Unfair.

Ulster head coach Jono Gibbes and flanker Sean Reidy were asked about Brian O’Driscoll’s comments this week, where he labelled Ulster as a ‘basket case’ when discussing a potential move up north for Ross Byrne or Joey Carbery.

“Things are clearly not going right at Ulster. They don’t have a coach and it’s a little bit of a basket case at the moment. O’Driscoll said

Gibbes was reluctant to comment on the matter – given he’s good friends with O’Driscoll having coached him at Leinster for six years, and the fact that he is leaving Ulster at the end of the season.

Reidy meanwhile, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, stating “some of the rubbish” in the media theses days is no good to anyone, and that O’Driscoll can “say what he wants”

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If that’s the way he sees it, that’s the way he sees it. Obviously, as a group we don’t see it that way.” Reidy said.

“We’re just focused on our own game and what we can do this weekend. There’s no point… some of the rubbish that goes on in the media nowadays does no one any good.

“I’ve got nothing against Brian O’Driscoll. He can say what he wants.”

Now Ulster and Ireland winger Jacob Stockdale has hit back at O’Driscoll, calling his comments ‘ridiculous.’

“I think he called us a basket case, which, to be honest, I think is ridiculous. We are competing for the PRO14 play-offs, we are actually in quite a good place and I think he could probably count on his hands how many times he has been up at Ulster Rugby in the last five years.” Stockdale told the Belfast Telegraph

“So, I think the comments are pretty unfair.”

The 2018 Six Nations Player of the Tournament also insists morale is high in the Ulster dressing room, and that there is no ‘rift’ between the players. He says if anything – all that has gone on has almost galvanised the team.

“In terms of within the club and in terms of the players there is absolutely no split,” he added.

“To be honest, everything that has gone on outside of Ulster Rugby and the stuff that you can’t control has almost galvanised us. We are a very close-knit group at the moment and I think that is being seen. We have pulled out performance on top of performance and we have started actually playing some really good rugby.”