A patchy Ulster performance needed a last-minute Christian Lealiifano conversion of Andrew Trimble’s try to see off a batting Benetton side as Paul Marshall became the latest Ulster player to reach the 200-cap milestone.
Tommy Bowe’s early try and 13 points from the tee – five from stand-in captain Christian Lealiifano and eight from John Cooney – completed the Ulster tally, but some ring-rustiness after the international hiatus, and an impressive display from the ever-improving Italians, made this GUINNESS PRO14 encounter uncomfortably close.
Player unavailability due to injury and international commitments meant an unfamiliar look to the Ulster matchday 23, with Academy player Aaron Hall making his first senior start at openside flanker, and fellow prospects Matthew Dalton and Greg Jones (pictured below) joining the fray from the bench.
Les Kiss was able to field an experienced back-line, with Charles Piutau at full-back, Bowe and Craig Gilroy on the wings, Louis Ludik and Lealiifano in the centre, and Peter Nelson and Cooney combined as the starting half-backs.
Up front, Ross Kane made his first start of the season alongside Callum Black and John Andrew in the front row, with Kieran Treadwell and Alan O’Connor in the engine room, and a back row of Clive Ross at blindside, Hall at openside, and Nick Timoney – the scorer of a brace against the Dragons in September – at number 8..
Other notable inclusions on the bench were prop Schalk van der Merwe, who came on for his first senior cap since arriving in the close season from South Africa, and Paul Marshall, the latest inductee into the province’s 200-cap club.
Benetton, even more heavily depleted than their opponents, nonetheless enjoyed good early pressure and fully merited their fifth-minute lead courtesy of Tommaso Allan’s penalty goal.
The Italy out-half soon doubled the lead, but once Ulster finally got their hands on the ball on 15 minutes, the opening try was not long in coming, Cooney picking out Bowe off the back of a rolling maul for a touchdown in the corner, which the scrum half converted himself.
Two Cooney penalties then gave Ulster a 13-6 cushion from which they should have been able to build, Andrea Bronzini lending a helping hand with an off-the-ball shunt on Ludik which put the Benetton winger in the sin-bin for 10 minutes.
A head injury sustained mid-tackle by Ross brought Jones his first taste of senior action just before half-time, but despite their numerical disadvantage, it was the Italians who closed out the first half the stronger, Allan’s penalty reducing the deficit to four points (13-9) just before the whistle.
Back to their full complement early in the second period, Benetton continued to cause Ulster problems, and when Allan’s fourth successful penalty brought his side to within a point on 52 minutes, it was no more than their hard graft deserved.
Marshall’s entry at the this stage roused the greatest cheer of the evening thus far, but the scrum half’s introduction did not go according to plan, as first his attempted clearance sailed straight up into the air, and then he found himself flat-footed as number 8 Robert Barbieri intercepted the Ulster knock-back and sprinted over to score unopposed.
Allan’s conversion left Ulster suddenly six points adrift, soon reduced to three by Lealiifano’s trusty right boot. There was still plenty of defending to be done, however, as the hosts soaked up another 10 minutes of Italian pressure before a high tackle gifted replacement out-half Marty Banks a further three points at 22-16.
In need of a converted try to snatch the victory, Ulster kicked a 75th minute penalty to touch and when Benetton infringed again five metres out, this time the hosts opted for the scrum. From there everything clicked into place at just the right moment, Marshall combining with fellow replacements Darren Cave and Trimble, the winger forcing his way through the green-and-white defensive line to touch down with only 90 seconds remaining.
Lealiifano’s side-footed conversion – and a Benetton knock-on shortly after the restart – saw Ulster snatch the match points from Benetton’s grasp, with the result keeping Ulster second in the Conference B table ahead of next Friday’s trip to the Dragons.
This website uses cookies.
Read More