URC, round five: Lions 49 Ulster 31
Ulster tasted defeat for the first time in this URC campaign as a second-half surge from the Lions saw them home in a high-scoring encounter in the heat of Johannesburg.
Though the hosts, whose bench possessed more power than that of the northern province, ended up with seven tries, Ulster came away with a bonus point after a helter-skelter game, crossing the whitewash on five occasions. Robert Baloucoune was in exceptional form for the visitors, bagging a hat-trick of tries.
The Lions had seven points on the board before the third minute when prop SJ Kotze smashed over after a penalty had put them in the red zone. Chris Smith converted.
However, Ulster pounced when Baloucoune found a gap in his own half and broke clear to make it under the sticks. Nathan Doak converted and it was 7-7 after five minutes.
RM Block
Continuing the pattern, winger Eduan Keyter reached the line on scrum penalty advantage. Again, Smith converted.
Ulster responded when, out of nothing, Michael Lowry launched upfield. On penalty advantage after moving right, Jack Murphy dinked over the cover for James Hume to score in the 24th minute.
Doak’s conversion, following a lengthy input from the TMO, made it 14 points apiece and shortly afterwards, prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye was shown yellow for a high hit on Jude Postlethwaite.
Even so, the Lions scored next when Chris Smith went for the posts in the 33rd minute to nudge the hosts in front again.
But the half ended well for Ulster. They were now camped on the 14-man Lions’ line and after attempting to smash their way over, it went right. Baloucoune defied the odds by touching the ball down in the corner for his second.
Doak missed the extras from out wide, but Ulster went off leading 19-17.
But the new half started badly for Ulster as Ruan Venter scored from a tap and go penalty, converted by Smith.
Minutes later, Ulster were pinged again, Smith hitting the target from long range to make it 27-19.
Yet again, Ulster responded. Hume’s chip and retake set things up for Murphy to throw a long pass to Baloucoune, who reached the corner for his hat-trick and the province’s bonus point. Murphy, though, kicked wide from the touchline.
Back came the Lions and, just past the hour mark, replacement Renzo du Plessis barrelled through for their bonus-point try, Smith again converting.
Then it was quickly back to Ulster. David McCann got over with replacement Jake Flannery’s conversion cutting the Lions lead to just three points.
But with less than 10 minutes to go, centre Henco van Wyk punctured Ulster after the Lions had swept downfield, though Gianni Lombard failed to convert.
The Lions’ bench continued to have an impact with prop Conraad van Vuuren getting their sixth try and he crashed over again in the last play.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 2 MINS: Kotze try, Smith con 7-0; 5: Baloucoune try, Doak con 7-7; 8: Keyter try, Smith con 14-7; 24: Hume try, Doak con 14-14; 33: Smith pen 17-14; 40: Baloucoune try 17-19; Half-time 17-19; 46: Venter try, Smith con 24-19; 50: Smith pen 27-19; 52: Baloucoune try 27-24; 61: de Plessis try, Smith con 34-24; 67: McCann try, Flannery con 34-31 71: van Wyk try 39-31; 76: van Vuuren try 44-31; 80: van Vuuren try 49-31
LIONS: Q Horn; E Keyter, H van Wyk, B Mills, A Davids; C Smith, N Steyn; SJ Kotze, F Marais, A Ntlabakanye; E Oosthuizen, R Nothnagel; J Cairns, R Wenter, F Horn.
Replacements: C van Vuuren for Cairns (29-40 mins), R du Plessis for Venter, M Brandon for Marais (both 57), K Mpeku for Keyter, D Landsberg for Oosthuizen (both 62), G Lombard for Smith (69), L Horn for Steyn (78).
Yellow card: Ntlabakanye (27 mins).
ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; S Crean, R Herring, T O’Toole; H Sheridan, J Hopes; D McCann, T Stewart, B Ward.
Replacements: S Wilson for O’Toole (48 mins), C Reid for Crean (51), J Flannery for Murphy, W Kok for Z Ward, M Rea for B Ward (all 62), Dalton for Hopes (67), C McKee for Doak (69), J McCormick for McCann (76).
Referee: B Connor (WAL).
