'We need to develop from within' - Ulster coach Murphy

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said it was "nice to finally put to bed" speculation surrounding his future after he was confirmed as the province's permanent boss.

The former Ireland Under-20 head coach signed a two-year deal on Monday after he had initially come in as interim boss in March.

He replaces Dan McFarland, who left in February after five and a half years at the helm.

Murphy admits discussions about his long-term future at Ulster started soon after his arrival.

"Things have been going on in the background for a while, it is not something I have been massively focused on, I have just come in to do the job," he said.

"I'm excited now to move on to the next stage, Ulster feels like a big part of Belfast so it's really good in that regard."

Murphy, who previously worked as skills and kicking coach with Leinster and the Ireland national team, has been in charge of seven games to date during his temporary stint.

He has lost three and won four, with his side currently on a three-game winning run.

Ulster are sixth in the United Rugby Championship (URC) table before their penultimate game against Leinster, with only the top eight advancing to the play-offs.

Murphy has been pleased with the response from his players since his arrival and hopes they can continue to improve under his guidance and enjoy a strong end to the season.

"The lads have been very supportive from very early on," added the 54-year-old.

"I'm in a good position in that I've come in and I've worked with a lot of them through the U20 system over the last three years and some of them through the Irish senior team further back which gives them confidence that they know me and as a coach I like people to feel comfortable.

"If standards aren't being met we'll deal with that, and the guys have enjoyed that approach so far and we're seeing responses from conversations we've had."

Murphy has built his reputation on developing young players, having won a pair of Six Nations Grand Slams during his Ireland U20 tenure and knows he will need to continue his track record with the province.

It is set to be a period of transition at Ulster, with the experienced duo of Billy Burns and Steven Kitshoff departing in the summer, with Murphy keen to promote from within given the club's financial constraints.

Since his arrival, he has already given more minutes to Academy graduates such as Harry Sheridan, Scott Wilson and Cormac Izuchukwu.

"The challenge ahead is how we build this team, which will be quite young, to make sure we become competitive," added Murphy.

"We're in a situation where most of the signings have been done and the budget is where it's at.

"There are probably one or two adjustments to that in the next couple of weeks so we're working away on that in the background but a lot of it was done before I came in."

While Ulster brought in South African Kitshoff, a two-time World Cup winner, as their marquee signing last year, Murphy does not anticipate a similar high-profile arrival at the Kingspan Stadium this summer.

He said: "We're not looking at a marquee signing but exciting young players. We're not like a Man City of the rugby world, we can't go out and take whoever we need, so that means we need to develop from within."

"Our link with the academy needs to be really strong and our feedback with players needs to be positive and direct.

"We need to make sure the young players understand what it means to play for Ulster and at URC level."