Ulster Rugby: Province must ‘get on with it’ as losing run hits five with Munster defeat
Demanding more from their opponents on the ball will be key if the province wants to get back to their winning habits as soon as possible.
Despite having all of the possession, Ulster produced just one line break against Munster, with their opponents completing 293 against an attack the manager described as “sluggish” Tackle.
But more broadly, they have lost seven of 10 games this season and are struggling to qualify for the Champions League, winning just two of their last 12 games in Europe’s top competition, a decline that has been steep in the past 25 months. is distinct.
When Murphy agreed to join Ulster last season as Dan McFarland’s successor, he knew he wouldn’t be held to the same standards of results as his predecessor.
Belfast’s era of high-priced imports appeared to be over last summer when two-time World Cup winner Steven Kitshoff left after one year of a three-year contract.
Where once there was a budget for the likes of Duane Vermeulen, Marcel Coetzee and, even earlier, Ruane Pienaar and Charles Peto, now Murphy says there’s “not a whole bunch of money” to spend .
Performance, and indeed expectations, reflect corresponding changes.
“We always knew when we came in that the path forward for Ulster was going to be different and we had to bring some young people over,” said the Mexican, who came to Belfast after a successful spell with Ireland’s Under-20s. Fei said. .
“There’s not a huge amount of money spent to sign players. The guys have responded well, they’ve worked really hard and we just have to be a little smarter in the big moments of the game.”
