There's a Wildean line often misquoted. Ulster can take it any way they wish. But to lose one player to a red card maybe regarded as a misfortune, to lose two looks like they might need to analyse referees more cautiously.
Tom Court and Jared Payne may have been to various degrees responsible or innocent for their demise in the Heineken Cup against Saracens and more recently against Leinster in the Pro12 but red cards have dominated Ulster's horizon lately and on both occasions without any accompanying red mist.
Going to Thomond Park coach Mark Asncombe knows Munster are unlikely to pull a white rabbit out of the hat in terms of their playing style and conformation. In a belt and braces match like this Ulster will have to meet Munster's confrontational approach with one of their own.
Encouragingly for Ulster they have come close in terms of the score on both 14-man occasions, 20-22 down to Leinster and 15-17 against Saracens with the team chasing the game to the end. The last thing Ulster need is to worry about shipping another game-changing decision.
Loosehead Callum Black doesn't believe in that concern. The Washington-born, English-raised and Irish-qualified prop says Ulster won't change their mentality but nor are the recent sending offs a signature of the way they play.
“If you look at the two incidents I think we were just unlucky. We don’t see it as a thing that is going to keep on happening,” says Black. “I think we dealt with it pretty well and showed a lot of character. We can’t change our mentality in the way we play so hopefully the incidents won’t happen any more.
"Obviously the Saracens game going down a man and getting knocked out of that competition . . . was very disappointing. The same again, losing a man against Leinster . . . but for the rest of those games, the character we showed as 14 men to pull together has brought the squad closer together. It shows how we can fight for each other when the chips are down."
Clean fight
This weekend's result will not change Ulster's position on the league table but a possible semi-final against Leinster in Dublin could happen with Munster also competing to jockey for a better final placing. Ulster are expecting a good clean fight with Munster coming into it on the back of an avalanche of 55 points against Edinburgh.
“We know Munster,” says Black. “Especially being at home they come out from the start. We’ve done our analysis on them. They are a very physical side, a strong pack and they’ve got some strong runners in their midfield. If we get our own stuff in order, have the 15 on the pitch and work better as a unit we can put that performance in.”
In many corners of Ulster, it’s as if the season has conspired against them, that they have been undone by circumstances outside of their control. Thomond Park could be a statement that things do turn. “We have basically just looked at our selves,” says Black. “We have to take it to them from the start and fight it out.”
