This game was the first home game for Interim Head Coach, Richie Murphy, and a much welcomed return to the Kingspan Stadium after four tough fixtures on the road; first in South Africa, and then in France. Ulster came into the Round 14 fixture in 8th position on the URC table, knowing a win was important in the push to secure a knock-out position.
Alan O’Connor was handed the captain’s armband in a team that saw a return to the starting line-up Eric O’Sullivan and Jacob Stockdale, whilst Cardiff welcomed back British and Irish Lion Number 8, Taulupe Faletau, and included another Lion, Josh Adams, on the wing.
Jake Flannery, starting at fly half, kicked off for Ulster with the Belfast sunset behind the home side, playing towards the Nevin Spence Memorial Stand. The early exchanges saw a couple of illegal tackles from the visitors and a maul infringement which allowed Ulster to build some field position and an opportunity to go right into the corner. Unfortunately for Doak, his kick went to the wrong side of the corner flag, and the first opportunity was squandered. A simple ruck infringement, and suddenly Cardiff made no mistake to put themselves in that same position at the other end of the field. However, they couldn’t hold possession in attack, and Doak gained forgiveness from the home crowd with an impressive kick from the base out of pressure.
The next Ulster opportunity came off the back off an impressive receipt of a Cardiff high ball, by Ulster tighthead, Scott Wilson. Ulster looked to play fast and Will Addison drifted a ball onto Mike Lowry in space, but sadly it also drifted forward. Wilson and his fellow front row were penalised at the following scrum and the visitors kicked into the Ulster 22. They played the ball off the top, and scrum half Ellis Bevan, standing at first receiver, was able to play a simple but timely pass inside to blindside winger, Theo Cabango, who showed his wheels to score the first try of the game. Fly half Tinus de Beer converted.
Through the next period, Addison was able to cover the back field well, opting to counter attack on a number of occasions, linking up with Stockdale and the forwards who were beginning to make some ground in attack against a tight defence, but handling errors brought the end to the building phases. Stockdale was unable to claim a competitive box kick and Cardiff were quick to move the ball coast to coast looking to exploit the space provided by the injured James Hume, who was receiving treatment. Fortunately for Ulster, they couldn’t keep hold of the ball, but unfortunately Hume was unable to continue. Ethan McIlroy was introduced as the early replacement, meaning a reshuffle in the back line, with Addison moving to outside centre and Lowry to full back.
With twenty minutes played, Flannery executed a grubber in behind the rushing defence, but it didn’t quite sit up right for Addison, who knocked it into touch. Tom Stewart was alert at the tail of the line out, claiming the over throw, and popping to Flannery who broke away into space. Postlethwaite grubbered the ball in behind on the next phase, but Cardiff were able to cover.
Things began to heat up as Cardiff flanker, Alex Mann gave away a simple penalty, showing his frustration in the face of McCann. Doak made no mistake getting Ulster onto the board with the penalty goal after half an hour of play.
A Dave Ewers steal on the ground allowed Addison to build and win a short kicking battle with the opposition. Attacking pressure, created in particular by big centre Postlewhaite, and forwards Rea, McCann and Sheridan, saw Ulster gain a penalty which they could pop in the corner. After two attempts, Ewers drove his way over the line, but was well wrapped up, and held up in goal.
Off the goal line drop out, Ulster looked to build once again, and a no arms tackle by Mann allowed Doak to strike his second penalty bringing Ulster back within a point leading towards the break.
HALF TIME Ulster 6 Cardiff 7
Cardiff, first to score in the first half, were the first to score in the second. And again, it was number eleven, Theo Cabango, who was able to beat Jude Postlewhaite on the outside down the left hand touch line, before rounding Stockdale in behind the defensive line. Tinus de Beer’s conversion brought the score to Cardiff 6, Ulster 14.
Soon after, the powerful Harry Sheridan found a gap in the Cardiff defence, but his speculative offload couldn’t find support and Cardiff set off on the counter attack. This time Cabango was dealt with well by the scramble defence of Addison, before Lowry was strong over the ball to win a jackal penalty.
Josh Adams showed his international class, with a powerful hand off to create space. Stockdale looked to grab a late intercept from Adams’ pass, but as he couldn’t hold on it was deemed deliberate and he was shown a yellow card.
John Cooney and Billy Burns, both introduced early in the half began increase the attacking tempo. This pressure and pace once again led to a penalty, and an attacking platform. After a number of phases, and good collective forward drives, Dave McCann muscled his way to the try line for an Ulster try. Cooney converted to once again bring Ulster back within a point, at 13-14. With a quarter of the game remaining, Stockdale returned to the field.
With the replacements also on in the front row, Ulster were awarded a free kick at the scrum. Cooney was quick to take the tap, and Burns found McIlroy who was able to make some good ground. Cardiff were deemed to offend at the breakdown, and Cooney was giving an opportunity at goal. The kick was good, and after 65 minutes of play, Ulster took the narrow lead.
Cardiff were not going to roll over, and they created a chance of their own. More than a chance, in fact as Thomas Young sprinted down the right wing and went for the line. But replacement lock, Cormac Izuchukwu, was ready to make the intercept of the game, halting Young, and getting his feet in the way as the ball was inches from being grounded, but worryingly the Welsh side were beginning to find some space in the Ulster defence.
With the final ten minutes approaching, Postlethwaite was guilty of playing the scrum half back at the tail of the breakdown, in a very kickable position. De Beer would make no mistake regaining the lead.
The final ten minute period was a chapter full of crests and waves, with numerous Ulster men linking together, building spells of attacking momentum. Players like Postlethwaite finding space, Stockdale carrying hard out wide and Harry Sheridan showing his strength. But on multiple occasions the efforts fell to nothing, appearing to cost the victory.
As Ulster looked certain to follow through and claim a score, the stadium went into shock as the ball was spilled forward, and spun out wide to Cabango once again to dive into the corner for his hat trick… or so it seemed.
McCann, acting captain at this stage, was quick to alert the officials to the source of the turnover, and the TMO intervened, finding that was caused by a deliberate knock on from Cardiff replacement, Rhys Carré. The try was ruled out, Carré was sent to the bin, and Ulster now had a penalty in front of the posts with the result at stake. And from the crowd’s despair to elation up steps, John Cooney, who knocked over the penalty to steal back the late lead and claim the victory for Ulster!
FULL TIME Ulster 19 Cardiff 17
Scorers:
Ulster
Tries: McCann
Cons: Doak
Penalties: Doak (2), Cooney (2)
Cardiff
Tries: Cabango (2)
Cons: de Beer (2)
Penalties: de Beer
Teams:
Ulster
(15-9): Will Addison, Mike Lowry, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale, Jake Flannery, Nathan Doak;
(1-8): Eric O’Sullivan, Tom Stewart, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Alan O’Connor, Dave Ewers, Marcus Rea, Dave McCann.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Greg Jones, John Cooney, Billy Burns, Ethan McIlroy.
Cardiff
(15-9) Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Mason Grady, Ben Thomas, Theo Cabango, Tinus de Beer, Ellis Bevan;
(1-8) Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (captain), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Donnell, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Rhys Carré, Evan Lloyd, Ciaran Parker, Rory Thornton, Ellis Jenkins, Gonzalo Bertranou, Jacob Beetham.