Challenge Cup final: Ulster have to ‘fight with everything’ against Montpellier

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has called on his players to “fight with everything they have got” in Friday’s Challenge Cup final with Montpellier.

The French side are favourites to win the Challenge Cup for the third time in Bilbao as Ulster, who will be without several key players, look to end a 20-year silverware drought.

If Ulster win the decider, they would not only win a first trophy since 2006 but also qualify for Champions Cup rugby next season.

While Ulster are missing the likes of suspended captain Iain Henderson and the injured trio of Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Rob Herring, Murphy has been passing on his own experiences to a squad who will taste a European final for the first time.

Murphy was coaching at Leinster when they won their three most recent Champions Cups, as well as his time as Ireland’s head coach when they won an Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam.

“From those experiences, it’s really important to know that everything doesn’t go right in a final, and it’s how you react.

“When I look at some of those games, we won by playing some unbelievable rugby but on other days you need to fight with everything you’ve got.

“That’s a key part of this game. We have a plan to go out and play, but if that plan doesn’t go the way we want, it’s really important that we stick together and fight for everything we can get.”