ULSTER RAN OUT of gas in Johannesburg but left with a bonus point as the Lions inflicted a first defeat of the season on Richie Murphy’s men.
Rob Baloucoune’s hat-trick contributed to Ulster’s four-try bonus, but the hosts overpowered the tired Irish province in the final stages of an end-to-end encounter to take maximum points at Ellis Park.
Ulster were most notably second-best in the scrums, conceding several penalties in that set-piece, while the Lions forwards hit them hard with their carries and generally made it over the advantage line with more ease than the opposition.
The gainline dominance of the Lions was not that surprising given Ulster had four players away with the Ireland squad and coach Richie Murphy made three other changes, fielding a youthful team missing many of their usual leaders.
In that context, it was a stout effort by Ulster because Ellis Park, at 1753m altitude, is a daunting place to visit. And it was only in the last 10 minutes that the Lions ran away with the game, scoring three tries.
It was the slick finishing of wing Baloucoune that kept Ulster in the contest and they trailed only 34-31 in the 70th minute.
But the Ulster forwards, showing signs of wilting on a hot day that required water breaks, were ill-equipped to handle the wave of forward charges that the Lions threw at them thereafter.
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The Lions' scrum was dominant in Johannesburg. Steve Haag Sports / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO
Steve Haag Sports / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO
Fullback Michael Lowry was always willing to lead their counter-attacks but a couple of his forays saw him isolated and penalties were conceded.
The Lions’ opening try came as early as the second minute. Ulster were counter-rucked off the ball after a Lowry run, conceding a penalty. From the lineout, prop SJ Kotze rumbled through a gap in the defence to score.
But three minutes later, Baloucoune was able to sound an early warning of the impact he would have on the game as he knifed through a kink in the defence and finished brilliantly from the halfway line.
The Lions scored again in the 15th minute off the back of a dominant scrum. But Ulster’s other wing, Zac Ward, was sound in the air and, after winning a contestable kick, he offloaded to Lowry for the counter, with out-half Jack Murphy’s lovely little dink over the top of the defence being chased down by centre James Hume to score.
A yellow card to prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye for a high hit pegged the Lons back, the home side just being able to add a penalty before half-time, and Ulster had the last say before the turnaround.
The Lions took too long over a clearance kick from the base of a ruck and scrumhalf Nico Steyn was forced to run back into the ruck, Ulster winning a penalty for sealing off. After the Ulster forwards were repelled over and over from close to the line, the ball was shipped wide, where Baloucoune showed great hands to gather a low pass and finished brilliantly right in the corner.
Ulster led 19-17 at the break, but made something of a pig’s ear of their kicking game in the second half, allowing the Lions to dictate territory and give their powerful forwards plenty of chances to create momentum.
A try after a scrum penalty and a soft penalty conceded allowed the Lions to take a 27-19 lead inside the first 10 minutes of the second half.
But Ulster struck back in the 52nd minute with Baloucoune accepting his hat-trick try like daily bread after a fine carry by hooker Rob Herring and Hume regathering his own chip-kick.
Baloucoune celebrates his hat-trick. Steve Haag Sports / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO
Steve Haag Sports / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO
The Lions were contentiously awarded a try in the 67th minute when flank replacement Renzo du Plessis went to ground with the ball and then advanced without releasing it, the officials ruling he was not held even though scrum-half Nathan Doak had his hands on his back.
Ulster did score again as their forwards moved the ball up through good phase play, flank David McCann then spotting a gap and stretching over the tryline, but they were unable to add to their tally in the last 13 minutes.
Scorers:
Lions – Tries: SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, Ruan Venter, Renzo du Plessis, Henco van Wyk, Conraad van Vuuren, Morne Brandon. Conversions: Chris Smith (4). Penalties: Smith (2)
Ulster – Tries: Rob Baloucoune (3), James Hume, David McCann. Conversions: Nathan Doak (2), Flannery
Replacements: Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis, Layton Horn, Gianni Lombard, Kelly Mpeku
Ulster Rugby: Michael Lowry, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak, Sam Crean, Rob Herring (CAPT), Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, Joe Hopes, David McCann, Tom Stewart, Juarno Augustus
Replacements: James McCormick, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Bryn Ward, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Werner Kok
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Ulster run out of gas but pick up bonus point as Lions hand them first defeat of season
Lions 49
Ulster 31
Ken Borland reports from Ellis Park
ULSTER RAN OUT of gas in Johannesburg but left with a bonus point as the Lions inflicted a first defeat of the season on Richie Murphy’s men.
Rob Baloucoune’s hat-trick contributed to Ulster’s four-try bonus, but the hosts overpowered the tired Irish province in the final stages of an end-to-end encounter to take maximum points at Ellis Park.
Ulster were most notably second-best in the scrums, conceding several penalties in that set-piece, while the Lions forwards hit them hard with their carries and generally made it over the advantage line with more ease than the opposition.
The gainline dominance of the Lions was not that surprising given Ulster had four players away with the Ireland squad and coach Richie Murphy made three other changes, fielding a youthful team missing many of their usual leaders.
In that context, it was a stout effort by Ulster because Ellis Park, at 1753m altitude, is a daunting place to visit. And it was only in the last 10 minutes that the Lions ran away with the game, scoring three tries.
It was the slick finishing of wing Baloucoune that kept Ulster in the contest and they trailed only 34-31 in the 70th minute.
But the Ulster forwards, showing signs of wilting on a hot day that required water breaks, were ill-equipped to handle the wave of forward charges that the Lions threw at them thereafter.
Fullback Michael Lowry was always willing to lead their counter-attacks but a couple of his forays saw him isolated and penalties were conceded.
The Lions’ opening try came as early as the second minute. Ulster were counter-rucked off the ball after a Lowry run, conceding a penalty. From the lineout, prop SJ Kotze rumbled through a gap in the defence to score.
But three minutes later, Baloucoune was able to sound an early warning of the impact he would have on the game as he knifed through a kink in the defence and finished brilliantly from the halfway line.
The Lions scored again in the 15th minute off the back of a dominant scrum. But Ulster’s other wing, Zac Ward, was sound in the air and, after winning a contestable kick, he offloaded to Lowry for the counter, with out-half Jack Murphy’s lovely little dink over the top of the defence being chased down by centre James Hume to score.
A yellow card to prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye for a high hit pegged the Lons back, the home side just being able to add a penalty before half-time, and Ulster had the last say before the turnaround.
The Lions took too long over a clearance kick from the base of a ruck and scrumhalf Nico Steyn was forced to run back into the ruck, Ulster winning a penalty for sealing off. After the Ulster forwards were repelled over and over from close to the line, the ball was shipped wide, where Baloucoune showed great hands to gather a low pass and finished brilliantly right in the corner.
Ulster led 19-17 at the break, but made something of a pig’s ear of their kicking game in the second half, allowing the Lions to dictate territory and give their powerful forwards plenty of chances to create momentum.
A try after a scrum penalty and a soft penalty conceded allowed the Lions to take a 27-19 lead inside the first 10 minutes of the second half.
But Ulster struck back in the 52nd minute with Baloucoune accepting his hat-trick try like daily bread after a fine carry by hooker Rob Herring and Hume regathering his own chip-kick.
The Lions were contentiously awarded a try in the 67th minute when flank replacement Renzo du Plessis went to ground with the ball and then advanced without releasing it, the officials ruling he was not held even though scrum-half Nathan Doak had his hands on his back.
Ulster did score again as their forwards moved the ball up through good phase play, flank David McCann then spotting a gap and stretching over the tryline, but they were unable to add to their tally in the last 13 minutes.
Scorers:
Lions – Tries: SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, Ruan Venter, Renzo du Plessis, Henco van Wyk, Conraad van Vuuren, Morne Brandon. Conversions: Chris Smith (4). Penalties: Smith (2)
Ulster – Tries: Rob Baloucoune (3), James Hume, David McCann. Conversions: Nathan Doak (2), Flannery
Lions: Quan Horn, Eduan Keyter, Henco van Wyk, Bronson Mills, Angelo Davids, Chris Smith, Nico Steyn, SJ Kotze, Franco Marais, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Etienne Oosthuizen, Reinhard Nothnagel, Jarod Cairns, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn (CAPT)
Replacements: Morne Brandon, RF Schoeman, Conraad van Vuuren, Darrien Landsberg, Renzo du Plessis, Layton Horn, Gianni Lombard, Kelly Mpeku
Ulster Rugby: Michael Lowry, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak, Sam Crean, Rob Herring (CAPT), Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, Joe Hopes, David McCann, Tom Stewart, Juarno Augustus
Replacements: James McCormick, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Bryn Ward, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Werner Kok
Referee: Ben Connor (WRU)
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