Ulster 9 Saracens 27
Well beaten by a superior force. Here we witnessed a fate that may continue to befall the provinces in major Champions Cup games this season as it looks increasingly like the end of a highly competitive era in Irish rugby.
The English clubs have never looked so physically dominant. As their national side failed at their own tournament they have been quietly building, and spending, with the intent of European domination.
The final scoreline actually flattered Ulster. But Owen Farrell’s atrocious two from six kicking return will be easily forgiven such were his levels of creativity.
The England outhalf made two of the visitors' four tries. The second score came off the skills of Alex Goode and Duncan Taylor with the bonus point fourth try belonging to the Sarries pack.
With the honeymoon over in an instant, Ulster's new director of rugby Les Kiss finds himself in a similar predicament to Leinster counterpart Leo Cullen.
“At home if you don’t get a point . . . makes it very tough,” said Kiss.
“There was a 10-minute period where we didn’t manage the game properly. Error on error.”
The same reasoning offered by Cullen after Wasps hammered Leinster last Sunday. Errors come from the pressure put upon a team by their opponents.
“I don’t think in the second half there was a point when they were under real duress from us.”
It might have been so different. The change in law interpretation was not lost on this initially boisterous Ravenhill gathering. Two seasons ago, with Ulster seemingly stacked full of enough quality to capture Europe’s greatest prize, they bravely lost 17-15 in the quarter-final to Saracens after Jared Payne’s red card with just three minutes played.
Payne was beaten to a high ball by Goode and despite replays suggesting a lack of intent, his eyes were firmly fixed on the ball, referee Jerome Garces deemed it a red card.
At the same stadium last night, and ironically after three minutes, Michael Rhodes, with some assistance by fellow Saracens backrow Jacques Burger, smashed an airborne Andrew Trimble. The Ireland winger was planted onto his back.
Romain Poite took a look at the big screen, and despite the clear intent of Rhodes's illegal tackle, the French referee deemed it a yellow card offence.
“It had to be yellow,” said Kiss. “Whether it needed to be more doesn’t matter anymore.”
Ulster seemed primed for the English champions heavy artillery with Chris Henry, Rory Best and the initially outstanding Nick Williams all making nifty turnovers.
Paddy Jackson even found an early kicking groove, in stark contrast to Farrell, to make it 9-0 on 25 minutes. His second score was a drop goal when Poite waved advantage after Maro Itoje's failure to roll away in the tackle.
But Saracens remain a quality team and had threatened to beat the shooting Ulster defender, usually Darren Cave, to create a mismatch out wide.
On the half hour mark Chris Wyles sprinted over after a fine cut out pass by Farrell allowed Goode to skin Trimble.
It still looked on course to be Ulster's night when Henry returned from sideline treatment just as Billy Vunipola was taking a 10-minute break; Poite sin-binned the England number eight for a high tackle, without arms, on Iain Henderson.
Remarkably Saracens reacted to the numerical disadvantage by racking up 12 unanswered points.
As the hour mark ticked over Goode chipped over the white line a full 45 metres from Ulster’s try line. Taylor got his hands on the ball before the turning defenders and a lovely offload saw the trailing Goode sprint clear.
Saracens took over, they rattled Ulster’s set piece, Rory Best’s lineout became unreliable and the scrum folded.
Victory was secured with 15 minutes remaining when Farrell dummied through Jackson and Franco van der Merwe to put Duncan clear.
A bad decision by Saracens seemed to deny them a bonus point. After Mako Vunipola minced another Ulster scrum five metres out, Farrell opted to kick an easy three points when a penalty try was promised off one more scrum.
But such was their utter control of this tie, the English were able to trudge back into Ulster’s 22 and shunt Billy Vunipola over for the clean sweep.
But no World Cup hangover. Honest.
“I don’t think so,” said Rory Best. “I don’t think there is a hangover. Irish rugby suffered more injuries in the tournament . . . but we know what to expect, there is an expectation to fit back in.”
No shift in the balance of power?
“Obviously we are judging that on two very bad results for Irish provinces over the last two weeks. We came with a game plan we were fully confidant would win. I’m not sure there is a shift in power.
“We know we are considerably better than that.”
Really though the scene looks to have radically changed.
Scoring sequence – 15 mins: P Jackson pen, 3-0; 20 mins: P Jackson drp gl, 6-0; 25 mins: P Jackson pen, 9-0; 29 mins: C Wyles try, 9-5. Half-time. 59 mins: A Goode try, 9-10; O Farrell con, 9-12: 65 mins: D Taylor try, 9-17: O Farrell pen, 9-20; 79 mins: B Vunipola try, 9-25; C Hodgson con, 9-27.
ULSTER: L Ludik; A Trimble, D Cave, S McCloskey, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; C Black, R Best (capt), W Herbst; D Tuohy, F van der Merwe; I Henderson, C Henry, N Williams.
Replacements: R Wilson for C Henry (49-54 mins & 66), K McCall for C Black (58 mins), R Diack for F van der Merwe (66 mins), R Wilson for N Williams (66 mins), I Humphreys for P Jackson, R Lutton for W Herbst (both 70 mins), P Marshall for R Pienaar (75 mins), R Herring for R Best (79 mins).
SARACENS: A Goode; C Ashton, D Taylor, B Barritt (capt), C Wyles; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, S Brits, P Du Plessis; G Kruis, M Itoje; M Rhodes, J Burger, B Vunipola.
Replacements: J George for S Brits (51 mins), J Wray for M Rhodes (58 mins), M Bosch for D Taylor (70 mins), A Hargreaves for M Itoje, N de Kock for R Wigglesworth, C Hodgson for B Barritt (all 77 mins).
Referee: Romain Poite (France).
