Defeat on road at Ospreys was final straw as Ulster slipped to eighth in United Rugby Championship

McFarland joined Ulster for the start of the 2018/19 campaign after the club scraped into the European Champions Cup the previous season via a playoff against the Ospreys, winning just 12 of their 21 Pro14 games.

Ulster didn’t fair much better in Europe and were eliminated in the Pool stages, ultimately costing Les Kiss his job as Jono Gibbes took over before leaving to return to New Zealand after only three months in charge.

The on-and-off-field performances of Ulster that season led former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll to label the province as a ‘basket case.’

It was against this backdrop that McFarland moved into the Kingspan Stadium hotseat and there was no doubt he greatly steadied what many considered a sinking ship.

In his first season McFarland guided Ulster to a European Cup quarter-final, narrowly losing to Leinster, and a Pro14 semi-final.

Ulster went one better in the domestic competition a year later, reaching the final. James Hume’s early try had the fans dreaming of their first silverware since 2006 but Leinster scored 27 unanswered points to claim the title.

In 2021 Ulster dropped out of the European Champions Cup into the Challenge Cup.

Under McFarland the side reached the semi-final and led Leicester 17-6 at half-time in the Welford Road clash, but the Tigers recovered in the second half to win 34-23.

The URC semi-final in 2022 was another game that saw Ulster slump to defeat with victory within their grasp. Ulster travelled to Cape Town to face the Stormers knowing a win would give them home advantage in the final at Kingspan Stadium.

McFarland’s charges led 15-10 as the clocked ticked over in to the 85th minute, but Stormers full back Warwick Geriant went over for a try before Manie Libbok landed a touchline conversion to snatch glory for the South Africans.

Despite not winning anything in his first four years, McFarland was rewarded with a new three-year contract.

Rumours that the coach had lost the dressing room started to circulate after a URC defeat at home to Munster on New Year’s Day last year.

Ulster crashed out of Europe to Leinster but finished second in the domestic competition in the regular season and had home advantage for the quarter and semi-finals.

Seventh-placed Connacht visited Belfast in the last eight but despite Ulster being odds-on favourites, the Western province triumphed 15-10.

This season Ulster were dumped out of the Champions Cup, conceding 95 points in their final two Pool games. The side have lost six games from their last nine outings in all competitions as Ulster struggled to emerge from their slump.

After Sunday’s defeat against Ospreys, Ulster are facing a struggle to qualify for the playoffs and Champions Cup.

With finances already stretched at Kingspan following the lost of their title sponsor; the disastrous cancellation of the La Rochelle game last season; the installation of the new artificial pitch and the squad set to be trimmed back further in the summer; failing to qualify for the European Cup for the first time since it’s inception in 1995 would have dire consequences.

McFarland leaves with a record of 16 defeats in his last 31 games during a tenure that ultimately failed to end Ulster’s long 18-year trophy drought.