It has not been a great week, or season, for Ulster. Today they take on Ospreys in the Pro14 Champions Cup play-off. Things have gone from bad to worse as moments before kick-off, Charles Piutau and Ross Kane were ruled out due to injury.
Already this week reports emerged that their head coach, Jono Gibbes, who was set to return home to New Zealand "for family reasons," had traveled to France to visit the French Top 14 club La Rochelle with a view to succeeding Patrice Collazo.
Then Rory Best (hamstring), Iain Henderson and Clive Ross (both knee) were ruled out of today's game, now joined by Kane and Piutau. It means Craig Gilroy and Tom O'Toole come into the starting team. It has also been reported that Dan McFarland will have to serve a nine-month notice period in his current position with Scotland and will not take up his new head coach position at Ulster this summer.
It has been a very muted atmosphere thus far at the Kingspan Stadium, as an Alun Wyn Jones try made it 7-0 to the Ospreys shortly after the start while Callum Black was forced off injured. For Ulster, the province is now just looking get over the line and bring to an end a tumultuous season.
