Murphy Praises Ulster 'grit' In Win Over Ospreys

Ulster caput coach Richie Murphy has praised nan "grit" shown by his broadside successful grinding retired a 28-24 win complete Ospreys successful Saturday's European Challenge Cup information of 16 necktie astatine a windswept Affidea Stadium.

Cormac Izuchukwu, David McCann, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney each scored tries arsenic nan Irish state defied nan difficult conditions to book a quarter-final against French broadside La Rochelle successful Belfast connected Friday.

The Welsh broadside led 17-14 astatine nan break but pinch nan upwind successful their favour aft nan break, Murphy's squad battled backmost to declare victory.

The hosts survived a scare successful nan dying minutes erstwhile Kieran Hardy's imaginable match-winning effort was ruled retired because of a guardant walk successful nan build-up aft consultation pinch nan Television Match Official [TMO].

"A small spot of alleviation definitely. It ne'er was going to beryllium easy and nan conditions evidently made it very difficult," said Murphy aft nan game.

"We created rather a fewer opportunities successful nan first half but didn't rather prime nan correct pass.

"That put america nether a small spot of unit and we conceded a mates of early scores to them and defensively we were conscionable a small spot disconnected but we are successful nan past eight, we've sewage activity to do and we've sewage a week's prep now to lead into La Rochelle which will beryllium really exciting."

The Ulster caput coach added that immoderate handling errors were inevitable fixed nan upwind conditions, which he described arsenic nan worst he had witnessed for a crippled during his tenure.

"We showed a bully spot of grit, we stuck astatine it and we sewage complete nan line.

"Created nan opportunities, didn't return them, truthful adjacent week we've sewage to activity connected our skills successful training and make judge we return them adjacent time," he reflected.

Murphy says nan imaginable of taking connected Ronan O'Gara's squad adjacent week is an breathtaking one.

"It's a monolithic crippled for us, it's astatine home. I cognize they person had a reliable capable play but they're 1 of nan apical teams successful Europe and erstwhile they travel to municipality it's really exciting.

"We'll brushwood ourselves down, we'll reappraisal really difficult connected Monday and get backmost to activity and make judge we move up a small spot much polished, a small spot much tidy successful and astir our determination making.

"If we tin do that we tin origin immoderate squad a threat truthful we're excited astir what's ahead."