LEINSTER LEAPFROGGED ULSTER in the URC table after a breathless interpro in Belfast, Leo Cullen’s side holding the hosts scoreless for 54 minutes as they notched four unanswered tries, before the home side rallied back with three unanswered tries of their own.
For most of this contest it was threatening to be a deeply disappointing night for Ulster, who never really got any foothold in the game across the first hour of play. Leinster quickly got on top in most areas, dominating the breakdown, getting quick ball and piecing together some lovely attacking moves.
Yet it all flipped across the final half hour, Ulster finishing with all the momentum as they scored three tries with no reply, threatening an incredible comeback which ultimately, failed to materialise, the home team losing by eight points.
Richie Murphy had backed the selection that impressively saw off a depleted La Rochelle in challenging conditions last weekend, the only change seeing Sean Reffell replaced the injured Nick Timoney.
Leinster took a different approach, rotating heavily after beating Sale last Saturday, with Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose and James Ryan the only survivors in their starting XV.
However Ulster were forced into some early, unplanned rotation of their own. Angus Bell required a motorised stretcher just six minutes in, and three minutes later James Hume was making way with what appeared a shoulder/arm problem.
Those stoppages contributed to a scrappy start – Sam Prendergast losing the ball in contact after a big Jack Murphy hit as he charged for the line, Ulster missing touch after winning a penalty in their half.
Most of the early pressure was Leinster’s, and as the game settled down they began to make it count.
Jimmy O’Brien went close in the corner as Leinster attacked on penalty advantage almost 20 minutes in. The play went back for the penalty, Rónan Kelleher tapped it and James Culhane muscled over, with Prendergast converting.
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale tackled by Leinster's Joshua Kenny and Robbie Henshaw of Leinster Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
In the 24th minute Prendergast was over the tee again, slotting a penalty after Jerry Cahir made a big shove against the Ulster scrum.
It would be the 26th minute before Ulster even got into the Leinster 22, and they would spend the next passage playing in the right areas without punching a hole. Werner Kok was knocked into touch by Jimmy O’Brien, the play called back for an Ulster penalty.
Kok and O’Brien then came together under a high ball. Penalty only, a decision which didn’t sit well with the home crowd. That penalty pulled Ulster back into the 22 and while their initial lineout move was promising, it ended with Thomas Clarkson forcing a turnover on the far side of the pitch.
That was as good as it got for Ulster in the opening 40, Leinster only growing in confidence.
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Near the end of the half the province won another scrum penalty after great work by Alex Soroka to dismantle an Ulster maul, formed after the hosts stole a Leinster lineout. The strike play off that scrum was sublime, moving the ball the width of the pitch at speed, with sharp passes from Prendergast and Hugo Keenan sending O’Brien over. Prendergast couldn’t convert but his team went in 15-0 up after a dominant first-half showing.
Jimmy O'Brien scores Leinster's second try. Grace Halton / INPHO
Grace Halton / INPHO / INPHO
The second half started with more Leinster pressure, but some frustrating inaccuracies –Prendergast missing touch as he kicked for the corner.
The same player was charging for the Ulster posts moments later only to be wrapped up in a tackle. Leinster kept possession and after some patient play Robbie Henshaw went through from a pass from his centre partner, Garry Ringrose. Prendergast tapped over the extra two and Ulster had a mountain to climb.
That passage of play also saw Ulster lose Harry Sheridan to a yellow card.
Ulster then butchered a strong opportunity to get on the scoreboard, Stockdale attacking space only for his pass wide to evade Stuart McCloskey.
Leinster were cruising. Scott Penny won another turnover, Leinster worked their back into the 22 and Luke McGrath’s pass allowed Prendergast score the bonus-point try, with the out-half converting his own score.
A tough night was turning into a massacre for the northern province, but for the second week running, Bryn Ward made an impact off the bench – powering over after nice work from Nathan Doak to finally get Ulster up and running. Doak’s conversion was excellent, and left Ulster with 25 minutes to chase a 22-point deficit.
Leinster were reduced to 14 men just short of the hour mark, Max Deegan seeing yellow after colliding with Kok, the Leinster player not getting off the ground as he made contact with the airborne Ulster winger.
Tempers flare after Leinster’s Max Deegan upended Werner Kok of Ulster. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Ulster quickly built on their man advantage, Stockdale and Zac Ward combining down the left, with the winger running in Ulster’s second try, converted by Doak.
Now the momentum was all with the northern province. David McCann sidestepped Keenan to send Ward sprinting down the left flank again. As Doak converted, Deegan’s yellow card was upgraded to a red.
Suddenly, it was on for Ulster, now just eight behind with 15 to play.
Leinster were struggling for air. Their next trip to the Ulster 22 ended with Jude Postlethwaite winning a huge turnover.
Ulster would continue to chase down Leinster’s lead but ran out of steam. They now drop to fourth ahead of next weekend’s trip to play Munster, before testing home games against the league’s top two sides, Glasgow and the Stormers.
For Leinster, this massive win on the road tees them up nicely ahead of another away day at Benetton, followed by home fixtures with the Lions and Ospreys after their Champions Cup semi-final meeting with Toulon.
Ulster scorers:
Tries – B Ward, Z Ward [2]
Conversions – Doak [3/3]
Leinster scorers:
Tries – Culhane, O’Brien, Henshaw, Prendergast
Penalties – Prendergast [1/1]
Conversions – Prendergast [3/4]
ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Werner Kok, James Hume (Jude Postlethwaite, 9), Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy (Jake Flannery, 75), Nathan Doak; Angus Bell (Sam Crean, 6) (Scott Wilson HT), Tom Stewart (James McCormick, 75), Tom O’Toole (Sam Cream, 47); Iain Henderson (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu (Harry Sheridan, HT); David McCann, Sean Reffell (Bryn Ward, 47), Juarno Augustus.
Yellow card: Sheridan, 46
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Joshua Kenny (Ciarán Frawley, 65), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw (Fintan Gunne, 79), Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Jerry Cahir (Ed Byrne, 47), Rónan Kelleher (Gus McCarthy, 58), Thomas Clarkson (Rabah Slimani, 65); Brian Deeny, James Ryan (capt) (Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 58); Alex Soroka (Max Deegan, 58), Scott Penny (Will Connors, 76), James Culhane.
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Leinster's early dominance enough to hold off Ulster's late fightback
Ulster 21
Leinster 29
LEINSTER LEAPFROGGED ULSTER in the URC table after a breathless interpro in Belfast, Leo Cullen’s side holding the hosts scoreless for 54 minutes as they notched four unanswered tries, before the home side rallied back with three unanswered tries of their own.
For most of this contest it was threatening to be a deeply disappointing night for Ulster, who never really got any foothold in the game across the first hour of play. Leinster quickly got on top in most areas, dominating the breakdown, getting quick ball and piecing together some lovely attacking moves.
Yet it all flipped across the final half hour, Ulster finishing with all the momentum as they scored three tries with no reply, threatening an incredible comeback which ultimately, failed to materialise, the home team losing by eight points.
Richie Murphy had backed the selection that impressively saw off a depleted La Rochelle in challenging conditions last weekend, the only change seeing Sean Reffell replaced the injured Nick Timoney.
Leinster took a different approach, rotating heavily after beating Sale last Saturday, with Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose and James Ryan the only survivors in their starting XV.
However Ulster were forced into some early, unplanned rotation of their own. Angus Bell required a motorised stretcher just six minutes in, and three minutes later James Hume was making way with what appeared a shoulder/arm problem.
Those stoppages contributed to a scrappy start – Sam Prendergast losing the ball in contact after a big Jack Murphy hit as he charged for the line, Ulster missing touch after winning a penalty in their half.
Most of the early pressure was Leinster’s, and as the game settled down they began to make it count.
Jimmy O’Brien went close in the corner as Leinster attacked on penalty advantage almost 20 minutes in. The play went back for the penalty, Rónan Kelleher tapped it and James Culhane muscled over, with Prendergast converting.
In the 24th minute Prendergast was over the tee again, slotting a penalty after Jerry Cahir made a big shove against the Ulster scrum.
It would be the 26th minute before Ulster even got into the Leinster 22, and they would spend the next passage playing in the right areas without punching a hole. Werner Kok was knocked into touch by Jimmy O’Brien, the play called back for an Ulster penalty.
Kok and O’Brien then came together under a high ball. Penalty only, a decision which didn’t sit well with the home crowd. That penalty pulled Ulster back into the 22 and while their initial lineout move was promising, it ended with Thomas Clarkson forcing a turnover on the far side of the pitch.
That was as good as it got for Ulster in the opening 40, Leinster only growing in confidence.
Near the end of the half the province won another scrum penalty after great work by Alex Soroka to dismantle an Ulster maul, formed after the hosts stole a Leinster lineout. The strike play off that scrum was sublime, moving the ball the width of the pitch at speed, with sharp passes from Prendergast and Hugo Keenan sending O’Brien over. Prendergast couldn’t convert but his team went in 15-0 up after a dominant first-half showing.
The second half started with more Leinster pressure, but some frustrating inaccuracies –Prendergast missing touch as he kicked for the corner.
The same player was charging for the Ulster posts moments later only to be wrapped up in a tackle. Leinster kept possession and after some patient play Robbie Henshaw went through from a pass from his centre partner, Garry Ringrose. Prendergast tapped over the extra two and Ulster had a mountain to climb.
That passage of play also saw Ulster lose Harry Sheridan to a yellow card.
Ulster then butchered a strong opportunity to get on the scoreboard, Stockdale attacking space only for his pass wide to evade Stuart McCloskey.
Leinster were cruising. Scott Penny won another turnover, Leinster worked their back into the 22 and Luke McGrath’s pass allowed Prendergast score the bonus-point try, with the out-half converting his own score.
A tough night was turning into a massacre for the northern province, but for the second week running, Bryn Ward made an impact off the bench – powering over after nice work from Nathan Doak to finally get Ulster up and running. Doak’s conversion was excellent, and left Ulster with 25 minutes to chase a 22-point deficit.
Leinster were reduced to 14 men just short of the hour mark, Max Deegan seeing yellow after colliding with Kok, the Leinster player not getting off the ground as he made contact with the airborne Ulster winger.
Ulster quickly built on their man advantage, Stockdale and Zac Ward combining down the left, with the winger running in Ulster’s second try, converted by Doak.
Now the momentum was all with the northern province. David McCann sidestepped Keenan to send Ward sprinting down the left flank again. As Doak converted, Deegan’s yellow card was upgraded to a red.
Suddenly, it was on for Ulster, now just eight behind with 15 to play.
Leinster were struggling for air. Their next trip to the Ulster 22 ended with Jude Postlethwaite winning a huge turnover.
Ulster would continue to chase down Leinster’s lead but ran out of steam. They now drop to fourth ahead of next weekend’s trip to play Munster, before testing home games against the league’s top two sides, Glasgow and the Stormers.
For Leinster, this massive win on the road tees them up nicely ahead of another away day at Benetton, followed by home fixtures with the Lions and Ospreys after their Champions Cup semi-final meeting with Toulon.
Ulster scorers:
Tries – B Ward, Z Ward [2]
Conversions – Doak [3/3]
Leinster scorers:
Tries – Culhane, O’Brien, Henshaw, Prendergast
Penalties – Prendergast [1/1]
Conversions – Prendergast [3/4]
ULSTER: Jacob Stockdale; Werner Kok, James Hume (Jude Postlethwaite, 9), Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Jack Murphy (Jake Flannery, 75), Nathan Doak; Angus Bell (Sam Crean, 6) (Scott Wilson HT), Tom Stewart (James McCormick, 75), Tom O’Toole (Sam Cream, 47); Iain Henderson (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu (Harry Sheridan, HT); David McCann, Sean Reffell (Bryn Ward, 47), Juarno Augustus.
Yellow card: Sheridan, 46
LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Joshua Kenny (Ciarán Frawley, 65), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw (Fintan Gunne, 79), Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Jerry Cahir (Ed Byrne, 47), Rónan Kelleher (Gus McCarthy, 58), Thomas Clarkson (Rabah Slimani, 65); Brian Deeny, James Ryan (capt) (Conor O’Tighearnaigh, 58); Alex Soroka (Max Deegan, 58), Scott Penny (Will Connors, 76), James Culhane.
Red card: Deegan, 59 (upgraded from yellow)
Referee: Andrew Brace [IRFU]
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