Ulster 21

Cardiff 14

ULSTER GOT BACK to winning ways to wrap up this demanding block of games ahead of the Six Nations but failed to convincingly defeat Cardiff in Belfast.

Tries from Wallaby Angus Bell – his first for the province – along with Scott Wilson and another first from Charlie Irvine got Ulster home but without a bonus point which they pushed hard for at the end of the match after having led 14-0 at the break.

Cardiff claimed a losing bonus point after tries from Johan Mulder and Steffan Emanuel.
It took 11 minutes before Ulster scored, a well-worked effort with Ulster putting width and pace on the ball which led to Scott Wilson diving over under the sticks after good approach work from Matthew Dalton, David McCann and Ben Carson, allowing Jack Murphy to add the conversion to make it a seven-pointer.

Ulster kept up the pressure and had their second on 18 minutes when Angus Bell side-stepped his way to the line for his first try for the province. Murphy added the extras.
Cardiff were then held up over the line on 25 minutes after opting to tap and go from a rare sortie into Ulster’s 22.

Scott Wilson celebrates scoring a try for Ulster. Nick Elliott / INPHO Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO

That was the visitors’ best moment of the first 40 and the remainder of the half brought no further scoring from either side, Ulster having the chances, Cardiff not really making any particularly threatening incursions towards the province’s line.

Cardiff opened the new half with some energy but lacked the accuracy to bank an early score with a good mark from Zac Ward saving one situation.

But Cardiff kept working and deserved their score, attacking with venom after Ethan McIlroy dropped a pass and Johan Mulder dived over under the posts.
Sheedy converted and Ulster now led by just 14-7.

From a scrum near the Cardiff line, on 66 minutes Ulster forced a turnover and launched Dalton and after his carry, Charlie Irvine picked up to score his first try for the province, duly converted by Murphy.

But Cardiff immediately struck back, when Steffan Emanuel was put away, Kok unable to halt him. Sheedy converted and the game was a contest again.

The game ended with Ulster encamped on Cardiff’s line where they won some penalties which were tapped as the province sought a bonus point which they could not quite secure.

Ulster: E McIlroy, W Kok, J Hume, B Carson, Z Ward, J Murphy, C McKee; A Bell, R Herring, S Wilson, I Henderson (capt), C Irvine, M Dalton, M Rea, D McCann

Replacements: J McCormick for Herring mins, S Crean for Bell 54mins, B O’Connor for Wilson 75mins, H Sheridan for Henderson 54mins, L McLoughlin for Rea 62mins, D Shanahan for McKee 61mins, J Flannery for McIlroy 69mins, B Moxham for mins.
Yellow cards:

Cardiff: C Winnett, I Lloyd, H Millard, S Emanuel, T Bowen, C Sheedy, J Mulder, R Barratt, E Lloyd, J Sebastian, J McNally (capt), G Nott, A Lawrence, D Thomas, T Basham

Replacements: D Hughes for Lloyd 54mins, D Southworth for Barratt 54mins, J Cowell for Sebastian 69mins, R Thornton for mins, L de la Rua for D Thomas 76mins, D Thomas for de la Rua 77mins A Davies for Mulder 54mins, E Evans for mins, L Halfpenny for Winnett 62mins.

Ref: H Davidson (SRU)