Les Kiss’ reign as Ulster director of rugby got off to a positive start with a first away win of the season as the province battled past the Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.
It was Ulster’s first win in Newport since October 2012, with Paul Marshall getting the only try of the game and his half-back partner Paddy Jackson kicking the other 14 points.
The visitors relied on a strong defensive effort, particularly in the dying minutes as the Dragons, who converted four penalties, pressed for a levelling seven-pointer.
The men of Gwent had dominated the early stages and turned their pressure into points. Amid a promising period of attacking from the Dragons, Robbie Diack infringed at a ruck in front of the posts and out-half Dorian Jones nailed the 10th minute penalty.
Ulster were then reduced to 14 men as centre Stuart McCloskey was sin-binned for sticking out a leg to impede Jones as he chased his own kick. The latter doubled the Dragons’ lead with the resulting penalty on the quarter hour.
Further indiscipline from the Ulstermen saw young winger Sam Arnold was penalised on 19 minutes for playing the ball on the ground, allowing Jones to make it 9-0 to the hosts.
Stung into action after a poor performance in the first half, Ulster used their maul to gain ground up towards the Dragons 22. Scrum half Marshall supplied quick ball for a series of darts at the home defence and Jackson punished an offside with his opening three points.
The province started to get a foothold in the game by using their pack, including 23-year-old prop Kyle McCall, who was making his first PRO12 start, and debutant number 8 Stephen Mulholland, to make the hard yards.
Following another period of pressure, Jackson landed his second penalty as the Dragons’ star back rower Taulupe Faletau was guilty of going off his feet. That cut the deficit to 9-6 for half-time.
Ulster started the second period brightly. From a lineout the forwards drove, from a quick recycle Arnold had a probing run towards the left corner but was stopped short. The ball was recycled and worked through another couple of phases before Darren Cave made a dash for the line. However, the Dragons’ South African scrum half Sarel Pretorius was able to dislodge the ball just before Cave could ground it, with TMO Paul Adams confirming this.
The Dragons had their captain Rynard Landman yellow carded in the build-up and Ulster elected to take the scrum, but after forcing another penalty and opting for the set piece, the Welshmen were able to disrupt and win a turnover to clear to touch.
Nonetheless, Ulster’s improved play was rewarded with the match’s lone five-pointer from the ever-alert Marshall.
From a lineout the forwards drove close to the line before Rob Herring peeled off and was stopped short. The men in white patiently moved the ball to the other side sucking in defenders and when a gap appeared off the side of a ruck, Marshall was able to take advantage and dart over with Jackson converting.
The returning Rory Best was binned for playing the ball on the ground just eight minutes after being sprung from the bench. Dragons replacement Jason Tovey sent the resulting penalty through the uprights, before Jackson was off target with a penalty barely a minute later.
The Ireland out-half nudged Ulster’s cushion out to four points with an important penalty on 69 minutes, as they pressed for their first victory on the road since April.
A man down in the pack, they used McCloskey as a a stand-in flanker in the scrum and won a penalty after good work by Ricky Lutton. Jackson’s well-struck kick from halfway put a converted try between the sides with eight minutes remaining.
The Dragons should have hit back with a try when they created an overlap for Landman, but with men outside him the second row went himself and a combination of Peter Nelson, who impressed again in the number 15 shirt, Sean Reidy, Craig Gilroy and Ruan Pienaar prevented the Dragons skipper from grounding the ball.
Ulster’s defence was fully tested as the Dragons pressed for a last-gasp score in the visitors’ 22. They retained possession for three minutes, but typically it was the work-hungry Best who got in position at a ruck to force a clinching penalty for his side.
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