Dan Soper says Ulster’s URC game against Dragons on Saturday will provide “a nice distraction” following the departure of former head coach Dan McFarland last week.
Assistant coach Soper has been put in charge for the Belfast encounter, before Ireland Under-20s coach Richie Murphy takes the helm in mid-March.
“I’m delighted that we’ve got a game to focus on,” said Soper.
“Last week was a little bit different. Whatever change happens there’s always a bit of disruption, but the one thing we have always prided ourselves on was how to adapt and overcome.
“I don’t suppose there’s a great time for anything like that to happen, but we’ve got to focus about how we go out and play this week and I’ve been really impressed with the players in the last couple of days, their focus towards what we’re going for this weekend.
“The main thing for me has been how supportive the staff and the playing group have been of me for this week, that we get a collective focus and we get ripped into this week. I’m really encouraged by that.”
‘We all need to own this’
Ulster sit eighth in the URC table going into this weekend’s meeting with Dragons and Soper says the squad have had frank discussions about how they may have contributed to their former head coach’s exit in light of their inconsistent results.
“I spoke to the group at the end of last week and said, ‘we all need to own this’. This is not one person’s responsibility, whether we are good, bad or indifferent, we’re in this together,” explained Soper.
“We all have to own what has happened. It’s not nice, it’s not a comfortable thing to have sitting on your shoulders, that in some way you are maybe partly responsible [for McFarland’s departure].
“I’ve just told the group the best way to react to that is in a really positive way and make sure that this turmoil was worth it and the only way we can do that is to go out and perform when we cross the white line on Saturday night.”
Ulster’s priorities for the remainder of the campaign will be to secure a high league finish ahead of the end-of-season URC play-offs, plus qualification for next season’s Champions Cup, as well as success in the Challenge Cup, in which they will face Montpellier in the last 16 in April.
‘Looking forward to working with Murphy’
Soper is looking forward to working with Murphy, whose side remain on course for a third consecutive Under-20s Six Nations Grand Slam after defeating Wales on Friday.
“When I started here [at Ulster], Richie was in the same role with Ireland, doing the skills and kicking, so we would have had a bit to do with each other then,” Soper said.
“He’s a really great guy, so I’m looking forward to working with him in the coming weeks.
“We’ve got a great group of people here who are trying really hard to get better and we need to make it work.”
