Previous to Saturday's well-known win over Sale Sharks, Ulster had led till the 82nd, 78th and 81st minutes of their earlier three matches – but one way or the other misplaced all three.
It was an alarming run of kind, particularly within the method of the late defeats and head coach Dan McFarland had described it as “regarding”.
With only one win of their final seven matches – and even that was a lucky one away to Connacht – questions have been being requested about gamers and administration.
The gutsy, low-scoring exhibiting away to La Rochelle confirmed indicators of enchancment, but it was one other blow that left Ulster on the point of elimination from the Champions Cup.
When Sale Sharks rolled into city on Saturday for the winner-takes-all ultimate Pool B match, it is protected to say there wasn't an enormous quantity of optimism.
But, come the ultimate whistle there was an almighty explosion of aid as Ulster ended their torrid run to progress to the knockout phases of the Champions Cup.
Regardless of contemporary reminiscences of the late heartbreak Ulster wouldn't be denied, not this time.
Whereas Ulster weren't good within the win, and the format of the Champions Cup permits for development with one victory, again row Nick Timoney admitted “we would have liked this so badly”.
“We desperately wanted that, only for the entire momentum of our season and to show to ourselves the place we really stand,” he added.
“We proved to ourselves that we had that little bit of resilience.
“All the things that would go unsuitable, has gone unsuitable for the previous nonetheless many weeks, so I used to be delighted from that perspective that as a squad we took what we would have liked to get ourselves again in the correct course.
“We now have to again that up subsequent week [against Stormers], and going ahead. I am not saying all is nicely now however it definitely felt like an essential step for us.
“It places every thing in a greater body the place we're nonetheless high 4 within the league and thru into the knockout phases of Europe.”
‘Do or die'
Alan O'Connor, captaining the facet within the absence of the injured Iain Henderson, stated the altering room was at “reverse ends of the spectrum” in comparison with the La Rochelle defeat the earlier week.
“I assumed everybody stood up who wanted to,” added O'Connor.
“We stored religion in ourselves. We believed in what we have been doing and it undoubtedly confirmed tonight.
“We persist with the issues which might be essential, and what's essential to us is our physicality and imposing our sport and our will on different groups.
“We now have had many setbacks this season however we maintain doing what we're doing and have perception.”
O'Connor added the setbacks Ulster confronted had been “robust” however Saturday's win “confirmed what we care about”.
“All of us knew what the plan was. It is nonetheless a sport of rugby and also you go together with the identical intentions to win each sport.
“Possibly within the latter phases of the sport you must be a bit smarter, however I assumed we handled it fairly nicely.
“I assumed we actually needed it. We would have liked to need it as a result of if we did not deliver that emotion we weren't going to get by in Europe.
“It was do or die, and we did it.”
‘Followers had perception'
Timoney praised the group on the Kingspan Stadium for his or her position within the win. It was paying homage to essentially the most well-known European nights and the assist undoubtedly helped the gamers recover from the road.
“You possibly can forgive individuals about not being overly enthusiastic when issues aren't going nicely, however I assumed they have been unbelievable in that second half,” he stated.
“The entire stadium appeared to have that perception that we have been going to win it.
“After they get entangled like that then it's such an enormous benefit for us. It is genuinely the perfect place for us to play.
“It definitely felt like they have been wanting to seek out the positives and I suppose as a crew and group of followers we discovered the positives in the long run.”
Ulster's reward for making the last-16? A visit to Dublin in April to face the would possibly of Leinster, who've but to lose a sport in any competitors this season.
“Might as nicely do it the onerous manner, eh?,” O'Connor joked.
“We'll get pleasure from that problem when it comes. Leinster are at all times an excellent problem and we'll go for it.”
Timoney added: “You are not going to win the competitors, realistically, until you beat Leinster this 12 months, so why not?
“They're clearly unbelievable and are enjoying unbelievable rugby, however we all know them higher than we all know any of the opposite groups left within the competitors, so it is definitely going to be enjoyable.”
On Friday the Stormers – the reigning United Rugby Championship winners – come to Belfast, and McFarland's males can be hoping for an additional supporter-inspired efficiency to indicate they are surely again on monitor, and that Saturday's win over Sale was not a false daybreak.
