Ulster 52
Exeter Chiefs 24

Michael Sadlier reports from Kingspan Stadium

ULSTER GUARANTEED CHALLENGE Cup knockout rugby as they put on a points surge in the second half to ultimately finish up scoring eight tries, Cormac Izuchukwu bagging a hat-trick of scores.

Mathematically, the province also have a shot at getting through to the last 16 of the Champions Cup and claiming fourth off the Sharks depending on how Sunday’s game with Bordeaux works out.

Ulster made the worst possible start, putting a pass down and the Chiefs were all over it, sweeping downfield with Will Haydon-Wood’s cross-kick putting Paul Brown-Bampoe over the line.

And Exeter made it seven points when Haydon-Wood added a great conversion after just three minutes.

After 13 minutes it then got worse for the hosts, as Ross Vintcent burst through an unguarded ruck and raced clear of Ulster’s scramble defence.

Haydon-Wood was unable to convert after Vintcent’s solo run to the corner. Ulster responded as they had to when Ireland squad member Cormac Izuchukwu drove over from close range, Nathan Doak’s conversion cutting the lead.

That brought a momentum-shift and after Ulsterman Niall Armstrong was penalised for delaying due to an extended caterpillar at a breakdown, Ulster were handed a scrum near the Chiefs’ line and David McCann was the one to get the touchdown after his second surge to the line.

Doak, though, up against the shot clock missed the extras. The Chiefs responded in kind though, winning a kicked through ball down the left, which Ulster made a hash off and then moved it right where just short of the line, they struck with lock Rua Tuima noticing, yet again, that Ulster’s guard at a ruck was AWOL as he burst through to score.

Haydon-Wood saw the ball fall from his tee and drop goaled only to miss the extras.
The half ended with another swing, Ulster striking for try number three to tie things up again.

This time Rob Lyttle ran back an Armstrong kick to link with Nick Timoney and the Ulster flanker was gone, racing away to the line. Doak missed the conversion, and a crazy enough opening 40 minutes was concluded with the scoreboard reading 17 points apiece.

Ulster who did struck first, a scrum penalty fired into the corner by Jack Murphy led to a maul resulting in Rob Herring getting the bonus point touchdown and the lead for the first time.

Doak slotted only his second conversion, the scrum-half’s kick now putting them 24-17 ahead. That became 31-17 on 65 minutes when Izuchuwu surged over from short range off an assist from replacement John Cooney – on for the injured Nathan Doak – who then converted.
Cooney converted again when Ben Carson scored off a solo run in the 68th minute to make it 38-17.

Try number seven arrived with McCann’s second, Cooney doing the needful once more.
With three minutes to go Izuchukwu ran clear for his hat-trick, Cooney doing the needful to make it 52-17 though Zack Wimbush scored a soft try for the Chiefs to cut Ulster’s winning margin.

Ulster: S Moore; W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry; J Murphy, N Doak; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, S Wilson; I Henderson (c), C Izuchukwu; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 57mins, C Reid for O’Sullivan 60mins, C Barrett for Wilson 69mins, K Treadwell for Henderson 57mins, H Sheridan, for mins, J Cooney, for Doak 57mins, J Flannery for Moore 49mins, Rob Lyttle for Kok 4mins,

Exeter Chiefs: H Skinner; B Hammersley, J Hawkins, W Rigg, P Brown-Bampoe; W Haydon-Wood, N Armstrong; W Goodrick-Clarke; J Innard (c), J Iosefa-Scott; R Tuima, C Tshiunza; M Moloney, R Capstick, R Vintcent.

Replacements: M Norey for Innard 49mins , K Blose for Goodrick-Clarke 49mins, J Roots for Iosefa-Scott 49mins, J Dunne for Tuima 52 mins, L Pearson for Maloney 62mins, J Bailey for mins, T Cairns for Armstrong 55mins, Z Wimbush for Hawkins 69mins.

Referee: H Davidson (Scotland)