Ulster Rugby: Season of highs and lows to date could still yield success

Jacob Stockdale and Tom Stewart have been prolific try-scorers for Ulster so far this season

For Ulster rugby fans, this season has been something of a rollercoaster ride up to this point.

From the highs of wins over then Top 14 leaders Racing 92 and on the road against Leinster to the lows of some heavy Investec Champions Cup defeats and a rare home URC loss, the Irish province's results have had an erratic look about them.

Dan McFarland's side return to action this weekend after a four-week sabbatical with an away match against Ospreys as they attempt to keep their hunt for silverware on course on both the domestic and European fronts.

With that in mind, it seems an appropriate time to look back on what has gone before and what the future may hold for the remainder of the campaign.

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Mixed bag of results

A prolonged pre-season because of the Rugby World Cup meant that Ulster were left kicking their heels until late October to play their first competitive fixture of the 2023-24 term.

Their trip to Parma to face Zebre in their URC opener came some five-and-a-half months after suffering a hugely disappointing quarter-final defeat by Connacht in Belfast in the previous edition of the competition.

Jacob Stockdale was on the try-scoring trail with a double as his side laboured to a 40-36 win over the perennial Italian strugglers, and a week later the resurgent wing crossed again as Ulster made it two from two by seeing off the Bulls 26-19 on their much-heralded new 3G pitch.

The team that travelled to Galway to face Connacht had an inexperienced look about it and the westerners took advantage to claim a 22-20 comeback victory over their visitors.

It was back to winning ways the following week as defending champions Munster were dispatched 21-14 at Kingspan Stadium, back row David McCann capping his fine early-season displays with a man-of-the-match performance. His subsequent absence with an ankle injury would be keenly felt.

Next up was South African opposition in the form of the Lions and four more points in the bag courtesy of a 24-17 success.

Stockdale added to his prolific scoring with a try, while James Hume continued to impress on his return to regular rugby after an injury-affected season by touching down for another of his side's three scores in front of their home supporters.

Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff has made a big impact since arriving in Ulster in November

Despite grinding out some positive results, the more expansive, attacking brand of rugby signposted by Ulster at the start of the season had not quite clicked into gear and back-to-back reverses at the hands of Scottish opponents halted their progress somewhat.

A trademark try from hooker Tom Stewart, again scoring regularly after his outstanding breakthrough season, and another from John Cooney on his first start of the campaign, proved to be in vain as Glasgow were too strong for McFarland's men at Scotstoun, triumphing 33-20.

Double South Africa World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff marked his arrival in the province with an appearance off the bench in that encounter and was named in the starting XV seven days later as Ulster went down 27-24 to Edinburgh at their Ravenhill home.

Bath inflicted a comprehensive 37-14 defeat at The Rec in the opening fixture of the Champions Cup at the start of December, after their opponents had led 14-8 at half-time, to make it three consecutive defeats for McFarland's charges.

Upturn in results, then European disappointment

A renewed sense of unity and internal strength appeared to galvanise the squad however as they responded by defying the doubters and turning round that losing sequence by going on a three-game winning run.

Stuart McCloskey and Nick Timoney were just two of many players who shone as Racing 92 were convincingly swept aside 31-15 on a thrilling December Saturday night in Belfast.

Kitshoff's increasing influence on the field and on the training paddock became apparent as Ulster displayed their battling qualities by achieving two single-point interprovincial victories.

Connacht were defeated 20-19 at Kingspan Stadium three days before Christmas and then two Timoney tries helped his side across the line 22-21 against Leinster at the RDS.

An Antoine Dupont-inspired Toulouse romped to a 48-24 win over McFarland's men to leave Ulster's hopes of qualification for the last 16 of the Champions Cup hanging by a thread and a week later those lingering ambitions were extinguished with a 47-19 thumping at Harlequins.

Plenty to play for

A disappointing way to go into an enforced break during which fly-half Billy Burns has been linked with a possible switch to Munster, but there is still much to play for as Ulster prepare to resume their season against the mid-table Ospreys.

Sitting fifth in the URC standings after nine of the 18 rounds of fixtures which make up the regular season, a top four place which would guarantee a home quarter-final in the end-of-season play-offs is still very attainable.

A top two spot which would ensure potential home advantage in both the last eight and the last four of the knockout stages also remains a possibility.

The province's next five URC matches are all against sides who currently occupy lower positions in the table, including encounters with Ospreys (away), Dragons and Cardiff (both home) and meetings with basement side Sharks and the Stormers in South Africa.

An opportunity then to build some momentum going into the latter stages of the campaign.

On the European front, Ulster's fifth-place finish in Champions Cup Pool 2 saw them surrender their place at the top table and relegated to compete in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup, in which they will travel to face Montpellier in April.

While the second-tier continental competition may not have the same prestige as the Champions Cup, it does still offer a possible route for the northern province to end their 18-year wait for a trophy since winning the Celtic League in the 2005-06 campaign.

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