Exeter 31 Ulster 19
With Leinster and Munster having already booked their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals, and Connacht well placed to join them, Ulster seem set to be the poor relations of Irish Rugby this spring after defeat to Exeter at Sandy Park left their European ambitions in tatters.
While there is still the most slender of hope - an improbable series of results could still see the northerners through - Les Kiss’s men knew they had to beat the in-form Premiership outfit to have any realistic designs on the last eight but came up considerably short in a 31-19 reverse.
Exeter had little to play for but pride, but that proved plenty motivation in front of their home crowd, and Rob Baxter's side ran in five tries against an Ulster defence that was too passive in the face of electric back play from the likes of Jack Nowell and Michele Campagnaro.
While the superb Charles Piutau helped himself to a pair of scores, and Sean Reidy got the visitors off to the perfect start, the result means that Ulster have not taken a solitary point from three away trips in this year's competition.
A dejected Kiss admitted it was no time for usual post-match platitudes.
“We’re disappointed in that dressing room,” he admitted. “It’s not good enough to keep saying we’ll learn and do the job next time.
“You’ve got to have players that are going to put their hand up and make a difference in terms of what they do on a weekly basis.
“The boys have been quite frank with each other about the disappointment.”
It was yet another occasion this season when a more ruthless edge would have made all the difference, with Kiss admitting that failure to take chances is proving the difference between silverware chasers and a side who have now dropped eight out of their last 12.
“We work hard but we’ve got to work harder,” he added. “We’ve got to realise that because we can create chances, it doesn’t make us a good or great team.
“We’re able to fashion opportunities despite the fact that we’re up against it but it doesn’t get you a result if you can’t convert them.
“We had defensive issues too, they scored pretty easily.”
The side in need could hardly have made a better start, brimming with intent and grabbing the first try of the game after just three minutes.
With Rory Best having forced Exeter into an error, the visitors attacked off the lineout and, with the opposition buying the dummy run from Chris Henry, there was a giant gap for Stuart McCloskey to exploit, and the centre’s offload gave Sean Reidy a simple score.
Even with scrum-half Dave Shanahan making a first senior start, Ulster were keeping the ball well, and sensed another score coming after 22 phases in possession, but referee Romain Poite whistled Kieran Treadwell for holding on.
Exeter were increasingly making ground against an Ulster defence content to drift, and with Nowell increasingly involved, Campagnaro scored his side’s first points after Andrew Trimble was caught in no man’s land.
The first of Thomas Waldrom’s scores would follow without too much delay, coming from a scrum that was gaining a dramatic upper-hand.
Although, in order to ensure parity at the turn, Ulster produced a set-piece score of their own from the next scrum, even with Ross Kane departing the scene with a foot injury.
Quick ball allowed Paddy Jackson to attack the blindside and Piutua ghosted past Nowell for a score in what was becoming quite the one on one battle.
The opening of the second-half would, however, prove Ulster’s undoing.
The pressure was piled on early and there was an inevitability to Waldrom’s second after 50 minutes.
Not to be outdone, Campagnaro also crossed for another four minutes later and, even with Piutau doing the same, a late penalty try that came via a Jackson knock-on when Exeter had a three man overlap, saw the visitors return to Belfast with nothing.
Scoring sequence: 3min: Reidy try, 0-5; 21: Campagnaro try, 5-5; 30: Waldrom try, Steenson conversion 5-12; 34: Piutau try, Jackson conversion, 12-12; 50: Waldrom try, Steenson conversion 12-19; 53: Campagnaro try, 24-12; 61: Piutau try, Jackson conversion, 24-19; 72: Penalty try, Steenson conversion, 31-19.
EXETER: P Dollman; J Nowell, M Campagnaro, I Whitten, O Woodburn; G Steenson, D Lewis; B Moon, L Cowan-Dickie, G Holmes; M Lees, J Hill; D Johnson, D Armand, T Waldrom
Replacements: K Horstmann for T Johnson, 55mins; J Yeandle for L Cowan-Dickie, 58; M Low for B Moon, 58; H Williams, 59; O Devoto for I Whitten; 63, D Dennie for J Hill, 64; S Townsend for D Lewis, 67;
ULSTER: L Ludik; C Piutau, L Marshall, S McCloskey, A Trimble; P Jackson, D Shanahan; C Black, R Best, R Kane: K Treadwell, P Browne; I Henderson, C Henry, S Reidy.
Replacements: J Simpson for R Kane, 33mins; A Warwick for C Black, 45; C Ross for P Browne, 55;
Yellow card: P Jackson, 72.
Referee: Romain Poite
