Stephen Ferris hopes underdogs Ulster can evoke spirit of past glories in European Challenge Cup final

The Ireland and British Lions backrow turned Premier Sports pundit never thought Ulster would have to wait two decades to lift another trophy after David Humphreys’ dramatic drop goal beat the Ospreys in Swansea to clinch the title.

Now, Richie Murphy’s side have a chance to end the drought against Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup.

Ferris said: “Obviously 2006 it was my first full season here playing; that reunion last Friday was actually really good because it made me feel really young because I think I was the youngest person there!

“But yeah, 20 years on, it's quite mad to think [it has been so long]. I thought that from an Ulster perspective there would have been silverware won a lot sooner than the 20 years. So, we'll see what happens over the next few days and what's going to happen with Ulster rugby.

“Just from my perspective of being in that team in 2006 I suppose the overriding feeling was that we would just kick on, and unfortunately we went backwards for quite a significant period of time – going through coaches and everything else – and to be honest I probably just got used to that as well unfortunately over the years.

"But it's great to see a bit of life put back into Ulster rugby now, a settled environment, a settled coaching group.

“We all know that we would prefer to be in a Champions Cup final on Saturday and not a Challenge Cup final on Friday night, but I think that just shows where Ulster are, the current level that they are at the minute.

“Twelve months ago, we were writing Ulster off, that they were in the doldrums once again, but they've shown and surprised a lot of us, myself included, that they've been able to turn things around quickly,” he added.

“Unfortunately for me, back in 2006 we were an Ulster team that got a little bit of success but weren't able to sustain that.”

Ferris was also part of the last Ulster side to reach a European final, when they lost by a record score to Leinster at Twickenham in 2012.

“There was a lot said after the semi-final win against Edinburgh,” he recalled. “You think you can win any game, but we knew if we played reasonably well that we would beat Edinburgh and we did.

“We didn't play brilliantly, but we still won the game. We never really looked in doubt in that game, but it was after that game that we probably over-celebrated the fact of getting to a final, and I'm not sure there's anything wrong with over-celebrating getting to a final, but you haven't won anything winning a semi-final.

“I think I can remember Drico (Brian O’Driscoll) and a few of the Leinster lads saying that they talked during the week about us walking around the Aviva with our flags above our heads as if we'd actually achieved something, when we'd actually achieved nothing apart from just getting to a final, albeit it was an amazing day.

“I really didn’t enjoy the match week leading up to the Leinster game; I didn't enjoy the game obviously because it didn't go our way, I feel like we put too much pressure on ourselves.

“You look at this Ulster team now, it doesn't matter who they play, they have smiles on their faces, they stick to the game plan that they have, they throw the ball around and they don't go away from that.

“I think we maybe did in 2012, got caught up in the occasion a bit. Obviously all those travelling Ulster fans that joined us was amazing, but it quickly turned into a bit of a nightmare after about 45-50 minutes of the game.

“If there's any lessons to be learned it would be to enjoy the week a lot more and look forward to the occasion and not be nervous and embrace it. I think if even I had of done that but the scoreline in 2012 was the same I could look back with fonder memories.”

The Challenge Cup final pits the side currently sitting second in the Top 14 against the side that finished ninth in the URC.

Even with four of Ulster’s most experienced players missing (Iain Henderson, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring and Jacob Stockdale), Ferris isn’t writing the province off.

“First and foremost, it's a final and anything can happen,” he said. “I do personally think that it would be a lot closer with the bookies if those four individuals were fit and in the squad, it would be a much more even game.

“Of course, I think Ulster are underdogs for this match. They have shown at different times throughout the year that when the pressure comes on, especially up front in scrum and maul, and the physicality stakes, that they've come off second best, and if they do come off second best they usually lose the game. So that's an area that they're going to have to sort out.

“They tried a few different things against the Stormers, reduced them I think to only having one scrum in the whole game; sacked their maul numerous times and stopped a lot of their big carriers on the game line; got on the right side of the referee for the majority of the game apart from the last decision.

“Against Glasgow they were very resolute in their defence and they're going to have to be again. Defensively they're going to have to be so much better here – they just can't afford to concede 30 points to Montpellier and expect to score 35 or 40 points.”