Ulster 35-29 Glasgow Warriors: Dan McFarland praises 'outstanding' late defensive effort
- Published
Ulster secure bonus-point win in United Rugby Championship opener
Ulster head coach Dan McFarland praised his team's determination to hold on to their lead against Glasgow in their opening United Rugby Championship win.
The hosts were ahead by six going into the final 10 minutes, which were played almost exclusively inside their 22.
Having soaked up multiple phases of pressure they forced a knock-on to seal a 35-29 victory.
"I thought we were outstanding, McFarland said. "We can deal with why we were in that situation later."
Ulster scored five tries as 15,000 fans returned to Kingspan Stadium but were unable to pull away from their opponents in an end-to-end contest.
"History would tell you that when it gets tight in the end, if effort is required and hard work, and an every-inch attitude then we're not found wanting," said McFarland.
"That doesn't necessarily mean we succeed every time but we're certainly not found wanting when it comes down to effort and fight."
After a first half lacking in fluidity McFarland turned to his bench, bringing on front rows Eric O'Sullivan and Rob Herring alongside debutant lock Mick Kearney.
The trio's introduction prompted Ulster's best spell of the game, in which unanswered tries from Marty Moore and Nick Timoney saw them open up a 13-point lead - the largest of the game.
"Going into half-time, myself and the coaches felt we lacked a little bit of speed we're known for," McFarland said.
"That first half, there were passages where we looked a little bit sluggish and we want to play high intensity.
"If it's not happening you've got to make some changes, you can't just talk about it. We brought on those guys and I thought all three of those guys made a big difference.
"I thought Mick Kearney was absolutely outstanding for those first 20 minutes of the second half.
"It really added an intensity to our play and put us in control of the game. The fact that we ceded control of the game was another issue but it effectively won us the game."