Ulster Rugby: Will ‘feel-good factor’ help end 20-year trophy drought?

As the wind and the rain whistled around the Affidea Stadium, Ulster set the tone early against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle through Zac Ward’s early score.

Tom O’Toole and Cormac Izuchukwu, as well as nine points from the boot of Nathan Doak, put Ulster in control, and the only real blot on the first-half copybook was Judicael Cancoriet’s try with the clock in the red.

But any time an under-strength La Rochelle side threatened a fightback in the second half, the men in white rallied with a response of their own as brothers Zac and Bryn Ward crossed, and James McCormick scored late on to add a cherry on top.

“I thought to score six tries was really good,” Murphy said.

“I thought we played some really good rugby at times, but those conditions were really tough.”

La Rochelle were missing a number of key players through injury or with a focus on the Top 14, like Will Skelton, Gregory Alldritt and Antoine Hastoy, but as two-time Champions Cup winners they could not be discounted.

As Hume said, the La Rochelle badge speaks for itself.

“It was obviously a big occasion. We recognised that during the week and then when you get here and you see them with the La Rochelle badge, you know this is a massive game.”

“It was a huge opportunity for this club with the direction we want to go, to move into the latter stages of competitions.”