Connacht's comeback falls short as Ulster claim dramatic derby win
Connacht captain Jack Carty missed a last-gasp conversion as Ulster clung on for a 22-20 United Rugby Championship derby win at the Sportsground.
Smarting from three straight defeats in all competitions, Ulster led by 16 points at one stage, and it was 22-8 after John Cooney’s 71st-minute penalty.
Connacht stormed back thanks to tries from replacements Jarrad Butler and Adam Byrne, the latter scoring deep into added time, but Carty pulled the difficult conversion wide.
A Rob Lyttle try had the visitors leading 5-3 at half-time, before Tom Stewart bagged a brace. Caolin Blade hit back on the hour mark, only for Connacht’s fightback to fall short.
There was little to separate the sides in the opening exchanges, Carty chasing down Ethan McIlroy after his pass had been intercepted by the Ulster winger, and it was not until the 29th minute that Dan McFarland’s side belatedly broke the deadlock.
Stewart and McIlroy showed quick hands and although Luke Marshall’s offload was blocked by Tiernan O’Halloran, Lyttle managed to dribble the loose ball through and touch it down.
Cooney’s missed conversion was followed by Carty’s lone penalty as the first half finished 5-3 to the visitors.
It was all Ulster after the restart, though.
Their reliable maul did the damage for 21-year-old hooker Stewart to plunge over and Cooney made it 12-3.
Connacht dug in as Bundee Aki turned over Marty Moore before a scrum move involving McCloskey was well defended.
Crucially, Stewart struck from another close-in drive in the 53rd minute – followed by a crisp Cooney conversion – to widen the gap to 16 points.
Blade showed impressive strength and speed to snipe over from a maul, although Carty badly missed the conversion at 19-8.
Having watched Stewart be held up short, former Connacht favourite Cooney landed a penalty which should have sewn up the result.
Instead, the Ulstermen had to endure a nerve-jangling finish. With replacement Greg Jones in the sin bin, they could not prevent Butler from crashing over after Cian Prendergast had a try ruled out for accidental offside.
Connacht then matched Ulster’s three-try tally, a brilliant surge downfield ending with Byrne powering over past Lyttle and Stewart Moore, but Carty’s kick from a tight angle faded away to the left as the visitors just held on for the win – their seventh in nine URC matches this season..
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments