Dublin trip a huge chance for Ulster: Mcfarland
Boss maintains focus is on his men’s goals, not ruining Leinster’s season
HOW rare are Leinster defeats in Dublin? Well, Connacht’s sensational win at the RDS last weekend was the first for the western province since a certain Dan McFarland was their loosehead prop all the way back in 2002.
While the Ulster head coach’s current side aren’t enduring quite such a drought — their last away day success in D4 coming in 2013 — matching Connacht’s achievement come their own visit to the three-peat champions this weekend would certainly be a red-letter day, not least for their PRO14 title hopes.
With only one of Conference A’s two pace-setters able to progress to this season’s final under the new structure of the competition, Friday’s repeat of last year’s showpiece will go a long way to deciding who sits in the box seat as we pause for Europe.
Given the impact upon silverware prospects, motivation shouldn’t be in short supply after Leinster head coach Leo Cullen described Connacht as the “hungrier” of the two sides last weekend.
The former lock postulated that the high number of former Leinster players in the Connacht ranks was one possible explanation before cautioning that Ulster’s Dublin natives would be arriving back to their erstwhile home in a similar mindset.
When Mcfarland was asked yesterday if he sympathised with
Cullen’s plight, he found the notion an amusing one.
“Do I feel sorry for Leo? Of course I don’t,” he laughed.
“He’s sat among 10 or 12 of the wealthiest schools in the country ploughing people with rich families through the schools, churning out bursaries to the best prospects. Do I feel sorry for him? That’s hilarious.
“(But) I love it up here. Andy Friend loves it in Connacht doing the hard yards.”
On the recurring theme of his large Leinster-born contingent that predictably crops up each time this fixture is played, he gave similarly short shrift.
“Ultimately, players don’t play for a flag, for motherhood or for apple pie, they play for the fellas beside them,” he said.
“When guys like Nick Timoney, Dave Shanahan, Alan O’connor, Jordi (Murphy), when they run out with a white jersey on, they’re Ulstermen plain and simple.
“This game is an opportunity for us. It wouldn’t cross my mind to be ruining (Leinster’s season).
“I’ve a huge amount of respect for Leinster as a province and as a club. What they’ve done over the past number of years is totally deserved.
“It’s a huge challenge, winning away in Dublin, in and of itself, nothing to do with the league, it’s something you aspire to.
“The post-match interviews from Connacht, you can see how much it meant to them and I’m sure it would mean the exact same to us if we were able to do that.”
While Ulster will monitor Jacob Stockdale’s knee injury amid hopes that he can shake off the knock sustained against Munster to feature in the game, the news was less positive on Sean Reidy.
The flanker has had shoulder surgery after the injury he shipped against Gloucester in the Champions Cup back in December and will be out of action for up to three months.
On that timeframe, he would miss the remainder of the PRO14 campaign currently slated to conclude on March 27.
“It’s really disappointing for us and for Sean,” added Mcfarland.
“Sean is a real good team man, there’s an energy to him and a positivity to him. He creates a real buzz around the place.
“He’s been doing a fantastic job for us (on the pitch). He really adds to our collective speed but he has a fantastic skill-set and an ability to get across the gain-line with his passing and his footwork. He’s going to be out for two or three months but he’s a strong fella, he’ll come back, and we look forward to seeing him back out on the pitch.”