Dan Soper adamant Ulster deserve place in Champions Cup knockout stages
Assistant coach Dan Soper feels Ulster deserve their place in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup.
The province scraped into the knockout stages of the competition as bottom seeds with only one win from their four pool games and had to rely on Bordeaux, who they face next, racking up a big score against the Sharks last Sunday to seal their qualification.
Soper, who will start a new role next season as he becomes Ulster’s Development and Transition coach, said: “Certainly getting into the last-16 we're very pleased.
"I know there's been a lot of commentary around us not being good enough to be in the last-16 and we would be better off in the Challenge Cup, but we played two of the best teams (Toulouse and Bordeaux) in the world in our pool and at periods in those games we competed.
“You see what they've done to other teams. Leicester wasn't a great performance but we're into the last-16 and we're pleased to be there and looking forward to the challenge.”
Ulster failed to reach the last 16 last season and Soper thinks it shows progression to reach the knockout stages this year.
“I suppose we've just looked at our performances and they have grown, we had two very tough games – Toulouse and Bordeaux – two excellent teams.
“At times we've performed and got better, and then on Friday night I thought our performance went up another level again.
"Yes, those young guys have been challenged at that level, thrown in the deep end a little because if everyone was fit, they probably wouldn't have received that opportunity. In terms of the development of the group long-term it's brilliant.
“Going forward, depending on who's available, for the group to get to go to Bordeaux in a knockout game, it'll be a great experience.
"It's top seed against bottom seed so nobody will give us much hope and that'll suit us just nicely.”
Ulster can now turn their attention to climbing up the United Rugby Championship as they welcome struggling Zebre to Kingspan Stadium on Sunday evening.
“We're sitting outside the top-eight at the moment and we have clear aspirations to be well in the top-eight and pushing towards the top of it,” Soper said.
“That has to start on Sunday afternoon with a performance out here and a result.”