Ulster's Dan ​McFarland plotting path to landmark in Leinster

Ulster travel to meet their nemesis at the Aviva Stadium in the last 16 of the Heineken Champions Cup on Saturday evening.

Leinster have won 15 out of their 16 games in the URC, with a draw coming last Friday against defending champions Stormers when Leo Cullen’s side had none of their Ireland Grand Slam winners in the squad.

In Europe, Leinster topped Pool A with four bonus point wins in four games, scoring 184 points and conceding 34 points.

Leinster have already done a league double over Ulster this season – but after five wins in their last six games, McFarland is confident Ulster can progress to the quarter-final.

“Leinster's heartbeat is their gain line and their lightning quick ball, if you let them have that, or if they're able to impose that, then you're going to struggle in the game,” said McFarland. “That's the bottom line, it's not rocket science, we've managed to slow it down in past games but you have to do it consistently.

“They are going to score tries against you, they'll score tries against anyone, you have to put yourself in a position where you can score tries as well.

“The territory game is really important, they're smart, they've a really good kicking game, kick-chase game.

“They're very much an error-free team at the back, the pressure that comes from the territory game and your ability to create your own gain line and slow down their ball...it starts and stops with that.”

McFarland wants Ulster to go and express themselves in the game not just try to contain Leinster.

“You can't rely on trying to shut them down, it's too single-faceted,” he said. “If you're not able to put pressure on them in multiple ways, it doesn't have to be in every way, but in a number of ways, they are going to find an answer.

“Without wanting to link Ireland and Leinster, when you look at the Ireland v England game, England found a way to put pressure on them in one way with crazy line speed but Ireland, the country, is so full of quality players that they'll find an answer to that somehow during the game.

“It's the same with Leinster, if we chose one way to stop them, it's not going to do it.

“We have to find a way to create momentum for ourselves off the back of any good defence that we have by being good in attack.

“It gives them something else to think about.

"How easy is that? Well it happens their defence is the best in the league as well.

“You've got to be smart.

“We approach it in that’s on us to put in the best performance we possibly can, be as physical as we possibly can and make every moment of the game a contest against them. And if we’re able to do that consistently then the chips will fall as they’ll fall...we can only influence the game by the way we play.“When we get it right, we’re a very good team and we’ll need to get it right.”

Meanwhile Ulster have received a boost ahead of the game with scrum half John Cooney expected to commit his future to the club by signing a new two-year deal.

Cooney, who is now qualified for Scotland, was set to leave Kingspan Stadium when his current deal runs out at the end of the summer.

“We’d love John to stay….John has been a great player for Ulster over a number of years,” said McFarland. “In my time here he has had some terrific performances for us so, yeah, I’d very much like that.”