LAST UPDATE | 21 Apr 2023
Michael Walsh reports from Kingspan Stadium
ULSTER KNOW THEY will have home advantage until at least the semi-finals of the United Rugby Championship as they secured second place in the regular season standings with a 28-14 win over Edinburgh at Kingspan Stadium.
Tries from Jacob Stockdale, John Cooney and Nick Timoney helped them battle from behind to claim the four points they needed to overhaul the DHL Stormers, who had briefly overtaken them with a victory over Benetton earlier in the evening, into second place.
Dan McFarland’s side now know that one of Munster, Connacht, the Vodacom Bulls or Cell C Sharks await them in the quarter-finals in two weeks’ time, and no doubt they will be keeping a keen eye on the rest of the final weekend’s action on Saturday to discover who their opponents will be.
However, Ulster will be counting the heavy cost of their win as they lost all of Mike Lowry, James Hume, Andrew Warwick and Luke Marshall to injury throughout proceedings, and they will hope most of those, if not all, will not affect their play-off availability.
Knowing it needed to be a win after the Stormers’ earlier victory, if Ulster started the game nervous then it didn’t show, although Edinburgh grabbing a stunning opening try just eight minutes in got the jitters going.
Countering off a Jeff Toomaga-Allen knock-on, it was centre Mark Bennett – a late call-up to the starting line-up – who was put away by some quick hands and he sold Jacob Stockdale a stunning dummy to drive into the 22 before offloading for Darcy Graham to canter over.
Indeed, the Scots had a fair purple patch following the try as Ulster struggled to settle and but for an impressive goal-line stand the visitors could have been two scores to the good early, while the hosts had to deal with the early departures of both Lowry and Hume.
But once Ulster settled, they settled superbly and they finally got on the board shortly before the half-hour mark when a brilliant strike move off first phase from the line-out saw Stewart Moore break the line and the ball go through the hands of Craig Gilroy and Stockdale before finding Rob Baloucoune on the touchline.
The chance looked to be gone as Baloucoune went for the corner, but the Ireland international had the presence of mind to throw the offload back inside for the still supporting Stockdale and his wing partner was able to dive over for the try.
Cooney couldn’t add the extras from the touchline but he would slot two penalties before the break from almost identical positions to put Ulster four points ahead, although his real killer blow came within the opening two minutes of the second half.
With Edinburgh in possession in the Ulster half, the scrum-half sniffed an intercept and took full advantage of Blair Kinghorn’s loose, long pass, picking it off and returning it the length of the pitch for the score that essentially wrapped up the four points.
Try as they might, Edinburgh were unable to make a real fist of the contest as Ulster reassumed control following a brief resurgence from their Scottish visitors, and their task was made all the easier when visiting lock Glen Young was sin-binned for repeated offences inside their own 22.
And with the extra man, Ulster were able to make the most of their numerical advantage almost immediately as they set to work in the 22 from a quick tap penalty and it was Timoney who managed to squeeze over to leave no doubt who was walking away with the win.
Edinburgh were unfortunate to have two scores chalked off by the TMO in quick succession, firstly Duhan van der Merwe knocking the ball on over the line after Stuart McInally’s line-break before Charlie Savala did likewise in the process of him crossing the line.
But they wouldn’t be denied at the third time of asking as WP Nel got the score that they probably did deserve for their overall effort, the tighthead prop diving through a ruck and over the line for a consolation score.
However, Ulster were able to close things out comfortably through a third Cooney penalty to wrap up second spot and know that home comforts await them until at least the final four. Now they must wait and see who will be opposing them…
(15-9) Mike Lowry (Luke Marshall 13 (Harry Sheridan 70)); Rob Baloucoune (Nathan Doak 40), James Hume (Craig Gilroy 16), Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; (1-8) Andrew Warwick (Callum Reid 72), Rob Herring (Tom Stewart 27), Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Gareth Milasinovich 62); Alan O’Connor (Sam Carter 57), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.
(15-9) Emiliano Boffelli; Darcy Graham, Mark Bennett (Nathan Sweeney 62), Cammy Hutchison (Charlie Savala 14), Duhan van der Merwe; Blair Kinghorn, Henry Pyrgos (Charlie Shiel 50-62, 72); (1-8) Pierre Schoeman (Boan Venter 62), Dave Cherry (Stuart McInally 23), Luan de Bruin (WP Nel 40); Glen Young, Sam Skinner; Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson (Connor Boyle 72), Viliame Mata (Pierce Phillips 67).
Yellow card: Glen Young (65′)
Man of the Match: John Cooney (Ulster)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).
Written by Michael Walsh and posted on the42.ie
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