Ryan Bailey reports from Thomond Park
IT WAS HARD, in the immediate aftermath, to extract many positives in the face of a record defeat, but Dan McFarland hopes this morning’s painful post-match review will serve as a steep, but beneficial, learning curve for his squad.
The Ulster head coach said he would need at least 24 hours to dissect and digest his side’s 57-point loss to Munster on Saturday evening, the province’s worst ever as it eclipsed the 56-3 defeats to Wasps in 1998.
But the bottom line is that he wants his players to take it on the chin, use the experience to learn the harsh lessons and move on.
It was a particularly painful night for the northern province, who had gone into the first inter-pro of the season as the only unbeaten side in the Guinness Pro14, but finished it battered, bruised and emphatically beaten.
Already depleted through injuries to key players, Ulster’s cause wasn’t helped by the concession of two early tries, nor the loss of Iain Henderson and John Cooney in the first half, as they rolled over meekly in the face of an aggressive and clinical Munster onslaught.
It made for a chastening night for the visitors, who had a number of young academy-produced players on the pitch, and while trying to maintain upbeat about the individual performances of the likes of Angus Curtis, Adam McBurney and Nick Timoney, McFarland admitted he doesn’t know how damaging the experience will be.
“I am not experienced in that to answer that question,” he said, when asked if morale had been dented. “We have shown enough good so far in what we have done. And also what we are capable of tonight. Even if that is only in small patches, to be confident to move forward.”
Indeed, despite the one-sided nature of the contest and the freewheeling final quarter in which Munster tacked on three more tries to inflict more pain on McFarland’s men, the visitors did at least show promise in attack.
They launched a number of multi-phase attacks on the Munster line and on another night could have reaped more rewards, only Johann van Graan’s side brought huge intensity and work-rate in their defensive efforts.
In contrast to Ulster’s long list of injury casualties and inexperience on the field, Munster were fully locked and loaded and led by the immense Peter O’Mahony, were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal after their own disappointment in Cardiff the week before.
McFarland, in his immediate appraisal, admitted the exertions of their two-game tour of South Africa and the journey back ahead of their round five clash in Limerick may have played a part.