Ulster face a challenging return to action this weekend against Benetton, with Stuart McCloskey expected to miss the game due to injury. The Irish centre initially suffered a groin strain during Ireland's autumn international series but re-injured himself during their win over Australia last week.
Despite this setback, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has reassured fans that McCloskey is on track for a quick recovery, with the centre likely to return to action within weeks. "He's not too bad," Murphy said in an interview with BBC Sport NI. "He obviously picked up a groin injury with Ireland and reaggravated it but the signs are quite positive."
McCloskey will have to wait at least one more game for his chance to get back on the pitch, however, as he is set to sit out Ulster's URC clash against Benetton. The 25-year-old Australia prop Angus Bell has also arrived in Belfast after a hectic period of international fixtures, but will not feature against the Italian opponents this weekend.
Murphy acknowledged that Benetton were a "very dense" and well-funded team, with a strong squad and big budget. However, he remained confident that Ulster could get back to winning ways in front of their home fans at the Affidea Stadium on Friday night.
"We just have to look after ourselves," Murphy said. "We've had a really good block over the last three weeks and the lads have worked really hard in training so we're looking forward to getting back at it [on] Friday night."
The province will enter a 10-match bloc, with six URC games and participation in the Challenge Cup on the European stage. They face two French teams - Racing 92 and Stade Francais - at home and travel to take on Cardiff and the Cheetahs.
Murphy highlighted that while the French teams were top-class opponents, it was crucial for Ulster to focus on their own development and work towards getting into the top tier of Europe.
Despite this setback, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has reassured fans that McCloskey is on track for a quick recovery, with the centre likely to return to action within weeks. "He's not too bad," Murphy said in an interview with BBC Sport NI. "He obviously picked up a groin injury with Ireland and reaggravated it but the signs are quite positive."
McCloskey will have to wait at least one more game for his chance to get back on the pitch, however, as he is set to sit out Ulster's URC clash against Benetton. The 25-year-old Australia prop Angus Bell has also arrived in Belfast after a hectic period of international fixtures, but will not feature against the Italian opponents this weekend.
Murphy acknowledged that Benetton were a "very dense" and well-funded team, with a strong squad and big budget. However, he remained confident that Ulster could get back to winning ways in front of their home fans at the Affidea Stadium on Friday night.
"We just have to look after ourselves," Murphy said. "We've had a really good block over the last three weeks and the lads have worked really hard in training so we're looking forward to getting back at it [on] Friday night."
The province will enter a 10-match bloc, with six URC games and participation in the Challenge Cup on the European stage. They face two French teams - Racing 92 and Stade Francais - at home and travel to take on Cardiff and the Cheetahs.
Murphy highlighted that while the French teams were top-class opponents, it was crucial for Ulster to focus on their own development and work towards getting into the top tier of Europe.
like stuart mccloskey is injured AGAIN?! 
i mean i know he's supposed to be "not too bad" but it's just not fair to the team, ya know? they need him now more than ever. and benetton is just gonna take advantage of this 
Richie murphy says they're a "very dense" and well-funded team... yeah no kidding, dude 
i mean i'm glad he's confident in our abilities but come on, we can't lose to anyone right now 
just hope stuart mccloskey is back soon, cant imagine ulster without him 
this guy murphy is saying they need to focus on themselves, makes sense but gotta be realistic about the competition 
! Losing McCloskey is huge for them, especially with Benetton being such a strong team 
. Richie Murphy's confidence in their chances to win at home is good, but we'll see how it goes 
. The 10-match block ahead is gonna be intense 
so benetton is a big budget team 
i think he's being optimistic 
but we gotta give it to him, ulster have been on fire lately 
️ hopefully he'll be back soon and can get us some points against benetton 
but not so much on offense 
ulster should be able to capitalize on their attacking skills 
we gotta take care of ourselves first 
and build a strong squad for the rest of the season 
10-match block is gonna be tough but i think we've got what it takes 
. I'm not saying Benetton can't put up a good fight, but it seems like they're prioritizing their pockets over player development 
. But like, good news is that the coach says he'll be back soon 
. And omg Angus Bell just showed up in Belfast?! 
. Can't wait for the Challenge Cup and URC games though! The squad has been working so hard 
. Let's go Ulster! 
️
! Stuart McCloskey is definately out tho, which sucks 
. I mean, they're very dense and all that 
! And omg, 10 matches in a row? That's gonna be intense 
. and yeah, Murphy's right about Benetton being a tough opponent - they do have a big budget and squad... but Ulster just need to keep themselves out of trouble at home 
I mean, they've got a tough game against Benetton this weekend, but Richie Murphy's got everythin' under control 
. Stuart McCloskey might be out, but he's lookin' good to get back on the pitch in no time 
! The French teams are gonna bring their A-game, but Ulster's got this 
. Can't wait for Friday night at the Affidea Stadium! 
I mean, I know it's a tough sport and all that but it sounds like Ulster is having some issues with injuries 
rather than just worrying about winning games all the time. I mean, if you can't take care of yourself, you won't be able to perform at your best, right? 
Stuart McCloskey's injury is like a meme loop: re-injure him again and he'll be back out in 2 weeks 
Racing 92 and Stade Francais are like two peas in a pod: both top-class and equally confusing 
hope Ulster can get back on winning ways at home though 
