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Ulster leave it late to see off Scarlets and boost URC chances
By PA
Nathan Doak converted skipper Alan O’Connor’s 79th-minute try as Ulster boosted their United Rugby Championship play-off hopes with a 30-28 win over Scarlets.
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With time almost up and the visitors leading 28-23, Ulster dug deep to produce a dramatic finish, with Nick Timoney being held up short before O’Connor got over the line near the posts, allowing Doak a good chance of the conversion which he slotted.
The result halted Ulster’s two-game losing run after defeats to Italian opposition and was only their fifth win in the league this season.
After just 10 minutes, the Scarlets led 12-0 following a rapid score from winger Macs Page, converted by Ioan Lloyd, and then a straight backline move allowed full-back Ioan Nicholas to reach the line, though his effort was not converted.
Ulster came back with a try from Timoney after 22 minutes when the back-rower touched down from a driving maul before Jack Murphy converted and then added a penalty to make it 12-10 to the Scarlets after 28 minutes.
Murphy then struck a huge penalty with two minutes left to put Ulster ahead for the first time in the match, but they failed to stay there.
After going offside and with the clock in red, Lloyd kicked the Scarlets to a 15-13 lead at the midway point.
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Murphy put Ulster back in front three minutes in with his third penalty but, yet again, the Scarlets won a cheap penalty shortly afterwards, Lloyd putting them back ahead at 18-16.
But Ulster had the advantage again when Callum Reid drove over from close range, with Murphy again converting.
The Scarlets regained the lead from an intercept that allowed replacement Vaea Fifita to race clear and Lloyd’s conversion put Scarlets 25-23 up.
Lloyd then slotted a 70th-minute penalty to move the Welsh side 28-23 ahead.
It looked like game over, but Ulster then produced their big finish as O’Connor powered over and Doak converted with time almost up.
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