Ulster have somewhat remarkably managed to stay in the URC fight and, if anything, seemed buoyed by defeat to Leinster at the Aviva last weekend.
Given they had scored the first score and the first try against the Blues for what seemed an aeon, had been competitive to half-time finished with a 17-41 defeat, it wasn't a total write-0ff.
Ulster had even crossed for two tries, only Cardiff have posted more URC points in Dublin this season.
The actual result was of no help to them in the table and, dropping to 10th with 37 points means they will need 10/11 points from their remaining three games to make the knockouts.
For sure, it doesn't come much tougher than Leinster last Saturday followed by fourth-placed Sharks this Saturday.
But the game is at Kingspan Stadium and there is the hope the South Africans might leave some front-liners at home to rest up.
Possibly the more problematic outing will be the second-last match, against Munster at Thomond Park.
It wouldn't be an imaginative leap to think Ulster fans would be wishing the Reds win this week so there isn't a feverish 'knockout' type inter-pro at that point.
Back in real time, however, first-up news for Sharks isn't great, full-back Michael Lowry and centre Stewart Moore are both ruled out following picking up injuries last weekend.
Paul Cooney, Rob Herring and Callum Reid also picked up knocks at Leinster while Stuart McCloskey, who pulled out before the game, are also doubtful.
The return of Cormac Izuchukwu from injury last week and the performance he put in, scoring a great try, will have been a huge boost.
Says Murphy: “It’s brilliant to have Cormac back. He has done a couple of weeks training now and coming into this game was always a sort of a case where we get him to about 50 minutes, and try and get him off.
"He has turned into a really good athlete. If you look at where we’ve picked Cormac. We’ve picked him in the second row since the start of this year.
"He’s a very good, intelligent line-out forward. Trying to build him into a line-out, second row stroke six, so he could do both roles, is probably where people see him.”
"His line-out work against Leinster, I thought, was exceptional. I think we probably upset six of the Leinster line-outs in the first half.
"He’s a big part of that, really growing into that role. Then obviously his strengths around the pitch are there for everyone to see. A lovely runner, very balanced and pretty strong too.”
Jacob Stockdale also looked a threat and Leinster had to work very hard to keep the lid on there.
“Jacob is in a really good place. He’s very fit, strong. He’s running really well. He’s sort of taken up a more senior role within our team.
"Talking to a lot of the young players that are out there, giving them bits of advice. He has been a super influence on our group in the last season really.
"I think he’s probably a better player than he was in 2018. He’s definitely a cleverer player in relation to the game. It’s great to see him back out there.”
Meanwhile there is out-half Jack Murphy continuing at out-half in the continuing absence of New Zealand import Aidan Morgan.
The 20 year-old Murphy has held that fort for seven consecutive games since mid-January, more or less with his light hidden under a bushel as the Prendergast-Crowley wars rage elsewhere.
But there have been fours wins, against Exeter, Scarlets, Dragons and Stormers, matched with reasonably predictable defeats at Leinster and at Bordeaux and with just that blot at Zebre making up the septet. Murphy has actually done very well.
The Ulstermen are standing up and fighting with everything they've got and as Richie Murphy has noted it is essentially final, final, final, for them over the next three games.
