A patchy Ulster performance tonight at Kingspan Stadium needed a last-minute Christian Lealiifano conversion of Andrew Trimble's try to see off a batting Benetton side as Paul Marshall became the latest Ulsterman to reach the 200-cap milestone.
Tommy Bowe’s early try and 13 kicked points – five from Lealiifano and eight from John Cooney – completed the Ulster tally, but some ring-rustiness after the international hiatus – and a committed display from the ever-improving Italians – made the encounter uncomfortably close.
Player unavailability due to injury and international commitments meant an unfamiliar look to the Ulster matchday 22, with Academy player Aaron Hall making his first senior start at openside flanker, and fellow prospects Matthew Dalton and Greg Jones joining the fray from the bench.
Les Kiss fielded nonetheless an experienced backline, with Charles Piutau at full-back, Bowe and Craig Gilroy on the wings, Louis Ludik and tonight’s captain Lealiifano at centre, and the half-back partnership of Peter Nelson and Cooney.
Up front Ross Kane made his first start of the season alongside Callum Black and John Andrew in the front row, with Kieran Treadwell and Alan O’Connor in the engine room, and a back row of Clive Ross at blindside, Hall at openside, and Nick Timoney – the scorer of a brace against the Dragons in September – at Number Eight.
Other notable inclusions on the bench were prop Schalk van der Merwe, who came on for his first senior cap since arriving in the close season, and Marshall, the latest inductee in the 200-cap club.
Benetton, even more heavily depleted than their opponents, nonetheless enjoyed good early pressure and fully merited their fifth-minute lead courtesy of Tommaso Allan’s penalty.
The out-half soon doubled the gap, but once Ulster finally got their hands on the ball on 15 minutes, the opening try was not long in coming, Cooney picking out Bowe off the back of a rolling maul for a touchdown in the corner, which the scrum-half converted himself.
Two Cooney penalties then gave Ulster the cushion from which they should have been able to build, Andrea Bronzini lending a helping hand with an off-the-ball shunt on Ludik which relegated the Benetton wing to the sinbin for 10 minutes.
A head injury sustained mid-tackle by Ross brought Jones his first taste of senior action just before half-time, but despite their numerical inferiority it was the Italians who closed out the half stronger, Allan’s penalty reducing the deficit to four just before the whistle.
Half-Time Score Ulster 13 Benetton 9
Back to their full complement early in the second period, Benetton continued to cause Ulster problems, and when Allan’s penalty brought his side to within a point on 52 minutes, it was no more than their hard graft had deserved.
Marshall’s entry at the this stage roused the greatest cheer of the evening thus far, but the scrum-half’s introduction did not go according to plan, as first his attempted clearance sailed straight up into the air, and then he found himself flat-footed as Number Eight Robert Barbieri intercepted the Ulster knock-back and sprinted over to score unopposed.
Allan’s conversion left Ulster suddenly six points adrift, soon reduced to three by Lealiifano’s trusty right boot. There was still plenty of defending to be done, however, as the hosts soaked up another 10 minutes of Italian pressure before a high tackle gifted replacement out-half Matty Banks a further three points.
In need of a converted try to snatch the victory, Ulster kicked a 75th-minute penalty to touch and, when Benetton infringed again on five metres, they this time opted for the scrum. From here everything clicked into place at just the right moment, Marshall combining with fellow replacements first Darren Cave and then Trimble, the winger forcing his way through the green-and-white line to touch down with 90 seconds remaining.
Lealiifano’s side-footed conversion – and a Benetton knock-on shortly after the restart – confirmed the win, which retains Ulster’s position in second place in Conference B ahead of next Friday’s trip to the Dragons.
Full-Time Score Ulster 23 Benetton 22
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Tommy Bowe, Louis Ludik, Christian Lealiifano, Craig Gilroy; Peter Nelson, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Callum Black, John Andrew, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O'Connor, Clive Ross, Aaron Hall, Nick Timoney
Replacements (16 – 23) Rob Herring, Schalk van der Merwe, Andy Warwick, Matthew Dalton, Greg Jones, Paul Marshall, Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble
Benetton Rugby (15 – 9) Luca Sperandio; Tommaso Benvenuti, Ignacio Brex, Alberto Sgarbi (c) , Andrea Bronzini; Tommaso Allan, Giorgio Bronzini
(1 – 8) Cherif Traore, Tomas Baravalle, Giuseppe di Stefano; Alessandro Zanni, Irné Herbst; Whetu Douglas, Nasi Manu, Robert Barbieri
Replacements (16 – 23) Hame Faiva, Nicola Quaglio, Alberto De Marchi, Federico Ruzza, Marco Barbini, Luca Crosato, Marty Banks, Luca Morisi
Tommy Bowe’s early try and 13 kicked points – five from Lealiifano and eight from John Cooney – completed the Ulster tally, but some ring-rustiness after the international hiatus – and a committed display from the ever-improving Italians – made the encounter uncomfortably close.
Player unavailability due to injury and international commitments meant an unfamiliar look to the Ulster matchday 22, with Academy player Aaron Hall making his first senior start at openside flanker, and fellow prospects Matthew Dalton and Greg Jones joining the fray from the bench.
Les Kiss fielded nonetheless an experienced backline, with Charles Piutau at full-back, Bowe and Craig Gilroy on the wings, Louis Ludik and tonight’s captain Lealiifano at centre, and the half-back partnership of Peter Nelson and Cooney.
Up front Ross Kane made his first start of the season alongside Callum Black and John Andrew in the front row, with Kieran Treadwell and Alan O’Connor in the engine room, and a back row of Clive Ross at blindside, Hall at openside, and Nick Timoney – the scorer of a brace against the Dragons in September – at Number Eight.
Other notable inclusions on the bench were prop Schalk van der Merwe, who came on for his first senior cap since arriving in the close season, and Marshall, the latest inductee in the 200-cap club.
Benetton, even more heavily depleted than their opponents, nonetheless enjoyed good early pressure and fully merited their fifth-minute lead courtesy of Tommaso Allan’s penalty.
The out-half soon doubled the gap, but once Ulster finally got their hands on the ball on 15 minutes, the opening try was not long in coming, Cooney picking out Bowe off the back of a rolling maul for a touchdown in the corner, which the scrum-half converted himself.
Two Cooney penalties then gave Ulster the cushion from which they should have been able to build, Andrea Bronzini lending a helping hand with an off-the-ball shunt on Ludik which relegated the Benetton wing to the sinbin for 10 minutes.
A head injury sustained mid-tackle by Ross brought Jones his first taste of senior action just before half-time, but despite their numerical inferiority it was the Italians who closed out the half stronger, Allan’s penalty reducing the deficit to four just before the whistle.
Half-Time Score Ulster 13 Benetton 9
Back to their full complement early in the second period, Benetton continued to cause Ulster problems, and when Allan’s penalty brought his side to within a point on 52 minutes, it was no more than their hard graft had deserved.
Marshall’s entry at the this stage roused the greatest cheer of the evening thus far, but the scrum-half’s introduction did not go according to plan, as first his attempted clearance sailed straight up into the air, and then he found himself flat-footed as Number Eight Robert Barbieri intercepted the Ulster knock-back and sprinted over to score unopposed.
Allan’s conversion left Ulster suddenly six points adrift, soon reduced to three by Lealiifano’s trusty right boot. There was still plenty of defending to be done, however, as the hosts soaked up another 10 minutes of Italian pressure before a high tackle gifted replacement out-half Matty Banks a further three points.
In need of a converted try to snatch the victory, Ulster kicked a 75th-minute penalty to touch and, when Benetton infringed again on five metres, they this time opted for the scrum. From here everything clicked into place at just the right moment, Marshall combining with fellow replacements first Darren Cave and then Trimble, the winger forcing his way through the green-and-white line to touch down with 90 seconds remaining.
Lealiifano’s side-footed conversion – and a Benetton knock-on shortly after the restart – confirmed the win, which retains Ulster’s position in second place in Conference B ahead of next Friday’s trip to the Dragons.
Full-Time Score Ulster 23 Benetton 22
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Tommy Bowe, Louis Ludik, Christian Lealiifano, Craig Gilroy; Peter Nelson, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Callum Black, John Andrew, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell, Alan O'Connor, Clive Ross, Aaron Hall, Nick Timoney
Replacements (16 – 23) Rob Herring, Schalk van der Merwe, Andy Warwick, Matthew Dalton, Greg Jones, Paul Marshall, Darren Cave, Andrew Trimble
Benetton Rugby (15 – 9) Luca Sperandio; Tommaso Benvenuti, Ignacio Brex, Alberto Sgarbi (c) , Andrea Bronzini; Tommaso Allan, Giorgio Bronzini
(1 – 8) Cherif Traore, Tomas Baravalle, Giuseppe di Stefano; Alessandro Zanni, Irné Herbst; Whetu Douglas, Nasi Manu, Robert Barbieri
Replacements (16 – 23) Hame Faiva, Nicola Quaglio, Alberto De Marchi, Federico Ruzza, Marco Barbini, Luca Crosato, Marty Banks, Luca Morisi