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.
TBF Ospreys were the best Welsh side last season, and played their best game of the season against Ulster. So not the worst loss. Plenty to be gained and the decisions at the end will be reviewed and young players will be better decision makers in future because of it.
@Kingshu: Agree. Decision making was poor.
@Trevor Johnston:
I would like to say decision making was non existent but that would not be correct. They made plenty of decisions unfortunately they were all wrong ones.
The game was a horror show from ulsters perspective and the senior players failed to give direction.
The coach is rightly disappointed and while he can’t call out individuals, his forwards did not front up first half and scrum half would have been better served by a robot.
@Mark Smith: in fairness to Shanners, a few seasons ago he looked really poor, but under McF he had come on, to the point where you didn’t panic to see his name on the team sheet, unfortunately this was a game like his old self. Hope he picks up again, although he will never be better than average, he is capable of playing average. He is the worst back up SH from the provinces, an area we need to improve on. Jonney Stewart was supposed to be good, that he hasnt pushed past him yet, makes me doubt he will be an adequate back up. Don’t know much about Graham Curtis, for me I think Ulster have to go all out for Harlequins IQ back up SH, still in their academy and made 18 appearances (6 this season) with 3 senior SHs ahead of him. May be the back up and eventual successor to Cooney we need.
@Kingshu:
It is bound to be a nightmare for him as backup to Cooney because he knows that he will never feature but he just doesn’t cut the mustard in a big boys game.
I would think he will be released back to club rugby when his contract runs out.
We have cover and reasonable strength in all positions except 9
I would go so far as to say if Cooney gets injured it could end our season as the moral of the squad would take a massive dip.
I know this sounds dramatic but it really is that serious as the drop off is like day and night.
I hope Stewart or Finlay in the u 20′s turns out well or we will have to sign a competent reserve.
Cooney is going to be away with Ireland more often now and it will be a nightmare.
@Mark Smith: I don’t think he will be released for the reasons you mention above, as poor as he can be, he is the best of a poor bunch it will be a bigger drop off without him. I wonder what Alby Mathewson is up to these days?
@Kingshu:
Or blade down in the west