FRIDAY WAS A setback for Ulster, but the province are still well positioned in the play-off race as the URC regular season heads into the final three rounds of fixtures.
The province went into the weekend third in the table, but slipped down to fifth following a 29-21 loss at home to Leinster – the only team in the top four to win in round 15.
League leaders Glasgow were hammered 54-12 away to the Lions (who moved up to fourth), while the Stormers were stunned by a brilliant Connacht win in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, Munster’s impressive win at Benetton lifted Clayton McMillan’s team up to sixth – having been outside the play-off positions before that game kicked-off on Saturday night.
Things are so tight across the table that Ulster, who were the form province for so much of this season, are now just one point ahead of Munster, who had been on a worrying run of form heading into the weekend.
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On Saturday, the two go head-to-head in Thomond Park in a game that is massive for both provinces’ play-off hopes.
However, Ulster boss Richie Murphy has stressed the fixture cannot take on a greater significance having taken no points from the Leinster game.
“It can’t do. It can’t do. It’s pretty significant anyway, but we can’t change in relation to, we lose this one, we’ve got to go chase.
“It’s like doubling down when you’re gambling, you know what I mean?
“We need to be very strategic and not react to what’s happening around us. We have a bit of a plan that we’ve put together for these games that are coming up and we’ll be sticking to our plan as best we can, barring injuries.”
Those injuries are taking a toll. Nick Timoney sat out the Leinster game, where Angus Bell and James Hume were both forced off in the opening minutes. Bell’s issue looked worrying, leaving on a motorised stretcher, and the province will issue an update early this week.
Murphy expects Ulster’s squad depth to be tested in the coming weeks. After the Munster game, the province host Exeter in the Challenge Cup semi-finals before closing out the URC regular season with home games against the Stormers and Glasgow (who face off in South Africa on Saturday).
“We knew this was the case, but isn’t it a great place to be?
“So, rather than worry about the fact that we’re going to have to go, if we go deep into both of these competitions, it could be nine weeks in a row from now. We’re already on a six-week (run) now and it could be nine weeks.
“So yeah, it’s a difficult time for us in relation to our squad depth, but that’s the way it is. We’re in two competitions and we’re happy about that.”
Two competitions that Murphy says are of equal important to the province.
“Personally, I don’t (think we have a preference for one). We prepare each week; we try and take each game as it comes and try and win as many of them as possible.
“There’s obviously two in the Challenge Cup if we can keep going and there’s a hell of a lot more in the URC, so we’ll see where we get to.”
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URC table remains tight as Ulster prepare for 'significant' Munster test
FRIDAY WAS A setback for Ulster, but the province are still well positioned in the play-off race as the URC regular season heads into the final three rounds of fixtures.
The province went into the weekend third in the table, but slipped down to fifth following a 29-21 loss at home to Leinster – the only team in the top four to win in round 15.
League leaders Glasgow were hammered 54-12 away to the Lions (who moved up to fourth), while the Stormers were stunned by a brilliant Connacht win in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, Munster’s impressive win at Benetton lifted Clayton McMillan’s team up to sixth – having been outside the play-off positions before that game kicked-off on Saturday night.
Things are so tight across the table that Ulster, who were the form province for so much of this season, are now just one point ahead of Munster, who had been on a worrying run of form heading into the weekend.
On Saturday, the two go head-to-head in Thomond Park in a game that is massive for both provinces’ play-off hopes.
However, Ulster boss Richie Murphy has stressed the fixture cannot take on a greater significance having taken no points from the Leinster game.
“It can’t do. It can’t do. It’s pretty significant anyway, but we can’t change in relation to, we lose this one, we’ve got to go chase.
“It’s like doubling down when you’re gambling, you know what I mean?
“We need to be very strategic and not react to what’s happening around us. We have a bit of a plan that we’ve put together for these games that are coming up and we’ll be sticking to our plan as best we can, barring injuries.”
Those injuries are taking a toll. Nick Timoney sat out the Leinster game, where Angus Bell and James Hume were both forced off in the opening minutes. Bell’s issue looked worrying, leaving on a motorised stretcher, and the province will issue an update early this week.
Murphy expects Ulster’s squad depth to be tested in the coming weeks. After the Munster game, the province host Exeter in the Challenge Cup semi-finals before closing out the URC regular season with home games against the Stormers and Glasgow (who face off in South Africa on Saturday).
“We knew this was the case, but isn’t it a great place to be?
“So, rather than worry about the fact that we’re going to have to go, if we go deep into both of these competitions, it could be nine weeks in a row from now. We’re already on a six-week (run) now and it could be nine weeks.
“So yeah, it’s a difficult time for us in relation to our squad depth, but that’s the way it is. We’re in two competitions and we’re happy about that.”
Two competitions that Murphy says are of equal important to the province.
“Personally, I don’t (think we have a preference for one). We prepare each week; we try and take each game as it comes and try and win as many of them as possible.
“There’s obviously two in the Challenge Cup if we can keep going and there’s a hell of a lot more in the URC, so we’ll see where we get to.”
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