Ulster will learn from late wobble, vows head coach Dan McFarland
- Published
Ulster took an impressive 19 points from their four Pool A games in the Champions Cup this season
Dan McFarland says Ulster will address the late wobble that saw them nearly throw away victory against Clermont, and ensure they take learnings from it.
The province led by 22 points with 10 minutes remaining before shipping three tries in seven minutes.
However, Ulster did hold on to secure second place in Champions Cup Pool A.
"The fact that in the last 10 minutes we sat on our laurels - for me as a coach I found that very disappointing," McFarland said.
"That's something that I want to address with the players and we'll look at what it takes not to sit on your laurels.
"It needed us not to be at 95%, we needed to be at 100%. That's what allowed them to come back into it but the bottom line is we needed one set of defence to finish out the game and we got it."
For 70 minutes Ulster were the better side and produced another fine attacking display, scoring five tries to claim their fourth European win of the season.
Rob Herring scored twice from mauls while Duane Vermeulen, Michael Lowry and Robert Baloucoune finished flowing moves.
"We played some fantastic rugby," added McFarland.
"The only thing that marred the first half was errors in terms of exiting from our half that allowed them to build those 12 points.
"Some of the tries that we scored, a combination of mauls and hanging onto the ball in the opposition 22, and some fantastic rugby in playing out from our own 22 really staged or characterised the match."
Ulster will 'relish' possible Toulouse meeting
Ulster will face the side that finishes seventh in Pool B in the last 16, where they will play the second leg at home.
That position is currently occupied by defending champions Toulouse, who will finish in that position if Wasps do not take at least two bonus points against Munster and Stade Francais do not record at least a 34-point bonus point win over Connacht on Sunday.
Toulouse were handed a 28-0 loss in their final group game against Cardiff having been unable to fulfil the fixture due to a "significant" number of positive Covid-19 cases in their camp.
"It is a bizarre scenario this year isn't it. That you win all your games and finish second - we genuinely deserve to be second, we played all four of our games and played two teams who were genuinely up for it - and the reward is playing Toulouse," McFarland said.
"I relish the thought of playing Toulouse. They're one of if not the greatest rugby team in Europe over the last 50 or 60 years.
"We've had a crack of them in the last few years, we know how tough they are to beat but that's another chance for us to test ourselves against them.
"Any team you're playing in the last 16 is going to be good."