Glasgow Warriors 17
Ulster 22
Lewis Stuart reports from Scotstoun
ULSTER UNDERLINED THEIR position as genuine Guinness PRO12 contenders when they travelled to Scotstoun and came away with their first win at the current home of the Glasgow Warriors. They got there despite getting on the wrong end of a series of video decisions.
Ulster did the hard work in the first half when they produced two tries and were unlucky to have two more chalked off by video replays. Paddy Jackson had opened the scoring with an early penalty before the first of the disallowed tries, with Stuart McCloskey, the centre, going over only to be called back for earlier foul play which saw flanker Iain Henderson sent to the sin bin.
Ulster’s superiority could not be denied for long, though, and after another drive up front allowed Ulster to create more midfield mayhem, and a huge overlap on the right gave Darren Cave, the centre, space to cross in the corner.
That ushered in a rare home purple patch when they shrugged off a series of injuries to control the game long enough for Gordon Reid the prop, to barge his way over from a ruck on the Ulster line, before the Ulster domination was restored.
While the first apparent score to fall victim to the video was certainly correct, there was more controversy about the second with Rob Herring, the hooker, crossing from a maul only for Rodney Ah You, the prop, who seemed to be part of the maul, to be accused of obstruction.
Third time proved lucky for Ulster, however, as Leonardo Sarto’s try-saving tackle on Charles Piutau went to the TMO who ruled he had not used his arms in stopping the wing – penalty try and a spell in the sin bin for Sarto.
A break from Jackson was brought on another video replay and Glasgow used the let-off for Finn Russell to kick a penalty and they went ahead when Tommy Seymour was put over.
Ulster were still fighting and retook the lead with Jackson finishing a searing Darren Cave break from his own half and then it was a question of defending like their lives depended on it. With Glasgow not really offering much in the way of imagination, they managed it without too much trouble.
Glasgow Warriors scorers: Tries: Gordon Reid, Tommy SeymourCons: Russell [2 from 2]
Pens: Russell [1 from 1]
Ulster scorers:
Tries: Darren Cave, pen try, Paddy Jackson
Cons: [2 from 3]
Pens: Paddy Jackson [1 from 2]
Glasgow Warriors: Stuart Hogg; Leonardo Sarto, (yellow card, 38′-48′, Rory Hughes, 48′, Nick Grigg, 75′), Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Tommy Seymour; Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos (C) (Ali Price, 71′), Gordon Reid (Alex Allan, 29′), Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson (Sila Puafisi, 50′), Greg Peterson (Corey Flynn, 22′), Jonny Gray (C), Tjiuee Uanivi (Sam Thomson, 30′), Lewis Wynne, Ryan Wilson (Matt Fagerson, 70′)
Ulster: Jared Payne; Louis Ludik, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey (Stuart Olding, 14′,Rob Lyttle, 50′), Charles Piutau; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Andy Warwick, Rob Herring (C) (Rory Best, 46′), Rodney Ah You (Ross Kane, 54′), Alan O’Connor (Peter Browne, 54′), Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson (yellow card: 8′-18′), Sean Reidy, Roger Wilson (Clive Ross, 59′).
Referee: I Davies (Wales)
Attendance: 7,351
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