Ulster 15 Saracens 17

This evening at Ravenhill Ulster exited the Heineken Cup with heads held high, losing out to Premiership leaders Saracens by two points after battling valiantly with 14 men for 75 minutes of the encounter. Fullback Jared Payne’s fifth-minute dismissal for an adjudged dangerous tackle on Alex Goode called the tune for the remainder of the match, with Saracens reaping three tries through expertly exploiting their numerical advantage, and Ulster keeping in touch thanks to consistent kicking from Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson. Ulster fall, therefore, at the same hurdle as they did in last year’s tournament, and to the same opposition, after a bruising clash which saw three first-choice players - Pienaar, Rory Best and Andrew Trimble - make early exits due to injury. The Ulster starting selection was arguably Mark Anscombe’s strongest possible XV, with Best returning at hooker and Pienaar back at scrum-half after a three-week lay-off with a shoulder injury. The main area where personnel may have been open to deliberation - the back-row - saw Roger Wilson, Chris Henry and Nick Williams line up from six to eight, while Iain Henderson, Robbie Diack and Stephen Ferris - back from a year-and-a-half’s injury hiatus but yet to complete a full 80 minutes - all looked to make an impact from the bench. An early penalty miss from Owen Farrell - received with rapturous applause by the vast majority of a capacity Ravenhill - was quickly followed by an aerial collision between Payne and his opposite number Goode as the Englishman leapt to collect Paddy Jackson’s up-and-under. The challenge left the Saracens full-back prostrate for a good five minutes, and eventually saw Payne red-carded by referee Jerome Garces after advice from the Television Match Official. With Goode stretchered off and replaced by Chris Wyles, and Tommy Bowe covering the Ulster fullback berth, Saracens attempted to put the squeeze on straight from the restart, although Bowe and Paddy Jackson almost powered through the spine of the visitors’ midfield on 10 minutes in a speedy breakaway. Best limped off to make way for Rob Herring a few moments later, but a 15th-minute Pienaar penalty from the 10-metre line soon settled Ulster nerves after the most frenetic of starts. The Springbok narrowly missed out on adding a second from a similar distance three minutes later, and Saracens were soon on the scoresheet in their turn as tournament top-scorer Chris Ashton exploited some sparse Ulster defence through the centre to dive over for the try. The damage was limited as Farrell’s conversion kick veered wide, and a neat intercept by Bowe as Saracens threatened again got Ulster to the brink of their opponents’ ‘22’, where ferocious mauling forced the infringement to allow Pienaar to slot his side back into the lead. With Richard Wigglesworth kicking a 33rd-minute Sarries penalty to touch, the Premiership side put together a strong maul of their own, threatening down the right flank until broken down by persistent Ulster presence and cleared by Pienaar. The South African, involved in everything Ulster did, only just missed with a penalty attempt from well inside his own half on 36 minutes, before sending his side into the changing rooms four points to the good with an expertly crafted kick from wide on the left. Half time score: Ulster 9 Saracens 5 Despite their numerical disadvantage, Ulster came out for the second half very much on the front foot, bossing several early lineouts, and with their half-back partnership kicking judiciously and accurately. Saracens’ superiority shone through on 48 minutes, however, as Moritz Botha crossed the whitewash after patient approach build-up play across the Ulster five-metre line from left to right. Farrell’s lack of accuracy once again spared Ulster further punishment as his conversion spiralled wide, but worse was to follow for Ulster as Pienaar succumbed to injury and Jackson hit a 53rd-minute penalty against the upright. Paul Marshall came on at scrum-half, joined by Ferris and Henderson, and as the match hung in the balance on the hour mark, Farrell once again fluffed his lines, this time from a central position 25 metres from goal. Trimble was next to leave the field, injuring himself in a try-saving tackle on Billy Vunipola, and replaced by Craig Gilroy. Ashton then delivered the killer blow, completing his brace on 66 minutes as he collected Farrell’s pinpoint cross-kick at the right-hand corner flag, with the out-half this time making his conversion count. Two penalties in quick succession from Jackson reduced the gap back down to two points just after the 70-minute mark, and another poor kick from Farrell - this time a clearance which bobbled behind the Ulster line - gifted Ulster the scrum in the middle of the park. Anscombe’s men launched into their last blast, recycling time after time on the Saracens 10-metre line, ultimately in vain as the English side eventually drew the infringement which booked their place in the semi-final. Ulster must now focus on the remainder of their RaboDirect Pro12 campaign and securing a domestic semi-final place, starting with their next fixture at home to Connacht on Friday 11 April. Full time score: Ulster 15 Saracens 17 Ulster (15-9): J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, T Bowe; P Jackson, R Pienaar; (1-8): T Court, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller (c), D Tuohy, R Wilson, C Henry, N Williams; Replacements (16-23): R Herring, A Warwick, R Lutton, I Henderson, S Ferris, R Diack, P Marshall, C Gilroy. Saracens (15-9): A Goode; C Ashton, D Taylor, B Barritt, D Strettle; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth (1-8): M Vunipola, S Brits, J Johnston, S Borthwick (c), M Botha, B Vunipola, J Burger, E Joubert; Replacements (16-23): J George, R Barrington, M Stevens, E Sheriff, K Brown, N de Kock, C Hodgson, C Wyles.