THE WEATHER WAS dominant factor in today’s early Heineken Cup pool five kick-off, but Ulster managed to chisel out a 3 – 35 win over Treviso and more importantly, a winning bonus point.
Heavy fog in northern Italy had reduced visibility at Stadio Monigo to a minimum, but Luke Marshall’s 38th minute grounding of Jared Payne’s grubber kick gave Ulster an important breakthrough before the half time whistle.
Tries after the break from Craig Gilroy, Robbie Diack and with the crucial fourth, Payne keeps the northern province’s march at the top of the pool going strong.
Early Ulster attacks were scuppered by poor handling, however Paddy Jackson’s 11th minute penalty somehow plotted a way through the air and between the posts from a difficult angle.
Treviso levelled through Alberto Di Bernardo’s 29th minute penalty after the Ulster line-out malfunctioned and forced the visitors into conceding a penalty just outside the 22.
Dan Tuohy and Tom Court forced a penalty immediately after that restart, but from another difficult angle on the left flank, Jackson could not guide the ball between the sticks a second time.
The out-half would also miss the conversion of Marshall’s score in the corner, but with the Johann Muller and his pack slowly getting the upper hand, Jackson would find his range again before the break to make the gap 3 – 11 at half time.
Jackson would keep the scoreboard ticking over with another penalty six minutes into the second half. Pienaar’s elusive running would break the game open again soon after, yet once within five metres fullback Brendan Williams was picked out for a harsh ‘deliberate knock-on’ call and was banished to the sin-bin.
With an extra body on the field, the visitors duly made the advantage count with Gilroy profiting on the overlap just after the hour. The game was secured and Mark Anscombe’s side could sense a chance at a bonus point.
That goal came a little closer when Luke McLean joined Williams in the bin and Ulster’s pack twisted the knife thanks to Diack close-range drive.
In the thick fog, it took some time to identify Ulster’s fourth try-scorer in the corner, but it was the Kiwi Payne who provided the icing on the cake.
The victory, sealed long before Payne’s score, makes history as Ulster win their opening four Heineken Cup games for the first time. The northern province end the day on 18 points, seven clear of Leicester Tigers who will hope to close that gap when they take on Montpellier tomorrow.
