'The effort was huge' - Murphy on Ulster loss

Murphy was pleased with the display from his side at the Aviva despite the defeat

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy praised the effort of his players in their 43-20 defeat against Leinster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium.

Murphy's side made a bright start to the game in Dublin as they chased a third victory over Leinster this season.

However, they were left to rue their inability to translate pressure into points as Leinster ran in six tries on their way to booking a semi-final spot.

"I thought we did a good job in the first 20 minutes, frustrated Leinster, got into a couple of areas and contests in their 22, but unfortunately we just couldn’t come away with the points that we wanted," said Murphy.

"We were playing against a really good team but really proud of our lads they left everything out there, the effort was huge."

'We made it difficult for them'

Murphy continued: "The lads are disappointed, but I said to them there they shouldn’t be they played against a really good team, and they made it very difficult for them."

With Ulster's season now over, Murphy reflected on the progress his side have made since his arrival in March and is already looking forward to next season's re-build with a number of experienced players such as Billy Burns and Steven Kitshoff departing.

"Over the last number of the weeks, it is great to see where we’ve come to as a group and the tightness that has been formed, that comes from the players taking responsibility and driving the standard through training," he explained.

"I’m also delighted with the staff since coming in they’ve been unbelievably good, and the credit has to go to them.

"I'm looking forward to a break but on the back of that [performance] we’ll be ready to get back into it."

'We scored some good tries'

Cullen's side will now face the Bulls in South Africa next Saturday

Murphy's Leinster counterpart Leo Cullen was also keen to praise the commitment of his side to eventually break down a stubborn Ulster defensive effort and ruthlessly dispatch six tries on their way to victory.

"We're pleased to get through to the semi-final, it was close for large periods, but we scored some good tries," he said.

"Ulster, the way they play they put a lot of players in the front line, and it is hard to break them down, but the guys were really committed to the challenge and with John Cooney and their kicking game they try to frustrate but I thought we stuck at it well and didn’t let it frustrate us too much."

The win in Leinster's fifth play-off game this season sets up a semi-final against Bulls in Pretoria next Saturday, a challenge Cullen hopes his team will relish.

"The Bulls in Pretoria is always a big test but we're really looking forward to it."