Games in hand key for Ulster

Dan McFarland’s side made it nine wins out of nine in the competition by beating Connacht in Galway on Sunday night and they could increase their advantage to double digits over Leo Cullen’s side if they beat Munster at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday evening before the defending champions face Connacht at the RDS.

Ulster have earned six bonus points from their nine games while Leinster have a perfect 35 points from seven games plus two matches in hand after clashes with the Ospreys and Munster were postponed due to Covid.

With only the Conference winners progressing to the Pro14 final, McFarland would rather have the points on the board instead of games in hand.

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and I definitely want the points,” said McFarland. “I don’t think anybody really wants to postpone games.

“You have a plan with these things and as the world is now you are ready to adapt.

“But you want to be playing games, you don’t want to prepare and then not play.

“It is a difficult time for everybody.

“We are all on tender hooks here and doing the very best that we can to keep it at bay but that is tough going.”

Munster have won seven out of seven games this season and come to Belfast with a 12-point lead in Conference B.

McFarland knows Ulster’s scrum, which was under pressure in the first quarter against Connacht, will have to improve.

“We go into every game with a plan that our scrum is going to be able to do it’s job,” said the Ulster head coach. “We struggled there (v Connacht) got a yellow card and a try off the back of that, that is down to me, I have to make sure that part of our game is secure and strong.

“Connacht are always a team that will test you there and Munster are exactly the same.

“You show a little bit of weakness and it is blood in the water for sharks.”