Ulster still weighed down by a 'what if' conundrum

Two-legged knock out fixtures certainly added a new dimension to European rugby this year.

In a time where clubs are struggling financially and stadia are being used for external events, rugby is cashing in on multiple fronts in the post-Covid (lockdown) era, including home and away fixtures.

I don't have strong feelings either way when it comes to the aggregate score across two legs of matches. Some were against it, but it added an element of fairness to the knockout stages before we get into the quarter-finals.

The one big loser of the knockout series has to be Ulster. They managed to beat Toulouse away from home. That was a serious statement of intent, as well as a confidence booster going into the rest of the tournament. Yet, after the return fixture, they find themselves eliminated from Europe and grasping at winning the URC to make any strides forward this year, such are the expectations now in the northern province.

I felt as though Ulster were after making strides towards catching up with Leinster, to a degree, and were now seen as the second-placed Irish province. Munster’s form has been up and down, whereas Ulster seemed to be building something, despite their own inconsistencies.

Before their slip up against Toulouse, there would have been uncertainty surrounding Munster’s ability to win an away quarter-final at Kingspan Stadium. Ulster would have been clear favourites.

That’s because of the development and transition that Ulster have gone through, and they seemed to be out the other side of it. They have experience in the likes of Henderson, McCloskey, and Rob Herring, mixed with serious potential in the younger leadership group with the likes of Lowry, Balacoune and James Hume.

With Vermuelen in the back row, they