Ulster Rugby: Rory Best says ‘not a huge panic’ after winless start

Ulster Rugby general manager Rory Best has called for calm after five United Rugby Championship matches without a win, while acknowledging that poor starts and discipline have undermined the province’s opening weeks.

Richie Murphy’s side have lost three and drawn two of their league games. Their final outing before the international break ended in a 33-7 defeat by the Stormers in Cape Town.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI on Tuesday, Best said he was focused on how Ulster could improve before their return at Cardiff on 5 December.

Rory Best: ‘We’re not just ignoring the fact we haven’t got a win’

Best identified the gap between Ulster’s stronger passages and the mistakes that have cost them results.

“There are lots of good things in what we’ve done,” he said. “The problem is we’ve mixed that with some average stuff at times, whether that’s not starting games as well as we’d like or discipline.”

The former Ireland captain, speaking at the opening of a high performance centre at Coleraine Grammar School, accepted that the return had fallen below expectations.

“We’re a few points behind where we’d like to be, but we need to make sure we’re not just ignoring the fact we haven’t got a win,” he said. “We’re very aware of that.”

He added: “There’s not a huge panic from my point of view. My view is always how we make sure that in the short, medium and long term we’re moving forward.”

Ulster Rugby results: three defeats and two draws

An opening defeat by Edinburgh was followed by a 33-33 draw away to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun and a 26-26 draw with Munster in Belfast.

The Munster game offered a clear example of Ulster’s uneven performances. They trailed 26-5 at half-time before recovering to earn a draw, with Stuart McCloskey’s late try and Jack Murphy’s conversion bringing them level.

That recovery did not produce a breakthrough on the subsequent South African trip, where defeats by the Bulls and Stormers extended the wait for a first league victory.

When do Ulster play next?

Ulster’s next URC fixture is away to Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday 5 December, with kick-off at 3pm GMT, according to Cardiff’s official fixture list.

Best said the intervening weeks would be used to review the opening block and put improvements in place.

“If you’re worried about a little bit of pressure, then professional rugby isn’t for you,” he said. “That’s all external noise. What’s important is what we’re doing to make sure that we’re continually improving.”

He wants the next block to deliver more wins. Cardiff is the first opportunity to turn that work into a result.

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