Ulster 'have to fight with everything' in final

Breaking news from the world of sport: Ulster 'have to fight with everything' in finalImage source, InphoImage caption, Richie Murphy has guided Ulster to a European final in his second full season in chargeByAndy GrayBBC Sport NI Journalist in BilbaoPublished31 minutes agoUlster head coach Richie Murphy has called on his players to "fight with everything they have got" in Friday's Challenge Cup final with Montpellier. The French side are favourites to win the Challenge Cup for the 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 would not only win a first trophy since 2006 but also qualify for Champions Cup rugby next season.

While Ulster are missing the likes of suspended captain Iain Henderson and the injured trio of Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Rob Herring, Murphy has been passing on his own experiences to a squad who will taste a European final for the first time. Murphy was coaching at Leinster when they won their three most recent Champions Cups, as well as his time as Ireland's head coach when they won an Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam. "From those experiences, it's really important to know that everything doesn't go right in a final, and it's how you react.

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"When I look at some of those games, we won by playing some unbelievable rugby but on other days you need 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's really important that we stick together and fight for everything we can get.

"Fit-again Baloucoune starts for Ulster in final Published5 hours agoHow missing Ulster quartet can still play a role in final Published21 hours agoSpeaking the day before the game in Bilbao, Murphy called on his side to "embrace" the opportunity in front of them. While losing the missing quartet is a blow, Ulster have been boosted by the return of Ireland wing Robert Baloucoune, who will make his first first start since the Six Nations due to injury. "We keep talking all the time about playing the game that we want to play.

"We're not going to change this week. We're going to play a final the way we have tried to approach all of our games all season. " Murphy added that he wanted to make his players feel as comfortable as possible as many of them step into the biggest games of their careers.

"It's a big week, and the comfort in your daily preparation and your routine, that you have done all season, when it comes to a final is really important that you try and keep that the same. "It's about trying to make people feel comfortable and to give them the confidence that they have prepared really well. "It's a case of not getting in the way and to let people do what they are doing, but you keep them on task, which is to get them ready to play.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.