Cooney scored 13 points – including a crucial second half try – to help the Irish province into the last four of the Challenge Cup, despite falling eight points behind at half-time.

McFarland praised the performance of Cooney, who has scored a total of 219 points in his last four European campaigns to date.

"John is a phenomenal player," McFarland said. "He is up and down with his emotions because a lot of guys really want to succeed and play at the top level.

"What you really find out is he just wants to be part of a team that is playing well and he is playing well within it. He loves it. He is just crazy for it. That is when you see his best.

"He was disappointed at not getting into the Irish squad and not playing in the PRO14 final (starting team), but since then it has been non-stop really good John Cooney and he is just loving it.

"He was a big part of the win at Northampton."

Ulster will face off against Leicester Tigers in the semi-finals on April 30, a test that McFarland describes as “serious”.

"It is what it is - these are serious teams (who are left) and the closer they get to the end, the more serious they get,” added McFarland.

"The areas of the game we needed to improve in were more or less attitude ones, not technical ones.

"Speed to breakdown and contact is an attitudinal thing, it is not a question of effort, it is a question of attitude and focus.

"The physicality on the gain-line is an attitude thing that we had to deal with as well."

Ulster Rugby head coach has praised scrum-half John Cooney after another match-winning performance in his side’s European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Northampton Saints.