Richie Murphy hails Ulster's 'freakish' options as European semi-final marks latest step in 12-month progress plan

Ulster will now face the winners of Sunday’s clash between Benetton and Exeter in the last four - if the Italians win Ulster will travel to Treviso but if the Chiefs are successful the semi-final will be at Ravenhill.

“The group is on a journey and they have come a long way since this time last year...we are moving in the right direction,” said Murphy. “These guys are really hungry, they want to be in the latter stages of these competitions...from our coaching point of view, it's about pointing them in the right direction and trying to help them build a plan in order to be successful.

“We're in this last four, we don't know whether we're home or away but that'll be exciting watching that on Sunday and seeing what happens.

“I think it is really important that the old saying of we approach every game as it comes.

"Our focus now is that we park the semi-final and it is brilliant that we have it but we have to go and get a result against Leinster and Munster the following week.

“It is really important that the feelgood factor that we have we bring that into Monday and that we prepare really well and lead into that Leinster game, it is an exciting run-in for everyone.”

Despite the strong wind and driving rain, Ulster scored six tries against La Rochelle.

“I thought we played some really good rugby at times...those conditions were really tough,” said Murphy. “I suppose last week would probably have helped us a little bit, I thought to score six tries was really good, really delighted to be in the semi-final.

“We gave them a couple of easier entries than we needed to probably in the first half, just a little bit of discipline around halfway.

“We'd given away a couple of penalties which opened up and got them into our corner but I thought we fought really well in and around our goal line in relation to trying to keep some of those big boys out.”

Murphy was pleased with how his team played in the difficult weather conditions

“The way the halfbacks controlled the game in the first half and got us out of our end was really good,” he said. “Finding a way to win sometimes is more important than playing really flashy rugby, at times we move the ball really well but at times we just roll our sleeves up.

“A couple of different ways of playing the game out there...starting to show some signs of maturity within the team and know what the right fit is for the right occasion.

“We back ourselves...the way we want to play the game is to try and move the ball around, we feel that that is the strongest part of our game.

“We've got some freakish outside backs who move really well, so getting the ball into those spaces is really important for us.”