It may surprise you that every week I sit down to write these reports I’ve generally watched the match twice, done a couple of rewrites and carried out quite a bit of research into various facts and figures relating to the individual players and the two teams. Invariably, though, I usually end up writing the same formulaic descriptive report, scorers, first quarter, second quarter, etc., etc., team list and then sometimes a wee recap on areas to improve in if we’ve had a defeat. 

You see, it’s generally easier to do what you are comfortable with and most of the time it’s good enough, it gets the information over and, even though I find it boring, it’s a lot easier than trying to be original; it ultimately ends up another tick on my to do list for what is usually a busy weekend. 

At the moment, Ulster are playing something like I write, and the more often you do it the harder it is to break out of the rut. However, if you want to rise above the ordinary you have to make the effort and sometimes you have to reach rock bottom, have nothing to lose, before you make those changes. 

I don’t think there will be many arguments when I say that Ulster, pretty much, reached rock bottom last night with their first 60 minutes against Edinburgh as they trailed 28 – 3 to a fairly workmanlike side who had to do little more than show a bit of enthusiasm to run in their three tries.

I haven’t bothered to watch this match again so I’m struggling to remember anything extraordinary about the efforts from Viliame Mata and Damien Hoyland in the first half but from what I remember Mata sauntered through an non existent defence and Hoyland ran a good line, bouncing through three tackles, to claim his score.

Jason Tovey converted one and added a penalty to give Edinburgh a 15 – 0 lead before Ulster got on the scoreboard, through a Ruan Pienaar penalty, which was quickly annulled, by Duncan Weir, who added another to take the score at the break to Edinburgh 21 Ulster 3.

Edinburgh’s third try decided the game, after Ulster had made a bit of an effort at the start of the second half, a poor scrum from the hosts was converted into a score after some cack tackling allowed Magnus Bradbury to start and finish the move up the left. Tovey converted and Edinburgh led 28 – 3. 

Ulster had chances, Tommy Bowe and Charles Piutau both crossed, the former failing to ground the ball and the latter “unfairly” judged to have knocked on but it wasn’t until Ulster finally found some shape by moving Pienaar to out half that they really started to dominate. 

Aaron Cairns scored with his first touch, chasing up a fine kick from Paul Marshall and minutes later Jacob Stockdale held on to his pants and the ball as he cut a fine line to cross unopposed. Pienaar converted both and it looked like, with eight minutes to go and the score reading 28 – 17, that Ulster might steal a losing bonus if not the game. Unfortunately they showed little composure and less enthusiasm as they allowed Edinburgh to run the clock down, the game ending without further score. 

Ulster: Charles Piutau, Tommy Bowe, Luke Marshall, Sam Windsor, Rob Lyttle, Brett Herron, Ruan Pienaar, Kyle McCall, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst, Dan Tuohy, Franco van der Merwe, Pete Browne, Clive Ross, Sean Reidy. Replacements: John Andrew, Ross Kane, Andrew Warwick, Robbie Diack, Conor Joyce, Paul Marshall, Aaron Cairns, Jacob Stockdale.

I’d said after last week that “Something is definitely rotten in the state of Ulster”, and that remains the case. More worryingly however few seem prepared to rise above the ordinary with too many players allowed to play within their comfort zone. Expectations must be higher or heads have to roll.