An electric closing 20 minutes from reigning GUINNESS PRO12 champions Glasgow Warriors left Ulster with nothing to show for some hard graft tonight at Scotstoun Stadium, as Les Kiss’ men fell to a 27-17 defeat.
Tries from Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour snatched the victory for the fast-finishing Warriors, and Hogg’s last-minute penalty deprived the province of a losing bonus point.
Ulster had led for much of the encounter with early tries in each half from Iain Henderson and Stuart McCloskey but Glasgow, with virtually half a team’s worth of Six Nations players straight back into club action, showed all their class in the final stages to close in on Ulster in the table, with both sides now on 51 points.
Ulster sit fifth by virtue of a superior points difference to Glasgow on sixth, but with a game in hand and, on paper, an easier run-in, Gregor Townsend’s side will fancy their chances of finishing above the men in white.
Henderson made a welcome return from injury to the blindside berth for his first outing since December, while three more personnel changes saw Callum Black take over from Kyle McCall at prop, a fit-again Alan O’Connor came in for Peter Browne at lock, and McCloskey slotted into a rejigged back-line at centre.
Rob Herring led the side from hooker, with Ricky Lutton completing the front row, Franco van der Merwe partnering O’Connor in the second row, and Chris Henry and Nick Williams joining with Henderson to fashion an explosive back row.
The return of McCloskey and absence of both Jared Payne and Louis Ludik brought Stuart Olding to full-back, with Craig Gilroy and Rory Scholes on the wings, and Luke Marshall partnering the new Ireland cap in midfield. Paddy Jackson won his 100th cap at out-half alongside scrum half Ruan Pienaar.
A fine opening from Ulster saw Hogg, the newly-crowned 2016 Player of the Six Nations, sin-binned after 90 seconds for intentionally knocking the ball from Pienaar’s hands two metres out and, as the visitors bossed an ensuing scrum, Pienaar found Olding whose short pass gave Henderson an elementary try on his return to action.
Glasgow pressed in their turn after Jackson’s successful conversion, but while Ulster’s defence proved impressive, their lack of possession left them unable to capitalise further on Hogg’s absence – although a scintillating run from Gilroy on the quarter hour could have brought a second try but for a poor final pass to Marshall.
Two five-minute periods of intense Glasgow pressure culminated in as many penalties for Finn Russell, and with Robbie Diack introduced for O’Connor, the recipient of a heavy knock to the arm, good work at the breakdown from Williams earned a long range penalty which Ulster’s newest centurion slotted home expertly.
However, another penalty from Russell just 10 seconds from the break ensured Ulster ran off at half-time only a single point to the good – 10-9.
Ulster retook the pitch minus the services of Williams, who was the victim of a leg injury, but they had a belter of a penalty to touch from Pienaar and some quick thinking from Gilroy to thank for their second try, as the winger’s rapidly-taken throw in five metres from the Glasgow try-line found McCloskey unmarked for an easy score.
Another precise conversion from Jackson put his side eight points up on 45 minutes to a crescendo of jeers around Scotstoun – although the Glaswegian fans could have nothing to complain about other than their side’s sluggish reaction to Gilroy’s snappy piece of play.
Russell narrowly missed out on adding his fourth penalty 10 minutes later, but only four further minutes elapsed before Hogg was touching down off his own chip and chase after a suspiciously forward-looking pass from his out-half, whose conversion attempt sailed well wide.
The killer blow came only two minutes later, former Ulster winger Tommy Seymour sealing the Glasgow resurrection with a superb take of Russell’s cross-field kick on halfway before stepping on the gas to blow away both Marshall and Gilroy for a fine individual try, this time converted by Russell.
Ulster came close to an immediate riposte with Olding causing havoc in front of the posts, but the Warriors did well to clear their lines and when Diack went off his feet 20 metres from the Ulster posts with seven minutes to go, Russell left the visitors needing a converted try to get back on level terms.
The prospect of a losing bonus point was spared on 77 minutes as Russell missed a fairly simple penalty, but Hogg made sure the visitors came away with nothing when he split the posts from a good 55 metres with the last kick of the match.
Coming away from Scotstoun empty-handed makes next Friday’s interprovincial clash with Connacht at Kingspan Stadium a must-win tie if Ulster are to stay in the race for the play-offs – or indeed a top-six place to ensure qualification for the European Champions Cup next season.
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