Outgoing head coach praises his side’s defensive effort after titanic struggle in Belfast
In truth, Connacht could have won more convincingly but left serval try-scoring chances slip before Ulster bought the score to 10-12 entering the final quarter through the game’s only try by Alan O’Connor. Ultimately, they were indebted to a brilliant break by the Bristol-bound Kieran Marmion in his 11th and final season with Connacht in the build-up to Jack Carty’s fifth penalty.
After signing off with Connacht, Friend intends taking his beloved camper to the Continent in the summer and finishing his time in Europe by taking in the World Cup in France with his wife Kerri before heading back to Australia. “If we take those opportunities next week, we will be closer to a final. I don’t think many people gave us a chance but we were confident coming up.”
“I think we took that away from them with our kick choice and how we manipulated our back three; we kept them away from our half. Our breakdown in terms of targeting their wide breakdown was phenomenal. They were the things we said we were going to do, and we got the result for it.” “We entered the playoffs in a really good position and were very hopeful but in the full knowledge that tonight was going to be a massive challenge,” said head coach Dan McFarland.
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