The upshot is that Ulster have suffered back-to-back defeats on their tour to South Africa – they went down 34-26 to the Bulls in Pretoria last week – and have only managed to claim one log point across the two matches.
What’s more, they remain winless in the URC, having recorded three losses and two draws in the first five rounds of the 2026/27 tournament.
In the aftermath of the game in Cape Town, Murphy spoke about the challenge of playing in South Africa and the injuries that have disrupted the team over the past two weeks.
“It’s never easy to come to South Africa,” Murphy said.
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“We lost nine players after the game against the Bulls and had to fly players in… so cohesion was always going to be a question against the Stormers, and you could see we were a bit fatigued towards the end.
“As it was, we were forced to make a number of changes during the game. It’s hard to say how bad the injuries are at this stage, but it looks like Ethan McIlroy has broken his hand after what happened in the first half.
“Ben Donnell didn’t make it out in the second half because of his Achilles. James Hume and Rob Herring have just returned from injuries, and were a bit tight.
“Chay Mullins took a belt to the hip and couldn’t continue. It’s fair to say that the physio will have a bit of work to do after this game.
“The Stormers defended really well,” Murphy added. “They looked disjoined against the Scarlets [where they won 52-40] but obviously their coaches did a lot of work ahead of this game.
“I think we needed cohesion coming up against a team like the Stormers, and our starting backline on board to make the most out of the opportunities.”
A general view of the scrum. EJ Langner
EJ Langner
While Ulster scored first in the fixture in Cape Town, the Stormers hit back with two tries before half-time.
Tighthead prop Keynan Knox was shown a yellow card during this period, as Ulster battled to live with the Stormers scrum and maul.
“I don’t think we were a million miles away, and you saw that we knocked the ball on at a key moment of the game,” said Murphy.
“If we could have gone 14-0 up, the Stormers would have been in a bit of pain.
“As it was, the Stormers scrum won a penalty, and then a lineout penalty, and then another lineout penalty, and eventually they scored.
“So it went from possibly being 14-0 to 7-7, and that changed the game.
“It was quite warm out there, but we were turning the ball over a bit too many times. That can be attributed in part to the defence, putting us under pressure and knocking the ball loose.
“It’s been a difficult start to the season for us, and losing today will add to the pressure.”
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'It's been a difficult start to the season for us, and losing today will add to the pressure'
RICHIE MURPHY ADMITS that Ulster are under pressure to turn things around following their latest defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town.
The Stormers beat Ulster 33-7 in Cape Town on Saturday, outscoring the tourists by five tries to one.
The upshot is that Ulster have suffered back-to-back defeats on their tour to South Africa – they went down 34-26 to the Bulls in Pretoria last week – and have only managed to claim one log point across the two matches.
What’s more, they remain winless in the URC, having recorded three losses and two draws in the first five rounds of the 2026/27 tournament.
In the aftermath of the game in Cape Town, Murphy spoke about the challenge of playing in South Africa and the injuries that have disrupted the team over the past two weeks.
“It’s never easy to come to South Africa,” Murphy said.
“We lost nine players after the game against the Bulls and had to fly players in… so cohesion was always going to be a question against the Stormers, and you could see we were a bit fatigued towards the end.
“As it was, we were forced to make a number of changes during the game. It’s hard to say how bad the injuries are at this stage, but it looks like Ethan McIlroy has broken his hand after what happened in the first half.
“Ben Donnell didn’t make it out in the second half because of his Achilles. James Hume and Rob Herring have just returned from injuries, and were a bit tight.
“Chay Mullins took a belt to the hip and couldn’t continue. It’s fair to say that the physio will have a bit of work to do after this game.
“The Stormers defended really well,” Murphy added. “They looked disjoined against the Scarlets [where they won 52-40] but obviously their coaches did a lot of work ahead of this game.
“I think we needed cohesion coming up against a team like the Stormers, and our starting backline on board to make the most out of the opportunities.”
While Ulster scored first in the fixture in Cape Town, the Stormers hit back with two tries before half-time.
Tighthead prop Keynan Knox was shown a yellow card during this period, as Ulster battled to live with the Stormers scrum and maul.
“I don’t think we were a million miles away, and you saw that we knocked the ball on at a key moment of the game,” said Murphy.
“If we could have gone 14-0 up, the Stormers would have been in a bit of pain.
“As it was, the Stormers scrum won a penalty, and then a lineout penalty, and then another lineout penalty, and eventually they scored.
“So it went from possibly being 14-0 to 7-7, and that changed the game.
“It was quite warm out there, but we were turning the ball over a bit too many times. That can be attributed in part to the defence, putting us under pressure and knocking the ball loose.
“It’s been a difficult start to the season for us, and losing today will add to the pressure.”
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