Stephen Ferris highlights Ulster concerns in aftermath of closing stats and setbacks
Ulster’s season proved to be another false dawn as the province failed to end their 20-year wait for silverware and finished ninth in the United Rugby Championship, missing out on the play-offs.
The poor league form in the second half of the season also means that Ulster won’t be playing in the European Champions Cup for a second consecutive season.
Ulster missed a chance to end their trophy drought and qualify for Europe’s premier competition in the Challenge Cup final on Friday night when they were blown away by Montpellier.
Ulster only won three of their last 10 league games and failed to win in the URC once the knockout phase in Europe began.
Former Ulster, Ireland and British Lions back row Stephen Ferris, now turned Premier Sports pundit, thinks failure to qualify for the Champions Cup could affect the Ravenhill club.
“Financially, the implications that it might have on season tickets,” said Ferris. “I know the crowd and everybody involved in Ulster Rugby have actually enjoyed going to watch some of the Challenge Cup games and the level that it's been.
“But, at the same time, a lot of people turned out in a hurricane to watch a La Rochelle thirds team come to Belfast and they want to be having a Bordeaux coming to Belfast fully stacked to win the group in the Champions Cup.”
Ulster finished the URC with the third-worst scrum in the competition and the 10th-best lineout, Richie Murphy’s side will be the only Irish province not playing in the Champions Cup next season. Defensively the league stats weren’t much better for Ulster with only an 81 per cent tackle success rate and they lost 247 turnovers compared to winning 116.
In their last three games of the season – against the Stormers, Glasgow and Montpellier – the province shipped 123 points. In their last five games of the season Ulster conceded 28 tries.
The Challenge Cup had added a glimmer of hope, but Ulster’s only win in the tournament outside Ravenhill was a game that they were awarded a 28-0 victory when the round-three clash with the Cheetahs was postponed in Amsterdam. Murphy’s side had lost in the group stages away to Cardiff.
Ulster had home advantage in all three knockout games before the final in Bilbao when they conceded nine tries to a rampant Montpellier.
Ulster were unable to fix the problems that plagued them all season in Bilbao - the scrum struggled, especially when Montpellier unleashed their replacement front row from the bench in the second half.
Ulster gave away 11 penalties compared to Montpellier’s six, Ulster were turnover 11 times in the game culminating in them conceding 11 tries.
It will be a summer of change at Ravenhill with 11 players leaving the first-team squad, the likes of lock Ele Snyman and scrum half Matthew Devine have been signed to bolster the squad.
While it’s hoped former All Black prop Clarke Dermody will be able to fix the scrum and lineout problems after he was announced last week as Jimmy Duffy’s successor as forwards coach.