Ulster returned to Kingspan stadium after two months since the last home match against DHL Stormers in January, with the aim of making it three successive wins in the league. They battled through a bruising encounter with Vodacom Bulls to become the first team to beat all South African sides in one season. Despite trailing at the break by eight points, Ulster rallied to drive home the win, mainly through the use of their tough to stop maul and the hat trick hero, Tom Stewart.
The result strengthens Ulster's place in the top four of the URC, with the province sitting in third position on 59 points after 16 matches played. It also ensures the province will have a Quarter final in the URC Play-Offs.
With two home matches left to play in the URC season before play-offs, Ulster have their sights on catching DHL Stormers in second place, who are only two points ahead. Before that though, the squad will turn their attentions to Leinster in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Speaking after the match, Ulster Assistant Coach, Dan Soper, said the team were not happy with how they played during the first 40 minutes saying: " There were a few stern words said at half time by the leaders in the team. They were disappointed with the energy we showed and you can fall into a trap when you score an early try. In the second half we showed better energy, our defence was a lot stronger and we had more bounce."
Soper commented on the physical battle that unfolded, as the aggressive Bulls were showing all the signs of a wounded animal as they hunted for a scalp away from home.
Two Bulls players were shown yellow cards, highlighted the aggression in the game. Soper said that the intensity was tough for the players commenting:
"We knew it was going to be physical and especially when you have a couple of weeks off between games. We had tough training but it doesn't have the physical edge that you get with playing a team like the Bulls. It was a big physical challenge for us, we didn't meet it in the first half but second half we did much better."
The BKT URC Player of the Match, Tom Stewart, continued his incredible try scoring form this season, with the hooker notching up three tries to bring his personal tally to 14 for the season.
When asked what is behind his finishing form, Stewart attributed his scores to the work of his teammates; "An easy hat trick some would say. I have scored more tries this season than I have my whole life! The boys do the work in the front of our mauls and I just dump the ball down across the line."
Despite his modesty, Stewart has been a man in form and was recognised with a call up to the Ireland training camp during the week of their Grand Slam win in Dublin.
Stewart says that experience of training alongside world class internationals will only help his own development;
"When I was down there I was starstruck and blinded by the lights. I was just trying to help out as much as I could, personally. The two hookers went down injured against Scotland and I thought 'uh oh'. But Dan Sheehan recovered and had a great tournament. I was happy to be there to experience it all."
Stewart will return to Aviva Stadium this coming weekend to face Leinster in the Round of 16 Champions Cup match and he says it's an occasion that he can't wait for.
"A very good side, obviously full of internationals and they will be ticking, they’ll be high and they have threats but we are looking forward to it, nothing better than Champions Cup nights so it will be a big one."
Soper echoed the hooker's comments saying "The focus shifts to Leinster, it's a huge challenge and you want to be arriving with a bit of confidence and winning tonight helps that. We start the week on a positive note but we are under no illusions about the step up again."