Last weekend, Ulster Rugby secured a hard-fought 20-19 victory over Glasgow Warriors at home, but it was far from a convincing performance.
Speaking as part of the Build Up with Ladbrokes, retired player Stephen Ferris shared his thoughts on the match.
The team's struggles were evident, particularly in the first 50 minutes of the game.
The match itself was a thrilling encounter, with Glasgow Warriors, the reigning United Rugby Championship champions, pushing Ulster to the limit.
In the end, it was Dave Shanahan's last-minute try that sealed the win for Ulster, with Richie Murphy, starting his first full season as Ulster coach, breathing a sigh of relief.
He noted that Glasgow took control of the game, and it seemed like Ulster were going to "fade away" around the 50-minute mark.
The team's performance was lacklustre, with Ferris stating that they looked like they were going to "go out with a bit of a whimper."
It would be a tragedy really, if you pitch up in your first game, your home game, and you lose it.
Harry Sheridan and Cormac Izuchukwu brought a much-needed spark to the game.
Ferris praised their impact, particularly Dave Shanahan, who made an "instant impact" and scored the last-minute try to seal the victory.
It was a get-out-of-jail-free card, which you don't really want to be using on your first game of the season.
Some way to introduce yourself... 🤩
Tap below to catch the extended highlights of our Round 1 victory 👇— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) September 22, 2024
bIn the post-match press conference, Richie Murphy echoed Ferris' sentiments, stating that the team looked "like a team who didn't have a clue what we were doing for 50 minutes."
Ferris noted that Ulster's game plan was not focused on expansive, attacking rugby, but rather on being patient, holding onto possession, and avoiding mistakes.
This approach ultimately paid off, and Ferris believes that the win will give the team confidence moving forward, particularly with a big trip to South Africa on the horizon.
They weren't playing this wide expansive rugby either, it was all picking jams, one-eyed runners, just holding onto possession, being really patient and just trying not to force a mistake.
The return of John Cooney and Stuart McCloskey will also be a significant boost to the team.
However, Ferris acknowledged that Ulster will be missing a few key players who are away with the Emerging Ireland team.
As they look ahead to their next challenge, they will need to build on this performance and find a way to play more consistently throughout the entire game.
