Ulster set up a GUINNESS PRO12 semi-final showdown with Leinster, turning on the style in an electric six-try 46-26 defeat of the Ospreys, with Paddy Jackson once again outstanding both from the hand and the boot.
Paddy Jackson contributed a total of 21 points to the Ulster tally – a try, five conversions and two penalties – and was joined on the scoresheet by Rory Best, Andrew Trimble, Chris Henry, Stuart Olding and Franco van der Merwe.
The Ospreys, no slouches either with three tries of their own as they chased the faint hope of a European Champions Cup place for next season, put up some staunch resistance but such was the superiority of the Ulster firepower that, ultimately, the fortunes of the fifth-placed Scarlets at Thomond Park – the only side who could have caught Les Kiss’ men – proved immaterial.
A solitary change in the Ulster 23 saw Craig Gilroy, recovered from the virus which kept him out of the home victory over Leinster, return on the left wing at the expense of Rory Scholes.
Otherwise, with the likes of Tommy Bowe and Nick Williams still unavailable, the visitors lined up with Jared Payne at full-back, Trimble on the right flank, Luke Marshall and Stuart McCloskey in the centre, and the partnership of Jackson and Ruan Pienaar – both of whom put in strong claims for man-of-the-match last week – in the half-back positions.
The unchanged pack comprised of a front three of Callum Black, Best and Ricky Lutton, a second row of Peter Browne and van der Merwe, and man-of-the-match Iain Henderson, Chris Henry and Sean Reidy combined again in the back row.
Ulster rode their luck early on as Sam Underhill broke through on five minutes but picked the wrong pass, supplying the heavily-marked Dan Biggar rather than Rhys Webb 10 metres from home. When Webb found Biggar off the back of a five-metre maul on 12 minutes, however, Ulster’s luck ran out – the out-half free to saunter between the posts for the simplest of tries, which he converted.
Jackson soon matched his opposite number’s feat, picking up off Payne’s diagonal run for a 16th minute score and conversion after some phenomenally strong ball carrying from Henderson, who was able to make a good 10 metres with three Ospreys hanging off his considerable frame.
Next to shine was Best, collecting from Pienaar after muscular work from Trimble and weaving a route between three Welsh defenders to crash down just over the line as Josh Matavesi and James King teamed up in a vain attempt to bring the Ireland captain to ground.
Jackson converted again, but as the Ospreys closed out the first half in the ascendancy, Matavesi noticed and exploited a gap between Best and Black 10 metres out for a smart solo try, enabling Biggar to restore parity with the extras.
There was still drama to come before half-time, however, as Webb was left to rue the unpredictability of the bounce of the ball from Trimble’s kick downfield the scrum half wrong-footed as the ball spiralled away from him – and into Trimble’s grateful clutches for the winger’s thrilling 40-metre run to the line.
More good fortune for Ulster saw Jackson’s conversion strike the right hand post and fall just behind the crossbar with the final kick of the half, making it 21.14 to the province.
The Ulster out-half kept the momentum going early in the second period with a sweetly-struck penalty from distance, but a handful of missed tackles almost got the visitors in hot water on 53 minutes, as the Ospreys progressed to three metres from home before a hard-earned turnover from Browne got his side out of jail.
The bonus point came two minutes later, and from a somewhat unexpected source. After forcing their way to the opposite end of the pitch, Ulster contrived to lose possession in a ruck centimetres from the Ospreys try-line. However, as the ball rolled back to Webb, who steadied it with his studs, the quick-thinking Henry reached round the side to apply downward pressure just behind the line for a try confirmed by TMO Derek Bevan – despite a crescendo of jeers around the Liberty Stadium from partisan Welsh fans, suspicious of a knock-on.
Unfazed, Jackson added the conversion and then a penalty too, and while recent entrant Tom Grabham dived over in the corner on 65 minutes for the Ospreys, fellow replacement Olding put the result beyond any doubt three minutes later as his fleet footwork eluded four prospective tacklers for another try underneath the posts, converted to maintain Jackson’s 100% record.
Another unpredictable bounce – the first of the match, perhaps, to go in the Welshmen’s favour – gifted Grabham his second try as this time Jackson was outfoxed in the corner. Although Biggar converted, Ulster closed out the game on a high as lock van der Merwe waded his way through half-a-dozen Ospreys for the final try with four minutes remaining.
The GUINNESS PRO12 play-offs take place in two weeks”time, with Leinster v Ulster at the RDS on Friday, May 20 (kick-off 7.45pm), followed by Connacht v Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground on Saturday, May 21 (kick-off 6.30pm).
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