Ulster Rugby vs Harlequins

Cooney’s conversion missed, but the scrum-half had little time to wait before getting his name on the scoresheet, landing his third try in as many games on eight minutes after more good work from Baloucoune – and showing great strength to fend oœ the final tackler just long enough to touch down right in the corner. This time the conversion was true, and with Ulster now threatening to put the game to bed as a contest before the end of the first quarter, try number three came via route one – an O’Connor lineout take, powerful rolling maul and touchdown from Rea. Conversion dispatched once again, Ulster soaked up five minutes’ worth of fairly benign Scarlets pressure before Faddes was touching down again – only for play to be brought back for an Ulster penalty as the centre’s foot had strayed into touch in the build-up. Ulster again mauled towards the line, and although stern Scarlets defence resisted the initial onslaught, luck proved to be on the hosts’ side when McCloskey’s looped – and somewhat risky – pass just eluded Steœ Evans and fell for Baloucoune, whose athletic leap over the line secured the bonus point. After a good ten minutes of plodding possession from Scarlets, McFarland mixed things up by replacing Coetzee, Herring and Cooney with Nick Timoney, Adam McBurney and David Shanahan – the latter thereby earning his 50th cap for the province. The changes did little to increase the pace of the second period, which remained sluggish until the clock passed the hour mark, when another protracted spell of Scarlets pressure eventually broke down without posing the scoreboard any threat. Back in possession, Ulster injected a touch more vigour going forward, but once their latest centurion had exited to a stirring ovation, replaced by Angus Kernohan, Scarlets began to establish a late foothold in the game.

With Gilroy sinbinned on 70 minutes for a high tackle on Ryan Lamb, Scarlets should have broken their duck wide on the right, only for Corey Baldwin to knock on metres from the line. They came again, however, with Jac Morgan adjudged to have grounded his 75th-minute try just before Shanahan bundled him into touch. There was still time, however, for Faddes to add his second of the night in the left-hand corner, seeing Ulster oœ 24 points to the good – a margin which their performance, in the first half certainly, had fully deserved.

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