RUGBY: Second half try flurry at Harlequins keeps Ulster bang on track in Europe

Ulster made it four from four in Europe with a crucial bonus point securing victory over Harlequins to leave them in command at the top of Pool Three.

After a narrow one-point win at home over the English Premiership side in Belfast six days ago, the Irish Province, in spite of being slow out of the traps at The Stoop, put in a strong second half showing to secure their first bonus point from the campaign.

There were anxious faces from the Ulster camp in the first minute when outhalf Billy Burns went down suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury, but the medical team had him back in the fray quickly.

Some lose kicking from Ulster saw them under pressure in the initial stages, but they worked their way in and a third penalty saw scrumhalf John Cooney open the scoring after six minutes.

The visitors, urged on by strongly evident travelling support, continued to try and pepper their way through the Premiershipside, but a lack of precision at key times was to see opportunities elude them.

The Irish Province finally found a little spark to unleash a lively attack which started with a Matt Faddes break on the right, it was sprayed left and the small years were made with little bursts from Burns, Jacob Stockdale, Rob Herring and then a link-up between Louis Ludik and Stuart McCloskey still failed to open the home defence.

Indeed, Quins turned the ball over and huge kick from fullback Ross Chisholm had Ulster in all sorts of trouble. Lock Stephan Lewies looked to have found a gap, but Ulster forced the tackle.

But a high tackle by Luke Marshall on Francis Sali presented an easy penalty opportunity for Quins and centre James Lang levelled the scoring at 3-3 after 34 minutes.

The home support had suddenly found their voice and began to exert further pressure on Ulster, but a turnover and some quick thinking from Burns saw Ulster charge out of their own ‘22’.

Burns released Stockdale, he made ground through a gap, drew two defenders before giving to the supporting Faddes. The winger went round two defenders before slipping inside to scrum half Cooney who hared in for try.

His conversion was good and the timely goal took Ulster into the interval 10-3 ahead, a bit more reflective of their dominance in territory and possession from the first half.

Rain greeted the teams on their return, with Stockdale early show and Burns’ chip ahead knocked on by Chisholm. But Ulster were unable to make further inroads, a knockon in a maul saw Quins loose forward Semi Kunatani make a thunderous break out of his half and as he sped into the Ulster half his pass looked to have sent Chisholm clear.

But Cooney made the vital tackle, the ball spilled forward and soon after an illegal high challenge on Stockdale from Kunatani, it set Ulster up in the corner and then an untidy grubber from McCloskey was actually inch perfect for Marshall to run onto it and the centre showed great determination to get up and force his way over the line. Cooney’s conversion took the lead out to 17-3 on 47 minutes.

The Cooney show continued when, after Marcell Coetzee took into contact and slipped a pass to the scrumhalf, he dropped the ball to his foot, grubber kicked and danced through the cover to score a try which he converted on the hour mark and increase the advantage to 21 points.

Quins hit back almost immediately with a try through lock Lewies and Lang converted to make it 10-24.

The opportunities were still there for Ulster, but in two attacking lineouts off penalties the throw was crooked.

And then, from a Quins malfunctioning lineout over the top, replacement hooker Adam McBurney charges through ball is flashed right and winger Faddes does great work to get over in the corner for the bonus point securing try on 77 minutes, which went unconverted by Cooney.

There was one last act from the visitors as the clock turned red, replacement prop Tom O’Toole going over for a try after a surge close to the line from the visitors. Replacement outhalf Bill Johnston saw his conversion come back off the post with the final act.