With Ulster aiming to bounce back from a Round 3 defeat to Toulouse against Harlequins this weekend, Ulster Defence coach, Roddy Grant, told the pre-match press conference that the team would review the defeat and look forward to the vital knockout match.
On Toulouse...
"Bits of frustration that there were inaccuracies from us, obviously being aware and complimenting how Toulouse are as a team but they also capitalised on our errors. We are not naïve to think it was all us, but we could helped ourselves with less errors. A tough game against a really good team."
On errors...
"If you have a slight lapse against good sides, they capitalise. In pro rugby this season the standard has went up another level to international rugby, it's fine margins in Europe and the URC. We had a couple of poor lapses in defence and they got a couple of quick tries. With ball in hand we lost the ball in contact a couple of times and lost it through our set-pieces, so there wasn’t one specific area. Against Toulouse you will always concede something but whatever is in your control you want to limit them."
On facing Harlequins...
"It’s exciting, there is pressure in every game you play in professional rugby. As players and coaches, clubs. It’s an opportunity for us this weekend against a good premiership team full of internationals, they will be hugely motivated and we are ourselves. We are confident.”
On Harlequins strengths...
"It’s going to be a big battlefield in the breakdown. Will Evans is top of the league for jackalling, Dombrandt is second, so they get a lot of turnovers and cause trouble at breakdown.
It suits their attack and counter attack. There are pros and cons to that but if you can look after that there should be space. We want to get that right. You need to be good both sides of the ball. Quins have a good pack and a good line-out."
On keeping Marcus Smith quiet...
"We had Finn Russell a few weeks before! That’s the beauty of playing competition rugby, these competitions have the best players in the world. You have a strategy and the players want to execute and test themselves against the best. Sometimes a Dupont does things that it’s too hard to stop, so you have to suck it up and try stop it."
Ulster Club Captain, Iain Henderson, told reporters that the team is experienced enough to put Toulouse behind them and get themselves prepared for a big performance against Quins.
Toulouse conclusion...
"Toulouse were able to capitalise on every opportunity we gave them, that gave them a lot of flow in their game and we couldn’t stop them. We are focused on this game, every game we want consistency and to win every game. We started the second half off well and there were patches in that half where we looked like we could do some damage but we coughed up moments to give them tries.
Toulouse are a very good side, they played very well. Sometimes you lose some and its one where we just have to take it on the chin."
On another knockout match coming up...
"This weekend is about excitement, building an excitement for the game and take it back to why we all play rugby and the nerves of why we love knock-out rugby.
The guys know they can do it, we have to go back to the drawing board, we need to learn and understand the threats Harlequins will pose."
On making sure morale is good...
"I want to see guys enjoying training, enjoying what we do, you can see when the guys are enjoying it on the pitch and what they do. You can see guys get down on themselves sometimes and it can ruin the whole week after a game like that and you don’t want that to snowball into the next week.
As a senior player I remind the guys you don’t lose how good you are over one weekend. You go back to the drawing board and have the confidence to go and get a good performance. We want to provoke a reaction this Saturday."
Ulster centre, Stuart McCloskey, added that while the squad felt deflated after the recent defeat, the squad would go back to the drawing board this week and prepare themselves for the next challenge.
On bouncing back...
“We went into the game knowing how good they were, when we look back at it, they had a few tries that were too easy. We should have made them work a bit more. There was some stuff that was a bit more positive but one to forget.
Hopefully we can have a bit of bounce back this week, we were doing well over the last few weeks, so we aren’t too far away. We felt a bit deflated after the match and have came back down to earth but there is a lot of enthusiasm in the group and we need to turn up against Quins."
Putting it all out there...
"It's knock-out for us. They have already qualified so hopefully that gives us a slight edge come game-day."