McFarland urges players to embrace Euro challenge

RATHER than dwell on the defeats of recent weeks, Ulster coach Dan McFarland wants his players to see the challenge that awaits in the Champions Cup as an opportunity.

Back-to-back interpro losses will hardly be viewed as ideal preparation for a pool that includes two of last season’s semi-finalists in Racing 92 and Scarlets, as well as Saturday’s opponents Leicester Tigers.

Utilising a squad depleted by a lengthy injury list and last season’s departures, the province had made a strong start to the Guinness PRO14 before their derby woes and McFarland believes that the fresh challenge of Europe has already provided a lift.

“There is no doubt that people will look at us and, given recent form, rightly expect us not to do well in the Europe,” the first-year head coach admitted.

“It is up to us to show they are wrong. We are going into this competition with our eyes on the same prize as everyone else, but the main thing is that we focus on what we are trying to do in terms of getting better. That is a week-toweek process.

Spice

“There is a little bit of lift in there because it is the Champions Cup. It is a change, it is a great competition that adds a little bit of spice to the season.”

Having arrived just prior to the season starting with a realistic approach to the size of the challenge that awaited, McFarland’s attitude has not been altered by a thumping in Thomond Park and home loss to Connacht.

“It is difficult as we all want to win,” he said. “But for me, the journey is the reward. Monday is a good day for me whether we win or lose. Why? Because it’s an opportunity to get better. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly. If you get too high, or too low, you would not be able to do your job on a Monday and that’s really important.

“I am an emotional guy, as long as I can understand that and I can’t let myself get too high, or too low because other people rely on me doing my job.”

Imperative to Ulster’s hopes of starting with a win on Saturday, without which their quarter-final hopes would seem remote after just one week, will be a faster start.

They have not scored the first try in any game this season and McFarland admitted: “It is an interesting one. We are extremely competitive from minute 20 to minute 80, but we have starts to the game where we have been on the back foot.

“How we go about combating that it is a difficult one, but we have to make sure we have the mechanisms in place to ensured ono tend up behind at the end of the first quarter.”