Rugby

URC: Ulster secure second spot and a potential home run to final

Injuries to backs Michael Lowry, James Hume and Luke Marshall a concern after win over Edinburgh

Ulster's Jacob Stockdale celebrates scoring a try with Craig Gilroy during the BKT United Rugby Championship match against Edinburgh at Kingspan Stadium. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Ulster's Jacob Stockdale celebrates scoring a try with Craig Gilroy during the BKT United Rugby Championship match against Edinburgh at Kingspan Stadium. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Michael Sadlier at Kingspan Stadium
Fri Apr 21 2023 - 21:49

Ulster 28 Edinburgh 14

All Ulster needed was a win to earn themselves second place and the extra bonus of a home semi-final should they get that far – to accompany their already secured home quarter. And as such they got the job done, even though it was a hardly vintage effort from this final round of the regular season.

The flow wasn’t helped by Ulster shipping backline injuries to Michael Lowry, James Hume and Luke Marshall against an Edinburgh side with nothing to play for but end of season pride.

Edinburgh started as if they meant business and shortly after Duhan van der Merwe failed to get on the end of a kick through, Darcy Graham scampered through for a try after seven minutes with Emiliano Boffelli converting.

With Ulster disrupted through injuries to Lowry and Hume, it was quite the turnaround when they scored on 25 minutes with a sweeping move from deep. Craig Gilroy linked with Jacob Stockdale, helping make space for Robert Baloucoune who then threw an assist back inside for Stockdale to touch down.

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The score went unconverted by John Cooney from a difficult angle, but he made no mistake with a 37th-minute penalty to put Ulster ahead for the first time.

Then in injury-time, Ulster won a scrum penalty and Cooney, from almost the same spot as his earlier penalty, secured the three points to give Ulster an 11-7 lead at half-time.

The new half opened with Baloucoune having been replaced, but it was barely a minute old when Blair Kinghorn threw a gift of an intercept pass to Cooney who ran in from inside his own half. He converted his own score and Ulster now led 18-7.

They had to wait until the 65th-minute before scoring again, Nick Timoney wriggling over from close range just after lock Glen Young had been binned. Cooney made no mistake with the extras.

Edinburgh’s’ Charlie Savala then had a score scrubbed out just before the visitors got 15 on the park again prompting WP Nel’s converted try.

However, it ended appropriately with Cooney’s 78th-minute penalty. Job done.

ULSTER: M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S Moore, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; D McCann, N Timoney, D Vermeulen

Replacements: L Marshall for Lowry (12 mins); C Gilroy for Hume (15); T Stewart for Herring (27 mins); N Doak for Baloucoune (41); S Carter for O’Connor (56); G Milasinovich for Toomaga-Allen (61); H Sheridan for Marshall (69); C Reid for Warwick (71).

EDINBURGH: E Boffelli; D Graham, M Bennett, C Hutchison, D van der Merwe; B Kinghorn, H Pyrgos; P Schoeman, D Cherry, L de Bruin; G Young, S Skinner; J Ritchie (capt), H Watson, V Mata.

Replacements: C Savala for Hutchinson (13 mins); S McInally for Cherry (22); WP Nel for de Bruin (41); C Shiel for Pyrgos (49-61 & 71); B Venter for Schoeman, N Sweeney for Bennett (both 61); P Phillips for Mata (66); C Boyle for Watson (71).

Yellow card: Young (65 mins).

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).

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