Ulster head coach Dan McFarland has expressed his disappointment with watching the Champions Cup from home, but has stated that it has given his squad time to refresh ahead of their crucial URC match with Cell C Sharks this weekend.
McFarland, whose side were involved in quarter-final and semi-final weekend last year, told the media yesterday that being a spectator doesn’t quite match the thrill of coaching in such affairs.
“I didn’t enjoy quarter-final and semi-final weekend anywhere near as much as I have in previous years. Last year we were involved in quarter-final and semi-final weekend, and in previous years we’ve played on those weekends. They’re some of my favourite weekends of the year and not being involved in them was bad and really disappointing,” he stated.
Ulster, who were eliminated by Toulouse before the quarter finals, could only sit and watch as two of their biggest rivals faced the French side in each of the last two weeks.
First, it was Munster in the quarters, who could not be separated after 100 minutes and were forced into the first penalty shootout since 2009, in which they were conquered by the French side.
Leinster avoided the same fate last week however with a commanding 40-17. This means they will face La Rochelle in the final on the 28th of May.
The Northern province have found some silver linings however and are using their time off to refresh and learn.
Full back Mike Lowry said “I watched the Munster and Leinster games and I suppose you can just take learnings from the games.
“It’s about moving forward and we still have a great opportunity to win some silverware. It wasn’t like that was the end of the season and it’s a bit of a silver lining that we’ve got something to look forward to.”
McFarland himself stated that the initial disappointment is well behind them however.
“In terms of the mood in the camp, we refocused pretty quickly.”
“We were pretty tired the week of the Munster game after travelling to South Africa and then Toulouse, and then the disappointment against Toulouse, but we bounced back. We didn’t play our best rugby but we beat Edinburgh away from home in a titanic struggle that required us to dig deeper than we’ve had to any other time this year. That game gave us a real sense of belief in what we’re capable of and the foundations of our game.”
When it comes to this weekend, Ulster can leapfrog the Sharks with a win, which would grant them a home quarter final in the United Rugby Championship. The importance of such a gift cannot be understated.
“That has a huge impact for both teams. For us it’s about wanting to be able to play at home in front of our fans. It makes it a very important game and one that we’re hugely looking forward to,” McFarland said on the matter.
In terms of injuries, there are doubts surrounding Iain Henderson and Stuart McCloskey, who will be assessed later this week. Marty Moore is out with a concussion.
Ulster kick off against Sharks at 7.45pm Friday night.
