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Dan McFarland: Ulster Rugby head coach set to leave after nearly six years in charge

Dan McFarland: Ulster Rugby head coach set to leave after nearly six years in charge

Alkass Digital

Ulster head coach Dan McFarland is set to leave his position after nearly six years in charge, BBC Sport NI understands.

Ulster have lost their past three games in all competitions and are eighth in the United Rugby Championship table.

They were knocked out of the Investec Champions Cup in the group stages after three defeats in four games.

The 51-year-old Englishman signed a contract extension two years ago to stay in the post until 2025.

However, a string of poor results recently look to have spelled the end of his reign and he is set to leave as the club's longest-serving coach in the professional era.

McFarland was appointed by Ulster to replace Jono Gibbes in 2018, initially on a three-year contract, following a spell as Scotland forwards coach.

Under him, Ulster reached the Pro14 final in 2020 and twice progressed to the Champions Cup quarter-finals as well as the Challenge Cup semi-finals in 2021.

Ulster are next in action on 2 March when they host Dragons in the URC before a trip to South Africa to face the Sharks and Stormers.

They also face a trip to Montpellier in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup on 7 April.

While last season concluded on a disappointing note with defeats by Leinster and Connacht ending their respective European and URC campaigns, Ulster were optimistic the installation of the new 3G pitch at Kingspan Stadium for the 2023-24 season would facilitate an exciting attacking brand of rugby.

The squad was also boosted by the acquisition of South Africa's two-time World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff, who linked up with Ulster after his country's triumph in France.

But while Ulster began the season with four wins in their first five games, they then suffered three defeats in a row - against Glasgow and Edinburgh in the URC in late November and Bath in their European opener on 9 December.

Needing a lift, Ulster completed a hat-trick of wins over the festive period against Racing, Connacht and Leinster.

But after shipping a combined 95 points in heavy losses to Toulouse and Harlequins that ended their Champions Cup campaign, Ulster endured further misery on their return from a four-week break with a late URC defeat at the Ospreys.