Scarlets 22 Ulster 13

A rousing second-half revival from Ulster fell just short of prising victory away at the Parc y Scarlets this evening, as the hosts battled their way to leapfrog Neil Doak’s side in the European Rugby Champions Cup Pool Three standings. Match report by Neil Carnduff Ulster now sit bottom of their group on six points, with reigning champions Toulon leading the way on 13, and the Scarlets and Leicester Tigers with eight points apiece – the Welsh side enjoying a superior points difference. While qualification from the pool stages is still a mathematical possibility, bonus-point victories away to Toulon and at home to the Tigers would be required to keep Ulster in contention for a place in the last eight. Three personnel changes from the side which dispatched the Scarlets 24 – 9 in last week’s home fixture saw Luke Marshall return to action at centre for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in October, while hamstring problems for both Wiehahn Herbst and Nick Williams gave Declan Fitzpatrick and Clive Ross starts at tighthead and openside respectively. Elsewhere, Louis Ludik continued at full-back with Craig Gilroy and last week’s try-scorer Tommy Bowe on the wings, with Darren Cave, also on the scoresheet in the Round Three clash, partnering Marshall in midfield. Ruan Pienaar, who capped his first appearance of the season with a try against Scarlets last Friday, was named at scrum-half alongside Ian Humphreys at out-half. In the pack, Rory Best – author of the bonus-point try in the home fixture – captained the side from hooker, with Callum Black and Fitzpatrick either side of him. Dan Tuohy and Franco van der Merwe formed the second row, with Robbie Diack and Ross flanking Roger Wilson, who shifted to Number Eight in the absence of Williams. After a cautious opening from both sides, a strong drive on eight minutes got Ulster inside the Welsh ‘22’ in a move which promised much until a misunderstanding between Ludik and Humphreys saw the former pulled up for crossing. Then, with van der Merwe penalised for not releasing in the tackle as Scarlets pressed in their turn, Rhys Priestland kicked over the first points on 12 minutes. Three more points followed from the out-half five minutes later as the home team began to stamp their authority on the game, with handling errors soon blighting any possession Ulster were able to claim. Progressive running from the Scarlets just before the half-hour mark won Priestland a third penalty as van der Merwe infringed once more, before travelling in the tackle from Best after good initial work in the form of a sharp interception from the skipper saw Priestland’s fourth goal sail over five minutes from half-time. There was still time left in the half for the Welsh number 10 to hit two further strikes at goal, the first spinning well wide from 50 metres, and the second falling just short of the crossbar from a similar distance. Half-Time Score Scarlets 12 Ulster 0 Much better from Ulster came as Cave caught the Scarlets cold 90 seconds into the second period, last week’s man of the match trading passes in a neat one-two with his centre partner Marshall to slide under the posts unopposed, giving Humphreys an elementary conversion position straight in front of the sticks. With the deficit suddenly reduced to five points and the wind now in Ulster’s sails, Priestland missed his third consecutive penalty on 46 minutes before a late tackle on Humphreys and a searching kick to touch from Pienaar got Ulster the lineout five metres from home. However obstruction from Ross at the ensuing maul stopped the move short of the line, and Ulster had to settle for a kick at goal moments later – which Humphreys screwed just wide. Priestland made no such mistake on the hour mark as he swept a sweet penalty in off the upright from wide on the left flank, before Fitzpatrick’s fourth infringement of the night – this time a collapsed scrum – saw the prop sent to the sinbin to complicate Ulster’s task further still. Undaunted by their numerical disadvantage, Ulster threatened again on 68 minutes, Bowe running an incisive diagonal line and only just failing to supply Cave with the try-sealing pass deep inside the ‘22’. There was barely time to draw breath, however, as Pienaar kicked over 70^th and 72^nd-minute penalties – the second an incredible effort from half-way. Sensing the result was there for the taking, Ulster forced a further penalty three minutes later with a muscular drive down the left flank, but Pienaar’s effort spun agonisingly wide of the right-hand post. Then, with a mere two minutes remaining, miscommunication between Wilson and Pienaar at the base of a hurried scrum presented James Davies with the ball and a clear 20-metre run to the line, his score converted by Priestland to deny Ulster the consolation of a losing bonus point. Full-Time Score Scarlets 22 Ulster 13 Scarlets (15 – 9) L Williams; K Phillips, R King, S Williams, M Tagicakibau; R Priestland, R Williams (1 – 8) R Evans, E Phillips, S Lee, G Earle, J Snyman, A Shingler, J Davies, R McCusker Replacements (16 – 23) K Myhill, W Jones, R Jones, L Rawlins, R Pitman, A Davies, S Shingler, H Parkes Ulster (15 – 9) L Ludik; T Bowe, D Cave, L Marshall, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, R Pienaar (1 – 8) C Black, R Best (c), D Fitzpatrick, D Tuohy, F van der Merwe, R Diack, C Ross, R Wilson Replacements (16 – 23) R Herring, A Warwick, B Ross, A O’Connor, M McComish, P Marshall, M Heaney, M Allen