Was it a bad day at the office dear?

Thankfully the car journey on the way home cooled my ardour as Ulster suffered a defeat that was as galling as it was unnecessary. Paul Shields will worry as to what await him on training Monday morning and David Humphries will be filled with quiet reflection on what might have been. Paddy Wallace is talented but too unreliable. If nothing else it was a dramatic story that unravelled at Donnybrook. It had just about everything from the exciting rugby on show to two sides ripping lumps out of each other and Ulster lucky to get out with a bonus point and not the twenty point hammering that was on offer.

Ulster control the scrum

Mind you it started off brightly enough with as soft a try as Ulster are likely to get all season after a speculative kick ahead was somehow miffed by the very impressive Kearney and Paddy Wallace popped over for a converted try before the clock had begun to properly tick. But it was probably the only time in the first that a Humphries kick was of any benefit to his side. Ulster failed to deal with any sort of restart with the conviction you would expect of them with silly knock ons and the like gifting the initiative to a highly charged home side. Humphries kicking played a huge part with not a single kick relieving any pressure only to be sent to the ever-available Dempsey or the covering Kearney to set off on another attack towards the valiant Ulster line. Not before too long Leinster had kicked two penalties before Kiernan Potts went over for a converted score to send the home fans wild with delight. It was scant reward for their endeavours and Ulster bungling. No matter what Ulster tried it ended with players slipping, bumping into each other or knocking giving no chance at all to launch a decent attack or even set up any sort of continuity. Another Contepomi penalty put Leinster in front by 14:7 at half time and we were not looking good.

Christian Warner with James Topping ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The air was blue in the Ulster changing room during the interval and it was promised a different side to come out for the second. But Leinster began where they had left off and Ulster still rallied on with the forwards working like daemons but the use of the ball was continually fruitless due to wrong options when a steady head would have been better. The Leinster pack were roaring with passion but as usual Ben Gissing was over roaring a bit too much and was getting himself too excited. Inexplicably Campbell was not taking the ball out of the loose and allowing Leinster to push the now static pack off the ball but citizen Gissing was more excited than most thumping Rory Best about the head in an unbecoming manner. The Touch Judge raised his flag but unseen by the referee who then had to deal with several Leinster players punching the lights of an Ulster player in the loose and the handbags were drawn. The net result was a penalty to Ulster but had the hapless Gissing kept his head his side could have been further ahead. Gissing should have walked, as should Shane Horgan for punching Andrew Trimble on the floor but the youngster showed him a clean pair of heels more than once later on.

Ulster threw everything at Leinster including the kitchen sink!

The second half was as exciting as you will see with Ulster attempting to play some rugby and the big lad from down under calling the shots. But Leinster could have scored 5 times but for Herculean defence from Ulster and in particular Tommy Bowe for bulldozing Kearney into touch when he had seemingly crossed the line, haring from his wing across to save Ulster’s honour. This was true high drama under the blustery sky. It was great stuff if you supported Leinster or were just there for the sheer joy of it. But for Ulster supporters these were heart-wrenching moments. Penalties were exchanged and the score was Leinster 20 : 13 Ulster. Every time Ulster got a shot at goal Leinster walked right up the park and put us right back into our boxes. The defence of the line was as savage as the first day of the Somme and as brutal as anything seen. Great credit to Ulster who then shook themselves and produced some of the classiest football of the day. Tommy Bowe was looking dangerous from kick offs taking on his rival Kearney only to find Horgan moving into a blocking position but such is the strength of this boy that not even Shane Horgan could prevent him. It should have been a penalty but instead Ulster got a scrum. There were 10 minutes left on the clock before Ulster won a decent ball after relieving the siege on their line with Bowe breaking free in the middle and the move stopped just short of the line. Half the Ulster attack went right taking the whole of the Leinster defence. Hump spotted it and moved the ball right for the 3-man overlap to put Neil Best in the corner. Leinster 20:20 Ulster and it was game on.

Shane horgan is bundled into touch by Andrew Trimble ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

From nowhere the dogged Ulstermen had weathered the equivalent of Katrina and were on the move. Leinster were under pressure and being pushed back before clearing from close to their line for an Ulster throw. The lineout had been going well all day but that did not allow for the Shields factor. Neil Best lifted Justin Harrison high into the air only to see the ball sail high above his outstretched hands miles in the air. The ball ended up close to the Ulster line by the time Harrison was earth bound and he would have had a good view of Dennis Hickie score in the corner. You would have thought that would have been enough excitement for one day but it was not over yet. Ulster rallied and earned a penalty only for Campbell to saunter 10 yards down the pitch and be clobbered. Kick to touch and win your lineout. Is that not what the doctor ordered? But again Ulster rallied for Trimble again to show Horgan the back of his boots and with Dempsey to beat tried to kick above the advancing International’s head only for him to clutch his alma mater into his stomach and gleefully clear his line. Still not finished Leinster kicked a penalty before Humphries won the bonus with a penalty inside his half.

Bowe and Trimble showed the force required to play international rugby and the pack produced a performance that would have won them the game on any other day. The game was lost in the first half with awry kicking by the normally sublime Humphries with Paddy Wallace being relied upon not to do the simple things right. Poor decision-making and poor execution lost this game when the wrong things were done at the wrong time. It was 70 minutes before Ulster put an attack together that resulting in a breath taking play by Bowe and another by Trimble built on the sweat of the Ulster forwards. Yet it could have been won. The breeze in the first beat Humphries and ultimately his team. Disappointing and indeed galling but at the start of the season had we been told that after four games we had won three and a bonus in the fourth away from home we would have jumped at it. This was a wake up call. Let us now see what Friday brings.