Stephen Ferris shared a deflated mood shared among Ulster fans after their 31-29 defeat to Benetton in Italy.
After five defeats in their last six games, Ulster came into this game badly needing victory to boost morale in the squad.
In a thrilling game at the Stadio Monigo, Ulster somehow lead 29-28 with four minutes remaining, but conceded a late penalty that Rhyno Smith scored to give the Italian side a dramatic victory.
With a Champions Cup double header against Sale and La Rochelle coming up, Ulster badly needed the victory. However, today's loss will pile further misery and pressure on the side.
Stephen Ferris Deflated After Defeat
After yet another disappointing performance, nobody was more disappointed than Stephen Ferris.
After suffering a last minute loss to Munster last weekend, it was heartbreaking for Ulster fans to watch it happen again.
Speaking on Viaplay Sports, Stephen Ferris explained what is going wrong for Ulster at the moment.
I can't take any more of this, really disappointing as an Ulster fan and as somebody that follows them week in and week out, that rut is getting deeper.
Take out their maul, they are offering nothing in attack. They can't hold on to the ball well, their multi phase seems to be all over the shop. Defensively, their not sound, so I can't just point my finger at something that just isn't making Ulster click. It's just so many different things.
They just got to regroup, you have got to stick together in moments like this. If you don't it can become very fractured, very quickly, start pointing the fingers at coaches and different players."
Ulster Suffer Another Late Defeat
For the neutral, this was a thrilling encounter. Ulster took an early lead through an Eric O'Sullivan try, before Benetton drew level through a close range try of their own.
The Italian side then scored one of the tries of the season, with Onisi Ratave finishing off a great team move.
Sensational Precision 🎯
Onisi Ratave practising his slip-catching 🏏#BKTURC #URC | #BENvULS | @BenettonRugby pic.twitter.com/I6LsGUNOQn— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 7, 2023
A penalty from Tomas Albornoz gave them a 17-10 lead at the interval. In the second half, Albornoz, scored a drop goal just two minutes after the restart to stretch their lead to ten, with Ulster having no answers.
Rob Herring brought them back into the game through a try from their dependable maul in the 54th minute, but a Rhyno Smith penalty and a Nacho Brex try made it a 28-15 game with 17 minutes remaining.
Dan McFarland's side must have thought they completed an incredible comeback through Mike Lowry and a penalty try, but it wasn't to be as Smith's late penalty ensured Ulster woes continued.
Retweet this post if you enjoyed Rhyno Smith’s Match-Winning 🤩#BKTURC #URC | #BENvULS | @BenettonRugby pic.twitter.com/60M0TaDzoq
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 7, 2023
SEE ALSO: Stephen Ferris: "Some Ulster Players Need A Kick Up The Backside"
