Ulster boss Richie Murphy levels accusation at Leinster after heavy loss

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has questioned the legality of Leinster’s approach at the breakdown following his side’s 41–17 defeat in the United Rugby Championship at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night.

Dan Sheehan scored a second-half hat-trick for a much-changed Leinster side, who also claimed a penalty try and further scores through Tommy O’Brien, Thomas Clarkson and Garry Ringrose. Cormac Izuchukwu and Matthew Dalton replied for Ulster, who saw Dave McCann yellow carded for the penalty try offence.

Speaking after the game, Murphy voiced frustration at what he described as Leinster’s tactics at the ruck.

“It was a massive effort from our lads, you see it all the way to the end of the game, which is something that over the last number of weeks that I think is really starting to come to the fore. Very proud of the effort.

“There are definitely things in our game that we can improve pretty quickly and some things that just frustrate in or around breakdown. Leinster are tough to play at the breakdown, especially if they’re allowed dirty the breakdown as much as they do, it’s then very hard to get quick ball to play off,” said a clearly riled Murphy.

United Rugby Championship

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Leinster

15

14

1

0

67

2

Glasgow

15

11

4

0

58

3

Bulls

15

11

4

0

54

4

Sharks

15

10

5

0

49

5

Benetton

15

8

6

1

41

6

Cardiff Rugby

15

7

7

1

41

7

Munster

15

7

8

0

40

8

Stormers

15

7

8

0

40

9

Scarlets

15

7

7

1

38

10

Ulster

15

7

8

0

37

11

Edinburgh

15

6

9

0

37

12

Connacht

15

5

10

0

35

13

Ospreys

15

6

8

1

33

14

Lions

15

6

9

0

31

15

Zebre

15

5

10

0

27

16

Dragons RFC

15

1

14

0

9

“We scored 17 points against them. No one has scored for the last couple of weeks against them. That gives us something. Going in there, we had a bit of a plan. We couldn’t quite execute it. Again, it comes down to trying to create that quick ruck ball off that first, second phase.

“We probably weren’t accurate enough ourselves, but there was a couple of times when lads would line up at the back of a tackle and guys are on the side of a ruck. It’s very difficult to play against. Their line speed is incredible, but is it always coming from an onside position? I’d question that.”

He also wasn’t happy that Leinster seemed to get the best of the scrum-calls, despite Ulster appearing to be the physically dominant side at the set-piece.

“The scrum dominance they had in the first half, we didn’t feel that was right. We felt they were stepping around the corner and the breakdown, go and have a look yourself.”