A scrappy opening half saw Ulster head into the break with a narrow 12–10 lead, thanks to a brace from Zac Ward on the left wing. The contest lacked fluency early on, with errors from both sides and Sam Gilbert missing the opportunity to give Connacht a 3-0 lead.
After several turnovers, the first moment of real quality came from the hosts as Connacht worked the ball wide, allowing Finn Treacy to evade last-ditch tackles from Jacob Stockdale and Ward to score. Gilbert converted before extending Connacht’s lead to 10–0 with a straightforward penalty following sustained pressure.
Ulster responded through slick interplay between Jack Murphy, Werner Kok and Stockdale, releasing Ward down the wing to spark the visitors’ fightback. Following a lengthy TMO review, Murphy kept his composure to add the conversion.
Momentum swung firmly Ulster’s way as Connacht conceded a series of penalties, providing a platform for Stockdale to once again find Ward, who crossed for his second try of the match. Murphy’s conversion struck the upright, leaving Ulster 12–10 ahead at the interval after a strong finish to the half.
Half-time: Connacht 10 - 12 Ulster
The second half began with heightened tension, culminating in a fracas that saw both Stuart McCloskey and Bundee Aki sent to the sin bin. Ulster quickly resumed their attacking intent, with Stockdale continuing to dictate from fullback. A perfectly timed line from Dave McCann created space for Werner Kok, who finished clinically for his seventh URC try of the season, converted by Murphy.
The introduction of Tom O’Toole and Angus Bell paid immediate dividends as Ulster earned a crucial scrum penalty. Sustained pressure followed, and back-to-back mauls proved decisive, resulting in a penalty try and a yellow card for Connacht’s Joe Joyce.
Despite the setback, Connacht refused to relent. Quick thinking from Matthew Devine released Josh Ioane into open space, and sustained attacking phases eventually saw Sean Jansen breach Ulster’s defence. Gilbert’s conversion reduced the deficit to nine points.
Connacht’s intensity remained relentless, and further strong carries led to Devine grounding the ball near the whitewash to set up a tense finale. Ulster, however, showed composure under pressure, recycling possession before Joe Hopes earned a crucial penalty. Murphy calmly slotted the kick to extend the lead to 29–24.
Connacht had one final chance from the restart, but an immediate knock-on ended their hopes, sealing a valuable bonus-point win for the visitors, who return to Belfast with all five points.
Full-time: Connacht 24 - 29 Ulster
Ulster will look to make it back-to-back inter-provincial victories in the BKT URC when they host Munster at Affidea Stadium on Friday, 2 January. Very limited tickets are still available for this fixture, secure yours now to avoid disappointment. BUY HERE
Scorers: <br>
Connacht: Tries, Treacy, Jansen, Devine; cons, Gilbert 3; pen, Gilbert.<br>
Ulster: Tries, Ward 2, Kok, penalty try; cons, Murphy 2; pen, Murphy.
Teams:
Connacht: S Gilbert; D Ryan, C Forde, B Aki, F Treacy; J Carty, B Murphy; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce, D O’Connor; J Murphy, C Prendergast (C), S Jansen.
Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, J Duggan, F Barrett, D Murray, S O’Brien, M Devine, J Ioane, H Gavin
Ulster: J Stockdale; W Kok, J Hume, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, C McKee; S Crean, T Stewart, S Wilson; H Sheridan, C Izuchukwu; D McCann, N Timoney (C), J Augustus.
Replacements: J Andrew, A Bell, T O’Toole, J Hopes, B Ward, N Doak, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite
Referee: E Cross (IRFU)