Ulster move top of the United Rugby Championship with win over Connacht

Ulster scored three tries in the first half but had to wait until the third minute of injury time at the end of the game to get a vital fourth.

Connacht winger Peter Sullivan was sin-binned with less than three minutes on the clock when his shoulder made contact with Michael Lowry’s head in a big midfield collision.

It could have been a red card but referee Andrew Brace adjudged the Ulster full back dipped into the tackle.

Ulster should have profited from a bit of Lowry magic on 13 minutes.

The full back launched a counter-attack from a loose kick, used his footwork and pace to outfox three defenders, drew another before popping a pass to Ethan McIlroy but the winger dropped the ball at the try line.

However, Ulster hadn’t long to wait to break the deadlock.

McIlroy fielded a kick from Kieran Marmion and put Lowry through a gap, again the full back’s speed left mystified the visitors’ defence, he was hauled down close to the line but flanker Greg Jones was in support and able to pick up and stretch over the line with Nathan Doak converting.

Hooker Declan Moore, on his Ulster debut, got the home side’s second try on 21 minutes.

Moore, who signed a two-year deal with Ulster during the week, was a late call-up to the starting XV after John Andrew’s late withdrawal.

He powered over from a driving lineout maul with Doak converting.

Connacht got a try with their first sustained period of pressure in the Ulster 22, replacement winger Oran McNulty finished off a slick handling move in the corner but Conor Fitzgerald failed with the extras.

Robert Baloucoune put the disappointment of being left out of the Ireland matchday squad behind him with a superb solo try on the stroke of half-time.

From a scrum in the middle of the pitch Ulster moved the ball to the right winger via Stuart McCloskey and Lowry, Baloucoune’s searing pace took him past four defenders and under the posts.

Doak converted to give Ulster a 21-5 interval advantage.

Connacht got their second try six minutes after the restart, Conor Oliver won a turnover just outside the Ulster 22, the ball was moved wide and Fitzgerald put winger Alex Wotton into a gap and he had an easy run in with the out half converting.

Doak knocked over a simple penalty from in front of the posts on 53 minutes.

Twice Olivier foiled Ulster from getting their bonus point try with turnovers in the shadow of his own posts.

Ulster wasted another chance on 70 minutes - they kicked a penalty to the corner, from the maul Moore broke off and surged for the line but Cian Prendergast got over the ball and won a turnover.

With six minutes remaining Ulster went for the posts instead of the corner and Doak extended Ulster’s lead with a successful penalty.

Prendergast was held up over the line from a Connacht driving maul and then was yellow-carded deep into injury-time.

Ulster sealed the bonus point in the 83rd minute - from a lineout the forwards drove before Burns put in a cross kick and Baloucoune caught the ball and trotted over.

Ulster: M Lowry, R Baloucoune, A Curtis, S McCloskey, E McIlroy; B Burns, N Doak, A Warwick, D Moore, G Milasinovich, A O’Connor (C), S Carter, Greg Jones, M Rea, D Vermeulen,

Replacements: E O’Sullivan, C Reid for Warwick 64 mins, R Kane for Milasinovich 57 mins, M Kearney for Carter 73 mins, N Timoney for Jones 48 mins, D Shanahan for Doak 77 mins, B Moxham for McCloskey 77 mins, R Lyttle for McIlroy 54 mins

Connacht: J Porch, P Sullivan, S Arnold, T Daly, A Wootton, C Fitzgerald, K Marmion, D Buckley, S Delahunt, T Tuimauga, N Murray, O Dowling, C Prendergast, C Oliver, J Butler (C),

Replacements: J Murphy for Delahunt 65 mins, J Duggan for Buckley 59 mins, G McGrath for Tuimauga 47 mins, L Fifita for Murray 65 mins, P Boyle for Butler 65 mins, C Reilly, C Forde for Fitzgerald 69 mins, O McNulty for Sullivan 13 mins.

Referee: A Brace.

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