ULSTER ARE SET to appoint Richie Murphy as their permanent head coach beyond the end of this season.
Murphy has been the interim head coach of the northern province since March, taking on the role in the wake of previous boss Dan McFarland’s departure in February.
The 42 understands that Ulster and the IRFU are now set to hand Murphy the reins permanently, with a two-year contract thought to be on the table.
Previously a leading All-Ireland League player with Greystones, Clontarf, Carlow, and Old Belvedere, Murphy also played for his native Leinster.
He moved into professional coaching in the Leinster player development pathway before becoming a senior assistant coach with the province in 2009 and then following Joe Schmidt into the Ireland set-up in 2013.
After huge success as an assistant with Ireland, Murphy took over as the Ireland U20s head coach in 2021 and led them to Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023, as well as going very close to a third this year.
Murphy has been open about his ambitions of stepping up as a full-time head coach in the senior professional game and is now set to get that chance with Ulster.
It’s believed he has been a popular appointment as interim boss, with players appreciating the detail of his coaching and his belief in their ability to deliver more consistent performances.
Murphy will hope to help the province finish this season on a high, with Ulster currently sitting seventh in the URC table with three regular-season rounds left.
Ulster want to be part of the URC play-offs, so need to finish in the top eight with that in mind, but with the Sharks having qualified for the Challenge Cup final, it could be that only the top seven finishers in the URC table qualify for next season’s Champions Cup.
You actually answered your own question there. The answer is support..through think and thin. Through ups and downs. That is what a real supporter does
Well done connacht.
Brilliant performance. Particularly second half into a gale. Pure passion. Would’ve been be very sad to see them not win a game in the pool.
Well done Connacht- a victory of heart over wallet! A determined and committed team that deserve a lot more success! Also great that 3 provinces are through- and as an Ulster man thanks for that ;D Eiré abú!
YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
Three times as many Irish teams as other home nations i believe in Q F’s
Home nations? What home is that horse? Home of what exactly? Feck off to the BBC with your “home nations” boyo.
Thumbs down all you want, but anyone using the term “home nations” can only be a west brit.
From Wikipedia: Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries
of the United Kingdom
(England
, Northern Ireland
,Scotland
and Wales
). In sport, if a sport is governed by a council representing the island of Ireland
, such as the Irish Rugby Football Union
, the term can refer to the nations of the constituent countries on the island of Great Britain
(England, Scotland and Wales) and the collective Irish nation. This dual meaning has persisted in existence despite the partition of Ireland in 1922 as historically the term included all ofIreland
, which between 1800 and 1922 was wholly a part of the United Kingdom. The term home countries (not to be confused with the “home counties
“) is also sometimes used, and is synonymous.[1]
What a load of horse manure. That’s like saying “I don’t like black people but I’m not a racist”
they are on the verge here!
What do you care?
fair ple diobh. Dylan rodgers told me last week in trevor Brennans pub to put my house on a connacht victory… shoulda listened to him…
Hell or Connacht? Poor Quins got both.
Mike Mc Carthy and Muldoon would want to be getting a look in with performances like that
With the Ireland squad that is
in any other sport and with any other team, massive questions would be asked of a team going for a 15th loss in a row. A run only matched by Galway United in recent memory.It is truly bizarre that the fans continue to blindly support this team. It is not admirable, it is not brave and will only contribute to their continued role as whipping boys. Best of luck to them tonight as I really do think they deserve a win. They have performed well against way bigger budgest but at what stage do you, as a supporter, say enough is enough. Something has to change. Again, best of luck to them tonight.
What a silly comment
Mayo GAA anyone?!! Supporters suffering many disappointments on big days, yet still some of the best supporters in the country. Emmo you obviously don’t understand the concept of being a true supporter, you don’t just turn your back when the things get tough.
Wimmin
Absolute rubbish comment, fails to understand meaning of “Supporter”
The West’s awake – the West’s awake!
If Muldoon & Mc Carthy producing displays like that week in and week out, they would get a look. Consistency is the key.
I feel sorry for Connor O Shea. He deserved a quarter final place after the win in Toulouse.
I think losing to Toulouse at the Stoop coupled with a loss in Galway has handed Quins exactly what they deserve really. One Swallow does not a summer make.,.
Fair enough. But still would like to see oshea do well.
Great win, my nerves are shot after that finish, great to see a full house in Galway as well. Might not be the best team in the country but our supporters will rival anyone. Best of luck to Ulster, Leinster and Munster for the rest of the competition
Oppps! ( famous refrain of US presidential hopefuls) that one’s been done!
The West awake!