Ulster's Murphy tells players to up physicality ahead of Leinster clash

ULSTER HEAD coach Richie Murphy has told his players they must up their physicality to have a chance of beating Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.

Even though Ulster are ahead of Leo Cullen’s squad in the URC table, Murphy is under no illusions of what it will take to snare a result in Leinster’s backyard as the first of the festive URC interprovincials gets going on Friday evening.

“Physically, you have to be right on it,” insisted Murphy, who is expected to have a close to full strength side for this clash.

“And I suppose Munster’s blueprint of how they stopped the Leinster momentum (when triumphing at Croke Park in October) is something that people can learn from, but it takes a lot to be able to stop that (Leinster) juggernaut when it gets going.”

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“They’re (Leinster) a massively physical team. I think they’ve changed, they’ve got away from their DNA of being the sort of open, free-flowing rugby to playing a pressure, squeeze you and run over the top of you type of team.”

Murphy continued: “It’s a massive challenge for us, our ability to play against that defence and get ourselves on the front foot is going to be huge, and our ability to deal with the contact area both in attack and defence is also going to be big.

“They are beatable, but they lost two games in South Africa when their team wasn’t there and that Munster game when their team was just coming back together for the first run out.

“I still think they’re doing more than enough to win the games that are in front of them.”
The Ulster head coach added: “People are being a little bit disrespectful, saying that they’re not playing particularly well but still winning.”

“We (Ulster) approach this game in a better place on the back of the performances that we put in at the early parts of the season, and I think the belief in the squad is there.”

Ulster’s cause will have helped by having both Stuart McCloskey and Jude Postlethwaite available for Friday’s fixture.

Ireland centre McCloskey has not played since picking up a groin issue while with Ireland in November, while Postlethwaite has looked good in Ulster’s midfield but missed out on last weekend’s loss at Cardiff in the Challenge Cup.

While Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Michael Lowry remained sidelined, back-three player Ethan McIlroy is fit again after undergoing ACL surgery nearly a year ago.