Stormers score 17 points in first seven minutes but fall to Ulster comeback

Ulster scored six tries on their way to claiming a dramatic 38-34 comeback victory over Stormers to boost their United Rugby Championship playoff hopes after trailing 17-0.

Robert Baloucoune, Jacob Stockdale and Stewart Moore all scored cracking tries, while John Cooney kicked two conversions on his penultimate home game before joining Brive next season.

Stormers number eight Evan Roos opened the scoring with just a minute-and-a-half gone after they had turned Ulster over at a breakdown, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.

The visitors out-half then dropped a goal and this was rapidly followed by Ben Loader scoring their second try when running in from his own half. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted as Ulster were 17-0 down after seven minutes.

The home side began their fightback when Baloucoune was put over in the corner on his first game of the season after 10 minutes. Cooney failed to convert but did add the two points after Andrew Warwick touched down, just before the half-hour mark.

The half ended with Feinberg-Mngomezulu yellow carded for a block on Baloucoune and from the resulting penalty, Jack Murphy collected the ball after Cooney was tackled and got through to score to level the scores, with Cooney’s conversion attempt sailing wide.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

3.4

11

Entries

Avg. Points Scored

3.7

9

Entries

Three minutes in, Ulster took the lead as Stockdale crossed over and Cooney converted.

The Stormers were then reduced to 13 men when skipper Neethling Fouche saw red for a head collision with Ben Carson.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s return saw him hit another drop goal to bring the 14-man away side back.

But then Ulster stuck again, Stockdale hitting the line and feeding Zac Ward to score and this time Murphy converted.

The Stormers once more fought back, replacement Willie Engelbrecht crossing the line after 62 minutes as Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras.

But it was not over yet and Ulster’s Michael Lowry broke out from deep which ended with Stewart Moore romping home to score before Nathan Doak converted the sixth try.

Once more, the Stormers replied. Home lock Harry Sheridan’s yellow card eight minutes from time led to Roos cutting Ulster’s lead with his second try of the night to bring the South Africans a their own try bonus.