Ulster’s pursuit of their first trophy in two decades ended in disappointment.
As the sun dipped below the horizon in Bilbao on Friday, so too did Ulster’s hopes of claiming the Challenge Cup.
Montpellier proved too formidable, dispatching Ulster with a clinical performance to secure their third title in the competition, emerging as convincing 59-26 victors.
Nick Timoney’s early try, duly converted, provided Ulster with an ideal start, but Montpellier swiftly capitalized on errors to seize a lead they would not relinquish.
The sheer power of the French side saw them cross for nine tries, as Ulster’s resistance waned in the challenging heat within the San Mames stadium.
“It’s a very difficult day. We came up against a real powerhouse of French rugby,” lamented head coach Richie Murphy.
“They are right up at the top of the table and they had too much power for us tonight.”
Ruthless Montpellier end Ulster’s Challenge Cup dream
While the result was unfavorable for Ulster, glimpses of positivity emerged, from Timoney’s dynamic start to a stunning individual try from the returning Robert Baloucoune.
However, questions of “what if?” lingered. Would the outcome have differed if Zac Ward’s missed tackle hadn’t created the space for Montpellier’s opening try? Could the momentum have shifted if Harry Sheridan had maintained possession while falling towards the line, or if Tom Stewart’s line-out throw had been accurate?
These were the minor moments that contributed to the ultimate defeat.
In reality, given Montpellier’s clinical execution and dominance in the forward pack, such instances likely would not have significantly altered the course of the 80-minute contest.
As the Ulster players slumped to the ground at the final whistle, their faces reflecting the pain of defeat, they faced the unenviable task of watching Montpellier lift the trophy they had long desired.
“If you look at where Montpellier sit and the teams they have beaten over the past number of weeks, they are one of the best teams in Europe,” added Murphy.
“We’re disappointed but we will get back together to have a look at it before we break up.”
A year prior, the atmosphere surrounding Ulster was considerably more somber than in recent months.
Yet, the end result remains the same, as the province failed to qualify for the United Rugby Championship play-offs and the Champions Cup. Furthermore, their protracted quest for silverware continues.
Delving deeper into the statistics, Ulster accumulated 14 more points than in the previous URC campaign, ascending from 14th to ninth in the table.
Reaching their first European final in 14 years is an achievement worthy of recognition.
However, the overriding sentiment is one of missed opportunities, both domestically and in Europe.
“I think we’re a completely different team from where we were this time last year,” said Murphy.
“At the start of the season if you had told me we would get 52 points in the league and be in a European final with a chance to win it, I would have taken your hand off.
“A team with 52 points has never not got into the top eight in the URC.”
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‘Absolutely gutted’ – James Hume reflect on Challenge Cup defeat
It could also be argued that Ulster are victims of their own progress.
As a consequence of their improved form, the province had a significant number of players selected for Ireland’s Six Nations squad.
While a source of pride for those affiliated with the club, it deprived key players of the mid-season rest they would typically have received.
For the final, Ulster were without their four longest-serving players. Captain Iain Henderson was suspended, while Stuart McCloskey – a pivotal figure for both Ulster and Ireland – was injured, along with Jacob Stockdale and Rob Herring.
“There were eight players in Ireland camp and only two last year,” observed Murphy.
“The rugby we’ve played, and reaching a European final, albeit not with the result we wanted, all of those things have had an impact on us making the top eight.
“We have had to move our resources around and at this time our squad probably isn’t strong enough to compete in two competitions.”
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‘We’ll learn from this and move on’ – Murphy
Murphy expressed his “gutted” feelings that Ulster’s season had concluded in a painful eight-day period that witnessed their play-off aspirations fade with last week’s home defeat to Glasgow, followed by the trip to Bilbao.
With their season now over, Ulster’s players and staff will have a lengthy summer to reflect on what went awry in a campaign that once held considerable promise.
When questioned about how Ulster can bridge the gap to the leading teams in Europe and compete consistently throughout a season, Murphy emphasized that it would be a gradual process.
“It’s a lot of work on the training pitch. It’s going back and reviewing to make incremental changes over the next period of time,” he stated.
“You can look at our season and people will decide whether it was good or bad, but we feel like we are moving in the right direction.
“You look at the team we had out there. We had a lot of very young players.
“Those guys will learn a huge amount from that experience. This will drive us forward and it gives us a real taste of how good we have to be to be at the top end of Europe.
“We’ve done incredibly well to get this far but we’re not satisfied with that. We’ll come back fighting.”