In what was one of Ulster’s most satisfying
victories of the season, it was literally a tale of two halves – the first was
a dull, boring affair while the second was a complete try-fest, with seven
being notched up between the two teams.
It’s now an eleven point lead in the league
for the Ulstermen…
Try,
try, try and try again
There is no doubt that Ulster will come away
from this game full of confidence ahead of their crucial Heineken Cup games
this month against Glasgow and Castres. The way they put their Welsh opponents
to the sword will strike fear into anybody they face and they themselves won’t
fear anybody else.
Ulster’s number 8 will also cause the
opposition to fear. At one point during the match Nick Williams broke clear of
the Scarlets’ defence and sprinted towards their full-back Dan Newton. From
that moment I was worried for that man’s life, it was like a train hurtling
towards a car.
Luckily Newton did make the tackle (although
he did have to go off injured afterwards!), but you can see just what a
destructive impact the Kiwi has. His try was testament to just how strong he
is, holding off four red shirts to barrel his way over for Ulster’s second try.
He is playing some of the best rugby of his life and Ulster are reaping the
rewards from it.
But a lot of his success has to go down to
the work of the Ulster physio team. When he was at Aironi he missed a lot of
games due to injury and therefore his ability was limited. But here at Ulster,
with what has been described as “one of the best medical teams in Europe” he has
been able to excel, and has shown himself to be a top class back rower.
It was from the set piece once again where
Ulster got the platform for their win. Rob Herring was key to the success both
in the line-out and the scrum. His line-out throws were straight and accurate
(bar one) and he was part of the front row that took apart the opposition
scrum.
In the back line, Andrew Trimble showed what
a mistake Declan Kidney had made in dropping him for the Autumn Internationals
– as did Tom Court in the front row. Both put in superb performances to try and
prove to the Ireland coach that they have plenty more to offer in a green
shirt.
While it was a good performance by Ulster,
coach Mark Anscombe was quick to point out the downsides – their slow start to
the game and the two soft tries they conceded.
It took about thirty minutes for Ulster to
really spark into life, and worryingly, this is becoming a habit for Ulster. In
games like the Edinburgh home match and the Northampton home match too, Ulster
have taken a long time to get on the scoreboard and begin to threaten.
Northampton already punished them for this, and other strong teams will too.
The two tries were simply down to poor
defence really. A slipped tackle from Robbie Diack allowed Josh Turnbull in for
the Scarlets’ first try, and two missed tackles from Paddy Wallace and Andrew
Trimble allowed the Welshmen to secure a second try. Again, not a problem in
the game on Friday, but it could be costly later in the season.
Nevertheless, it is another victory in the
race for the Pro12 play-offs and it now leaves Ulster in an extremely
commanding position – eleven points clear of second place. Many say that they
have first place wrapped up already, but there are still some big matches to
come, and Ulster will have to be at their best to finish top of the tree in
May.
This victory came at a cost though. During
the match Adam D’Arcy, Dan Tuohy, Luke Marshall and Nick Williams all picked up
injuries and are all now doubts for Friday’s game against Glasgow along with
Jared Payne and Rory Best. Friday’s game could end up being the real test of
Ulster’s strength in depth.
Heineken Cup rugby is back…
Munster
get the Blues
At the start of the weekend, who would’ve
thought Cardiff would leave Musgrave Park with the win, huh? In the shock of
the weekend, two tries from Owen Williams and Robin Copeland won the match for
the Welsh side and leaves Munster outside the play-off places down in sixth –
in a bit of trouble.
A considerable mention also has to go to Zebre
who ran the Ospreys mighty close at the Liberty Stadium before eventually
losing 16-15. If they keep up this form then they will eventually get their
long overdue first victory.
The race for the Pro12 play-offs is now hotting up, with only four points separating second and sixth. With only nine games left, wins and bonus points are becoming crucial for those sides hoping to be in the knock-outs in May…
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