Ulster flanker Nick Timoney has dismissed the idea that the province can hide behind the excuse of playing young players for their wretched European form.
Richie Murphy’s side suffered their third straight heavy defeat in the Champions Cup on Saturday, falling to a six-try 38-10 defeat at Leicester Tigers despite taking an early 10-point lead, to leave them still searching for their first point in the competition in 2024/25.
That, combined with a comprehensive defeat in Toulouse and another lopsided result at home to Bordeaux, leaves Ulster’s knock-out hopes hanging by the slimmest of threads and makes Friday’s final pool game against Exeter essentially a shoot-out for a place in the Challenge Cup last-16 instead.
But despite ending the game with a vastly inexperienced backline that featured four players aged under 22 – two of whom were making their European debuts – Timoney insists that should not be used as an excuse for an error-strewn display.
“It means when we’ve got a lot of guys back fit, we’ll be in an incredible place. Lads are getting experience that perhaps they mightn’t have gotten if everyone was fit,” said the Ireland flanker.
“The reason we’re not winning these games isn’t because we have young lads playing, it’s all of us. It’s myself, there’s Hendy (Iain Henderson), Andy Warwick, there’s guys who have been around for years and we need to play better, too.
“It’s a full team thing, and I think the team will be in a good place when guys come back and there’s competition, and there’s young lads who have put their best foot forward and then there’s some more experienced players to come back.
“In the long run, as much as it’s painful to lose these games now, we’ll be better for it.”