United Rugby Championship: Ulster 32 Connacht 27
Ulster took five crucial points from this hugely committed interprovincial to put their South African experience behind them but only made reasonably certain of the result in the final five minutes of this tension laden clash.
Nick Timoney’s try got them over the line with their fifth touchdown of the night while Connacht, who had battled back to tie things up at 24-all from trailing 19-5, lost their momentum following Josh Murphy’s 71st minute red card which had resulted in John Cooney landing a clutch kick to edge Ulster ahead.
Still, Pete Wilkins’ side left Belfast with what could prove to be two vital points from four tries – one excellent effort from Ben Murphy, son of Richie – and Josh Ioane’s last-gasp penalty which had followed a poor miss from the out half, hooking the ball dead when the westerners had a late penalty and attempted to hit the corner.
Ulster, bottom of the table at kick-off, were eager to get on and after just two minutes John Andrew was the recipient of the evening’s first score when the hosts put a penalty to the corner and mauled their way to the line.
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Cooney added the conversion and Ulster were 7-0 to the good on a night when both Andrew Warwick and Alan O’Connor make their 200th appearances.
Connacht came back and after a period of pressure near the Ulster line, when Piers O’Conor was held just short, the westerners made the breakthrough thanks to Josh Ioane’s long pass to Shayne Bolton.
Ulster stayed in front though as Ioane was unable to convert from a challenging angle.
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The hosts then struck again on 20 minutes when Jude Postlethwaite, who returned early from the Emerging Ireland tour, drove through after Ulster had mauled from another penalty put to the corner.
Cooney was wide with the conversion from near the touchline.
Ulster had try number three seven minutes later with Cooney the scorer, when he raced through with Connacht’s breakdown defence simply not being around.
After running in under the sticks, Cooney was able to add the extras and Ulster now led 19-5.
The visitors had to strike back and did so when they fired a penalty into the corner and Joe Joyce claimed the try from the resulting driving maul though Ioane was well wide with the conversion.
From the restart, Werner Kok was shown yellow by Andrew Brace for taking Josh Murphy out in the air and the hosts were forced to finish the half down to 14 while also being without Iain Henderson – the skipper departing early – and starting centre Postlethwaite who had also been forced off.
Then with the clock in red, Ulster conceded another penalty but there some back chat followed, and Andrew Brace marched them back some further yardage.
It was to cost them as Cian Prendergast took the lineout and knocked the ball back to the in-form Ben Murphy who stepped through Ulster’s lineout and sprinted clear to make the line.
Ioane slotted a brilliant conversion, and the northern province ended the half leading by just 19-17.
Four minutes into the new half and with Kok just returned, Sean O’Brien was awarded a score only for it to be chalked off via the TMO’s involvement.
With Josh Murphy yellow carded, Ulster made the man advantage count from yet another driving maul to put some daylight between the sides and bring up Ulster’s bonus point score, David McCann spotting a gap and dotting down though Cooney, once again, couldn’t convert.
Ten minutes later and it was all tied up at 24 points each. Connacht also had their try bonus, Dylan Tierney-Martin scoring from the inevitable driving maul with Ioane’s well hit conversion locking the sides together.
But with just 10 minutes left and Connacht on the front-foot Josh Murphy’s smash on James McCormick’s meant a red card for the lock and Cooney really made them pay by nailing the penalty.
That gave Ulster some added belief and Nick Timoney dived over with Mack Hansen caught watching and with just five minutes left. Cooney again missed but at 32-24 Ulster again looked odds-on winners.
But it wasn’t quite over for Connacht and a penalty allowed Ioane to slot a last-gasp shot to bring them two bonus points from the defeat.
ULSTER: E McIlroy, W Kok, S Moore, J Postlethwaite, J Stockdale, A Morgan, J Cooney; A Warwick, J Andrew, T O’Toole, I Henderson (capt), K Treadwell, D McCann, S Reffell, N Timoney. Replacements: J McCormick for Andrew (53 mins), C Reid for Warwick (66), C Barrett for O’Toole (70), A O’Connor for Henderson (14), Marcus Rea for Reffell (60), N Doak for Morgan (58), B Carson for Postlethwaite (31), M Lowry for Moore (73). Yellow cards: Kok (32 mins).
CONNACHT: S Cordero, M Hansen, P O’Conor, B Aki, S Bolton, J Ioane, B Murphy, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, J Joyce, J Murphy, C Prendergast (capt), S O’Brien, P Boyle. Replacements: D Tierney-Martin for Heffernan, P Dooley for Buckley (both 56), T Lasisi for Bealham (11-18, 66), O Dowling for Joyce, D O’Connor for Boyle (both 61), C Blade for Murphy, C Oliver for O’Brien (both 63), C Forde for Cordero (67). Yellow cards: J Murphy (49 mins). Red card: J Murphy (71 mins).
Referee: A Brace (IRFU).
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