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McFarland blasts decision to stage Ulster's Champions Cup game in Dublin

By PA
Dan McFarland /PA

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland blasted the decision to stage his side’s Champions Cup game against La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium rather than Kingspan Stadium.

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The Irish province fought back from a 29-0 half-time deficit in the behind-closed-doors game to secure two bonus points from the 36-29 reverse.

But with the game moved from Belfast to Dublin on Friday night, McFarland stressed the playing surface on their home ground was playable long before Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off.

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“My personal opinion is that we were there this morning at 10 o’clock, 9.30, and that pitch was playable.

“I was there the night before and the people there predicted that it was going to be playable.

“The work that the people did, the staff and volunteers, to get that pitch ready was phenomenal under the current circumstances. It was ready.

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“We knew it was going to be ready because the weather was predicted to change overnight. But that decision was taken away from us.

“The bottom line is the decision was wrong. It could have been played at Ravenhill.

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“There is more to European rugby than a game played between four lines. There’s more than that. It’s an occasion.

“Whether you’re in Thomond playing Toulouse, whether you’re in (Ravenhill) playing against Racing, whether you’re in Welford Road watching Dan Cole win his 300th cap, it’s an occasion.

“It has spirit, it has feeling. If you want to reduce it to the word ‘product’, the ‘product’ is more than just the game.

“To me that should be remembered in the decision making in this sort of thing.”

La Rochelle assistant coach Donnacha Ryan admitted playing with only a handful of people in an empty stadium gave the game a strange atmosphere and added that the reigning champions would look at the discipline issues that allowed Ulster’s second-half fightback.

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“The boys adapted really well to the last couple of days, especially to the beginning of the game as well,” said the former Irish international.

“I think we started really good in the first half, really precise, clinical. You know I think Ulster, they are a very proud team and I think last week was very, very difficult for them. I’m sure they had a tough week of it.

“But yeah, the first half certainly we were very, very, good. We gave away four penalties in the first half but in the second half we gave away 12.

“So that’s something for us to work on during the week. As well as the impact of our bench as well.”

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TI 2 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Rieko took literally years to turn from a defensive liability at 13 into a guy, who’s defensively sound as it befits the position. And it all came at the cost of him being much less of an offensive threat, than what he used to be. Proctor is a natural 13, he handles, passes, and kicks way better than Rieko ever will, he just isn’t as fast.


It’s unfair to judge Tupaea on the handful of games he’s had in 2022 before he got nearly crippled by a Wallaby lock. What could Tupaea/Proctor pairing be, if they got the same amount of chances as Jordie/Rieko?


Because no matter how you spin it, playing a player outside of his natural position is a poor asset management. No matter how talented he is, he still competes against players who had years and years of practice at the position. And if said guy is so talented that he actually CAN compete against specialists, imagine how much better still he could have been, if he had all those years to iron the toothing issues at the position. It just drives me mad.


Two things I hate in rugby union beyond description: aping after league, and playing players outside of their natural position. Especially considering, that they all admit they hate it, when they’re allowed to speak freely. Owen Farrell spent 80% of his international career at 12, saying every time when asked, that he is a 10 and prefers to play at 10. Those players are literally held at a gunpoint: play out of position, or no national jersey for you.

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