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Dan McFarland faces a nervous wait over the extent of Michael Lowry’s head damage sustained in Friday evening’s essential United Rugby Championship win over the Sharks in Belfast.
Lowry scored the opening attempt in a pulsating 24-21 victory that secured Ulster a house tie within the quarter-finals which will likely be performed on the weekend of June 4.
However the 23-year-old’s night ended within the thirty second minute when he required medical remedy following a crunching deal with on Sharks full-back Aphelele Fassi.
Learn extra:Ulster safe URC residence quarter-final after a bruising win over the Sharks
TV footage confirmed blood flowing from Lowry’s face and a heavy swelling growing round his cheek under the fitting eye socket as he walked off the pitch.
Requested for a prognosis on the damage after the sport, head coach McFarland stated: “We don’t know but. It was a everlasting removing so he was by no means coming again on.
“We’ll have to attend and discover out at the start of the week when the medical doctors have assessed him.”
Lowry has been one of many vivid sparks of Ulster’s assault this season and it could be a serious blow to lose the fleet footed full-back for the knockout levels of the URC.
On the plus aspect, McFarland is assured James Hume will likely be match for the play-offs regardless of present process a first-half HIA and being changed by Stewart Moore late on.
The 23-year-old centre, who was within the thick of the bodily battle, returned from his HIA at the beginning of the second half and raced clear to attain Ulster’s third attempt.
“Why did he come off ultimately? It was getting fairly tense at that time,” stated McFarland. “I can’t bear in mind why he got here off however I don’t suppose there’s something vital.”
Ulster required a win over their South African opponents to safe a house quarter-final they usually did it in a wide ranging encounter on the Kingspan Stadium.
Lowry scampered over to assist McFarland’s males ease themselves right into a 10-0 half-time lead, earlier than second-half tries from Stuart McCloskey and Hume gave them a 24-7 benefit.
The Sharks, who had pulled it again to 17-7 with a Ntuthuko Mchunu attempt, scored two tries in three minutes on the demise via Marius Louw and the lightning fast Grant Williams.
That late flurry teed up a grandstand end however Ulster held on to climb to second within the URC desk and seal a house quarter-final within the course of.
The id of their last-eight opponents will likely be identified following Saturday’s video games which embrace an Interpro between Leinster and Munster on the Aviva and Scarlets towards the Stormers.
If Munster and the Stormers fail to win, Ulster could be assured a runners-up end within the desk and a house semi-final in the event that they attain that stage of the competitors.
McFarland stated: “We’ve acquired every week with out a recreation and whoever we’re going to be enjoying our breakdown work and assault work goes to be fairly essential.
“It could possibly be a South African aspect, it could possibly be a Scottish aspect, the identical factor will apply to any of them. I’m simply trying ahead to enjoying a house quarter-final.”
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