IN A DRAMATIC match, Ulster came from 17-0 down to claim a bonus point victory which hugely boosts their playoff hopes.
The province scored six tries to take five points and claim a third straight win for the first time this season though the Stormers didn’t leave empty-handed and claimed two important points.
Ulster made another awful start, as Evan Roos raced through a huge defensive hole to score with a minute and a half gone. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.
The Stormers out half then dropped a goal, and next up Ben Loader scored an opportunistic try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted, and Ulster were badly struggling and now were 17-0 down after seven minutes.
They had to score next and on a visit to the Stormers’ 22 the hosts found a way to work Robert Baloucoune over in the corner to mark his first game of the season in some style.
John Cooney failed to convert but nailed his next shot – another conversion – just before the half hour when Andrew Warwick scored from a tap and go penalty as the province began to turn the screw in the Stormers’ 22. Ulster were now trailing by five, the Stormers leading 17-12.
The scores were levelled though just on the stroke of half-time. The ball was put to the corner after Feinberg-Mngomezulu was yellow carded for a blatant block on Baloucoune and Ulster drove off the maul and Jack Murphy scored from close range. Though Cooney missed again from the tricky angle Ulster had battled back to tie things up at 17-17.
Advertisement
Three minutes had elapsed when Ulster snatched the lead. They drove for the line off a tap and go penalty and then spun it left, Carson and Michael Lowry handling the latter, who could have probably scored himself, putting Jacob Stockdale over. This time Cooney converted.
The Stormers were then reduced to 13 on 45 minutes when skipper Neethling Fouche was red carded for a head-on-head smash with Carson.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu dropped a goal on his return, but Ulster were in mo mood to surrender any further advantage, Stockdale hitting the line at an angle and feeding Zac Ward, on for Baloucoune, who showed great pace to get there and dot down on 52 minutes. Murphy slotted the two points for the departed Cooney.
The Stormers once more breached Ulster’s defensive line, replacement Willie Engelbrecht crossing the line on 62 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting.
Lowry broke out from deep, and Stewart Moore ran in under the posts on 65 minutes. Doak did the needful for what was Ulster’s sixth try.
Once more, the Stormers hurled themselves into Ulster’s 22, resulting in Harry Sheridan’s yellow card on 72 minutes.
And they got some traction too, Roos scoring his second to cut Ulster’s lead to 38-34 and their bonus point try though the conversion was wide.
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, B Carson, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 67mins, C Reid for Warwick 49mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 49mins, H Sheridan for O’Connor 67mins, J McNabney for Rea 51mins, N Doak for Cooney 55mins, S Moore for Carson 45mins, Z Ward for Baloucoune 47mins.
Yellow card: H Sheridan 72mins
DHL STORMERS: D Willemse; B Loader, S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, D Duvenage; A Vermaak, J Dweba, N Fouche (captain); C Evans, R van Heerden; D Ewers, M Theunissen, E Roos.
Replacements: A-H Venter for Dweba 46mins, B Harris for Vermaak 53mins, S Sandi for Ewers 47mins, G Porter for Vermaak 57mins, W Engelbrecht for Theunissen 57mins, P de Wet for Duvenage 35mins, J Matthee for Willemse 68mins, W Simelane for Hartzenberg 57mins.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
47 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Ulster rally from 17 points down to claim bonus-point win and boost playoff hopes
Ulster 38
Stormers 34
Michael Sadlier reports from Kingspan Stadium
IN A DRAMATIC match, Ulster came from 17-0 down to claim a bonus point victory which hugely boosts their playoff hopes.
The province scored six tries to take five points and claim a third straight win for the first time this season though the Stormers didn’t leave empty-handed and claimed two important points.
Ulster made another awful start, as Evan Roos raced through a huge defensive hole to score with a minute and a half gone. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.
The Stormers out half then dropped a goal, and next up Ben Loader scored an opportunistic try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted, and Ulster were badly struggling and now were 17-0 down after seven minutes.
They had to score next and on a visit to the Stormers’ 22 the hosts found a way to work Robert Baloucoune over in the corner to mark his first game of the season in some style.
John Cooney failed to convert but nailed his next shot – another conversion – just before the half hour when Andrew Warwick scored from a tap and go penalty as the province began to turn the screw in the Stormers’ 22. Ulster were now trailing by five, the Stormers leading 17-12.
The scores were levelled though just on the stroke of half-time. The ball was put to the corner after Feinberg-Mngomezulu was yellow carded for a blatant block on Baloucoune and Ulster drove off the maul and Jack Murphy scored from close range. Though Cooney missed again from the tricky angle Ulster had battled back to tie things up at 17-17.
Three minutes had elapsed when Ulster snatched the lead. They drove for the line off a tap and go penalty and then spun it left, Carson and Michael Lowry handling the latter, who could have probably scored himself, putting Jacob Stockdale over. This time Cooney converted.
The Stormers were then reduced to 13 on 45 minutes when skipper Neethling Fouche was red carded for a head-on-head smash with Carson.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu dropped a goal on his return, but Ulster were in mo mood to surrender any further advantage, Stockdale hitting the line at an angle and feeding Zac Ward, on for Baloucoune, who showed great pace to get there and dot down on 52 minutes. Murphy slotted the two points for the departed Cooney.
The Stormers once more breached Ulster’s defensive line, replacement Willie Engelbrecht crossing the line on 62 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting.
Lowry broke out from deep, and Stewart Moore ran in under the posts on 65 minutes. Doak did the needful for what was Ulster’s sixth try.
Once more, the Stormers hurled themselves into Ulster’s 22, resulting in Harry Sheridan’s yellow card on 72 minutes.
And they got some traction too, Roos scoring his second to cut Ulster’s lead to 38-34 and their bonus point try though the conversion was wide.
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, B Carson, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 67mins, C Reid for Warwick 49mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 49mins, H Sheridan for O’Connor 67mins, J McNabney for Rea 51mins, N Doak for Cooney 55mins, S Moore for Carson 45mins, Z Ward for Baloucoune 47mins.
Yellow card: H Sheridan 72mins
DHL STORMERS: D Willemse; B Loader, S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, D Duvenage; A Vermaak, J Dweba, N Fouche (captain); C Evans, R van Heerden; D Ewers, M Theunissen, E Roos.
Replacements: A-H Venter for Dweba 46mins, B Harris for Vermaak 53mins, S Sandi for Ewers 47mins, G Porter for Vermaak 57mins, W Engelbrecht for Theunissen 57mins, P de Wet for Duvenage 35mins, J Matthee for Willemse 68mins, W Simelane for Hartzenberg 57mins.
Red card: N Fouche 45mins
Yellow card: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 38mins
Referee: A Piardi (Italy)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
high drama Stormers Ulster URC