Saracens Serve Up Four-Try Defeat To Ulster

Ulster’s European Champions Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start tonight at Kingspan Stadium as an exhilarating final 20 minutes from English champions Saracens – unbeaten in all competitions this term – saw them fall to a four-try 27-9 defeat.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: ULSTER 9 SARACENS 27

Two penalties and a drop goal from Paddy Jackson in an evenly-matched first half had given the Ulstermen a slender lead despite Chris Wyles’ unconverted score, but killer tries from Alex Goode and Duncan Taylor either side of the hour mark put paid to hopes of a winning start for the hosts before Billy Vunipola sealed the bonus point right at the death.

Ulster started on the front foot, kicking and chasing with appetite, and not before long came the game’s first controversy – Saracens flanker Michael Rhodes seeing yellow in the third minute for a dangerous tackle on the airborne Andrew Trimble as the winger jumped to collect a high ball.

The similarity to the incident which saw Jared Payne sent off in the same fixture two years ago was not lost on the partisan Kingspan Stadium crowd who bayed for blood, but referee Romain Poite opted for the less severe sanction after the action was reviewed on the big screen. The fact that Ruan Pienaar’s resulting long range penalty fell short of the posts only added to the home fans’ sense of injustice.

Once Owen Farrell had also fluffed his lines with a kick at goal from distance, a high Sarries tackle gifted Jackson the first points of the encounter in front of the posts, and despite Rhodes’ return, Ulster kept control of the game throughout the remainder of the first quarter, Jackson dropping a goal after a fine period of home pressure.

With Jacques Burger receiving no more than a stern talking-to for cutting down Nick Williams at the shins with an illegal shoulder, Jackson extended the lead to 9-0 in the 25th minute, prompting the visitors to launch their first meaningful attack.

Sarries’ clinical nature was evident as the ball was sprayed from right to left off the back of a close range lineout for winger Wyles – already the scorer of two tries in round 1 against Toulouse – to ground in the corner.

Farrell’s conversion from wide out was off target at 9-5, but a surrendered home lineout in the 36th minute ensured play remained in the Ulster half for the rest of the first half. However, the out-half again missed the target from a penalty after Craig Gilroy had infringed on the wing.

After a sluggish start to the second period by both sides, Saracens clicked into gear on 50 minutes and Ulster had Rory Best to thank for a try-saving intervention as the captain managed to keep pace with Richard Wigglesworth as he chased Wyles’ deft kick into the 22, and force a knock-on from the scrum half.

Ulster responded in kind, Iain Henderson leading a muscular charge down the middle until halted – once again illegally – by Billy Vunipola’s shoulder, a challenge which saw the England back rower sent to the sin-bin. Ulster pressed from the resulting lineout for a good three minutes but to no avail, as stern Saracens defence eventually saw them clear their lines.

Defence effortlessly turned into attack on the hour mark as an ambitious kick down the right wing bounced kindly for Taylor, who supplied full-back Goode for a try from nowhere, converted by Farrell.

Trailing now for the first time, Ulster did well to contain the next series of onslaughts from Mark McCall’s charges, yet they were powerless in the 64th minute when a swivel of Farrell’s hips outwitted four prospective tacklers on the left wing, the dummy creating the space for centre Taylor to collect and run over unopposed.

Vunipola added the fourth try from a rolling maul in the very last minute to leave Ulster with it all to do in Pool 1. They will aim to get back on track when Toulouse are the visitors to Kingspan Stadium on Friday, December 11.