Late Cooney Kick Seals Play-Off Berth For Murphy’s Ulster

John Cooney was the toast of a sold-out Kingspan Stadium after his 78th-minute penalty, from just inside the Leinster half, earned Ulster a 23-21 derby win and a place in the BKT United Rugby Championship play-offs.

Cooney converted Jacob Stockdale’s intercept try and landed that all-important penalty as Richie Murphy’s first match in charge as Ulster’s permanent head coach ended in thrilling fashion for the hosts.

A week out from the Investec Champions Cup final, returning duo James Ryan and Hugo Keenan played the full 80 minutes for a much-changed Leinster, but three converted tries were not enough in a pulsating Belfast battle.

Murphy’s side failed to make the most out of a strong start – Rob Herring’s 13th-minute maul try was their only score – before Charlie Ngatai and Cormac Foley crossed in quick succession to give Leinster a 14-10 half-time lead.

A second Cooney penalty was cancelled out by Michael Ala’alatoa’s first try of the season, briefly opening up an eight-point cushion, yet Stockdale swiftly brought it back to a one-point game.

The visitors’ decision to turn down a kickable penalty during the final quarter backfired on them badly, as player-of-the-match Cooney showed his place-kicking class once again, driving his team to their fourth victory in a row.

It also meant Ulster completed a season’s double over Leinster, having edged them out 22-21 in Dublin on New Year’s Day, and notably it is the first time since 2008 that they have won four successive interprovincial derbies.

The Ulstermen occupy sixth spot and, as things stand, would face a quarter-final trip to Leinster. A third away defeat, representing the province’s worst run of league results on the road in eight years, means Leo Cullen’s charges have fallen from first to third in the space of three weeks.

Rob Russell breathed a big sigh of relief after he narrowly avoided conceding an early try. He took too long on a clearance kick, allowing Michael Lowry to charge it down before TMO Leo Colgan ruled that there was a simultaneous grounding over the try-line.

With David McCann and Will Addison making breaks, Ulster used the momentum to go close again through Lowry. He was picked out by Addison’s cross-field kick, but referee Andrea Piardi ruled that he was on his knees when regathering the ball, and the decision went Leinster’s way.

Ulster’s early dominance eventually translated into seven points when Stuart McCloskey and Lowry joined a lineout drive, helping hooker Herring to ground the ball under a pile of bodies. Cooney converted from out on the right.

Playing at centre for Leinster for the first time this season, Jimmy O’Brien knocked on a bouncing kick from Harry Byrne with Ulster suddenly looking exposed in the back-field.

The hosts continued to have most of the ball but were stung by a try out of nothing in the 23rd minute. Will Connors blocked down a Billy Burns kick, collected the loose ball and fed Ngatai to evade the chasing Burns and finish behind the posts.

Byrne fired over the levelling conversion and it was his attempted tackle that slowed up Addison when he was dashing towards the Leinster whitewash soon after. The Ulster centre had two team-mates outside him, but backed himself to score and ended up being held up by Keenan.

It was Keenan who provided the assist for Foley’s 28th-minute effort, as Byrne’s inside pass released the Ireland star towards the Ulster 22 and his own deft delivery sent the scrum half raiding in behind the posts for Byrne to make it 14-7.

Stockdale’s hard work at the restart allowed Ulster to build for a quick response. Connors infringed at the breakdown, and up stepped Cooney to kick the home side into double figures.

A scrum penalty landed Leinster back into Ulster territory, although injuries to Ngatai and Tommy O’Brien forced a back-line reshuffle. With Luke McGrath coming on at scrum half, the versatile Foley switched to the right wing, opposing Stockdale.

While Jack Conan caught the eye with a blindside break off a scrum before the interval, Ulster’s back row was wielding more influence. McCann broke up that attack with an interception, and Nick Timoney began the second half with an early turnover penalty.

Although Cooney punished Leinster captain Ryan for being slow to roll away, leaving just a point between the provinces, the European Cup finalists were beginning to build more phases as their pack ground out a converted try.

After a Ben Brownlee pass did not go to hand, McCann was tackled into touch off the Ulster lineout, and the Blues used the set-piece possession to pick and drive up to the line where Ala’alatoa, supported by Max Deegan, burrowed over for Byrne to convert.

However, Stockdale put himself in position to pick off a Byrne pass in the 57th minute, and his 80-metre run-in – cheered to the rafters by the home fans – saw him stay clear of Foley. Cooney coolly converted from the left, leaving it tantalisingly poised at 21-20.

There were fine margins as Byrne narrowly missed out on an interception of his own, and his opposite number Burns just kicked out on the full. Leinster suddenly lifted the pace in attack, linking neatly before Deegan was bundled into touch by Lowry and McCann.

Into the final quarter of an hour, Tom Stewart was guilty of a crooked lineout, deep inside his own 22, and conceded a subsequent penalty, but the replacement hooker redeemed himself with a vital turnover penalty close to the Ulster whitewash.

Having opted not to kick for goal, Leinster found their defensive workload increasing late on. Centres McCloskey and Addison ignited the Ulster attack, leading to a breathless set of phases back inside the visitors’ half.

Cooney and McGrath moved play back and forth in a tense exchange of box-kicks, the home crowd baying for a penalty which came when Thomas Clarkson failed to roll away. With an 87.18% kicking rate coming into the round, it was no surprise to see Cooney drill home the decisive kick.