“I question the intensity in their training levels.”

Former Munster and Ireland lock Donncha O’Callaghan has called out their Ulster players over their recent performances, suggesting the coaching ticket of Les Kiss, Dwayne Peel and Jono Gibbs aren’t to blame.

O’Callaghan believes the onus is perhaps on the players, after they were well beaten by both Connacht and Leinster over the festive period, suggesting their fitness levels under pressure, perhaps aren’t what it should be.

Speaking on Off the Ball last night, O’Callaghan isn’t saying the Ulster players are unfit, but that their execution of skill is poor under fatigue and that they are committing too many individual errors.

“There’s something up for sure. The last two European games maybe masked a lot. Part of me was looking at them in the Leinster match, I was actually questioning their fitness level.” O’Callaghan said.

“In the end, I actually had to credit Leinster for it. They just played them at a pace that they couldn’t live with.”

“I don’t think Ulster are unfit but I think the execution of skill under fatigue, they were really poor. They made so many individual errors.”

In terms of the coaching ticket, O’Callaghan said it is unfair to blame them. He also reckons too much is being left to the leaders of the group.

“It really annoys me when people start blaming the coaching ticket, I just remember with Munster all the time it was the guys who were their week in week out the John Kelly’s, the Anthony Foley’s, the Mike Prendergast’s, they weren’t up in Irish camp.”

“But when you came back, you had to fall into their standards. Sometimes I question if too much is left to the leader’s in the group: the Rory Bests’, the Andrew Trimble’s, even Iain Henderson since he’s come in. The guys that are there week in week out, they need to step up.”