Ulster suffer pain past the final result in loss to Leinster
Ulster fell to a second successive URC defeat as league leaders Leinster secured a bonus point victory by 27-20 at a wet and windy Kingspan Stadium.
Richie Murphy’s side did pick up a losing bonus point – but more worrying for the head coach than four defeats in seven games will be the fact, with a trip to European champions Toulouse next, Ulster face a winger crisis.
Jacob Stockdale and Rob Baloucoune missed the Leinster defeat, Werner Kok and Ben Moxham both went off injured before half-time and Aaron Sexton has left the province to pursue a career in the NFL. Even John Cooney, who was deployed as an emergency winger, limped off late on.
Ulster struck after five minutes as James McNabney flung it wide to Ben Carson and the centre sprinted over. Nathan Doak landed the touchline conversion.
From the restart, the visitors forced two scrum penalties in the home side’s 22 and off the second Luke McGrath made a sniping run and went under the posts then Ross Byrne converted.
Leinster were reduced to 14 men as lock Brian Deeny was sin-binned for a head-on-head collusion with Aidan Morgan and Doak restored Ulster’s lead from the penalty.
Byrne levelled with a penalty after Ulster infringed at the scrum.
Doak nudged Ulster in front on the half-hour mark with another penalty and that was enough to give the home side a 13-10 lead.
Nick Timoney was yellow-carded for a high shot on Scott Penny after the restart.
Leinster made their numerical advantage count six minutes later as Ireland winger Jordan Larmour darted over after good footwork and Byrne converted.
Carson went over for his second try on 56 minutes, showing good power to bounce off a few tackles and dot down, with Doak converting.
The lead changed hands again three minutes later when Leinster produced a superb move from quick lineout ball and full back Jimmy O’Brien went over for an unconverted try.
Leinster scored their bonus point try on 72 minutes. Ulster had to concede a lineout in their own 22, Lee Barron hit his jumper and the forwards propelled replacement lock James Culhane over for an unconverted try.
ULSTER: S Moore, W Kok, B Carson, J Postlethwaite, M Lowry, A Morgan, N Doak; E O'Sullivan, J McCormick, S Wilson, A O'Connor, K Treadwell, J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: T Stewart for McCormick 53 mins, A Warwick for O’Sullivan 53 mins, C Barrett for Wilson 53 mins, H Sheridan for Treadwell 67 mins, M Rea for Cooney 71 mins, J Cooney for Moxham 37 mins, J Humphreys for Morgan 65 mins, B Moxham for Kok 13 mins.
LEINSTER: J O’Brien; J Larmour, L Turner, C Tector, A Osborne; R Byrne, L McGrath; J Boyle, J McKee, R Slimani, D Mangan, B Deeny; M Deegan, W Connors, J Conan.
Replacements: L Barron for McKee 45 mins ; M Milne for Boyle 65 mins, R McGuire for Slimani 71 mins, RG Snyman for Deeny 45 mins, J Culhane for Deegan 36 mins, F Gunne for McGrath 58 mins, H Byrne for Osborne 71 mins, S Penny for Penny 25 mins.
Referee: E Cross (IRFU).