Despite a spirited second-half comeback with six penalties from the boot of Paddy Jackson, Ulster surrendered their unbeaten record for 2014 tonight at Cardiff Arms Park, with a losing bonus point scant consolation in their quest for a top four RaboDirect Pro12 spot.
By Neil Carnduff
Despite a spirited second-half comeback with six penalties from the boot of Paddy Jackson, Ulster surrendered their unbeaten record for 2014 tonight at Cardiff Arms Park, with a losing bonus point scant consolation in their quest for a top four RaboDirect Pro12 spot.
Mark Anscombe’s side made the perfect start through a Darren Cave try on three minutes, but a high first-half penalty rate – mercilessly punished by Cardiff out-half Gareth Davies – and a breakaway try from the Blues’ own Irishman Robin Copeland kept the game just out of their reach.
A strong Ulster starting XV was bolstered by the return of Six Nations victors Andrew Trimble on the wing and Chris Henry at openside, while London Irish-bound prop Tom Court ran out for his 150
th provincial cap, and lock Dan Tuohy got his first start in two months after breaking his arm in Ireland’s Tournament defeat of Wales. Stephen Ferris made his third consecutive appearance after his 16-month injury hiatus, and Michael Heaney kept his place at scrum-half, just edging out Paul Marshall in the continued absence of first-choice number nine Ruan Pienaar.
Ulster soaked up two minutes of Cardiff pressure before snatching possession and, in their very first attack, a missed tackle from full-back Dan Fish gave Cave the impetus to run a diagonal line from just outside the opposition ‘22’ and plough through for his 17
th league try in white and red.
Jackson, whose pass had set up Cave for the try, pushed his conversion just wide of the posts, but irrepressible Ulster came straight back from the restart, Tommy Bowe taking on Chris Czejak with a kick-and-chase down the right wing which the Dragons only just managed to hack into touch before Bowe could pick up his own kick.
The resulting five-metre scrum got Ulster to the verge of the try-line, with trademark marauding from Nick Williams frightening the life out of the Cardiff defence before a marginal knock-on put paid to the attack. At this stage the game took an absolute reversal in direction, as Davies first pulled back three points courtesy of a 13
th-minute penalty, before an adept steal on Heaney by Lewis Jones at an Ulster scrum 10 minutes later forced the infringement which allowed the out-half to slot his side into the lead.
With the Ulster penalty count hitting seven just before the half-hour mark, Tuohy was sent for a 10-minute sabbatical in the sinbin after illegally scooping the ball from the hand of his opponent on the deck, and Davies gratefully dispatched his third from three. Then, with their tails now well and truly up, the Cardiff forwards produced an incredible 45-metre-long maul which Ulster once again had to infringe upon in order to break it up five metres from their try-line, and Davies hit the target once more.
When the Cardiff try came on 35 minutes, it was exemplary; Alex Cuthbert making the initial running over halfway before picking out Number Eight Copeland with a sublime pass behind his own back. The Munster-bound back row showed great pace for a player of his size to hare down the left wing, eventually resisting Trimble’s last-ditch tackle attempt to ground just over the line.
Five points from Davies – a conversion and a further penalty – followed in quick succession to leave Ulster, now back to a full complement with Tuohy back on the field, reeling from a 17-point deficit at the break.
Half-Time Score Cardiff 22 Ulster 5
Robbie Diack replaced Ferris at the interval, and Ulster were soon back on the scoresheet through two quickfire Jackson penalties on 43 and 47 minutes. The visitors went on to put together several promising phases, with a good wing-break from Trimble and a powerful surge from Williams, which left four would-be tacklers in his wake before the Kiwi was dragged to the ground five metres from home.
Ulster’s persistence almost paid off on 55 minutes, with the Television Match Official eventually adjudging Luke Marshall to have been held up as he tried to force his way under the posts amid a trio of tackles. Jackson opted for a simple three points from the close-range penalty which ensued, and with Paul Marshall and Iain Henderson entering the fray at scrum-half and lock respectively, Cardiff began to re-affirm themselves on the hour mark, confirmed by Davies’ sixth successful penalty on 64 minutes.
Jackson reduced the gap to eight points a minute later, and with Ricky Warwick making an immediate impression with a strong carry as he came on in lieu of Tom Court for his first senior cap, Ulster’s incessant probing earned them a further penalty with 10 minutes remaining, dispatched once more by Jackson.
A pragmatic approach from Ulster saw Jackson split the posts once more three minutes later when a kick to the corner could have set up the chance to win the game outright, and as play streamed down the opposite end of the Arms Park, an infringement from Payne allowed Davies to seal the victory with his seventh penalty.
While doubtless disappointed by the defeat, Ulster should be buoyed by the heart with which they pursued the game in the second half, and by the fact that no new injuries seem to have been picked up in advance of next Saturday’s crunch quarter-final clash with Saracens at Ravenhill.
Full-Time Score Cardiff 28 Ulster 23
Cardiff Blues (15 – 9) D Fish; A Cuthbert, C Allen, I Tuifua, C Czejak; G Davies, L Jones (1 – 8) G Jenkins (c), K Dacey, T Filise, L Reed, F Paulo, M Cook, J Navidi, R Copeland
Replacements (16 – 23) M Rees, T Davies, S Andrews, J Down, E Jenkins, L Williams, S Humberstone, G Evans
Ulster (15 – 9) J Payne; T Bowe, D Cave, L Marshall, A Trimble; P Jackson, M Heaney (1 – 8) T Court, R Herring, J Afoa, J Muller (c), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, N Williams
Replacements (16 – 23) N Annett, A Warwick, R Lutton, I Henderson, R Diack, S Doyle, P Marshall, C Gilroy
