Lowry urges Ulster to ‘win the little moments’ in Cardiff clash

Three spankings in Europe have been handed to Ulster this term and Michael Lowry has been up close and personal on all those occasions.

Three games, two in the Champions Cup up against Toulouse and Harlequins and then last weekend in the Challenge Cup at Clermont, a knockout match where the hosts racked up 53 points.

With Ulster having registered only two victories from their last eight fixtures, they need to find a winning formula to improve on eighth in the table.

“The results look that way,” says Lowry of how tricky the defeats, big or small, can be to process, “but it’s little moments that change a game. If we’re winning that moment, however small, it makes a massive difference.

“You know, there was maybe a moment when we had Clermont trapped at 13-7 with five minutes to go in their own 22 and instead (Alivereti) Raka makes a break right through the middle.

“These are the little things that we know we’re so close. If we get that right and we get a penalty or something and trap them in there, we could have gone into the lead at half-time and not be chasing. So, little things are massive momentum swings, especially when you’re in the likes of Clermont’s stadium or against the likes of Toulouse.”

Tonight’s URC clash with Cardiff will be interim head coach Richie Murphy’s first game at Ravenhill, and he has several key players unavailable due to injury.

Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Nick Timoney, Steven Kitshoff and Stewart Moore are out. Nathan Doak and Jake Flannery will form a half-back partnership, with James Hume and Jude Postlethwaite at centre, while Jacob Stockdale makes a return on the left wing. ULSTER: W Addison; M Lowry, J Hume, J Postlethwaite, J Stockdale; J Flannery, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, T Stewart, S Wilson; H Sheridan, A O’Connor (c); D Ewers, M Rea, D McCann. Reps: J Andrew, A Warwick, T O’Toole, C Izuchukwu, G Jones, J Cooney, B Burns, E McIlroy. CARDIFF: C Winnett; J Adams, M Grady, B Thomas, T Cabango; T de Beer, E Bevan; C Domachowski, L Belcher (c), K Assiratti, B Donnell, T Williams; A Mann, T Young, T Faletau. Reps: R Carre, E Lloyd, C Parker, R Thornton, E Jenkins, G Bertranou, J Beetham, M Martin. Verdict: Ulster Ulster v Cardiff, BBC2 NI/TG4, 7.15