This evening at the Kingspan Stadium a bonus point victory for Ulster over high-flying Glasgow Warriors secured at least a play-off slot for next year's European Champions Cup - and kept the outside chance of a 2017/18 Guinness Pro14 play-off alive.
Sixteen first-half points from John Cooney were topped up by a second period try from Sean Reidy and two from rising star Nick Timoney, snatching the bonus point in the dying seconds to take Ulster out of reach of fifth-placed Benetton Rugby with one round to play.
Ulster sit fourth on 60 points, four behind Edinburgh who play Glasgow next weekend. Should Ulster seize a bonus-point victory against Munster at Thomond Park, and Edinburgh fail to pick up any points in their season-closing derby, Jono Gibbes’ men will edge into the play-offs as the third-placed team in Conference B.
The match was made even more momentous by the fact that it marked the final home Pro14 appearance of several Ulster legends before retirement – Paul Marshall and Tommy Bowe said their goodbyes tonight, as well as another fan favourite, Sparky the mascot.
Four changes up front and one to the backline brought in Andy Warwick at loosehead, Rob Herring at hooker, Alan O’Connor at lock and TImoney at flanker, while Luke Marshall replaced Darren Cave in the centre.
Tighthead Ross Kane lined up with Warwick and Herring to complete the front row, with Kieran Treadwell, a late replacement for new father Iain Henderson, at lock, and Reidy teaming with Timoney and Jean Deysel in the back row.
Charles Piutau started at full-back, with Louis Ludik and Jacob Stockdale on the wings and Stuart McCloskey occupying the other midfield berth. The partnership of Johnny McPhillips and Cooney continued at 10 and nine.
A bright start from Ulster was rewarded with a fifth-minute penalty for Cooney, leading scorer in the tournament this year both in terms of points (144 at kick-off tonight) and penalties scored (27).
A hasty line-out put-in from Glasgow on their own try-line then led to the concession of a five-metre penalty thanks to high pressing from the Ulstermen, and it proved costly for the visitors as Cooney again picked up from the base and darted over for the try, which he duly converted.
Ulster soon lost Deysel to injury, replaced by Clive Ross, before Finn Russell’s penalty opened the Scots’ account on 18 minutes. The three points were soon followed by a try from flanker Callum Gibbins, after hooker Fraser Brown had bulldozed right through the heart of the Ulster rearguard.
The Russell conversion made honours even, and with the Warriors now in the ascendancy, a good 10 minutes of pressure put the Ulster defence to the test until a crunching tackle from Piutau on Tommy Seymour saw the former Ulster wing spill the ball and relinquish possession.
As play swung back in the hosts’ favour a fantastic flowing move started down the left wing by Piutau ended on the opposite flank with Marshall just being dragged into touch a few metres from the try-line. An earlier Glasgow infringement in the build-up, however, presented Cooney with the first of two successive penalties to send his side off at the break six points to the good.
Half-Time Score Ulster 16 Glasgow Warriors 10
Ulster came out for the second half with Paul Marshall on in place of Cooney for his final home appearance, but the Glaswegians did not hesitate to rain on the scrum-half’s parade as Gibbins soon grabbed his second try off a clinical rolling maul.
The game’s see-saw motion continued as a fine aerial take by Piutau set up a series of phases which ended with Stockdale and McCloskey combining well on the left flank, and Timoney brushing aside two tackles to just stretch over for the try.
McPhillips, now entrusted with kicking duties, dispatched his conversion just as crisply as Cooney had kicked earlier, but missed with his next attempt just on the hour mark after Reidy had pirouetted over the line for try number three from Paul Marshall’s assist.
A 68th-minute penalty from McPhillips made the result safe, leaving Ulster sufficient time to go hunting the four-try bonus that would keep their slender Pro14 play-off aspirations alive. Bowe joined the cause moments later to rapturous applause, and when the next penalty came McPhillips this time went for touch.
Two well-drilled rolling mauls failed to get Ulster over the line however, and the chance eventually evaporated with the Ulstermen penalised for holding on too long in the tackle.
A poor pass from Stuart Hogg to wing Lelia Masaga which flew directly into touch created one final opportunity however, and after several minutes of the Ulster forwards battering the Glasgow line, well spread play found Bowe supplying the final pass to Timoney for the score, which makes next Saturday’s showdown in Limerick even more interesting.
Final Score Ulster 36 Glasgow Warriors 15
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Louis Ludik, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Andy Warwick, Rob Herring (c), Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, Sean Reidy, Jean Deysel
Replacements (16 – 23) Rory Best, Kyle McCall, Tom O’Toole, Robbie Diack, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Angus Curtis, Tommy Bowe
Glasgow Warriors (15 – 9) Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Lelia Masaga; Finn Russell, Ali Price
(1 – 8) Alex Allan, Fraser Brown, Siua Halanukonuka, Scott Cummings, Tim Swinson, Rob Harley Callum Gibbins (c), Matt Fagerson
Replacements (16 – 23) George Turner, Ryan Grant, Zander Fagerson, Greg Peterson, Matt Smith, Henry Prygos, Peter Horne, Nick Grigg
Sixteen first-half points from John Cooney were topped up by a second period try from Sean Reidy and two from rising star Nick Timoney, snatching the bonus point in the dying seconds to take Ulster out of reach of fifth-placed Benetton Rugby with one round to play.
Ulster sit fourth on 60 points, four behind Edinburgh who play Glasgow next weekend. Should Ulster seize a bonus-point victory against Munster at Thomond Park, and Edinburgh fail to pick up any points in their season-closing derby, Jono Gibbes’ men will edge into the play-offs as the third-placed team in Conference B.
The match was made even more momentous by the fact that it marked the final home Pro14 appearance of several Ulster legends before retirement – Paul Marshall and Tommy Bowe said their goodbyes tonight, as well as another fan favourite, Sparky the mascot.
Four changes up front and one to the backline brought in Andy Warwick at loosehead, Rob Herring at hooker, Alan O’Connor at lock and TImoney at flanker, while Luke Marshall replaced Darren Cave in the centre.
Tighthead Ross Kane lined up with Warwick and Herring to complete the front row, with Kieran Treadwell, a late replacement for new father Iain Henderson, at lock, and Reidy teaming with Timoney and Jean Deysel in the back row.
Charles Piutau started at full-back, with Louis Ludik and Jacob Stockdale on the wings and Stuart McCloskey occupying the other midfield berth. The partnership of Johnny McPhillips and Cooney continued at 10 and nine.
A bright start from Ulster was rewarded with a fifth-minute penalty for Cooney, leading scorer in the tournament this year both in terms of points (144 at kick-off tonight) and penalties scored (27).
A hasty line-out put-in from Glasgow on their own try-line then led to the concession of a five-metre penalty thanks to high pressing from the Ulstermen, and it proved costly for the visitors as Cooney again picked up from the base and darted over for the try, which he duly converted.
Ulster soon lost Deysel to injury, replaced by Clive Ross, before Finn Russell’s penalty opened the Scots’ account on 18 minutes. The three points were soon followed by a try from flanker Callum Gibbins, after hooker Fraser Brown had bulldozed right through the heart of the Ulster rearguard.
The Russell conversion made honours even, and with the Warriors now in the ascendancy, a good 10 minutes of pressure put the Ulster defence to the test until a crunching tackle from Piutau on Tommy Seymour saw the former Ulster wing spill the ball and relinquish possession.
As play swung back in the hosts’ favour a fantastic flowing move started down the left wing by Piutau ended on the opposite flank with Marshall just being dragged into touch a few metres from the try-line. An earlier Glasgow infringement in the build-up, however, presented Cooney with the first of two successive penalties to send his side off at the break six points to the good.
Half-Time Score Ulster 16 Glasgow Warriors 10
Ulster came out for the second half with Paul Marshall on in place of Cooney for his final home appearance, but the Glaswegians did not hesitate to rain on the scrum-half’s parade as Gibbins soon grabbed his second try off a clinical rolling maul.
The game’s see-saw motion continued as a fine aerial take by Piutau set up a series of phases which ended with Stockdale and McCloskey combining well on the left flank, and Timoney brushing aside two tackles to just stretch over for the try.
McPhillips, now entrusted with kicking duties, dispatched his conversion just as crisply as Cooney had kicked earlier, but missed with his next attempt just on the hour mark after Reidy had pirouetted over the line for try number three from Paul Marshall’s assist.
A 68th-minute penalty from McPhillips made the result safe, leaving Ulster sufficient time to go hunting the four-try bonus that would keep their slender Pro14 play-off aspirations alive. Bowe joined the cause moments later to rapturous applause, and when the next penalty came McPhillips this time went for touch.
Two well-drilled rolling mauls failed to get Ulster over the line however, and the chance eventually evaporated with the Ulstermen penalised for holding on too long in the tackle.
A poor pass from Stuart Hogg to wing Lelia Masaga which flew directly into touch created one final opportunity however, and after several minutes of the Ulster forwards battering the Glasgow line, well spread play found Bowe supplying the final pass to Timoney for the score, which makes next Saturday’s showdown in Limerick even more interesting.
Final Score Ulster 36 Glasgow Warriors 15
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Louis Ludik, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Johnny McPhillips, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Andy Warwick, Rob Herring (c), Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, Sean Reidy, Jean Deysel
Replacements (16 – 23) Rory Best, Kyle McCall, Tom O’Toole, Robbie Diack, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Angus Curtis, Tommy Bowe
Glasgow Warriors (15 – 9) Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Alex Dunbar, Lelia Masaga; Finn Russell, Ali Price
(1 – 8) Alex Allan, Fraser Brown, Siua Halanukonuka, Scott Cummings, Tim Swinson, Rob Harley Callum Gibbins (c), Matt Fagerson
Replacements (16 – 23) George Turner, Ryan Grant, Zander Fagerson, Greg Peterson, Matt Smith, Henry Prygos, Peter Horne, Nick Grigg