DAN MCFARLAND DECLARED being in a semi-final in Europe was a great place to be after Ulster came from behind to put Northampton Saints to the sword 35-27 at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday night.
Saints had three players sin-binned but still had an eight-point half-time lead through a clever Alex Mitchell finish and two quickfire Tommy Freeman tries.
But Ulster responded strongly in the second half and dominated in the key facets, finally getting their noses in front and not relinquishing the lead to book their first European semi-final for nine years and McFarland’s first as head coach.
Hailing his side, McFarland said it is great to be in a European semi-final.
“We talked about how disappointing it was not playing play off games in the Pro14 because of the nature of the competition this year. We won 14 games and not to get a play-off was disappointing,” said McFarland.
“Now we have had a chance to play two play-off games these last two weeks. It is cup rugby, it is all or nothing. And the lads have risen to the occasion against two really big clubs who are sitting fourth and fifth in the English Premiership, and we were away from home.
“We were obviously hoping our skipper, Iain Henderson, would have been playing in the last two games, but we have done without him and we would be hopeful that a couple of the other guys will be coming back in the next few weeks and we will look forward to a semi-final. A semi-final in Europe is a great place to be.
Trailing 22-14 at the break, Ulster struck early in the second half, Marty Moore powering over but Ahsee Tuala’s fine offload put Ollie Sleightholme in for a home score.
However, John Cooney went over after a short lineout and Jacob Stockdale ran through to give the Irish Province a deserved victory.
McFarland admitted his side had been poor in some aspects of the first half, but everyone had a good discussion at the break and the players had reacted.
“We were poor in some aspects in the first half particularly the defence, which was really unusual because I knew we were going to have to come here and weather a physical battle on the gain line and we did not weather than in the first half. We were pretty down on ourselves at half time.
“But we knew the areas which had been problematic, so it was pretty clear what we had to do, it was not complicated, but we actually felt quite good going out for the second half in the fact that the area we needed to improve in is part of the game we pride ourselves on, so it did not really take much sorting out,” added McFarland.
The visit to Saints was an opportunity for Ulster to lay down a marker having underperformed in big games when it mattered in the past 12 months and the victory will put them up there are serious contenders for silverware in Europe.
McFarland said: “I knew the side Saints had picked was very strong, a lot of really good players, playing at home, playing with a bit of confidence now and I knew they were a very dangerous side who would test us.
“In all honesty, not since earlier in the season or a while back have we been tested and it has been few and far between. But this is a group of players who have been to the well in tight games over the course of the last three years.
“They know how to win in tight situations, they know how to fight for every inch, they know how to dog it out, they know how to show a bit of bite when it comes down to the wire and they certainly did that tonight.”
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