Ulster Keep Pressure On Play-Off Rivals With Bonus Point Success

With the chase for the GUINNESS PRO14 play-offs gathering pace, Ulster secured their second successive bonus point win as a 28-15 triumph over the Dragons at Rodney Parade saw them end the weekend as they started it – in third place in Conference B.

Despite yellow cards for Darren Cave, Robert Lyttle and Louis Ludik in the throes of a hotly-contested encounter, the visitors rallied with tries from Jordi Murphy, Martin Moore and John Cooney, while captain Alan O’Connor sealed the bonus point with just seven minutes remaining.

Ulster reclaimed third spot, moving back above the Scarlets to sit on 49 points – just one behind second-placed Benetton Rugby and four ahead of the Llanelli men. There are four rounds remaining with Dan McFarland’s side facing the Isuzu Southern Kings (home), Glasgow Warriors (away), Edinburgh (away) and Leinster (home).

Booted to the bottom of Conference A and smarting from a heavy defeat to Benetton in the last round, the Dragons were put under the cosh straight from the off, with number 8 Nick Timoney and centre Stuart McCloskey particularly explosive ball in hand during the opening phases.

However, the breakthrough would not come for Ulster, thanks in the main to some spirited defence from the Welshmen, and when Kieran Treadwell was pinged on the quarter hour mark for failing to roll away, out-half Josh Lewis booted the hosts in front with a well-struck penalty from distance.

A stolen lineout in the Dragons 22, five minutes later, promised much for Ulster until loosehead Moore knocked on from Clive Ross five metres from the try-line, but the very next attack paid dividends, with Murphy, who started for Ireland last time out against Italy, eventually bundling his way over after multiple phases of mauling.

Cooney’s successful conversion was swiftly followed by a chance for Lewis to reduce the gap to a single point, but this time he blazed his kick wide. Then Robert Baloucoune came agonisingly close to registering Ulster’s second try, which was only prevented by a sublime Jordan Williams tackle in the corner after an Eric O’Sullivan-led break had been accelerated by quick hands from Timoney and Cooney.

Cave soon found himself consigned to the sin-bin for an early tackle on Lewis as the Dragons number 10 shaped to pick up from Taine Basham’s breakout. Ulster, who had an excellent man-of-the-match performance from prop O’Sullivan, coped well to see out the remaining five minutes of the first half in possession and still leading 7-3.

The second period opened in end-to-end fashion, the Dragons losing possession deep in the Ulster 22 and winger Baloucoune almost latching onto Cooney’s punt forward with the wind now at the visitors’ back. The second try was not long in coming, however, with Moore applying the finishing touches after some more valuable work in the rolling maul from Rob Herring and quick distribution from Cooney.

Cave returned to the pitch with Cooney’s conversion dispatched for a 14-3 lead, and back to a full complement Ulster wasted no time helping themselves to a third try. Baloucoune easily picked off an errant Williams kick and supplied full-back Ludik one-handed before Cooney darted clear to finish off.

The third try converted, Ulster set about securing the crucial bonus point with Wiehahn Herbst and David Shanahan on for the final quarter in place of Moore and Cooney respectively. They were soon back on the defensive, though, as despite two poor lineout throws from their hosts, equally ineffective clearances from Ulster kept the pressure on, with winger Lyttle seeing yellow in the 67th minute for a deliberate knock-on.

Ludik joined his team-mate in the bin moments later for the same offence, this time prompting referee Stuart Berry to award a penalty try to the Dragons. With their lead cut to 21-10 and only five backs on the pitch, Ulster sagely kept the ball in the hands of their forwards.

The hard work of the visitors’ pack was rewarded when they trundled patiently across the Welsh region’s 22 until skipper O’Connor barged through a gap to seal the full five points for his side. A late try from the impressive Basham brought nothing but consolation to the Dragons, who were too far behind to press for a losing bonus point.

Giving his reaction afterwards, 23-year-old loosehead O’Sullivan, who turned in an excellent man-of-the-match display, said: “I thought the boys showed great character to dig in when chasing the bonus point and having two men in the sin-bin. It was looking at though it might be a difficult last 10 minutes to close that out, but they showed great resolve to get that bonus point score.

“We never thought we were going to run away with it, they are a good side especially at home. Conditions were not great, especially in the first half, we had to play into it and it seemed as if it switched around in the second. We did well just to grind it out against a Dragons side who are always going to be difficult.

“We just wanted to get the win first and foremost, given the conditions we knew it was going to be a tough day, so we knew we had to roll our sleeves up and not be thinking about bonus points, but going out there and getting the win. However, we are delighted with the end result.”