Ulster’s chances of qualifying for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals may be slim but they held onto that hope at Ravenhill on Friday night when they ran three tries past the Scarlets to continue their recent run of form.
With the four match points lifting them off the bottom of the Pool 4 table, Ulster are still in the hunt to make the tournament’s last-eight for the first time since they became European champions back in 1999.
More hard work lays ahead next weekend at the Scarlets’ impressive new stadium, Parc y Scarlets, but Matt Williams’ men look capable, in their current form, of pulling off an away victory.
They held the Scarlets in check for much of the first half in Belfast, with Darren Cave and Simon Danielli helping themselves to tries.
After Wales’ success over Australia, the visitors welcomed back a number of their international players, including Stephen Jones who kicked two penalties in the opening half.
However, Jones could not exert enough control in open play and after swapping early penalties with Ian Humphreys, he watched Ulster seize control.
Ulster had looked the more dangerous in the opening 20 minutes, with the fit-again Andrew Trimble and Danielli hungry for work, Bryn Cunningham solid under the high ball and Stephen Ferris and David Pollock putting in some shuddering hits.
A Trimble pass was dropped by Cave as the centre looks set to break the try deadlock but he made up for that error in the 26th minute when he touched down a deft chip by Humphreys over the Scarlets rush defence.
After confirmation of the grounding from the television match official, Humphreys converted for a 10-3 Ulster lead.
An Ulster ruck infringement off the restart allow Jones boot the Scarlets to within four points but the hosts quickly regrouped and Scotland winger Danielli soon weaved his way over in the left corner.
Six minutes before the break, Danielli, who scored twice as a replacement last week against Connacht, picked up possession near halfway and with the Scarlets defenders standing off him, he exploited the space to full effect with a neat dummy and his pace saw him comfortably make the line.
It was a very well-taken score that had the Ravenhill faithful on its feet. Humphreys missed the conversion but Ulster remained on top territorially for the rest of the half.
After a lovely chip and chase by Cunningham, Pollock was hauled down just short of the whitewash by Mark Jones, who was one of few Scarlets players to impress.
Looking to kill off the game before half-time, Humphreys snatched at a kickable penalty but he made amends in deepest injury-time with a successful strike from further out.
Ulster had suffered a pre-match blow when centre Paddy Wallace was ruled out on medical advice after his clash of heads last week with Ryan Caldwell, but having a replacement of the calibre of Paul Steinmetz meant there was little disruption.
Still, Williams’ charges had to weather a storm in the third quarter as the Scarlets bounced back and began to find their feet.
The busy Martin Roberts won a penalty which Jones sent through the uprights for 18-9 and the Welsh region missed out on a try when they failed to convert a sudden overlap, with Jones and Easterby drawing a forward pass.
The pressure was increased on Ulster when Nigel Davies’ men manufactured another penalty chance. With the gap down to six points, the result would have been in serious doubt but Jones missed the kick and Ulster soon got back on the front foot.
Just two minutes later, Humphreys fired over a crucial penalty kick from just inside the Scarlets’ half for a 21-9 buffer.
The game was slipping from the Scarlets and a quick turnover, in the 65th minute, saw replacement scrum half Isaac Boss engineer Ulster’s third try.
He scampered down the left touchline and passed inside for flanker Pollock who showed good pace to get over in the corner from 25 metres out.
Humphreys’ conversion attempt bounced back off a post and try as they might, Ulster could not force their way over for a bonus point-clinching try.
There was a stop-start finale to the game with both coaches sending on a succession of replacements and one of those reserves, Ulster winger Mark McCrea, had a shortened spell on the pitch as he was harshly sin-binned for a mistimed tackle on Morgan Stoddart.
There was no malice intended as McCrea challenged Stoddart for a high ball but referee Andrew Small ruled otherwise and Ulster had to see out the game down to 14 men.
They were caught out in the dying moments when a forward-looking pass put winger Ceiron Thomas over for a consolation try for the Scarlets, which Jones converted.
It took the gloss somewhat off what was another encouraging performance from the Ulstermen, who were gaining revenge for their Magners League defeat to the Welsh region on the opening weekend of the season.
MATCH SUMMARY –
TIME LINE: 7 minutes – Ulster penalty: Ian Humphreys – 3-0; 10 mins – Scarlets penalty: Stephen Jones – 3-3; 26 mins – Ulster try: Darren Cave – 8-3; conversion: Ian Humphreys – 10-3; 29 mins – Scarlets penalty: Stephen Jones – 10-6; 34 mins – Ulster try: Simon Danielli – 15-6; conversion: missed by Ian Humphreys – 15-6; 40+2 mins – Ulster penalty: missed by Ian Humphreys – 15-6; 40+5 mins – Ulster penalty: Ian Humphreys – 18-6; Half-time – Ulster 18 Scarlets 6; 47 mins – Scarlets penalty: Stephen Jones – 18-9; 58 mins – Scarlets penalty: missed by Stephen Jones – 18-9; 60 mins – Ulster penalty: Ian Humphreys – 21-9; 65 mins – Ulster try: David Pollock – 26-9; conversion: missed by Ian Humphreys – 26-9; 74 mins – Ulster yellow card: Mark McCrea; 80+1 mins – Scarlets try: Ceiron Thomas – 26-14; conversion: Stephen Jones – 26-16; Full-time – Ulster 26 Scarlets 16
ULSTER: Bryn Cunningham; Simon Danielli, Darren Cave, Paul Steinmetz, Andrew Trimble; Ian Humphreys, Cillian Willis; Justin Fitzpatrick, Rory Best (capt), BJ Botha, Ed O’Donoghue, Ryan Caldwell, Stephen Ferris, David Pollock, Robbie Diack.
Replacements used: Isaac Boss for Willis, Tom Court for Fitzpatrick (both 52 mins), Kieron Dawson for Pollock (68), Mark McCrea for Steinmetz, Matt McCullough for Ferris (both 70), Niall O’Connor for Humphreys (74), Fitzpatrick for Botha (75). Not used: Nigel Brady.
SCARLETS: Morgan Stoddart; Ceiron Thomas, Regan King, Jon Davies, Mark Jones; Stephen Jones, Martin Roberts; Iestyn Thomas, Matthew Rees, Deacon Manu, Vernon Cooper, Dominic Day, Dafydd Jones, Simon Easterby (capt), David Lyons.
Replacements used: Ken Owens for Rees (57 mins), Phil John for I Thomas (68), Johnathan Edwards for D Jones (72), Gavin Cattle for Roberts (73), Lee Williams for Stoddart (75). Not used: Nathan Thomas, Rhys Priestland.
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
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