Sam Carter knows Ulster cannot afford any more slip-ups

Despite going down 24-12 in Dublin Ulster are five points clear at the top of Conference A but Leinster have two games in hand.

The defeat was Ulster’s first in 11 games in the domestic competition as they failed to score a try in a game for the first time since beating the Scarlets 15-13 in September 2018.

John Cooney kicked four penalties for Ulster but Leinster scored four tries to take five match points and wrestle control of the Conference back.

With only the table toppers qualifying for the final at the end of March Ulster captain Sam Carter knows the side can afford any more slip ups.

“We have to win every game that is put in front of us, there’s only one team that goes to the final so we’ll have to win every game if we want to make it,” said the Australian.

“It is pretty gutting we came down here with a plan to go toe-to-toe with them for 80 minutes and get a result.

“There were parts of the game where we were good but especially the first 20 minutes of the second half they piled on the pressure and we couldn’t get out of our own half and we weren’t good enough.

“We wanted to play territory and we wanted to be in their half and when we got the opportunity, we were going to take the points and build pressure that way.

“The last 10 minutes of the first half we played some goody footy and controlled the game well and we got six points with a man in the bin.

“But then we came out in the second half couldn’t execute, couldn’t get out of our half and that is when they piled the pressure on, and if you give them that opportunity they will squeeze you and get the result.”

It was Ulster’s third defeat to Leinster in Dublin since the end of August and they have only beaten the defending Pro14 champions once in the Irish capital since 1999.

“I haven’t played in Dublin that much,” said Carter.

“The way I look at it is they are just another team they are one of the better teams in the conference and we want to match ourselves against the best.

“That’s what we came here to do but we didn’t execute and that is something we need to get better at, when we get those opportunities moving forward we need to take them.”

Carter felt Ulster showed enough at the RDS to beat Leinster in Belfast when the sides meet later in the season.

“It is just the precession and the little errors that we keep making,” he said.

“I don’t think there is any lack of effort or big players it’s just tiny little like errors like not getting out of our own half and putting pressure on ourselves and ill discipline.

“If you give a good team that many chances they are going to squeeze you and get the result.

“If you are one of the best teams in Europe or one of the best teams in the world you don’t make those errors and if that is what we want to be that is where we have to get to.”