Ulster Have To Settle For Losing Bonus Point

Tommy Bowe and Franco van der Merwe both touched during a spirited second half fight-back, but Ulster were left to rue some costly first half errors as Leicester Tigers won 25-18 at Welford Road.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: LEICESTER TIGERS 25 ULSTER 18

Tigers exacted revenge for three consecutive defeats at the hands of the province with a blistering three-try first half display, as Owen Williams, Graham Kitchener and Freddie Burns all crossed the whitewash.

Tries from Tommy Bowe and Franco van der Merwe in a much-improved Ulster second half performance secured the consolation of a losing bonus point, but Ulster must now get a result against reigning European champions Toulon next Saturday at Kingspan Stadium to keep their hopes of qualification alive.

Although bereft of potential match winners in the form of Andrew Trimble (toe), Ruan Pienaar (knee) and Dan Tuohy (arm), Neil Doak was able to field a strong team with no fewer than nine internationals.

Louis Ludik continued at full-back with last week’s try scorers, Bowe and Craig Gilroy, on the wings, while the excellent form of Jared Payne and Stuart McCloskey kept Stuart Olding and Darren Cave on the bench.

Paddy Jackson returned at out-half after recovering from a knock sustained against Edinburgh, teaming up with Paul Marshall in the half-backs.

In the pack, Rory Best captained the side from hooker, with props Andrew Warwick and Wiehahn Herbst completing the front row.

Lewis Stevenson, replacing the suspended Alan O’Connor, lined up at lock with van der Merwe, while Robbie Diack, Chris Henry and Nick Williams occupied the three back row slots.

After an early penalty attempt from Jackson (pictured below) sailed wide, a good take from Marshall set Ulster in motion with multiple phases culminating in the award of a second penalty which the out-half this time dispatched with ease.

However, an energetic burst from Blaine Scully straight from the restart got Leicester deep into Ulster territory – and saw Payne escorted from the field on 10 minutes after picking up a knock in his attempt to slow down the Tigers’ assault.

With Cave temporarily on in Payne’s place, sustained Leicester pressure ended with captain Best only just failing to hold up Williams as he crossed in the 15th minute, with Burns adding the extras.

The out-half was well off target six minutes later with a penalty from the left flank, and as Ulster struggled to re-establish a foothold in the game, they were relieved to see a long cross-field kick from Burns just elude Scully on the wing.

There was no such escape on 29 minutes as Ben Youngs intercepted Marshall’s pass to Gilroy on the left wing, feeding lock Kitchener for the simplest of tries.

The situation worsened for Ulster in the very next minute as Gilroy saw yellow for taking out Miles Benjamin in the air. Burns then evaded four or five tackles moments later to touch down try number three, which Williams converted with aplomb.

A fourth try was only just averted three minutes before half-time when Leonardo Ghiraldini touched down, only for the television match official to advise that Youngs’ left boot had strayed into touch as he fished the ball out of a maul in the build-up.

Tigers piled on further misery early into the second half with a penalty from Williams, cancelled out by a Jackson kick on 48 minutes.

Still 16 points adrift on 55 minutes, Ulster put together their best move of the match with a neat one-two between Payne and Bowe on the right wing, which freed up the Monaghan man (pictured below) for a fine try under the posts, converted by Jackson.

Into the last quarter and with Olding, Cave and Roger Wilson into the fray in place of McCloskey, Ludik and Williams respectively, Ulster fell further behind on 63 minutes through another Williams penalty.

However, a superb solo burst from Payne got his side back into the Leicester 22 and when Ulster came again, an unorthodox American football-style finish from van der Merwe (pictured below), who vaulted over a crowd of bodies as he scooped the ball out of a maul, brought Ulster to within a converted try of the home side.

With Jackson’s conversion charged down by Jamie Gibson, Leicester brought play back to the other end of the pitch, but a Diack interception cleared the danger and set up Ulster’s final foray in the Leicester half.

With barely a minute remaining, intense pressure on Olding in the Leicester 22 saw possession seized from the youngster’s grasp and, although Ulster regained the ball, a final knock-on from replacement scrum half Michael Heaney put paid to any hopes of a last-gasp draw.