Ulster 38

Stormers 38

A DRAMA LADEN game ended with both sides locked together and taking three points each from the high-scoring encounter, Ulster moving up to seventh overnight.

Werner Kok claimed a hat-trick of tries in this pulsating game while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was outstanding score two of his own as well as adding four conversions and a penalty.

Ulster got the first points though when Werner Kok scored in the right corner after some good approach work by Nick Timoney and Jude Postlethwaite. Nathan Doak converted and though it looked a settler, it proved not to be.

The Stormers responded almost immediately through Evan Roos, his close-range effort converted by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu tying things up after five minutes.

Ulster then had Iain Henderson was yellow carded for an apparent croc roll on Deon Fourie which shortly afterwards was upgraded to 20-minute red.

Stormers then made hay when Feinberg-Mngomezulu waltzed through easily scored at the posts and converted his own effort.

Sacha Feinberg Mngomezulu celebrates after scoring his sides second try. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Then on 20 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu slotted a penalty to stretch their lead to 17-7.
And yet Ulster came back in what remained of the opening half. With Jack Murphy returned from an HIA, Ulster got through being down to 14 by grabbing their own score, it again falling to Kok with an excellent conversion by Doak following just as Harry Sheridan brought them up to full complement again.

Now with the bit between their teeth, they banked a third trey before the break when Zac Ward powered over off a lineout move. Doak converted and Ulster had turned round a 17-7 deficit to now lead 21-17 which is how the half ended.

After Leolin Zas’s score was ruled out for Lowry being taken in the air, Ulster made an immediate response, Murphy’s high ball being snaffled by Ward and the ball was moved right for Lowry who ducked in over on the right flank. Doak though was timed out on his conversion, but Ulster now had their bonus point.

Stormers’ scrum half Imad Khan broke and reached out to hit the line on 48 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu again converted.

Two minutes after the hour, Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored his second bringing up the South African’s bonus point. He also slotted the conversion for his own 62nd minute try.

Ulster drove forward with venom before Kok took his hat-trick score.Doak was unable to hit the angle out on the touchline and the scores remained tied at 31 each.

Then Eric O’Sullivan put Ulster back in the lead, Doak converting the 75th minute touchdown.

Stormers were also reduced to 14 for what remained as Jurie Matthee was yellow carded and yet the game ended with a penalty try for the Stormers after Doak was adjudged to have hit Leolin Zas high.

Ulster: M Lowry; W Kok; E McIlroy; J Postlethwaite; Z Ward; J Murphy; N Doak ; A Bell; J McCormick; S Wilson; I Henderson (capt); C Irvine; C Izuchukwu; N Timoney; J Augustus

Replacements: T Stewart for McCormick h-t; E O’Sullivan for Bell 53mins; T McAllister for Wilson 56mins; H Sheridan for Henderson 22mins; B Ward for Augustus 60mins; C McKee for mins; J Flannery for Murphy 12-25mins and 63mins; W De Klerk for mins. Yellow card: I Henderson 8mins upgraded to 20-minute red. N Doak 79th mins.

Stormers: W Gelant, W Simelane, D du Plessis, D Willemse, L Zas, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, I Khan; N Mchunu, A-H Venter, S Sandi, A Smith, R van Heerden, D Fourie (capt), B-J Dixon, E Roos.

Replacements: P de Villiers for Fourie 11mins, O Kebble for Mchunu 61mins, Z Porthen for Sandi 53mins, C Evans for Dixon 65mins, H Dayimani for Smith 61mins, K Morabe for Roos 61mins, S Ungerer for Khan 56mins, J Matthee for Willemse 1-12 mins and Feinberg-Mngomezulu 74mins. Yellow card: Matthee 75min

Ref: A Piardi (FIR)