Soper: Connacht beating did Ulster a 'favour'

Ulster's heavy defeat to Connacht in last October’s meeting at the Aviva Stadium has done the team a "favour", says assistant coach Dan Soper.

The Westerners ran in five tries to shatter Ulster’s winning run at the start of the season with a 36-11 win.

It led to a lot of soul searching for Dan McFarland’s men, who never landed a blow in the tie.

However, they finished their Heineken Champions Cup pool phases with four wins from four and also claimed the scalp of Leinster at the RDS.

They now sit third in the URC table following Friday night's bonus-point win over Scarlets.

The sides were due to meet at Christmas but the fixture was postponed due to Covid-19 in the Ulster camp.

Ahead of Friday night’s re-match, Soper stressed the importance of that result in Dublin to Ulster’s resurgence.

"We took a lot of learning out of that game, they exposed quite a number of issues that the previous four teams that we played hadn’t done.

"In some ways they did us a great service that day, by giving us a bit of a lesson.

"Connacht did us a favour in that game cos they exposed a few things we needed to address.

"We’ve tried to do that that and in many ways we have. We have a good run of results and we’re pleased with how we are progressing.

"We also know all that counts for nothing in an inter-pro battle.

"Our game has moved on from then, as has Connacht's, as everyone does.

"Are we in a better place now? Yes, I would say, without doubt we are.

"Our game has moved on nicely but also the rugby Connacht are playing has been excellent, although results [haven’t gone their way]."

Ulster will issue a medical update later this week but Soper hinted that John Cooney and Stuart McCloskey are unlikely to feature on Friday.

"I’d be surprised to see those two