Dan McFarland admits Ulster 'not quite good enough' after Champions Cup defeat against Leinster

It is the eighth time in 12 years Leinster have beaten Ulster in a knockout game and Leo Cullen’s side always looked comfortable after Ryan Baird’s try gave them a 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Ulster contributed to their own downfall, conceding 15 penalties and having James Hume and Harry Sheridan sin-binned in the second half.

McFarland’s side have exited the competition at the last 16 stage for the second consecutive season.

“We gave everything we had but we were just not quite good enough,” said McFarland.

“Leinster are a good team, I was really proud of the way our guys fronted up physically. I thought the preparation from the support staff and the players during the week in the lead up to this game was excellent, but on the day you have to be able to execute to a really high level and be really precise when you are playing a team like Leinster.

“There was barley a gimme, barely an occasion where they would make an error and give us some sort of access, everything that was won was fought for.

“They didn’t allow us to gain any momentum in the game and that was probably the story of it.”

It is back to the drawing board as Ulster try to end their 17-year trophy drought.

“We’ll keep working on what we have got to work on, Leinster have 14 guys that play for the best team in the world and have just won a Grand Slam,” said McFarland.

“The experience they have of those big game moments is there and by definition we can’t compete because we don’t have those guys at the moment.

“We have players that we believe can push their way into the Ireland team – the more we develop those players and the more players we get to that level, the more chance we’ll have moving forward.”

Ulster took the lead with Nathan Doak’s 10th minute penalty.

Ross Byrne levelled before converting Baird’s try and the Leinster out-half added another penalty.

Ulster got back in the game with a well-worked James Hume try before another Byrne penalty gave Leinster a 16-8 lead at the interval.

With Hume in the bin, Jamison Gibson-Park darted through a stagnant defence for a converted try.

Rob Herring went over for Ulster from a maul with Cooney converting.

Andrew Porter bludgeoned his way to the try line from close range with Byrne converting to complete the scoring.

Ulster

M Lowry, R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, N Doak, R Sutherland, R Herring, T O’Toole, A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell, D McCann, N Timoney, D Vermeulen.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 58 mins, E O’Sullivan for Sutherland 62 mins, J Toomaga-Allen for O’Toole 41 mins, H Sheridan for McCann 46 mins, Marcus Rea for Treadwell 66 mins, J Cooney for Doak 49 mins, S Moore for Burns 54 mins, B Moxham for Baloucoune 78 mins, Herring for Stewart 62 mins.

Ref L Pearce (RFU).