'Pride is a lot to play for' - Richie Murphy's Ulster rally cry for final league test

After last week’s defeat in Munster, Murphy’s side now can’t reach the play-offs - but the coach wants to finish on a high on Friday.

“We have one more game and we feel that we need to finish the thing as strong as possible, so we're going to pick a pretty strong team to go to Edinburgh and try and win the game,” said Murphy. “Pride is a lot to play for and obviously representing Ulster is a lot to play for...I won't lie to you, the lads are very disappointed.

“Ultimately, Monday was about us looking at our performance and owning it and moving on.

“Back end of the game we just weren't good enough in Thomond Park on Friday...this week gives us an opportunity to make sure we sign off on a better note.”

Murphy couldn’t put his finger on why Ulster are set for their lowest-ever league finish.

“I don't think it's any one thing,” he said. “It's a collaboration of all those bits, you know what I mean?

"Going into the game (Munster) we felt we had prepared well, we felt that we had put a decent plan together.

“We got after their line-out, turning over six of their possessions, ultimately we probably didn't defend well enough and we gave them a couple of gifts and it's something that we've done throughout the season.

“We have to find a way of being better in that area...we felt like we had a strong team, it was the strongest selection that we've probably had all year.

“That's where we are...ultimately, we're out of the top eight and we're trying to fight to win this week.

“I think it's definitely been a tough season.

"In relation to we haven't quite shown the consistency that we needed.

“In relation to the change of defence coach through the year coming in, taking over...Jimmy (Duffy) coming in quite late in relation to the start of the season.

“There's quite a lot of upheaval, our whole athletic development department has changed over the course of the last six months.

“So, huge amount of upheaval in that regard, we still felt like we were in a decent enough place to go on to the pitch.

“Ultimately, we've lost five games by less than one score, quite a few of them late on, or two of them definitely late on where we're in control of the game but the game is taken away from us.

“So it gives us belief that if we can change the mentality a little bit, become a little bit more experienced in big moments in games, that we can turn quite a few of those results around.”

“I suppose professional rugby is judged on results, so it's a disappointing season.

“In behind that, there's a lot of really good work being done...we're a lot further down the road in relation to the level, in relation to what we train at, how we review, how we process individual performance, how they get better.

“There's quite a lot of steps in relation to that going on in the background that you won't see until we start winning games.

"And that will come.”