Ulster beaten by Bulls despite brave second-half fightback

Ireland rugby head coach Andy Farrell would have permitted himself a wry smile following Ulster’s 34-26 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld during round four of the United Rugby Championship.

With the Ulster side containing eight players named in Ireland’s squad for the upcoming Nations Championship and the Bulls featuring no fewer than nine Springboks, this was a bit of a dress rehearsal for Ireland’s date with South Africa at Aviva Stadium in under a month. Although it must be noted that this game was played in pretty alien conditions for the men from Belfast.