Ulster outlast Connacht in high-scoring encounter

Connacht 18 Ulster 34

A sun-washed Spring evening, tailor made for some sort of Galway celebration. And how Connacht sensed seasonal change as they ripped into Ulster in the opening passages of last night's pivotal Rabo Pro12 match.

Four tries in the opening 17 minutes to leave the sides at two each ensured that Eric Elwood’s team were not about to allow this meeting to be a processional set piece win for Ulster, desperately in search of a home semi-final.

Elwood had said before the match began that the tackling at the breakdown and the attitude of his players in the confrontational areas was going to shape the game. They knew the strengths of Rory Best, Ton Court, Chris Henry and Nick Williams. And so it was.

But far from a ground out, pack dominated match, the ball flowed. Connacht were buoyant hosts, sparkling and willing and from the off threatened to disrupt. Just four minutes in Connacht’s Brian Murphy drilled it to Mike McCarthy and on to George Naoupu on the wing. A man over out wide and it was first blood to Connacht 5-0.

Five minutes later Stuart Olding, the Ulster inside centre having the season of his short career, touched down after Ulster swept down the right, the ball going through seven pairs of hands before Olding stooped. Pienaar converted for 5-7

For a while it was breathless and open, defences on both sides too easily split which certainly favoured Connacht and their fans as it appeared the underdogs were always capable of hitting back. From that energy Connacht generated momentum.

The visitors appetite was not as controlled as usual and they struggled to go through phases but they were unforgiving enough to punish errors and as Trimble broke again on the right Pienaar came in and Trimble finished for 5-12 on 11 minutes.

Order restored and Ulster in the ascendancy. Not likely. Just as easily Connacht returned the try scoring favour and cut into Ulster, Eoin Griffin, Gavin Duffy and finally Fetu'u Vainikolo scrambling in for the fourth try and 12-12 after Parks converted.

A fitting score as Connacht had to patch up before the match began when fullback Robbie Henshaw dislocated his thumb on Thursday during kicking practice. Eric Elwood shifted captain Duffy back with Vainikolo coming into the left wing and Matt Healy promoted to the bench.

Parks and Pienaar exchanged penalties for 15-15 on 28 minutes and just when the frenetic blasts from both sides appeared to calm down Ulster rumbled up the park. Ominous and inexorably they kept rolling and Irish hooker Rory Best, like most frontrows deadly from two yards out, took the ball from the back and stole around the side to crash down. Pienaar converted for 15-22 at half time, the 6,463 crowd as much as the players needing a breather.

Ulster came out on the offensive and three minutes in Johann Muller entered the match and two minutes after that John Afoa. That was expected to bring some cohesion and direction to the play.

But it was Miah Nikora, on the pitch just a few minutes for outhalf Dan Parks, who kicked Connacht to within four points, making it clear that whatever Ulster did, whoever came off the bench this was already a match that was gamely shaping up to swing either way. Ulster, whose seasonal success was hinging on the outcome, seemed powerless to stop it.

Inevitably at the high tempo something would give and just before the hour, the Connacht players started hunkering down and the hands went to the heads to suck in the air at the breaks in play.

Two replacement props Ethienne Reynecke and Rodney Ah You arrived into the game, while Ireland’s Iain Henderson came on for Nick Williams as Ulster edged towards what would be a first pick pack.

There was more control for Ulster from a solid scrum and they cleverly kept the play in Connacht territory and although they began to go through recycles and stretch the home defence they were still only a line break away from losing the match.

But something had to give it seemed and it was Tommy Bowe, who saw to that. Bringing his finishing ability to a wonderful Henderson run, where the flanker bashed through the right hand side of the park festooned with Connacht players, Bowe was at his side to roll over for 18-29

Jared Payne then sucker punched the home side through Pienaar and Bowe hands on 73 minutes and streaked up the wing for 18-34 and the match was over. Ulster won't like the first half but nor will they care. A win down the home stretch is what they came for. Cardiff comes to Ravenhill for their last match in two weeks time for a home semi-final. Ulster need to win. That's exactly how they wanted it to be.
Scoring sequence: 4 mins G Naoupu try 5-0; 9 mins S Olding try, Pienaar con 5-7; 11 mins A Trimble try 5-12; F Vainikolo try, D Parks con 12-12; 24 mins Parks pen 15-12; 32 mins R Best try, Pienaar con 15-22. Halftime. M Nikora pen 18-22; 70 mins T Bowe pen, Pienaar con 18-29; 73 mins J Payne try 18-34.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; D Poolman, E Griffin, B Murphy, F Vainikolo; D Parks, K Marmion; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Loughney, M Swift, M McCarthy, M Kearney, J Muldoon, G Naoupu. Replacements: M Nikora for Parks 46 mins; E Reynecke for Flavin 56 mins; R Ah You for B Wilkinson 58 mins;A Browne for M Kearney 61 mins; P O'Donohoe for Marmion 69 mins; M Healy for Vainikolo 76 mins; M Fifta for Naoupu 76 mins
ULSTER: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, S Olding, T Bowe; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, R Lutton, S Lewis, D Tuohy, R Diack, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements : J Muller for Stevenson 43 mins; J Afoa for Lutton 46 mins; I Henderson for Williams 62 mins; C Black for T Court 72 mins; R Herring for Best 73 mins; J Cooey for P Jackson 77 mins; P Marshall for R Pienaar 76 mins.