Will 'feel-good factor' help end Ulster's drought?
After moving one game away from a first European final since 2012, can the "feel-good factor" help end Ulster's 20-year trophy drought?
Bryn Ward scored Ulster's sixth and final try in the big win over La Rochelle [Getty Images] After weathering Storm Dave in their last-16 win over Ospreys, Ulster produced a storm of their own to blow La Rochelle away to reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals. Not only are Ulster one game away from a first European final since 2012, but they are also flying high compared to 12 months ago. At that point, Richie Murphy's young side were struggling in a failed bid to reach the top eight in the United Rugby Championship, and were long knocked out of the Champions Cup in Europe.
But now, they are flying high in the URC and are third with three games of the season remaining, and are two games away from a first trophy since 2006, when Ulster won the old Celtic League. It has been a remarkable turnaround in the space of the year, and for centre James Hume, the belief is in the group that they can end the 20-year wait for silverware. "Last year obviously didn't go well and you could make the point that we were 'rebuilding still', but I don't think we are," Hume said, doing air abbreviation marks around the word rebuilding.
"I think we're in a remarkable place to go all the way in both competitions if we can. "That's ultimately the aim, that's ultimately the confidence that the team have and the staff have. " Impressive Ulster into Challenge Cup semi-finals As the wind and the rain whistled around the Affidea Stadium, Ulster set the tone early against Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle through Zac Ward's early score.
Tom O'Toole and Cormac Izuchukwu, as well as nine points from the boot of Nathan Doak, put Ulster in control, and the only real blot on the first-half copybook was Judicael Cancoriet's try with the clock in the red. But any time an under-strength La Rochelle side threatened a fightback in the second half, the men in white rallied with a response of their own as brothers Zac and Bryn Ward crossed, and James McCormick scored late on to add a cherry on top. "I thought to score six tries was really good," Murphy said.