Challenge Cup final: Ulster have to ‘fight everything’ against Montpellier

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has urged his players to “fight with everything they’ve got” in Friday’s Challenge Cup final against Montpellier.

The French side are favorites to win the Challenge Cup for a third time in Bilbao as Ulster, who will be without several key players, look to end a 20-year silverware drought.

If Ulster win the decider, they will not only win their first trophy since 2006 but also qualify for Champions Cup Rugby next season.

With Ulster missing suspended captain Ian Henderson and an injured trio of Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Rob Herring, Murphy will lend his own experience to a squad that will be tasting a European final for the first time.

Murphy was coaching Leinster when they won their three most recent Champions Cups, as well as head coach of Ireland when they won an Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam.

“From these experiences, it’s really important to know that things don’t go well in the final and how you react.

“When I watch some of these games, we’ve played some incredible rugby and won but other days you have to fight with everything you’ve got.

“That’s a key part of this game. We have a plan to go out and play, but if that plan doesn’t go the way we want it to, it’s really important that we stick together and fight for everything we can get.”