John Cooney's virtuoso performance, with a try and 22 points from the boot, bagged Ulster their third European Rugby Champions Cup victory from four as they outscored a competitive Harlequins side by six tries to four.
Scores from Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Charles Piutau, Alan O’Connor and Andew Trimble topped up Cooney’s tally to cement second place in Pool One for Les Kiss’s team, two points behind peerless La Rochelle, who face Wasps on Sunday.
Ulster can take much confidence from the manner of the victory, which – while Quins secured a four-try bonus-point of their own – saw the province stay in control of the outcome throughout, and display some impressive firepower.
Ulster’s first break in the game, led by hooker Rob Herring, reaped a penalty for Cooney within four minutes, before concerted pressure forced another just before the 10-minute mark, albeit off the left upright.
But a Harlequins interception on half-way soon led to the first try of the encounter for Marcus Smith, whose own conversion veered wide to leave the hosts a solitary point ahead.
McCloskey wasted no time latching onto Christian Lealiifano’s chip moments later, dribbling on and grounding for a fine score in the corner, converted by Cooney to give the hosts an eight-point cushion at the close of the first quarter.
Trademark ball-carrying of the highest calibre from Jamie Roberts, brushing aside five or six Ulster tacklers, brought Quins deep into the opposition ‘22’ on 26 minutes, and only a last-ditch tackle from Stockdale on left wing Alofa Alofa prevented a second try for the English side just shy of the half hour.
Right wing Charlie Walker had no trouble ripping through the heart of the Ulster defence in the very next Quins attack, however, his try and Smith’s conversion bringing the visitors within a point before Cooney’s fourth kick from four gave Ulster the relative comfort of a four-point lead.
Half-Time Score Ulster 16 Harlequins 12
A Stockdale charge – and poor Quins handling – got the youngster in for a neat try by the right corner flag five minutes from the restart, topped up by Cooney’s conversion then penalty.
Ulster’s third was more impressive again, Stockdale and Gilroy combining down the right before Cooney fed Piutau from the back of a maul for a lightning-quick score.
Harlequins struck back quickly, capitalising on an injury to Piutau – prostrate and receiving treatment – for full-back Ross Chisolm to nip into the corner with 20 minutes remaining.
A yellow card for Kyle Sinckler effectively sealed his side’s fate moments later, and Ulster wasted no time whatsoever in taking full advantage of the mismatch, O’Connor stretching over from the lineout before the Quins prop had barely made himself comfortable on the bench.
The bonus point bagged, Ulster nodded off somewhat to let flanker Dave Ward in for the visitors’ fourth on 68 minutes, but when Cooney burst through the Quins rearguard for the try his performance had richly deserved with 10 minutes to go, the outcome was no longer in doubt.
There was even time for pantomime villain Mike Brown to come on as replacement and throw a forward pass deep in his own ‘22’, from which replacement Trimble gladly gobbled up try number six off the back of a well-worked scrum.
Full-Time Score Ulster 52 Harlequins 24
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Louis Ludik, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Christian Lealiifano, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Callum Black, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst; Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell; Iain Henderson (capt), Chris Henry, Nick Timoney.
Replacements (16 – 23) John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Andrew Trimble
Harlequins (15 – 9) Ross Chisholm; Charlie Walker, Winston Stanley, Jamie Roberts, Alofa Alofa; Marcus Smith, Ian Prior
(1 – 8); Lewis Boyce, Elia Elia, Kyle Sinckler; George Merrick, Charlie Matthews; Archie White, Dave Ward (capt), Renaldo Bothma
Replacements: Charlie Piper, Mark Lambert, Phil Swainston, Mat Luamanu, Dino Lamb, James Lang, Tim Visser, Mike Brown
Scores from Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Charles Piutau, Alan O’Connor and Andew Trimble topped up Cooney’s tally to cement second place in Pool One for Les Kiss’s team, two points behind peerless La Rochelle, who face Wasps on Sunday.
Ulster can take much confidence from the manner of the victory, which – while Quins secured a four-try bonus-point of their own – saw the province stay in control of the outcome throughout, and display some impressive firepower.
Ulster’s first break in the game, led by hooker Rob Herring, reaped a penalty for Cooney within four minutes, before concerted pressure forced another just before the 10-minute mark, albeit off the left upright.
But a Harlequins interception on half-way soon led to the first try of the encounter for Marcus Smith, whose own conversion veered wide to leave the hosts a solitary point ahead.
McCloskey wasted no time latching onto Christian Lealiifano’s chip moments later, dribbling on and grounding for a fine score in the corner, converted by Cooney to give the hosts an eight-point cushion at the close of the first quarter.
Trademark ball-carrying of the highest calibre from Jamie Roberts, brushing aside five or six Ulster tacklers, brought Quins deep into the opposition ‘22’ on 26 minutes, and only a last-ditch tackle from Stockdale on left wing Alofa Alofa prevented a second try for the English side just shy of the half hour.
Right wing Charlie Walker had no trouble ripping through the heart of the Ulster defence in the very next Quins attack, however, his try and Smith’s conversion bringing the visitors within a point before Cooney’s fourth kick from four gave Ulster the relative comfort of a four-point lead.
Half-Time Score Ulster 16 Harlequins 12
A Stockdale charge – and poor Quins handling – got the youngster in for a neat try by the right corner flag five minutes from the restart, topped up by Cooney’s conversion then penalty.
Ulster’s third was more impressive again, Stockdale and Gilroy combining down the right before Cooney fed Piutau from the back of a maul for a lightning-quick score.
Harlequins struck back quickly, capitalising on an injury to Piutau – prostrate and receiving treatment – for full-back Ross Chisolm to nip into the corner with 20 minutes remaining.
A yellow card for Kyle Sinckler effectively sealed his side’s fate moments later, and Ulster wasted no time whatsoever in taking full advantage of the mismatch, O’Connor stretching over from the lineout before the Quins prop had barely made himself comfortable on the bench.
The bonus point bagged, Ulster nodded off somewhat to let flanker Dave Ward in for the visitors’ fourth on 68 minutes, but when Cooney burst through the Quins rearguard for the try his performance had richly deserved with 10 minutes to go, the outcome was no longer in doubt.
There was even time for pantomime villain Mike Brown to come on as replacement and throw a forward pass deep in his own ‘22’, from which replacement Trimble gladly gobbled up try number six off the back of a well-worked scrum.
Full-Time Score Ulster 52 Harlequins 24
Ulster (15 – 9) Charles Piutau; Craig Gilroy, Louis Ludik, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Christian Lealiifano, John Cooney
(1 – 8) Callum Black, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst; Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell; Iain Henderson (capt), Chris Henry, Nick Timoney.
Replacements (16 – 23) John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Matthew Rea, Sean Reidy, Paul Marshall, Peter Nelson, Andrew Trimble
Harlequins (15 – 9) Ross Chisholm; Charlie Walker, Winston Stanley, Jamie Roberts, Alofa Alofa; Marcus Smith, Ian Prior
(1 – 8); Lewis Boyce, Elia Elia, Kyle Sinckler; George Merrick, Charlie Matthews; Archie White, Dave Ward (capt), Renaldo Bothma
Replacements: Charlie Piper, Mark Lambert, Phil Swainston, Mat Luamanu, Dino Lamb, James Lang, Tim Visser, Mike Brown