Dan McFarland: Tough test awaits Ulster

The Ulster head coach spent 15 years with Connacht, six as a player and nine as assistant coach.

Ulster haven’t won in Galway for five years. Last season’s fixture was switched to the Aviva Stadium coming out of lockdown but Connacht still prevailed, however that is their only win over a rival Irish province in the last nine attempts.

Ulster go into the game Sunday’s game on the back of two European defeats but are looking to keep their 100 per cent record in the Pro14 intact. McFarland though knows it will be a tough night at the office against his former club.

“I like the ground it is very atmospheric, one of the aspects is that going away from home is a difficult fixture, going away from home two days after Christmas is more difficult that going away from home normally, you have to get your head around that for starters,” reasoned McFarland.

“You have to get the focus on the real business end and what the potential glory is at the end of it in winning a interpro game away from home.

“The other aspect is Connacht are a very difficult side to beat at home and in all honesty it doesn’t matter who you are it is a tough game.

“I would say for a long time it has been a tough game going to Connacht, back when I started playing in 2000/01 a lot of teams would come and they would win. “In the interpros it wasn’t the most pleasant game to come and play in probably as a result back then we pretty much knew we weren’t going to win, but somebody was going to pay in blood and there was that sort of attitude to it, if I’m not going to win the game I’m going to win at something.

Hooker Adam McBurney is ruled out of the trip to Galway with a hamstring injury, flanker Sean Reidy has a shoulder issue, while loose forward international Sam Carter and Marcell Coetzee are still following return to play protocols after both had to exit the Toulouse game early.