[tag=image]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... y_logo.jpg[/tag][tag=content]Fourteen-man Ulster held out remarkably to emerge 20-17 victors against Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield in tonight’s Guinness Pro12 clash.
Neil Doak’s men saw Stuart McCloskey red carded for a tip tackle, and then Franco van der Merwe yellow carded late on, however the thirteen men somehow managed to scramble the gutsy win.
15 points from Ruan Pienaar, including a try, and another score from Darren Cave saw the Irish province snatch victory, while a try from Phil Burleigh and 12 points from the off-colour Tom Heathcote was scant consolation for the hosts.
Despite not touching the ball for the first eight minutes, Edinburgh launched a lightning quick counter attack with their first meaningful possession to get the opening score, going all the way from their own 22 with centre Phil Burleigh crossing in the corner.
Almost immediately, however, Ulster struck back to lead 7-5 in the 14th minute after scrum-half Pienaar found the gap at the base of a ruck to squeeze over for the visitors’ opening try, which the scorer converted himself.
Despite being quite poor from the kicking tee, Tom Heathcote restored Edinburgh’s lead with two well struck penalties to give them an 11-7 lead after half an hour.
Pienaar and Heathcote then traded penalties just before the break to leave the gap at four heading into the interval.
Heathcote began the second half where he left off in the first by pushing another shot at goal wide before Pienaar reduced the gap back to one with his second penalty of the evening.
In the 50th minute Ulster struck – a beautiful inside ball from Iain Henderson set Nick Williams through and the barraging number eight fed Darren Cave on the inside, the centre coasting under the posts for the try.
By contrast, Heathcote’s night with the boot continued to go from bad to worse as the Worcester-bound fly-half pulled another effort wide of the uprights five minutes later – the 10 guilty of missing 14 points worth of kicks.
But a red card for Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey then swung the momentum in Edinburgh’s favour, the centre adjudged to have dropped an opponent on their head at the ruck, meaning Ulster would have to compete for the final twenty minutes with one less man.
It was a sign of change in the game perhaps, and there was certainly a change in Tom Heathcote’s kicking as the fly-half sent over his first penalty of the second half in the 63rd minute to bring the score to 20-17.
Then came what looked to be the killer blow – having already been warned for repeated infringements, Franco van der Merwe was caught pulling down Anton Bresler at a line-out and was given his marching orders for the final six minutes.
But some incredible maul defence from the visitors allowed them to remarkably manage to hold out their Scottish counterparts and hand Ulster an incredible win, leaving Edinburgh ruing their missed kicks at goal.
The scorers
For Edinburgh
Try: Burleigh
Pens: Heathcote (4)
For Ulster
Tries: Pienaar, Cave
Cons: Pienaar (2)
Pens: Pienaar (2)
EDINBURGH RUGBY
(15-9) Jack Cuthbert, Dougie Fife, Sam Beard, Phil Burleigh (Andries Strauss 67), Tim Visser, Tom Heathcote, Grayson Hart; (1-8) Rory Sutherland (Grant Shiells 71), Neil Cochrane (James Hilterbrand 52), WP Nel (John Andress 59), Anton Bresler, Ben Toolis (Ollie Atkins 40), Roddy Grant, Hamish Watson, Mike Coman (Hugh Blake 40).
Subs not used: Nathan Fowles, Jade Te Rure.
ULSTER RUGBY
(15-9) Louis Ludik, Craig Gilroy, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey, Michael Allen (Peter Nelson 63), Ian Humphreys (Paul Marshall 67), Ruan Pienaar; (1-8) Callum Black, Rob Herring, Wiehahn Herbst (Bronson Ross 67), Iain Henderson (Lewis Stevenson 54), Franco van der Merwe, Roger Wilson, Mike McComish (Clive Ross 68), Nick Williams (Luke Marshall 66).
Subs not used: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick.
Red card: Stuart McCloskey (58)
Yellow card: Franco van der Merwe (74)
Man of the Match: Roger Wilson (Ulster)
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)[/tag]
Match Report: Edinburgh Rugby 17-20 Ulster Rugby
Moderator: Moderators
