still very much in the early part of the season. We’ve got three or four players coming back in for their first games this weekend. The flow of the team probably hasn’t completely settled in.
“We need to start applying some more pressure to the opposition, and that’s going to be a key part that we need to learn from this week.”
That’s now two draws and one defeat for Ulster, who sit 11th in the table on eight points. The province need to start taking more from their home games, having last won a URC tie in Belfast all the way back in January.
That can become a monkey on the back, and Murphy admitted nerves may have played a part in Ulster’s slow starts against Edinburgh and Munster across the opening rounds.
“It just feels like, as a home team, we need to start fast to get ourselves into the game. We’re not really doing that at the moment.
“If you go back to that very first play off that lineout on the halfway line, we’re looking to play. Maybe we should look to apply pressure on the opposition rather than play, because that’s actually brought all the pressure onto us for that next 10 minutes.
“We’re disappointed with our start. We’re disappointed with how we’ve gone about our business.
“A 17-5 penalty count is astronomical. It didn’t feel like that. I didn’t feel like it should have been that. That’s on us. The biggest part of our game that we need to improve on, there’s obviously things in defence that need to get better on.
“We want to be the team that plays and people think that we’re entertaining, but everyone talks about how inconsistent we are. We need to find some consistency in our performances. If we do that, we’ll be a really good team.”
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