Scarlets 17 Ulster 9

Difficult playing conditions and a lack of time with ball in hand made for a disappointing trip to Llanelli for Ulster this evening, as the Scarlets slugged their way to a deserved eight-point victory.With the Ulster side depleted by both injuries and international call-ups, Jared Payne wore the captain’s armband at full-back, while Michael Allen and Chris Farrell earned the opportunity to impress at wing and centre respectively. Ruan Pienaar moved to out-half in Paddy Jackson’s absence, ...

Difficult playing conditions and a lack of time with ball in hand made for a disappointing trip to Llanelli for Ulster this evening, as the Scarlets slugged their way to a deserved eight-point victory.

With the Ulster side depleted by both injuries and international call-ups, Jared Payne wore the captain’s armband at full-back, while Michael Allen and Chris Farrell earned the opportunity to impress at wing and centre respectively. Ruan Pienaar moved to out-half in Paddy Jackson’s absence, freeing up the scrum-half berth for Paul Marshall, while Rob Herring started at hooker, supported by Lewis Stevenson and Neil McComb in the engine room. Nick Williams made a welcome return from injury at Number Eight after missing out against Montpellier and Cardiff Blues.

In truth Ulster never really got going in the match, enjoying relatively little possession, and suffering from a lacklustre kicking return, with Pienaar missing two from five.

Swirling winds at Parc y Scarlets played havoc with early kicks in open play from both Pienaar and his opposite number Steve Shingler, although the Springbok’s aim was sure enough to nudge his side into a three-point lead on eight minutes after Sione Timani had strayed offside. The Scarlets responded well with a slow-burning push deep in Ulster territory, defended stoutly by the visitors for over 30 phases until a lapse in concentration from hooker Kirby Myhill allowed the clearance.

A missed tackle from Williams on Josh Turnbull gave the Scarlets their next opportunity, the flanker making good ground before earning the penalty which Shingler dispatched. The Welshmen continued to enjoy the monopoly of possession, eventually crossing the whitewash on 30 minutes as George Earle touched down from a rolling maul. Shingler’s conversion attempt screwed well wide of the posts, but the Scarlets were back in Ulster territory within minutes of the restart, only deprived of a second try when Phil John fumbled forward a metre from the line.

The hosts added to their tally just before the break, Aled Thomas kicking over from the right wing after Lewis Stevenson had been penalised for pulling down the taker at the lineout.

Half-Time Score Scarlets 11 Ulster 3

Pienaar missed the opportunity to claw back three points at the opening of the second half from the Scarlets’ 10-metre line, but atoned on 44 minutes with a well-judged penalty from 40 metres. Both sides persisted in kicking for territory as the half progressed, with precious little spectacle the result until Ulster began to exert a stronger hold on the game on the 55th-minute mark courtesy of a pair of forceful pushes from the forwards.

James McKinney replaced Marshall at this stage, liberating Pienaar to play in his preferred role at nine, and David McIlwaine made a brief cameo – coming on for a winded Allen before being yellow-carded moments later for not releasing in the tackle as the Scarlets probed for a second try.

Thomas put over the resulting penalty to extend his side’s lead to eight points with 15 minutes remaining, but with John soon penalised for standing up in the scrum, Pienaar brought Ulster back to within a score on 69 minutes. Then a 22-metre lineout for the visitors led to another penalty for dangerous play directly in front of the posts, but the scrum-half inexplicably sliced his kick wide of the left-hand upright.

Roger Wilson followed McIlwaine into the bin on 73 minutes for a deliberate trip, before Thomas sealed the victory with his third penalty of the night with four minutes to go.

Ulster therefore go into the three-week international break on the back of one of their poorer performances of the season to date, with a chance to get back to winning ways on 22 November when Edinburgh are the visitors to Ravenhill.

Full-Time Score Scarlets 17 Ulster 9

Scarlets (15 – 9) G Owen; N Reynolds, G Maule, A Warren, J Williams; S Shingler, G Davies; (1 – 8) P John (c), K Myhill, S Lee, J Ball, G Earle, A Shingler, J Turnbull, S Timani

Repalcements (16 – 23) D Harris, R Evans, J Adriaanse, J Snyman, J Barclay, A Davies, A Thomas, C Knight

Ulster (15 – 9) J Payne (c); M Allen, D Cave, C Farrell, A Trimble; R Pienaar, P Marshall; (1 – 8) C Black, R Herring, J Afoa, L Stevenson, N McComb, R Diack, R Wilson, N Williams

Replacements (16 – 23) N Annett, K McCall, R Lutton, M McComish, S Doyle, J McKinney, R Andrew, D McIlwaine