Dan McFarland: Ulster coach says no need for doom and gloom despite European defeats

Ulster and Connacht both lost their two European Champions Cup fixtures in December

Ulster coach Dan McFarland has insisted there should be no sense of doom and gloom about his side's fortunes despite their back-to-back European defeats.

After eight straight Pro14 wins, Ulster were edged out at home by Toulouse before last weekend's gut-wrenching defeat by Gloucester at Kingsholm.

"We were very close to beating Toulouse," said the Ulster coach.

"I would say if the scrum decisions had gone the way they should have gone, we would have won that game.

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"Then we went away to Gloucester and got two yellow cards in the game and lost literally by a whisker.

"We're literally a whisker away from having 10 points in the Champions Cup whereas we have three. The margins are so fine."

McFarland points out Ulster's injury count

McFarland added that it was also relevant to point out Ulster's injury count which has left them without captain Iain Henderson and his fellow Irish internationals Will Addison and Luke Marshall plus Robert Baloucoune - in addition to key back row Marcell Coetzee and lock Sam Carter picking up concussions knocks just after half-time against Toulouse which also ruled them out of the Gloucester game.

"They are big games for big players. That's going to make it tough.

"I cannot fault the guys who stepped into place there and did their job and came within a whisker of us being on 10 points.

"Leading into the Champions Cup games I said it was going to be completely different kettle of fish.

"(But) Let's face it. The fact is we won eight games and got six bonus-point wins (in the Pro14). We can't be in bad form can we?"

After the two European defeats, Ulster now face Sunday's trip to Galway to take on a Connacht team whom they have not beaten at The Sportsground since 2015 and also also smarting from two Champions Cup reverses.

The Ulster coach acknowledges that playing away from home so soon after Christmas is tough for players.

"Going away from home a day or two after Christmas is a difficult fixture, or at least it is more difficult than playing away normally," said McFarland.

"You have to get your head around that and get your focus on what the business end is - the potential glory of winning away from home in an inter-pro game."

Ulster's last win away to Connacht was a 10-3 win in 2015

Bad weather forecast

With the weather forecast for Sunday in the west of Ireland talking about potential 45mph winds and hail storms, McFarland joked that the match "could be one for the purists".

The Ulster boss added that the "bloody mindedness" from his playing days at Connacht at the turn of the century has been blended with "a quality team" in recent seasons.

"They are a very difficult side to beat away from home. It doesn't matter who you are, it is a tough game.

"They have got internationals in their ranks and a lot of senior players who have been there a long time - that is why it is tough.

"There's history there which shows that this is a tremendous challenge for us. Connacht are a proud side and they play really well at home, so we want to come down with an attitude that we will take the challenge face on."