Ulster head coach Dan McFarland full of praise for Ulster side after huge United Rugby Championship win in South Africa

Ulster became the first Irish province to win at Kings Park in the United Rugby Championship and also the first northern hemisphere side to win both games in the same season in South Africa.

Ulster stay third in the table, but the win closed the gap on the Stormers to five points and extended their advantage over fourth-placed Glasgow, who lost at the Lions.

“I’m really proud of how the boys stuck in physically and gave it everything they had to try and get the win,” said McFarland. “South Africa is a tough place to come and to win both our away games the team should be very proud of that.

“It was a tough game. The conditions were very humid and we’re not used to it and the lads found it very physical tough.

"The consensus was that was physicality tougher than our Lions away game earlier in the season which was played at altitude and with the sun out.”

Three of Ulster’s four tries were scored by forwards with hooker Tom Stewart going over twice from lineout mauls.

“Roddy Grant and the forwards were gnashing teeth last week after our Glasgow performance where we didn’t play very well,” added McFarland.

“Glasgow did a good job but we were well sub-par in the forward pack. They put the hammer on themselves at the beginning of the week and fair play to them against a big Sharks pack.

“We dominated in the maul area and that is what ultimately got us out in front.”

McFarland paid tribute to number eight Duane Vermeulen, who skippered Ulster against his fellow countrymen.

“Alan O’Connor captains our team on a regular basis,” he said. “I chatted with Duane, I chatted with Al and the fact that we were coming to a part of the world where Duane is from, the influence he has on the players around him, his understanding of South African rugby.

“It was a great opportunity to use that influence in the role of captain. Al does what Al does every week as captain.

“Having Duane lead us out probably puts the fear of God into a lot of South Africans and having him as captain is great.”

McFarland believes Vermeulen still has a role to play for the Springboks at the World Cup in France.

“This is a guy that not long a go made two or three massive plays against the All Blacks in a test match that is what Duane does,” he added.

“He is the best mauler in the world and when you need a play Duane makes plays. He mightn’t be the all singing, all dancing carry 16 times a game, but the influence he has on a game he makes game changing moments.

“The level South Africa will be playing at in the world you need that kind of player.”

ULSTER: (15-9) M Lowry; C Gilroy, L Marshall, S Moore, A Sexton, J Flannery, J Cooney,

(1-8) R Sutherland, J Andrew, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor, H Sheridan, J Murphy, N Timoney, D Vermeulen (capt)