AN IRATE DAN McFarland tore his Ulster side apart after their 15-14 loss to Munster at Kingspan Stadium on New Year’s Day, describing them as “terrible” and labelling his players as soft for throwing away a late lead.
Ulster were ahead by two scores heading into the final ten minutes after Rob Baloucoune’s try and were seemingly home and dry until a late comeback from the visitors, led by replacement Ben Healy, saw them suffer their fourth defeat in their last five games.
It was a brutal finish for McFarland’s men, who had led from just before the midway point of the first half and, despite looking well off their best, had controlled the majority of the game but, for the second week in a row, allowed their opponents to fight back.
In Galway a week ago, they survived Connacht’s late push. On this occasion there would be no reprieve, Healy’s try with the clock in the red earning Munster the win and leading the outraged coach to tear into his side after the final whistle.
“We were terrible,” he fumed.
“I don’t want to take away anything from Munster but that was a game where we decided our own fate. We had the ball 11 times in their 22 and lost it ten times. The only time we held it for long phases we scored a magnificent try.
“When (Munster) held onto the ball, they looked magnificent. They scored twice from three entries.
“We looked careless in attack at times, like we didn’t care how precious the ball was. A random chip kick when it wasn’t on, turning over in contact, slow to contact. That was always going to come back and bite us. And defensively, we’re managing on the half-way line and then not creating a line, missing tackles to allow them into our 22 when we should have managed the game.
“Poor rugby on both sides of the ball.”
While believing that his side should have been out of sight long before Graham Rowntree’s men began their comeback in the final few minutes, McFarland admitted their recent form in the dying stages of games is a serious concern and conceded he is worried about their mental game.
Even more worryingly, the head coach doesn’t have an answer for the problem yet, either, and is aware that it is something that has plagued the province for the past few years under his tutelage.
“It’s a big issue. I’m very concerned,” he added.
“It’s soft. I told them last week. We have to toughen up there. On this occasion, it was an element but the game was lost when we didn’t take those chances.
“It was an issue last year and I don’t mind admitting it. I’m struggling to find a solution. Clermont, Sharks, Leicester a year before that. We don’t struggle when we’re one score ahead – take a look at Edinburgh last season. But it’s two scores.
“We’re soft in a rugby sense, not mental and physical.”