URC: Connacht 24 Ulster 29
In edging their Christmas derby at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday, Ulster forced Connacht to settle for a losing bonus point that keeps them rooted outside the top eight in the URC table.
Richie Murphy’s side were the deserving winners, now sitting pretty in fifth place after bagging four tries against a Connacht outfit that started well, but struggled to translate possession into scores. And despite dominating possession and territory, Connacht’s concession of two tries changed the game’s momentum.
“So we go in at half-time 10-12 having pretty much 70 per cent of possession,” says Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster. “And that was disappointing. Then obviously in the second half, there was a change of momentum. We came out on the wrong side of the penalty count, and the penalty count led to pressure.
“We came back well, so plenty of positives in that,” he added, also pointing out that to get over the line and win, Connacht need to fix their “defensive errors”.
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“We are very new into the project. We have young players getting experience, which we wouldn’t normally do, but for injuries.”
Although the home side led for most of the opening half, Ulster’s Zac Ward showed great pace, escaped two tackles, and delivered his second try for the visitors to put them into a lead from which Connacht would never recover.
Until then Connacht had dominated possession, leading 10-0 after 30 minutes. Outhalf Sam Gilbert missed a 14th-minute penalty, but Lancaster’s men were on the front foot, particularly after Ulster outhalf Jack Murphy was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.
Although creating opportunities, the home side struggled to convert until the 24th minute through a Finn Treacy try, with Gilbert adding the extras and a subsequent 31st-minute penalty.
However, Ulster struck before the break, and took control during a decisive period which turned the game. Capitalising on a penalty to touch and a secure lineout, Ward delivered and Murphy added the extras.
Within minutes Ward added the second, showing impressive pace to escape two tackles before touching down. Murphy’s conversion edged the visitors in front 12-10 at the break. And although both sides found themselves a man down early in the second half, Ulster stretched their lead through a Werner Kok try and a penalty try to establish an unassailable lead.
The home side gave themselves real hope, bagging a much-needed try by Sean Jansen after 67 minutes. And following an incisive break by outhalf Josh Ioane, Connacht delivered again as Matthew Devine touched down and Gilbert added the extras.
It brought the home side within two points, but not enough after Ulster delivered a last-minute penalty from Murphy to close out the game.
“I thought we played some really good rugby in the second period of that first half when we started moving the ball and bringing some of our big outside backs into the game and they’re a handful for any team,” said Ulster head coach Murphy.
“We started to move the ball into space and we were much more effective with ball in hand. It was a little disappointing [conceding two late tries], but you’re always aware you are in Connacht and Connacht are never going to give up without a fight.
“A lot of credit has to go to them for how they finished the game and at the end we were hanging on there.”
SCORING SEQUENCE – 24 mins: Treacy try, Gilbert con 7-0; 30: Gilbert pen 10-0; 34: Ward try, Murphy con 10-7; 41: Ward try 10-12; Half-time 10-12; 48: Kok try, Murphy con 10-19; 52: Penalty try 10-26; 67: Jansen try, Gilbert con 17-26; 76: Devine try, Gilbert con 24-26; 80: Murphy pen 24-29
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; D Ryan, C Forde, B Aki, F Treacy; J Carty, B Murphy; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce, D O’Connor; J Murphy, C Prendergast, S Jansen.
Replacements: J Ioane for Carty (48 mins); J Duggan for Buckley, F Barrett for Bealham, D Murray for O’Connor, M Devine for Murphy (all 54); D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan (58); S O’Brien for Joyce (65); D Hawkshaw for Ryan (68).
Yellows cards: Aki (43 mins), Joyce (54).
ULSTER: J Stockdale; W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, C McKee; S Crean, T Stewart, S Wilson; H Sheridan, C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney, J Augustus.
Replacements: A Bell for Crean, T O’Toole for Wilson (both ht); N Doak for McKee (51 mins); J Postlewaite for McCloskey, B Ward for Augustus (both 64); J Hopes for Izuchukwu (72); J Flannery for Stockdale (73).
Yellow cards: Murphy (16 mins), McCloskey (43).
Referee: E Cross (IRFU).
