Ulster head coach Richie Murphy expressed significant disappointment following a 26-26 draw with Munster in Belfast on Saturday, criticizing his team’s intensity and consistency. Murphy stated they are playing matches like they’re training sessions
, highlighting a need for improvement across the board.
Recovering from a Poor Start
Trailing 26-5 at halftime, Ulster mounted a significant comeback to secure a draw. However, Murphy was not content with the result, stating he was bitterly disappointed to tell you the truth, not mixed emotions.
He pointed to a poor start where they allowed Munster to set the tempo
and became inaccurate, leading to a penalty count of 17-5, which Murphy felt was astronomical
.
Murphy emphasized that the team’s performance lacked consistency, a recurring issue he identified. Everyone talks about how inconsistent we are. We need to find some consistency in our performances. If we do that, we’ll be a really good team.
he said. He also acknowledged that the Ulster pack took a backward step tonight
, despite previously performing well in scrums.
“We’re disappointed with our start, we’re disappointed with how we’ve gone about our business. A 17-5 penalty count is astronomical. It didn’t feel like that, I didn’t feel like it should have been that. That’s on us.”
Richie Murphy, Ulster head coach
Defensive and Ball-Handling Concerns
Murphy identified specific areas for improvement, stating, The biggest part of our game that we need to improve on, there’s obviously things in defence that we need to get better on.
He also criticized the team’s ball handling after the break, noting they didn’t look after the ball well enough.
A key issue highlighted was the team’s turnover rate, with Murphy stating, our turnover rate needs to come down.
Furthermore, he pointed out a lack of control over field position throughout the game.
He explained the difficulties created when conceding penalties, saying, You can see that once you’re five metres out and the opposition have a lineout, it’s very hard to stop, so that gave them control of that first half.
Murphy reiterated his overall disappointment, emphasizing that they didn’t attack the game like we needed to.
Munster’s Perspective on the Draw
Munster head coach Clayton McMillan viewed the result as a missed opportunity, stating the game was a victory that they let slip away.
He acknowledged Ulster’s quality, noting at halftime that Ulster are a quality side that won’t go away
and the need to continue to be accurate and just apply pressure in the right parts of the field.
However, he admitted his team struggled to maintain that level of performance in the second half.
“But take nothing away from [Ulster]. They found a way, and that’s the way it rolls.”
Clayton McMillan, Munster head coach
Murphy’s assessment of the match was stark, emphasizing the need for Ulster to address their inconsistency and intensity. At the moment, we’re playing matches like they’re training sessions. We need to start applying some more pressure to the opposition, and that’s going to be a key part that we need to learn from this week.