Richie Murphy eyes long-term role with Ulster

Richie Murphy says his ambition is earn a longer-term role with Ulster after it was announced earlier this week that he would become interim head coach at the province at the end of the Under-20 Six Nations campaign.

The current Ireland U20s coach, speaking ahead of tonight's Six Nations clash with Wales, explained his rationale in taking up the offer to replace Dan McFarland, who departs after five and a half years with the province.

"It was a phone call during the week and it was a pretty easy decision to try and take up that opportunity," he told RTÉ Sport.

"That opportunity is going to come in a couple of weeks’ time, but I’m fully focused here on what I have to do with the 20s."

Asked if he would be interested in the job long term, he said: "Yeah, exactly, I'm a coach so working at the top end of the game in the professional side of it is amazing so it's something I'm looking forward to."

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Ireland remain on track for another championship after Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023 under Murphy’s stewardship.

He led the team to the final of the U20s World Championship last summer and was part of the Leinster and Ireland set-ups before taking over as U20s boss in 2021.

McFarland had more than a year to run on his Ulster contract, but has agreed to step aside early after a run of poor form which has seen them fall to eighth in the BKT United Rugby Championship table, and miss out on a place in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup.