19 - 22

Attendance: 5,112
Friday 24/09/05
Rodney Parade
KO 17.30

Ulster: (0) 22: Tries: A Trimble, N Best 2 Cons: P Wallace Pen: P Wallace 2

Gunners: (9) 19: Tries:I Goughy Cons: C Warlow Pens: C Warlow 3 DG: C Warlow.

Changalang a lang a lang a lang lang lang

The Bay City Rollers may have sung it but the Newport fans and in particular Mr Gough the very capable second row have plenty of reason to thank Mr Changlang for his charity tonight. While the masses will remember this as being another step on the road to success for Ulster and another very creditable performance to beat the Dragons for the first time in their own lair, it will be some of the obscure and simply dreadful decisions that have to be answered. Last season lazy decisions by another Scottish referee cost Ulster victory against the Ospreys at the Gnoll and this season a fellow journeyman tried his best to do the same. But Ulster were not to be denied.

They started brightly enough running the ball with intent not often seen away from home and strong running by Bowe and Maggs saw gaps open up in the Dragons defence but their normal indiscipline was not evident as they never conceded a penalty close in for Ulster to build up a lead. Worryingly Ulster were unable to score despite always threatening with a very flat attack line that the Dragons were able to disrupt with a little help from Mr Changalang who failed to watch the off side. Then the wheels as usual started to come off the Ulster wagon and they began to find themselves a few points down thanks to the trusty boot of Craig Warlow and Ulster were 6 down with nothing to show for their endeavours. Worse was to come; much worse. Matt McCullough was sin binned for coming through a ruck and pinching the ball when it appeared to be out on the half hour. Then Warlow added further to his tally with another penalty before the unlucky McCullough returned to steady the scrum, which had taken a battering in his absence. Despite all of their work and commitment Ulster found themselves 9 points adrift at half time. But all of the running and creativity was coming from Ulster with McMillan being particularly effective in the loose ably supported by his hearty colleagues in the backrow Messrs Best and Wilson. Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble have proved to be the cutting edge Ulster and Irish rugby has been yearning for. But it was to get a lot worse before it got better.

Kieran Campbell is caught by Gareth Baber and Jason Forster ©Huw Evans, Cardiff

Early in the second Ian Gough went over for the try that would normally have meant the end to the Ulster challenge and a good result would have been a bonus point but at 16 points down it would have been a brave man to put his shirt or anything else for that matter on an Ulster bonus point never mind a win. If it was going to happen it had to be quick and it had to be decisive. Although coming to Newport to play a good brand of rugby the Dragons were full of fire and had no intention of letting Ulster back into the game. They were determined to close the game down and send Ulster home thinking of what might have been. Well, straight out of the Alf Tupper top-drawer Boy Wonder stepped up and Ulster had seven points on the board. A rare break by the steady but unspectacular Larkin put Andrew Trimble away from 30 metres to take a devilish try before Paddy Wallace kicked a difficult enough conversion to give the Ulster boys some hope. No sooner had the game kicked off than Boy Wonder Trimble set off again beating four sluggish Dragons forwards to put Neil Best away for the second Ulster score, Wallace hit the conversion and all of a sudden it was game on, Dragons 16 Ulster 14. The game was going the way of Ulster with great performances from Paddy Wallace the backs and the forwards combined. Wallace and Warlow exchanged penalties before Neil Best, the Man of the Match went over in the corner for his second.

© aaronS

It came after sustained pressure by Ulster and we were in for a nail biting last ten minutes with Ulster defending and giving up possession on the odd occasion cheaply before finally running out winners by 22: 19. The never say die attitude of the Ulster team was outstanding coming back from the dead winning a very hard game against a formidable Dragons side. The Dragons must be feeling pretty sorry now after having lost 3 games on the trot and lost their first game at home, which they dearly needed to win. Ulster marches on to throw another monkey of their back and win away from home twice in succession. These were games that last season would have been convincingly lost. The defence has been exemplary and each away game has been played with the attitude of a home match scrapping on the deck for every ball and chasing every opportunity as if their lives depended on it.

Jason Forster is held by Andrew Trimble ©Huw Evans, Cardiff

But questions have to be asked of the officials as Ian Gough clearly did not ground the ball and he knew it. But never look a gift horse in the mouth. Kevin Maggs was kicked in the head by a Newport prop in the loose in full view of the touch judge. How long are the Celtic League authorities going to accept this poor standard? Touch judges need to assist the referees, which is sadly lacking. The words of Gerry Thornley are echoing in my head prior to last season’s Celtic Cup Final when he thanked his maker that it was not going to be refereed by a Scottish referee. And so people are sitting up to take notice as the rumble down Ravenhill way gets louder and louder. The next target on the horizon is Leinster in Dublin. It would have been unimaginable at the start of the season to think we would be in this position. It could have been so different but 3 from 3 including 2 away from home. To win the league it is necessary to win all your home games and a third of your away matches. But think about it, if we win next week and then put Connaght away at Ravenhill the following week anything is now possible with the away bogey being sent from whence it came.

Dragons: K Morgan, G Wyatt, H Luscombe, J Bryant, L Hinton; C Warlow, G Baber; A Black, S Jones, R Thomas, I Gough, L Charteris, J Ringer, J Forster (capt), R Bryan.

Replacements: A Brown, D Maddocks, A Hall, R Oakley, S Tuipulotu, A Thomas, J Ireland.

Ulster: P Wallace; T Bowe, K Maggs, A Trimble, J Topping; Larkin, K Campbell; J. Fitzpatrick, R Best, S. Best, J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, N McMillan, R Wilson.

Replacements: P Shields, B Young, R Frost, C Feather, R Spee, S Stewart, T Howe.

Referee: Malcolm Changleng (SRU). Touch Judges: Gareth Simmonds (WRU), Lynn Davies (WRU) .

Name			Your comments
	the original kimble		I don't suppose I am the first to comment, but, seems a fair enough description. The non try aside, i thought the ref had a reasonable game. I blame the appaling standard of touch judging! tok
	brehon58		Chaucer reckoned 'It is nought good a sleping hound to wake'. Is it wise therefore to have the bells of victory peal so loudly - their ringers might beat our ringers! McRef was clearly unsighted, but then his labrador would have got in the way. Passionate foam flecked report - well done all. Brehon