Stuart McCloskey remains positive over Ulster's European and domestic prospects after 'one of worst results' following Zebre defeat
Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey feels there is still plenty for Ulster to be positive about as they enter the business end of the season in Europe and domestically.
McCloskey returns to the Ulster starting line-up for Friday night’s friendly with the Queensland (7.35pm) after missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring problem.
Ulster are ninth in the United Rugby Championship table with just four wins from 10 games and despite three losses from four pool games in Europe have progressed to the last 16 of the Champions Cup.
Richie Murphy’s side lost to Zebre at Kingspan Stadium last time out which was the Italians’ first away win in 37 attempts, but McCloskey insists Ulster can turn their season around, starting with a positive performance against the former Super Rugby champions on Friday.
He said: “It’s not all doom and gloom and I know losing to Zebre at home is probably one of the worst results I have had here in my time, but there are guys coming back here who have the potential to be international class and on the day have beaten some of the best teams in Europe, especially in the backline, so hopefully guys find their form and we can turn up.
“The game against Bordeaux, we were right in it for 62 minutes or something and they did show their class in the end, but I think [if we get] a few guys back in there and maybe we’ll catch them on a bad day.”
McCloskey said the defeat to Zebre was a painful one to take for the players.
“There was a fair amount of soul-searching, it’s just the consistency. We win the week before against Exeter fairly well and we beat Connacht at Christmas and think we’ve turned a corner and then we just go off the boil for 50 minutes against Zebre, let them into the game and give them some oxygen and give them belief, and I think any professional side will put you to the sword if you do that,” he said.
“A lot of things to tidy up but it goes back to that thing, there are a lot of young, inexperienced lads out there as well and when it’s not going for you sometimes you need an older head in there.
“I know it’s easy for me to say being the old head but it would be nice to have a few more senior guys in there helping the young lads out when it’s not going 100 percent to plan.”
Queensland are coached by former Ulster boss Les Kiss and McCloskey is looking forward to the reunion.
“I loved Kissy, he was a great lad. It’s funny, he connected on LinkedIn and he said about the game and said ‘you probably won’t be there, you’ll be away (Ireland camp) but it would be good to see you’, and it turns out I am playing and it’ll be good to see him back.
“We haven’t really looked at lot at the Reds, it’s more concentrating on ourselves for the last week-and-a-half so it will be interesting to see what sort of stuff he brings, and if he’s still doing the same things as he did when he was here.”
The 32-year-old says he would be happy to play the full match despite his lay-off.
“I will play whatever Richie wants me to,” McCloskey added.
"I don’t know if it’s planned as 80 [minutes] as I’d say there’ll be a few rotations at half-time or just after, but yeah, I’m feeling good and wouldn’t mind getting more minutes under my belt. The more time you’re out there it makes the week after a bit easier as well.”
Ulster: (15-9) J Flannery; Z Ward, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; A Morgan, C McKee; (1-8) A Warwick, T Stewart, C Barrett; A O’Connor (captain), M Dalton; Matty Rea, L McLoughlin, D McCann.
Substitutes: J McCormick, E O’Sullivan, B O’Connor, H Sheridan, T Brigg, D Shanahan, J Humphreys, W de Klerk, J Boyd, R Crothers, M Lowry, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, S Moore, M McDonald, K Treadwell.