First starts for trio as Ulster end South Africa trip with loss to Bulls
Ulster left South Africa with just one point from their two games after a 47-21 defeat against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
After last week’s defeat, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy juggled his resources – giving hooker James McCormick, lock Charlie Irvine and Ben Carson their first competitive starts.
The trio were among nine changes to the starting line-up but it failed to bring a change in fortunes as a full-loaded Bulls out-scored the Kingspan Stadium men by seven tries to three.
It took the Bulls just five minutes to breach the Ulster rearguard as the hosts used their dominant scrum to force a couple of penalties.
Off the second one the ball was moved wide for Springbok winger Kurt-Lee Arendse to power through a tackle and score, with out half Boeta Chamberlain adding the conversion.
Ulster replied three minutes later with a Jacob Stockdale try.
Aidan Morgan found the Irish winger with a pinpoint crossfield kick, Stockdale outpaced Arendse before chipping Willie Le Roux and he collected his own kick to touch down then Nathan Doak levelled the scores with the conversion.
They regained the lead on 13 minutes with their second try. Le Roux’s crossfield was taken by Chamberlin at full tilt, he drew the Ulster defence before putting centre David Kriel over and the out half added the conversion.
The Bulls continued to dominate at the scrum and Corrie Barrett was shown a yellow card on 31 minutes after a concession of a fifth penalty at the set piece.
The Bulls opted for another scrum, forced a penalty and went to the corner with the forwards set up a driving maul from the lineout and Johan Grobbelaar powered over with Chamberlin’s conversion, giving the South Africans a 21-7 half-time lead.
The Bulls sealed their bonus point a minute after the restart.
Slick hands opened up the Ulster defence and Canan Moodie exploited the space to get his side’s fourth try, with Chamberlin adding the extras.
Powerful No 8 Cameron Hanekom was next to cross for the home side, finishing off another powerful maul.
Chamberlin got his name among the try scorers as he sold the Ulster defence a dummy before racing through a gap to touchdown. Kriel converted.
Ulster got quick tries from Ben Carson and Stewart Moore – both converted by James Humphreys – but the hosts had the final say as flanker Elrigh Louw powered over from a ruck for a converted try.
BULLS: W le Roux; S de Klerk, C Moodie, D Kriel, K-L Arendse; B Chamberlain, E Papier; G Steenekamp, J Grobbelaar, W Louw; C Wiese, R Nortje (capt); M van Staden, E Louw, C Hanekom.
Replacements: A van der Merwe for Grobbelaar 51 mins, J-H Wessels for Steenekamp 59 mins, F Klopper for W Louw 58 mins, S Manjezi for Weise 65 mins, C Gumede for Hanekom 74 mins, K Johannes for Papier 59 mins, S Gans for Kriel 67 mins, A Dyantyi for Arendse 59 mins.
ULSTER: M Lowry; W Kok, S Moore, B Carson, J Stockdale; A Morgan, N Doak; A Warwick, J McCormick, C Barrett; I Henderson (capt), C Irvine; J McNabney, S Reffell, D McCann.
Replacements: T McElroy for McCormick 51 mins, E O’Sullivan for Warwick 49 mins, T O’Toole for Barrett 49 mins, A O’Connor for Henderson 51 mins, N Timoney for McCann 58 mins, D Shanahan for Doak 59 mins, J Humphreys for Morgan 61 mins, B Moxham for Stockdale 58 mins.
Referee: B Whitehouse (WRU).