Ulster fail to score in miserable Champions Cup thrashing by Sale Sharks

Ulster’s problems had started long before the first whistle in Salford as the side failed to get out of Belfast on Saturday after their flight was cancelled due to the weather.

The squad was split in two, with some flying to Birmingham and the others going to Liverpool on Sunday morning.

However when the action started Ulster offered very little and were easily out-muscled by the Sharks, who scored six unanswered tries.

After a timid first 15 minutes were both sides were making mistakes and trying to feel each other out Sale burst into life with a clinical strike move to open the scoring.

From a lineout England centre Mani Tuilagi punched a hole in the middle of the Ulster defence, Rob Du Preez carried before a back of the hand offload to Aaron Reed, the winger went close to the line before slipping the ball to Tom Curry and the flanker dotted down for an unconverted try.

The Sharks were denied a second try four minutes later by the TMO. Following more powerful carries from the home forwards hooker Akker van der Merwe squeezed over the line. He was held up and placed the ball at the second attempt, but it was ruled out as it was judged the South African had brought the ball back into the field of play before grounding.

However the home side weren’t to be denied on 22 minutes.

Sale were awarded a penalty in the Ulster 22 and No.8 Dan Du Preez smashed over from close range with Rob du Preez adding the conversion.

Du Preez nudged Sale further ahead with a penalty from in front of the posts on 28 minutes after Ulster were punished for not releasing in the tackle.

After conceding a seventh penalty in 30 minutes Duane Vermeulen was sin-binned for infringing at a maul near his own try line.

Ulster’s 14 men went into the changing rooms trailing 15-0.

Sale’s third try arrived on eight minutes after the restart.

Following two penalties that went to the corner, the home forwards battered the Ulster line before Rob du Preez made a sniping break, his attempted pass to the wing was batted down by Ethan McIlroy but it went straight into the Sale out-half’s hands and he cruised over for an unconverted try.

Sale secured the bonus point on 64 minutes of another set piece strike move.

From a scrum in the Ulster 22 the ball was moved inside, Rob du Preez hit Tuliagi’s replacement Tom Curtis on the crash ball and the replacement ran in with the out-half converting.

Ulster’s day was summed up on 69 minutes. Mike Lowry tried to take a quick lineout near his own 22 but none of his team mates were ready or looking at the ball. Sam James gobbled up the loose ball and put Scottish Byron McGuigan over with Rob du Preez converting.

Sale put the icing on the cake with a sweeping going from deep in their own half with Reed finishing it off for the home side’s sixth try.

Sale Sharks: J Carpenter, A Reed, S James, M Tuilagi, T O’Flaherty; R du Preez (capt), F Warr, B Rodd, A van der Merwe, N Schonert; J Wiese, J Hill, J-L du Preez, T Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: T Taylor for van der Merwe 58 mins, S McIntyre for Rodd 58mins, J Jones for Schoonert 58 mins J Beaumont for Hill 66 mins, J Ross for D du Preez 58 mins, J Simpsonfor Warr 63 mins, T Curtis for Tuilagi 32 mins, B McGuigan for O’Flaherty 63 mins

Ulster: M Lowry, E McIlroy, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, B Burns, N Doak,

A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole, A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell, Matty Rea, N Timoney, D Vermeulen.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring 49 mins, E O’Sullivan for Warwick 49 mins, M Moore for O’Toole 49 mins, S Carter for O’Connor 74 mins, Marcus Rea for Matty Rea 46 mins, D Shanahan for Doak 58 mins, S Moore for Hume 31 mins, B Moxham for Stockdale 58 mins