Rugby:Defeat to Leinster was not the ideal preparation for a Heineken Cup semi-final but Ulster attack coach Neil Doak insists there are positives to be taken from the league reverse at Ravenhill.
Ulster face Michael Bradley's Edinburgh in the last four of the European Cup at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and the coaching staff and players have chosen to be buoyed by the manner of their second loss in 21 home games.
“When you look at the previous week, Leinster played Edinbugh and put 50 points on them,” said Doak today. “So when you consider that we lost 16-8 and pushed them quite hard, it’s disappointing but there are promising signs.
“We had a few boys missing and a few others went off injured, and the guys that came in to replace them did a great job. We turned over too much ball, particularly in their 22, and that’s disappointing. We got ourselves in good positions but made critical errors and you can’t do that against the best teams.”
Ulster were missing some frontliners, with Ireland internationals Stephen Ferris, Rory Best and Dan Tuohy all sidelined, but they’ll be back this week for a “good blow out” before “a bit of fine tuning”. Paddy Wallace and Pedrie Wannenburg are also making good progress but doubts remain over Chris Henry and Paul Marshall.
Centre Wallace left the field with a migraine against Leinster, while former South Africa backrower Wannenburg sustained a groin problem.
Wallace’s migraine improved shortly after the conclusion of the match, while Wannenburg’s injury is responding well to treament.
Number eight Henry is battling to be fit as he tries to recover from an ankle sprain and scrumhalf Marshall has an elbow problem.
Nobody will be reading too much into Edinburgh’s patchy form this season. It’s down to a lack of depth in their squad, according to Doak, something all too familiar to Ulster in recent years. It doesn’t mean they can’t produce on the day.
“During the International periods - the World Cup and Six Nations - they have 10 or 11 players who disappear for weeks at a time," says Doak.
“It is difficult to compete on both fronts unless you have a massive squad. Their position in the PRO12 gives a false account of how good a team they are and if you look at their stats in the Heineken Cup, it will give a better indication of them as a team.”
Ulster have registered bonus wins over Edinburgh twice this season, but “that won’t come into it", Doak insists. “It will be about who handles the pressure best on the day. It will be about who does the basics well, who defends well, who gets their setpiece right.”
