'Really difficult' - but dad Richie proud of Murphy boys Ben and Jack

The Murphys are not the first set of brothers to face off against each other for Irish provinces, and not even the first or second to do so in 2024, but their clash, when Connacht hosted Ulster last Saturday, did have a unique aspect.

Ben and Jack's father, Richie, is the head coach of Ulster and found himself in the unusual, if not unique, position of having to plot against his son.

It was a common problem for Ireland boss Andy Farrell, whose son Owen was England’s out-half on numerous occasions.

In the reverse Ulster-Connacht fixture in Belfast in October, the O’Connor brothers, Alan and David, met on the field of battle, with both introduced as replacements at the Kingspan Stadium, for the home and away sides, respectively.

Ireland internationals Cian Prendergast, Connacht captain, and Sam Prendergast, Leinster out-half, also played against each other at the end of last season.

On Saturday it was younger brother Jack, 20, a standout at out-half in Ireland's unbeaten run in the U20s Six Nations, on his first start for Ulster since joining from the Leinster academy over summer, who emerged victorious.

The visitors ended a five-game losing streak with a 17-7 win, while 23-year-old Ben, who also moved from Leinster over the summer, came on as a replacement for Connacht, who have now lost three URC games in a row.

"It’s a really difficult thing because we are so proud of the two boys and how hard they have worked to get to the level that they are at," Richie Murphy told RTÉ Sport's Michael Corcoran.

"It’s something they’ve worked a long time at. To come from Presentation College Bray, which isn’t the strongest rugby school in the world, it just shows that if you are willing to work hard and master your craft, you can get to the