ULSTER HEAD COACH Dan McFarland described his team as naive after they became only the second side to lose to the Ospreys this season in the pouring rain of the Liberty Stadium.
The northern province are still riding high in the Guinness PRO14 and are in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup, but this defeat was a huge disappointment to McFarland.
Tries from Robert Baloucoune, Matt Faddes and Stuart McCloskey had seen Ulster lead by a point with 10 minutes to go, but they were outdone at the last.
“I’m really disappointed,” McFarland said, “but I’d like to say well done to the Ospreys. It was a battling performance from them and I thought they deserved the victory even though with five minutes to go it was our game.
“They played well in the first half and put some tries on the board. The game was ours in the second half. We did a really good job of getting back into the lead… the first half was the most disappointing. We were naive in messing about in our own 22 which gave them opportunities to score tries.”
Ulster had trailed 18-10 at the break. Luke Price kicked an early home penalty before Baloucoune responded following fine approach work from centre McCloskey. Billy Burns converted.
Ospreys, who have had a horror season, hit back with tries from Owen Watkin and Scott Otten with Price adding a conversion and penalty. Burns responded with another three points.
The home forwards impressed in awful conditions and Otten grabbed his second early in the second half before Ulster got on the comeback trail.
McFarland unloaded his bench and saw Faddes dummy over before McCloskey collected a fine cross-kick from Bill Johnston – who impressed as a replacement – to score.
Ulster had all the momentum, but they threw victory away as Price slotted a late penalty and Johnston’s drop goal attempt with the clock in the red was charged down. Ulster are still second in Conference B regardless and will look to bounce back at home to Cheetahs on Saturday.
“We’ve lost a game to a side that until today had only won one game this season,” said McFarland.
If you look at the Cheetahs’ run in, they have the easiest fixture list in the league and we’re also competing with Glasgow who are on really good form. We have to keep winning games.
“This was a game which was really important. It’s not the end of the world, but it makes our game with the Cheetahs all the more important.”
McFarland stayed tight-lipped on speculation linking his backs coach and former Wales scrum-half Dwayne Peel with the vacant head coach role at the Ospreys.
Peel is understood to have been on the shortlist to succeed Allen Clarke, but Toby Booth – currently with Harlequins – is now favourite for the role.
“Dwayne is under contract with us and we don’t comment on speculation,” said McFarland.
Different gravy.
Good to see Jim Gavin sticking to his principles and giving RTE the two fingers over their disgraceful treatment of Diarmuid Connolly.
@Mark DeFriest: your inbox about to be spammed
@Mark DeFriest: get over yourself mate. Jim Gavin thinks he’s Mourinho walking around. Football in Leinster is a joke. Give Carlow, Wicklow, Longford 1.6 million and see how they do.
@Mark DeFriest: Hahaha you’d swear Diarmuid Connolly was a right choir boy the way you’re carrying on! Congratulations to Dublin but fair play to Kildare to fight back somewhat.
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: 1.6 million but how many are dubs, young men and play
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: haha BITTER
@BarryK: Bitter ? 60 thumbs up versus your 14 tells the story here I think.
@Mark DeFriest: it just makes him look bitter. He needs to get over it.
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: if it is all about population why have Kilkenny been so dominant in Hurling for over a decade. The population if Kerry is nit too high either and they have the best record in football. Seems you may want some lemon to go with your bitter.
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: We still had over a million when we were getting tanked by Tyrone and Kerry in 2008/09….we have the talent now. Get over it.
@Paul Fahey: Shhhhs facts doesn’t go down too well around here, you should know that at this stage.
@Paul Fahey: paul you sensible bolllox. Stop it
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: bitter, Kerry beat cork by more points and not a word out of you. Who do Kerry have to beat these days that are good? You’re watching one of the great GAA teams of all time, sit back and admire, you bitter fool.
Cos kilkenny only play hurling?
@Don Juan: why aren’t London winning every All Ireland? :-)
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: your losing now pal
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: I’ve gone to many a gaa match and never have I seen €€€ kicking balls over or under the bar..
@ÁM: hahaha
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: yawn
@buntys dubs: dublin are as good as professional now with the money that’s been given to them. The play every game in croke park which is a home game for them. People that sound bitter are giving facts. But u just call them bitter with nothin to back it up
@Martina O’Rourke: Howya Parnell park is our home ground,The Leinster council which every County has a board member decides were the Dubs play.
Us Dubs love being on the road that’s why the likes of Castlebar and Kilarney do be booked out for accommodation when we hit the town.
@Martina O’Rourke: Pure whiney waffle.
@Martina O’Rourke: count the games they have played at home and away this year then come back to us.
@Ollie Watson: the population of Dublin seems to go up by a hundred thousand every couple of months on the journal.
We’ll be up to 2 million by September…
@Ollie Watson: chicken and egg scenario. Only 15 lads out of population equal to 1/4 of the country get to start on a Dublin minor team. It’s crazy.
@Don Juan: not even 90,000 people, 38 clubs in KK lad. Its called passion and love for a sport, why would you want to play the other inferior sports?
King Con.A new Dublin legend has come of age!Flawless display by a young man mature beyond his years!
Population in Kildare 222,000 should be doing better don’t have professional rugby team or soccer team
@Aidan O: what professional rugby team do Dublin have that Kildare don’t have?
@Aidan O: like everyone else Kildare doesn’t have a professional Gaelic football team either. Take a look at any soccer or rugby club in Kildare and they’re full of kids who play those sports. Like every other county nowadays Gaelic football isn’t the only sport in town.
@Aidan O: how many of those 222,000 are Dublin blow-ins. There’s more Dublin flags in some estates than Kildare flags.
@Aidan O: Professional rugby players from Kildare;
Jamie Heaslip
Bob Casey
Geordan Murphy
Johne Murphy
Trevor Brennan
Fionn Carr
Fergus McFadden
James Tracey
Adam Byrne
Tadhg Beirne
There’s not counting players from other counties who learned their rugby in Kildare schools; Both Kearnys, Bernard Jackman, Buckley, D’Arcy
That’s off the top of my head. I’d say that’s enough for any county
@Lorem Ipsum: you forgot devin toner.
@Aidan O:
What about the Leinster Lions.
@Aidan O: what professional rugby team do dublin have? Leinster is a provisial team. Funded by the irfu. Wat professional soccer team do they have? Ireland only has semi pro soccer teams
@Awkward Seal: you don’t think Dublin has blow ins? We’ve got more of them than anyone
Great game for Dublin to get at this stage,and a good few questions asked of them,at times their were huge gaps down the centre of their defence and against better opposition this will be punished,scoring 2-23 is all very good but 1-17 would win alot of games.Dublin must put the win aside and improve again if they are to land the All Ireland.
Colm o Rourke showed his deep colours again on the Sunday game commentary after the match with his comment “Eamon Fitzmaurice revolutionised football” Yeah Colm was it by taking off your best forward when it looks likely you might beat the best team since the seventies,ha ha one kerryman should be enough on the commentary team ha ha.
@John Carroll:
Fitz has cost Kerry at least 2 all Irelands. Colm O Rourke loves him as hes a teacher also.
@John Carroll:
I agree. Taking of Paul Geaney was the worst ever decision by any manager in Croke Park.
@Con Murphy: Kerry should be going for 130 in a row this year. #kerrylogic
@Sean O Draighneain:
And don’t forget the hurling All Irelands. They only gave us one. Pure robbery.
Referee was pure muck…. Last Dublin Goal should have stood… GAA better sort out the poor standards of the “men in black” or fans will walk away
@Irish Spider-Man: couldn’t understand why bring it back unless he was gonna black card the player for the deliberate pull back. Makes no odds in the dying seconds but why blow the whistle and then not take the appropriate action
@Irish Spider-Man: Such nonsense. Dublin got everything, as usual, from yet another ref who was cowed by the League of Ireland boys on the Hill
How good would the Dubs be outside their home ground without the aid of the 16th man in his black jersey? Without their millions in sponsorship? (They can keep their extra million people) We’ll never know
@Lorem Ipsum: You must be having a laugh or taking hallucinogenic drugs. The ref gave almost every 50/50 to Kildare today. Millions in sponsorship doesn’t make good players. Mayo spent more than Dublin last year. Dublin played in Croke Park from 1983-1995 and from 1995-2011 and didn’t win an All-Ireland. Facts are poxy aren’t they??
@Lorem Ipsum: ah look , I’m reading all the comments but calling the Dubs in Hill16 League of Ireland boys is the final straw . The League of Ireland would kill to get a crowd that big and that loyal .
@Thomas McGilly: “Millions in sponsorship don’t make good players”
That’s one of the most clueless comments I’ve ever seen. If the money doesn’t help, what’s it for??
What are they doing with the money if it’s not improving the team? Are the nutritionists really that irrelevant? Are the physios that useless? Are the S&C staff that bad at their jobs? Are the free meals Dublin panellists get delivered to their doors just a fancy form of takeaway??
Why on earth are Dublin so opposed to pooling sponsorship if it’s not helping them??
Face it, you’re talking sh*te. Money helps.
@Lorem Ipsum: Money helps but is absolutely no guarantee of success, certainly not in the medium term. Whinge merchants like you point to issues like population, perceived favouritism by the GAA and the “Dublin meedja” and sponsorship. What you don’t talk about are the huge sacrifices these players make, the leadership, the skill, the dedication, the tactics and the character of the players and management and the high performance culture that Pat Gilroy introduced and Jim Gavin has brought on. Why? Probably because it’s easier to bitch and whinge about issues that in real terms have a marginal impact on a team’s performance than.
@Lorem Ipsum: god bless you really want to be a Dub x.
@Lorem Ipsum: yawn
@Irish Spider-Man: Ha the day people walk away from the GAA is the day he’ll freezes over
men against boys.Dublin only at half steam.
The talent and movement of Dublins forward line is unreal. Can you imagine as a defender working your arse off for fifty minutes and then having the likes of Mcmenamin Brogan and Flynn coming at you for the last twenty
Dublin had a point that came back into play that should have counted
@Ollie Watson: They had more than that that should never have counted!
@Lorem Ipsum: I get what your saying but I mean literally
We’ll play whoever, wherever, whenever, won’t change the outcome I don’t think
@Yvonne Finn: it won’t or you don’t think; which is it?
@Rusty Nuts: my opinion is it won’t…. I am however not psychic
I am getting- actually gotten- fairly disillusioned with kildare…living in the county for 23 years and i am sorry but be it sport, arts, education, any achievements- the hype around kids, adults when they ” win” anything! Sorry! But we have 8 year old playing all gaa matches, training etc and once the lads even pass round 1 league, its ” we have practically won it” . Kildare men- young and old need to stop the hype, hysteria, set the bar/standards a LOT higher…way too much mediocrity in kildare! Toughen up, train in the rain, and Mammies stop the pampering! True! Too soft!
@Margate: I think Kildare deserve credit for yesterday. Went toe to toe with Dublin which even Kerry, mayo won’t, scored 1-17 and didn’t blame the ref or whinge at the end.
You’d never see that in Kerry or mayo. Always looking for someone else to blame. Kildare were once famous for that too. Not anymore it seems. They look a fine young team to me who’ll get better
AIG t1t will run dry eventually and maybe dubs will play odd game away from home. Feely best player on show today; savage performance. Supervalu brogan good too
@Rusty Nuts: like the game against carlow ya mean…
@Yvonne Finn: aye; like that but a bigger game
@Rusty Nuts: they do and they have
@Rusty Nuts: When the Dubs were losing in Croke Park were you still maintaining it was advantage then? Lazy whingeing as usual.
@Rusty Nuts: this Dublin team have been beating teams up and down the country for years. Venue won’t make a difference. Class is class. Con O’Callaghan, 12 points today. The boy did good.
Insufferable Dubs again !
@Brian O Reilly: Ohh the wins get sweeter for the reaction of the Anti Dubs here :)
@Brian O Reilly: How’s Sligo doing in the competition Brian? Oh wait…
Just enjoy wonderful Gaelic football be proud we are unique love our national game.
Boring. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz no one actually cares except the dubs. Cricket is more entertaining than the rubbish we saw today. More media drivel about the wonderful dubs for another 12 months
@Ciaran Kehoe: You taught that game was boring very bizzare?
@Ciaran Kehoe: why comment then ya fool
@Ciaran Kehoe: seriously bitter comment there. Any true footballing fan, irrespective of county can appreciate the football played by Dublin. Kildale played their part today aswell.
Bit of a tip for you, if you find something boring skip on by and don’t bother fishing for bites ya melt!
@Ciaran Kehoe: Yet you’re contributing to the media “drivel” by commenting…..Gold star first you ha ha.
@Ciaran Kehoe: I’d say you loved every minute of it you want to be Dub
What’s the point in watching Dublin play anyone (specially in Leinster) I switched it off when McMeninam came on…dull, boring only waiting to see what Dublin would win by!! As a neutral it’s beyond a joke!
@Collette Butler: Kevin Mc came on after 50 mins, clearly not that dull and boring if you watched for that long.
@Ciara Baines: well ciara how did o gara play.
@Ciara Baines: I had shïtty internet so RTÉ player was buffering alot
@Ciaran Kehoe: you obviously care if you’re going to take the time to post here!!
Wingers corner……
It’s all about August football now. Knockout begins
No second chance. Here comes the Super Eight. Keep paying your Sky subscription
@John Brennan: typically well-informed Journal comment….
@John Brennan:
I won’t and I never will. See it in the pub.
@Con Murphy: you’ll spend more money in the pub
Did Dublin bring on 7 subs? Daly, brogan, byrne, Howard, mcmanamon,small, carthy… probably a blood sub in there but wasn’t announced at stadium.
@Darragh Curtin: small started…
@Yvonne Finn: yeah Small started instead of O’Gara, in a different position obviously.
@Darragh Curtin: Did you watch the game?
@Ciara Baines: I was at the game…
Scully,O Callaghan and Brogan all played well. Fenton was shit. I know I’m asking an anti dub brigade but what was that black card for ? The ref was shit in my opinion
@Ollie Watson: rock tripped his man, its a black card in the rule book. Ye he was a shit ref for both sides. Good to see kildare give us a decent game
@Ollie Watson: Ref was shite and black card was pathetic but Fenton was excellent. His job was to break thr ball over Feely’s head and he did a great job. Not perfect, but Feely’s would roast most midfielders and Fenton broke even
@Lorem Ipsum: Fenton was shit you must have been watching the Down game
@ryan o sullivan: true
Reading the Leinster Leader about 4/5 weeks ago, i thought definitely…and hopefully..a shock might be- remotely- on the cards with kildare v dubs. Cian O Neill started a lot of the hype, had the damn game almost won- so typically kildare! Less interviews by Cian, less guest appearances, less gigs in general- get on with the job, man. You too added hugely to the disproportionate hype in kildare. Take responsibility NOW…keep things simple in kildare, do the BASICS well….or not.
@Margate: His players could also do with focusing on the game and staying off snapchat and instagram in the lead up to a big match. One in particular seems more focused on getting likes than anything else.
Comments closed on Halawa,really! Too much positive feedback from the insular neanderthals?
Funny thing is, this final was more competitive than the Munster final, equal with the Connacht final. But they’ll only moan about Leinster because the dubs win it. Simple as that.