Dan McFarland highlights execution issue as Ulster suffer in Munster

Ulster coach Dan McFarland was left bitterly disappointed as Ulster failed to beat 14-man Munster at Thomond Park.
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Ulster led 7-0 when Simon Zebo was shown a straight red card on 14 minutes but Ulster could only manage two penalties with their numerical advantage, losing 18-13 and still looking for a first win at the Limerick venue since 2014.

“It’s so difficult to come down here and win, that was our opportunity and we let it slip,” said McFarland. “Rugby is littered with games like this...backs to the wall with 14 men turning it around and winning because they’re galvanised with the loss.

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“Unfortunately, we’re on the end of it, it’s very tough to take.

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland. Pic by Pacemaker.Ulster head coach Dan McFarland. Pic by Pacemaker.
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland. Pic by Pacemaker.

“The conditions even it out a bit in that it was difficult to move the ball with any width so the fact that they have a winger missing makes it difficult.

“I thought the territory stuff in the second half we did pretty well, but then lost our way a bit on two or three occasions and it resulted in them getting the ball in our half.

“It wasn’t that we needed to switch from Plan A to Plan B, tactically we were right, strategically they were right.

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“It was in the execution of the tactics that we got it wrong, whether it was choosing to do it one way or another.

“I think that’s an area of the game that we are developing, our ability to make those nuanced decisions in the moment.

“The strategy in the second half was working for us, we just needed to persist with it and make sure we did correctly.”

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