RUGBY: '200 Club' curse strikes Ulster again

Darren Cave led the Ulstermen out on the occasion of his 200th cap. He is the sixth player to reach the milestone, Roger Wilson, Andrew Trimble, Robbie Diack, Rory Best and Paul Marshall also having achieved the accolade.

But there was to be no win to make it night to remember for Cave, he like four of the other players were also on losing sides as they hit the milestone.

Marshall is the only member of the ‘200 club’ to have played on a winning side.

Cave said: “ It was a frustrating night. I do not think we stuck to our plan well at the start of the game, we gave them a lead and they are too good a team to give a 12 point start to especially when we are playing with the wind. Frustrating thing from our point of view we had a good plan coming into the game and did not execute it well. We were not good enough tonight. Fair play to Connacht they were much better than us and deserved to win.

In terms of joining the 200 club, Cave said: “For me I suppose it is just a real quick time to be thankful for all the opportunities I have been given throughout my career, thankful to the opportunities my mum and dad gave for me, what my wife does for me and stuff like that, but at the end of the day the game is far bigger than me.

“Both these clubs are bigger than me, this game tonight is not about me it will never be about me, and the bottom line we produced a performance tonight that was not worthy of the shirt and we got exactly what we deserved and full credit to Connacht.”