How have Ulster progressed despite Bilbao heartbreak?

ByAndy Gray

BBC Sport NI Journalist at the San Mames Stadium, Bilbao

As the sun set over Bilbao on Friday night, it also set on Ulster's dream of lifting the Challenge Cup.

Montpellier did not just break Ulster's hearts. They shattered them with a display of ruthless efficiency to win the competition for the third time.

Nick Timoney's early converted try gave Ulster the perfect start but Montpellier capitalised on mistakes to take a lead they would not relinquish.

Such was the power of the French side, they ended up scoring nine tries as Ulster's resistance wilted in punishingly hot conditions inside San Mames Stadium.

"It's a very difficult day. We came up against a real powerhouse of French rugby," said head coach Richie Murphy.

"They are right up at the top of the table and they had too much power for us tonight."

Ulster came out second best but there were fleeting positives, from Timoney's blistering start to a superb individual finish from the returning Robert Baloucoune.

But there were also lingering 'what ifs?'. What if Zac Ward's missed tackle did not open up space for Montpellier's opening try? Would things have changed if Harry Sheridan was able to keep hold of the ball as he fell towards the line, or if Tom Stewart did not overthrow on his line-out?

All small moments that played a role in the defeat.

However, in truth, given Montpellier's clinical edge and domination in the pack, it probably would not have made much difference over the course of 80 minutes.

As the Ulster players sank to their knees at full-time, the pain etched across their faces, they had one of the most difficult tasks in sport as they watched Montpellier lift the silverware they had craved for so long.

"If you look at where Montpellier sit and the teams they have beaten over the past number of weeks, they are one of the best teams in Europe," added Murphy.

"We're disappointed but we will get back together to have a look at it before we break up."

Twelve months ago the mood around Ulster was much more sombre than it has been in recent months.

But, ultimately, the outcome is the same as the province missed out on the United Rugby Championship play-offs and qualification for the Champions Cup. On top of that, their long-awaited search for silverware will continue.

Digging deeper into the numbers, Ulster finished 14th points better off than the previous URC campaign and moved from 14th to ninth in the table.

And reaching a first European final in 14 years is an achievement not to be sniffed at.

But it is the case of what could have been, both domestically and in Europe, that stings.

"I think we're a completely different team from where we were this time last year," said Murphy.

"At the start of the season if you had told me we would get 52 points in the league and be in a European final with a chance to win it, I would have taken your hand off.

"A team with 52 points has never not got into the top eight in the URC."

There is also the argument that Ulster are victims of their own success.

But, as a reward for an upturn of form, the province were heavily represented in Ireland's Six Nations squad.

A proud moment for those associated with the club, but it did deprived key players of the mid-season breather they normally would have had.

For the final, Ulster were missing their four longest serving players. Captain Iain Henderson was suspended, while Stuart McCloskey - so influential for both Ulster and Ireland - was injured along with Jacob Stockdale and Rob Herring.

"There were eight players in Ireland camp and only two last year," observed Murphy.

"The rugby we've played, and reaching a European final, albeit not with the result we wanted, all of those things have had an impact on us making the top eight.

"We have had to move our resources around and at this time our squad probably isn't strong enough to compete in two competitions."

Murphy added he was "gutted" that Ulster's season had come to a close in a devastating eight-day spell that saw play-off hopes slip away with last week's home loss to Glasgow before they travelled to Bilbao.

With their season now at a close, it will be a long summer for Ulster's players and staff to ponder what went wrong from a campaign that once promised so much.

When asked how Ulster can close the gap to the top sides in Europe, and compete across a season, Murphy said it would be a process.

"It's a lot of work on the training pitch. It's going back and reviewing to make incremental changes over the next period of time.

"You can look at our season and people will decide whether it was good or bad, but we feel like we are moving in the right direction.

"You look at the team we had out there. We had a lot of very young players.

"Those guys will learn a huge amount from that experience. This will drive us forward and it gives us a real taste of how good we have to be to be at the top end of Europe.

"We've done incredibly well to get this far but we're not satisfied with that. We'll come back fighting."