We could have fought back to winifnotforred card: McFarland

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

McFarland commented: “The tries were marginally offside, and they were offside, but it was inches.

“You’re almost better to not score them because it’s deflating then (when they’re ruled out). That’s 14 points.

“And in the laws of the game, it was a red card. If you’re playing AFL it’s not a red card but we’re not. To me when I looked at it, I’ve only seen it live and then a few replays, but yeah (it was a red).”

After seeing his former side end their long Belfast hoodoo, McFarland (below) added he was “100%” his men could have come back to win the game if not for Rea’s dismissal.

Ulster were arguably the better of the pair after the turn, despite playing the first 10 minutes two men down after Marcell Coetzee was also shown a card, in case a yellow for a high tackle.

“In terms of the game itself, we defended well,” McFarland added after seeing his side ship nine tries in their record defeat to Munster in Limerick six days prior.

“We had 13 men at one point and kept them out. Playing the whole of the second half with 14, we did well and it was a major step up in terms of defence but we were caught out by a couple of sucker punches.

“The scrum was an Achilles heel in the first half and also around the attack in the ‘22’.

“We had some chances but we lost the ball and didn’t execute.”

his Ulster: P Nelson, A Kernohan, A Curtis, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Best, T O’Toole; A O’Connor, I Henderson; M Rea, N Timoney, M Coetzee Replacements: A McBurney (for Best, 65), E O’Sullivan (for Warwick, 55), R Kane (for O’Toole, 40), K Treadwell (for O’Connor, 65), S Reidy (for Coetzee, 65), D Shanahan, J McPhillips (for Burns, 65), J Hume (for Curtis, 65)

Connacht: T O’Halloran, N Adeolokun, T Farrell, B Aki, M Healy; J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, F Bealham; U Dillane, Q Roux; S O’Brien, J Butler, P Boyle Replacements: S Delahunt (for McCartney, 53), P McCabe (for Buckley, 53), C Carey (for Bealham, 57), J Cannon (for Roux, 70), C Fainga’a (for O’Brien, 70), C Blade (for Marmion, 2), K Godwin (for Farrell, 37), C Kelleher (for O’Halloran, 7)

Referee: Andy Brace

Man of the match: Sean O’Brien

DEATH, taxes and Ulster beating Connacht in Belfast. After last night, it seems there are only two certainties left in life.

The westerners hadn’t won away to their northern neighbours since 1960 but left Kingspan Stadium with a deserved 22-15 victory, albeit one that came courtesy of two disallowed tries and a red card for Ulster.

On the balance, referee Andrew Brace and his TMO got the big decisions right, even if there appeared little intent in the aerial collision that saw flanker Mattie Rea dismissed seconds after half-time.

Coming off their record defeat at the hands of Munster a week ago, Ulster didn’t capitulate in the face of such adversities, and indeed rescued a losing bonus with a late Nick Timoney try, but a solitary point from a fixture which previously had proven a banker will hardly be seen as ideal preparation for next week’s beginning of another European season and the visit of the Leicester Tigers.

While the red card, and indeed the preceding yellow for Marcell Coetzee, will grab the headlines, in truth the visitors were the better side before such dramas.

If Ulster’s confidence was brittle after last week’s horror show, then Connacht chipped away at the belief further still with an early try. The westerners’ new captain Jarrad Butler has substantial shoes to fill after the retirement of John Muldoon, but the Kiwi has started well with the armband and it was his lovely wrap-around that created the space for Matt Healy.

Ulster argued that Stuart McCloskey had been blocked off from making the tackle but Healy had options left and right before deciding to give Tiernan O’Halloran the scoring pass.

It would be the full-back’s last act though as the Irish international followed his team-mate Kieran Marmion down the tunnel.

Ulster did seem set to respond quickly when camped inside the opposing ‘22’ but ultimately their opponents didn’t miss a beat.

Sensing blood in the water come scrum time, the Connacht pack bared their teeth again before the end of the first quarter.

Ulster’s front-row were having all sorts of problems and, when shipping their fourth penalty in quick succession at the set-piece, it was no surprise to see referee Brace wheeling away and underneath the posts, putting Ulster in a quick 14-0 hole for the second week in succession.

Unlike six days before in Limerick, however, this time they did at least have their Irish internationals to dig them out.

Jacob Stockdale hadn’t played any rugby since the Irish tour to Australia in June but he made short work of getting back on the scoresheet. Ulster had a stroke of good fortune when they won the ball back after Coetzee was stripped by Bundee Aki and Billy Burns’ cross-kick was misjudged by sub Cian Kelleher.

From there, it was another piece of Stockdale magic, his acrobatics allowing him to gather and dot down just before falling into touch.

And the wing looked to have created a score for his junior partner Angus Kernohan moments later only for the TMO to have correctly spotted Stockdale was marginally ahead of