Two rounds in the URC to go and the pressure is well and truly on, as should Ulster fail to win at Thomond Park against Munster on Friday night, that could well be the end of their playoff hopes.
With Munster also sitting outside the top eight – they are ninth but on equal points with eighth-placed Benetton (41), while Ulster sit 12th on 38 points – there is plenty hinging on this interprovincial clash, which looks all set to be a full-on affair, top-heavy with a sense of jeopardy.
While Munster have some big guns to deploy, the visitors are also seemingly in rude health, with skipper Iain Henderson believed to be available again for the first time since January.
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Robert Baloucoune, James Hume and Eric O’Sullivan are also back in training, with the hope being they will be good to go for Friday‘s encounter.
Michael Lowry and Stewart Moore have also been passed fit while Tom O’Toole returns after missing the narrow home loss to the Sharks due to a family bereavement.
Sean Reffell, who has not played since October, is also in the mix, but John Cooney remains sidelined with an ankle issue.
“[It’s] the strongest squad that we’ve worked with, definitely this season and probably since I’ve been here,” said Ulster head coach Richie Murphy, with a top eight finish in the URC also essential to ensure Champions Cup rugby next season.
“Loads of names on the pitch, which is exactly what you need when you’re coming into a big finish to the league. It’s a massive boost for the group.”
Ulster and Munster have both suffered two straight URC defeats, meaning they are stuck in a fraught end of season battle for places in the top eight.
“Yes, two games to go, no one really knows what figure it will be,” added Murphy, with Benetton and Ulster separated by just a three-point spraed, “but we’re pretty sure that we need to win our last two games.
“We went down there last year, got ourselves into a really good space and unfortunately lost the game in that second half,” he said of the 29-24 reverse last June.
“I think we were 17-7 up with about 58 minutes gone and if we can get ourselves into that position this year, we need to be able to finish it off.
“I suppose it’s one of the things that has been obvious, even coming back off the Sharks game [when Ulster led 19-0 but lost 22-19], is [us] getting into the nice position and not finishing it off and it’s something that we need to be very much on our game this week.
“I think we’ve shown that our performances are improving and we’re on an upward trajectory.”
