No return for positive play

Irish Rugby, and Ulster in particular, wanted something more tangible than another encouraging Heineken Cup display but despite an inventive, lively and often skilful 80-minute effort, Davey Haslett's team lost this Ravenhill Pool B opener.

Most of the night's best rugby was provided by a positive Ulster outfit, but a crucial 14-point turnover from an attacking five-metre scrum in the 33rd minute, when the ball screwed out on the wrong side and James Craig was sent clear from inside halfway, summed up Ulster's night.

It put Ulster behind and there they stayed. They'll rue that and more, not least the display by Welsh referee Nigel Whitehouse whose final penalty tally was 1913 in Glasgow's favour despite a flurry of four late tap penalties by a desperate Ulster.

There was so much to admire in the home display in an entertaining game. Noticeably more positive in their decision-making with the ball in hand, always looking to keep the ball alive, and structuring their tactics around a quick rucking game, they went low into the tackle or looked for the close-in support and kept driving away.

Andy Ward, one of the provincial stars to have come from the lower regions of the AIL, had another stormer; Stephen McKinty too was a lively runner and support player and Stephen Ritchie was back to his omnipresent self.

It deserved better but then again you make your own luck and at times Ulster were almost too positive for their own good; the second Glasgow try coming from Stuart Laing's unsuccessful little short drop-out up the middle.

Furthermore, up to the opposition 22 they were in many ways the better side, but that's where the tries are scored. Thus, when push came to shove, despite lording the territorial graph Ulster couldn't manufacture one try. The age-old Irish problem of wrong option-taking in the opposition 22 cost them dear.

Laing's typically inventive start, first moving the ball wide and then earning an early penalty with a deft little grubber, enabled him to strike the first blow. After 11 minutes he made it 6-0 from 40 metres and Ulster looked set fair.

What footing Glasgow could get in Ulster territory largely stemmed from the mighty and wind-assisted right boot of their Cook Island out-half Tommy Hayes. His place-kicking radar was a bit askew but one out of four first-half penalties opened Glasgow's account before they stealthily went ahead.

Ulster pressed hard, and in the move of the match Bell, Laing and Robin Morrow gave Sheldon Coulter a run up the narrow side. He beat his man on the outside and found Keith Gallick inside whose loose pass was brilliantly picked up by McKinty and nearly converted into a try by an acrobatic twisting lunge. Scrum five to Ulster.

The Ulster scrum had been on top, which made their misfeed on the Glasgow line all the more galling. Scrum-half Fraser Scott suddenly broke away as the referee rejected Ulster protests, Hayes then releasing the long-striding Craig to score from long-range almost with arrogant ease.

Hayes converted and Glasgow gave themselves a bigger secondhalf buffer when Laing's drop-out was lost on the ground, Scottish flanker Murray Wallace bursting through an ensuing gap impressively to score wide out.

Buoyed by Laing's post-interval drop goal, Ulster gave it their best shot in the third quarter, but Glasgow's defence was at its best during this concerted and lengthy spell of pressure and Laing missed a relatively kickable penalty to narrow the gap further.

Their frustration growing, an offside by Richard Mackey permitted Hayes to put Glasgow more than a score clear. Ulster rallied again, the introduction of Roger Wilson, two takes at the tail by Ward and another rampaging burst inspiring them.

Cynical spoiling enabled Laing to pull Ulster to within a score again and despite equally cynical time-wasting by Matt McGrandles, when kicking the ball away 20 metres after another penalty, Ulster ended up with Jan Cunningham tackled five yards short when Stephen Bell's panicky long pass forced them to go wide. It was that kind of night for the Ulstermen.

Cardiff coach Alec Evans has withdrawn from the race to become coach of Australia, opening the way for Rod Macqueen to be given the job.

Macqueen has always been favourite for the job vacated by Smith after the Wallabies finished bottom to the tri-nations series.