McFarland eyes Thomond tonic after nightmare trip to SA

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland hopes victory against Munster next weekend will be the remedy for their disastrous trip to South Africa, which was derailed by a stomach bug that swept through the squad and coaching staff.

Ulster's BKT United Rugby Championship clash with the Cell C Sharks in Durban was postponed last Friday after an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the travelling party.

Ulster said on Sunday that 29 players and 13 support staff became unwell in the lead-up to the fixture - that had been slated for Saturday - with the medical team confirming both E coli and Norovirus were later found in tested samples.

The squad is due back in Belfast on Monday lunchtime to start preparations for the inter-pro derby at Thomond Park. It is not yet clear when the match with the Sharks will be played

"We came to Durban with our sights set on doing what, to this point, no other team in the URC has managed to do - the double in South Africa," said McFarland.

"The win versus the Lions was a big physical challenge, and I was proud of the way the guys fronted.

"We are used to travelling to South Africa and what it requires, and this level of sickness was unprecedented. Whilst staying in Durban, 29 players and 13 support staff were hit with both E coli and Norovirus.

"It’s disappointing, especially given how unwell our group was, that some chose to question the reasoning for our game to be postponed, as we have invested a lot as a group and an organisation in getting this fixture played.

"With players and staff now recovering, we are focused on getting home to start preparations for our upcoming inter-pro fixture at Thomond Park."