[tag=image]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... go.svg.png[/tag][tag=content]Only a day after being dropped by Ireland, Paddy Jackson inspired Ulster to a 26-13 victory over the Scarlets at Ravenhill on Friday night to close the gap to just three points between them and the top two.
Two tries from Jackson along with a try from Tommy Bowe and a late score from prop Tom Court were enough to give Ulster the bonus point in a game which they were always the better team in, but they just could not convert it into the points to reflect it.
Although the Scarlets team featured just three changes to that which defeated Munster in Llanelli, their performance was not to the same quality and the loss dents their top four prospects considerably.
Ulster fans will also have been delighted to see the return of Stephen Ferris after fifteen months on the sidelines, however there will be concern for star scrum-half Ruan Pienaar who came off injured late in the game.
The hosts could have taken an early lead as Jared Payne made a scintillating break down the wing in the first minute and passed to Tommy Bowe, only for a superb covering tackle by Gareth Davies inches from the line, sparing the Scarlets’ early blushes.
The strong wind gusting into Ulster’s faces was playing a factor early in the game, so much so that the usually reliable Ruan Pienaar saw two penalties hook straight into touch, proving just how strong it really was.
Nevertheless, Ulster continued to press and after Jackson put a kick through, Scarlets fly-half Aled Thomas was unable to gather and Jackson stole in to grab the ball and get the first try of the evening, showing Ireland coach Joe Schmidt just what he was missing.
It took all of three minutes for Ulster to double that lead as a pre-planned move off the line-out worked to perfection with Jackson again breaking the line and passing inside to Tommy Bowe who had the simplest of jobs to place the ball under the sticks to make it 14-0.
You would have forgiven Ulster for thinking everything was coming up roses for them, however 25 minutes in loosehead prop Callum Black went down nursing what appeared to be a nasty injury and had to be taken off on a stretcher.
The break in play allowed the Scarlets to regroup and begin to gain some momentum with ex-Bath centre Olly Barkley getting them on the scoreboard with their first penalty of the evening 31 minutes in.
That momentum lasted no more than two minutes as Ulster scored their third try, this time Bowe turned provider for Jackson, the winger breaking the line and passing back inside to the fly-half, who brushed off one tackle and score under the posts.
The scores kept on coming and two minutes after that a turnover in midfield by the Scarlets allowed Gareth Davies to hack through and chase down his own kick, holding off the challenge of Ruan Pienaar to score the visitors’ opening try.
And with the last kick of the first half, Barkley had the chance to reduce the gap to nine points with a penalty, however he pulled it wide and the score remained 21-10, a reflection of Ulster’s attacking dominance.
After the break, Paddy Jackson continued his fine form, preventing Jordan Williams from scoring after the Welsh full-back made a clever break, and then managing to wriggle away from the oncoming defenders to win a penalty for the home side.
Up front it was Nick Williams, back after an internal suspension, who was doing all the damage with several more strong runs, however the visitors’ defence was still holding out, and refusing to yield the bonus point Ulster craved.
The Scarlets went from defence to attack and launched a strong attack of their own in the Ulster 22, but this time it was the home side’s turn to stand firm and deny the Welsh side a try as Jordan Williams was stopped just short and then sub Sione Timani knocked on.
Ruan Pienaar was then gifted two chances to get the first points of the second half with two penalties, one of which was in front of the posts, but he uncharacteristically hooked both wide of the uprights.
Instead it was the Scarlets who broke the second half duck as Barkley did what Pienaar couldn’t and slotted over a 61st minute penalty from in front of the posts to make the score 21-13.
Possibly the biggest cheer of the night came with the introduction of Stephen Ferris who replaced Nick Williams in the 62nd minute to make his first start for Ulster in fifteen months, and he made an instant impact, driving Kristian Phillips back twenty yards after the winger caught a high ball.
The game was getting scrappy heading into the final ten minutes, and neither side was making any real inroads into the opposition half with Ulster struggling to get any sort of meaningful possession as their unforced error count crept up.
There was a worrying sight for Ulster fans as Ruan Pienaar had to be helped off the field late on clutching his chest, a worrying sign ahead of next month’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Saracens.
With several attempts at scoring the final try in the last five minutes, but no success, it looked like the bonus point was beyond Ulster, a final attack in time added on saw Tom Court drive over the line and after a long deliberation, TMO Marshall Kilgore awarded the try to the delight of the Ulster faithful.
That final try handed Ulster the bonus point which thrusts them right back into the mix for a top two place with two away games against Edinburgh and Cardiff to navigate before coming back to Ravenhill for the Heineken Cup quarter-final.
The scorers
For Ulster
Tries: Jackson (2), Bowe, Court
Cons: Pienaar (3)
For Scarlets
Try: G Davies
Con: Barkley
Pens: Barkley (2)
ULSTER RUGBY
(15-9) Jared Payne, Tommy Bowe (Craig Gilroy 62), Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey, Rory Scholes (Ricky Andrew 73), Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar (Michael Heaney 76); (1-8) Callum Black (Tom Court 25), Rob Herring (Niall Annett 76), John Afoa (Ricky Lutton 68), Johann Muller, Robbie Diack (Lewis Stevenson 73), Roger Wilson, Sean Doyle, Nick Williams (Stephen Ferris 62).
SCARLETS
(15-9) Jordan Williams, Kristian Phillips, Gareth Maule (Josh Lewis 69), Olly Barkley, Frazier Climo (Adam Warren 64), Aled Thomas, Gareth Davies; (1-8) Phil John (Rob Evans 64), Kirby Myhill (Emyr Phillips 47), Jacobie Adriaanse (Samson Lee 31), George Earle (Richard Kelly 73), Johan Snyman, Josh Turnbull, John Barclay, Rob McCusker (Sione Timani 46).
Sub not used: Aled Davies.
Man of the Match: Paddy Jackson (Ulster)
Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU)[/tag]
Match Report: Ulster Rugby 26-13 Scarlets
Moderator: Moderators
