Latest news with #RobertBaloucoune
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Massively disappointing' - Murphy on Munster defeat
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says his side is resigned to playing in the second tier of European rugby next year after their 38-20 defeat to Munster on Friday. For the second week in succession, Ulster failed to register a score in the second half - leaving them five points off the play-offs with one game left to play. A top eight finish in the United Rugby Championship would not only guarantee a spot in the post-season play-offs but also a coveted place in the Champions Cup. "I think over the last couple of weeks, although we haven't got the results that we wanted, this will stand to us in the long run and it means probably playing [in the] Challenge Cup next year so that's where we're at," Murphy said after the defeat. "We'll learn from it and we'll dust ourselves off, go to Edinburgh next week and try and finish on a high but at this moment of time it's massively disappointing for us." With captain Iain Henderson and wing Robert Baloucoune back in the starting side, Ulster had opened brightly with an early try from Stuart McCloskey and went in at the break four points behind their hosts. But the intensity of the opening half fell away as Munster took control of proceedings to see out a win that leaves hopes of a play-off place for them in their own hands. "We didn't look after the ball well enough - probably didn't look after ball well enough all day - and around some breakdown areas as well, so it's disappointing for us," Murphy continued. "When we were four points behind, we had a couple of opportunities where we're just forcing passes and balls are on the ground. Munster in Thormond Park have lived off that for years, so you can't give them those opportunities."
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Massively disappointing' - Murphy on Munster defeat
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says his side is resigned to playing in the second tier of European rugby next year after their 38-20 defeat to Munster on the second week in succession, Ulster failed to register a score in the second half - leaving them five points off the play-offs with one game left to play.A top eight finish in the United Rugby Championship would not only guarantee a spot in the post-season play-offs but also a coveted place in the Champions Cup."I think over the last couple of weeks, although we haven't got the results that we wanted, this will stand to us in the long run and it means probably playing [in the] Challenge Cup next year so that's where we're at," Murphy said after the defeat."We'll learn from it and we'll dust ourselves off, go to Edinburgh next week and try and finish on a high but at this moment of time it's massively disappointing for us."With captain Iain Henderson and wing Robert Baloucoune back in the starting side, Ulster had opened brightly with an early try from Stuart McCloskey and went in at the break four points behind their the intensity of the opening half fell away as Munster took control of proceedings to see out a win that leaves hopes of a play-off place for them in their own hands."We didn't look after the ball well enough - probably didn't look after ball well enough all day - and around some breakdown areas as well, so it's disappointing for us," Murphy continued."When we were four points behind, we had a couple of opportunities where we're just forcing passes and balls are on the ground. Munster in Thormond Park have lived off that for years, so you can't give them those opportunities."
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ulster's Henderson and Baloucoune return for crucial Munster game
Ulster captain Iain Henderson will make his return from a three-month lay-off after being named in the starting team to face Munster on experienced second row has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since Ireland's Six Nations win over England on 1 February. He is joined by winger Robert Baloucoune, whose only previous appearance this season was a try-scoring one against the Stormers on 28 March. Mike Lowry has been passed fit to start at full-back after being concussed against Murphy's side are currently three points off the top eight as they chase a spot in the end-of-season play-offs and next season's Champions find themselves in a slightly better position, three points ahead of Ulster in ninth spot in the United Rugby Championship Lowry, Baloucoune, Postlethwaite, McCloskey, Stockdale; Murphy, Doak; Warwick, Herring, Wilson; Henderson (capt), Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Timoney, Stewart, Reid, O'Toole, O'Connor, McCann, Shanahan, Stewart Moore, Kok.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ulster wait for scan of Baloucoune injury
Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune requires a scan to determine the extent of his latest hamstring 27-year-old, who has won four caps for Ireland, made his comeback from 11 months out in the province's United Rugby Championship (URC) win over Stormers at Kingspan Stadium on Friday scored his side's first try in the comeback victory but was replaced after 47 Ben Carson also failed to finish that fixture due to a back complaint and an Ulster statement said that both players "will have scans early this week to further assess the extent of their respective injuries".Richie Murphy's side travel to face Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday. Centre James Hume will be "monitored through training" in the build-up to that trip after missing the win over Stormers through illness.
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ulster's Baloucoune available for Stormers match
Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune could make his first appearance of the season for the Irish province in the United Rugby Championship game against the Stormers at Kingspan Stadium on 27-year-old has not played this season because of a calf injury but has been training in recent weeks and has now "re-integrated into full team training" according to a squad update issued by Ulster Rugby on Andy Warwick and hooker Tom Stewart are also available for selection after report no fresh injury concerns for their meeting with the South African side but are still without a number of key personnel including Ethan McIlroy, Werner Kok, Jude Postlethwaite, Cormac Izuchukwu and Iain match will be broadcast live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and prop Sam Crean has returned to Saracens following his short-term sit ninth in the URC table going into this weekend's action, one place and one point behind their opponents in Belfast on Friday.
