United Rugby Championship: Ulster ‘have to look after the ball better’ – Murphy

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said his side “were a bit wasteful at times” during their 28-12 United Rugby Championship victory over Zebre in Parma.

Despite the home side being reduced to 14 men after Simone Gesi’s straight red card just before the half-hour mark, it was a tight and tense match.

The bonus-point win moves Murphy’s side up to third position in the URC table as they return to winning ways ahead of their Challenge Cup fixture against Ospreys at the Affidea Stadium.

“We expected it to be really physical over here and that is what we got,” Murphy said.

“I suppose the red card early in the game gave us a bit more of an advantage and I thought from our point of view, we have to look after the ball better as we were a bit wasteful at times.

“But very happy to get four tries. Coming over here is always very difficult.”

Player of the Match Werner Kok, who scored the bonus-point try, believed that the turning point in the game was the start of the second half.

Ulster scored three tries after the restart with Rob Herring, Zac Ward and Kok all able to cross the line.

“We stopped playing when they went down to 14 and we tried to regroup again and the boys stuck together and played as a team,” Kok said.

“I think the energy from the kick-off [in the second half] was the turning point. The boys stuck in there and that was the turning point for me.”