Ulster Win Low-Scoring Affair To Keep Season Alive

Ulster kept the Kingspan Stadium in suspense for a full 80 minutes before the game’s only try, but it proved worth the wait as Jacob Stockdale grounded yet another breakaway score to send the Ospreys home empty-handed.

In control throughout but lacking in precision when it mattered, Jono Gibbes’ men led for 70-plus minutes through John Cooney’s early penalty before Jacob Stockdale capitalised on a Dan Biggar error at the death to run in from halfway.

The victory consolidates Ulster’s standing in fourth place in Conference B of the GUINNESS PRO14, although they will find it difficult to catch third-placed Edinburgh now after the Scots hammered a shadow Scarlets side 52-14 to move nine points clear of the Ulstermen.

The province still have a game in hand – at home to Glasgow Warriors next Saturday – and a final round trip to Munster to come, while Edinburgh host Glasgow in the final round on Saturday week (April 28). Benetton are also nipping at Ulster’s heels, lying just a point behind them after their surprise first win at Leinster. The fourth-place finishers will qualify for the Champions Cup play-off against the Ospreys from Conference A.

Four changes for Ulster from last week’s gargantuan performance in Edinburgh brought in a new prop pairing of Callum Black and Ross Kane, while Kieran Treadwell returned to the second row and Sean Reidy donned the number 7 jersey.

The Ulster back-line remained unchanged, with Charles Piutau at full-back, Louis Ludik and Stockdale on the wings, and the centre partnership of Darren Cave – a try scorer last time out – and Stuart McCloskey, while Johnny McPhillips and Cooney continued together at half-back.

Up front, Rory Best captained the side from hooker and Iain Henderson, the scorer of the province’s bonus point try at BT Murrayfield, teamed with Treadwell at lock. Jean Deysel, a powerhouse against Edinburgh, retained the number 8 shirt, with blindside Matthew Rea and Reidy both impressive either side of him at the base of the scrum.

Cooney’s central sixth-minute penalty got Ulster off to a positive start after some sustained pressure in and around the Ospreys’ 22, and a good aerial knock-down from McCloskey from the scrum half’s punt, soon after the restart, kept the visitors’ defence on their toes.

Only a dropped ball right on the Welsh try-line prevented the first try on 15 minutes, but after a protracted pause for an injury to hooker Scott Otten, who took the full force of Henderson at speed to the side of his head, the Ospreys began to establish a foothold in the game, just failing to draw level as Biggar’s 22nd-minute penalty attempt sailed wide.

An injury to McPhillips brought on David Shanahan and a back-line reshuffle just before the half hour, which the Welshmen appeared to have capitalised on when centre Kieron Fonotia crossed moments later. However, a TMO review clearly showed a neck roll by Alun Wyn Jones on Henderson in a ruck in the build-up, and referee Andrew Brace showed little hesitation in striking off the score.

As the first half drew to a close, two rolling mauls proved fruitless for Ulster, sending the sides off with a meagre three points between them. More wastefulness from Ulster early in the second period saw a spirited Henderson surge for the line pulled back for a knock-on in contact.

However, fantastic work from Ludik to put Hanno Dirksen under pressure as he scooped up Piutau’s grubber kick for the line won Ulster a five-metre scrum. Shanahan did well to fish the ball out under the Ospreys push, but Piutau’s final pass to Stockdale as Ulster broke down the left was behind the onrushing winger, and the ball rolled out of play.

Possession was all Ulster’s now though, and when Shanahan and Cooney combined to force another five-metre scrum, the strain on the Ospreys defence began to show, with winger Jeff Hassler sent to the sin-bin for infringing at the ruck.

Ulster looked to have eventually taken advantage of their numerical superiority on 68 minutes when Nick Timoney, a recent replacement for Reidy, outpaced Owen Watkin to Luke Marshall’s grubber and slid over, only for multiple TMO reviews to identify a knock-on as the Ireland Sevens international seized the ball.

The Ulster residence in Ospreys territory continued until the 79th minute, when the visitors crossed the halfway line for virtually the first time in the second period. It proved short-lived, however, and when Biggar’s horribly aimless pass fell to Stockdale, the youngster had enough left in the tank to run half the length of the field and ground the clinching try.

Cooney missed the conversion but it mattered little, with the victory secured and the Ospreys denied the consolation of a losing bonus point. The four points keep Ulster’s slim hopes of a PRO14 play-off place alive, something which will only become a reality if they can claim bonus point wins over Glasgow Warriors and Munster, and Edinburgh fail to pick up any points on the final day against Glasgow.