EDINBURGH 19 ULSTER 22

A sublime final-quarter comeback tonight at Murrayfield booked Ulster a Guinness Pro14 final clash with Leinster in seven days’ time, with Ian Madigan the hero as his stoppage-time penalty edged out brave Edinburgh in a classic knock-out encounter. Trailing by 19 - 7 with 20 minutes to go and only a Rob Lyttle try and Billy Burns conversion to show for their efforts, Ulster dug deep and found the inspiration they needed to seize control of the tie, with tries from Rob Herring and John Andrew, and a crucial conversion from Madigan before his decisive penalty, sealing only the province’s second Pro14 playoff win in nine attempts. It was a true team victory for the Ulstermen, with several replacements – not only Madigan, but also props Jack McGrath and Marty Moore and scrum-half Alby Mathewson among others – not to mention try-scorer Andrew – making the difference in a second-half display that exuded cohesion and self-belief. The Ulster cause was bolstered early on by the selection of three key players who had made an early exit against Leinster due to injury – full-back Jacob Stockdale, centre Stuart McCloskey and flanker Jordi Murphy all suitably rehabilitated in time for tonight’s clash. Head coach Dan McFarland still made three changes to last Saturday’s starting XV, however, bringing in skipper Burns at out-half,  Louis Ludik on the wing, and Alan O’Connor at lock. The backline was completed by winger Lyttle, centre James Hume and scrum-half John Cooney, while the pack, unchanged but for the inclusion of O’Connor, comprised props Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole, hooker Herring, lock Sam Carter, flanker Matthew Rea and Number Eight Marcell Coetzee. A measured opening from both sides – understandably cautious given how much was at stake – meant the first real opportunity came as late as the 13^th minute, when both the lively winger Duhan van der Merwe and full-back Blair Kinghorn got close to the whitewash before play was pulled back for a penalty. Edinburgh eschewed three easy points to kick to the corner instead – and it proved the right decision when skipper Stuart McInally broke away from the ensuing rolling maul and stretched over for the try. Jaco van der Walt’s conversion attempt missed the target, and with Ben Toolis penalised for a no-arms tackle soon after the restart, Burns followed his opposite number’s example with a kick to touch. The five-metre lineout worked at the second attempt after an early drive from Rory Sutherland at the first, and when the Scots infringed again as Ulster crept towards the line, a second’s indecision from Burns and Stockdale as Cooney’s pass dropped between them brought the knock-on which put paid to Ulster’s best move to date. The next penalty was not long in coming, but great work from Hamish Watson to isolate Herring as the maul split open put the hosts back in possession, until a high tackle from Kinghorn on Lyttle gave Ulster another offensive lineout. Once again, however, it came to nothing – this time Lyttle knocking on while in full flight – and with the half-hour mark passed and the Ulster scoresheet still blank despite plenty of possession, Edinburgh seemed to grow in confidence as the half-time whistle neared, with another score only denied by a last-ditch tackle from Cooney on Chris Dean as he shaped to put his centre partner Mark Bennett in for the try. Half-Time Score Edinburgh 5 Ulster 0 Ulster ran out for the second half with Mathewson and Michael Lowry on for Cooney and Ludik, Stockdale relocating to his more familiar position on the wing, but the shift did nothing to unsettle the Scots, whose patient build-up saw Darcy Graham touch down on 46 minutes after quick feet from van der Walt had bamboozled the Ulster rearguard. Sean Reidy replaced Murphy at this stage for his first outing since the resumption of the season, and with the game suddenly opening up, a try-saving interception from Burns was quickly followed by an impressive try from Lyttle, who danced his way through the Edinburgh defence after a fine offload from Coetzee and quick hands from McCloskey. The Burns conversion reduced the deficit to five points with 25 minutes to play, but the two-score cushion was restored two minutes later when the dynamic Watson broke three tackles and fed Dean for the finish, converted by van der Walt. Ulster launched straight back onto the attack, Herring bundling over from the maul with the far-from-negligible help of recent entrants McGrath and Moore. Although Burns’ conversion this time veered wide, the momentum had patently swung in the visitors’ favour and five minutes of intense pressure only broke down with a Coetzee knock-on deep in the ‘22’ – the first time the Springbok had put a foot wrong in the entire contest. A similar handling error from Lyttle in the next high-octane attack gave Edinburgh time to draw breath, but with eight minutes remaining Ulster came again, earning a 22-metre penalty when the hosts intentionally slowed play by killing the ball. The five-metre lineout ran like clockwork, with the recently-introduced Andrew rumbling over from another rolling maul, and fellow replacement Madigan – just on for Burns – showing nerves of steel to restore parity with the conversion. With one minute to play and extra time looming, an intentional knock-down from Mike Willemse gave Madigan the chance to grab the headlines, and the new recruit sealed his place in the Ulster hall of fame on only his third appearance with an ice-cool penalty from long range. McFarland’s men now have a week to prepare for the final showdown with interprovincial rivals and runaway league leaders Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, an encounter they will surely go into brimming with confidence thanks to the manner of their victory at Murrayfield this evening. Full-Time Score Edinburgh 19 Ulster 22 Edinburgh (15 – 9) Blair Kinghorn; Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett, Chris Dean, Duhan van der Merwe; Jaco van der Walt, Nic Groom (1 – 8) Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally (c), WP Nel, Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist, Magnus Bradbury, Hamish Watson, Bill Mata Replacements (16 – 23) Mike Willemse, Pierre Schoeman, Simon Berghan, Andrew Davidson, Jamie Ritchie, Charlie Shiel, Nathan Chamberlain, George Taylor Ulster (15 – 9) Jacob Stockdale; Louis Ludik, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle; Billy Burns (c), John Cooney (1 – 8) Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Sam Carter, Matthew Rea, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee Replacements (16 – 23) John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore, Kieran Treadwell, Sean Reidy, Alby Mathewson, Ian Madigan, Michael Lowry