Richie Murphy 'proud father' as son's Ulster debut highlight in home loss to Munster

The Queen’s out half entered the fray on 38 minutes on Friday after Irish centre Stuart McCloskey was forced off due to injury.

That prompted a second reshuffle of the Ulster backline on the night.

Ulster had already lost Zac Ward to injury, he was replaced by Rory Telfer but the winger had to be sacrificed after Tom O’Toole’s red card on 31 minutes.

Murphy acquitted himself very well on his senior debut, earning praise from his dad.

“Absolutely proud father, I thought he came on and to be thrown into that a tough place to go,” said Ulster head coach Murphy. “Jack done well, he has spent the last five weeks training with us full-time, within that he has shown to be composed and well able to work with the senior players, to be able to communicate to them and get them into the position he wants them to be in.

“He runs the attack really well, there is a nice flow to his game, his kicking game is second to nobody, his kicking game is spot on.

“He is disappointed (with the result) but from Stephaine my wife and my point-of-view, we’re very proud of him.”

However, apart from Jack’s debut there wasn’t much festive cheer around Kingspan Stadium as Ulster suffered a fifth consecutive defeat after conceding a try with the last play of the game.

It was a controversial Irish derby, with a case for the final pass that led to Munster’s winning try looking forward, O’Toole’s red card and a number of other decisions that didn’t seem to go Ulster’s way.

"I'm bitterly disappointed but absolutely proud of the effort and commitment that the lads put in,” said Murphy. "I thought we found a way of getting back into the game.

"I'm incredibly proud of the lads' commitment and performance, but we just need to be better in the really big moments.

"Obviously the red card is a big moment in the game.

"It's a tough red card because he is through the gate and makes contact square on, he's not through the side, but as he falls backwards his leg comes out and Tom falls on it.

"I can kind of understand that, but it is difficult because it's not an illegal act at the start."

Murphy was puzzled why Munster didn’t receive a yellow card after a 40-metre surge by prop Scott Wilson was stopped illegally on the try line.

"He runs 40 metres, we get to the line and they give away a penalty,” he said. "I'm not sure how that's not a yellow card and then the game would change."

Ulster face an injury crisis before next Saturday’s trip to Galway to face Connacht.

"We had two academy backs on the bench,” said Murphy. “Stuart McCloskey, where will he be next week?

"I'm not sure he'll be playing as he came off with a hamstring injury.

"Zac Ward rolled his ankle, we don't actually have any more senior backs.

"We'll see what the return will be like for next week but there's not lads queuing to get back on the pitch, let's put it that way.

"We'll probably be going into the academy again or maybe even club land."

Ulster led 7-5 at the break after John Cooney converted O’Toole’s try and Tom Farrell replied for Munster.

Farrell crossed again on 52 minutes before Harry Sheridan restored Ulster’s lead with an unconverted try.

The visitors regained the lead as Shane Daly went over in the corner.

Ulster thought they won the game with James McNabney’s try, which Cooney converted - but Farrell completed his hat-trick with the final play of the game to send Munster back to Limerick with five points.