As the papers saw it....

[moondance]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/break ... 37434.html

Ulster keep hopes alive

Ulster maintained their hopes of qualification for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a vital 21-13 victory in the Pool Four clash with Edinburgh.

Issac Boss and Darren Cave scored tries and Ian Humphreys kicked eight points, with Niall O'Connor adding a penalty. Edinburgh replied with a Jim Thompson try and eight points from the boot of Chris Paterson.

Pool leaders Stade Francais host already-eliminated Bath on Saturday and remain favourites to progress, while Ulster must beat Bath in their final group contest next week and hope for the French side to slip up against Edinburgh.

Ulster were unable to make any inroads early on, even when Edinburgh's Belfast-born prop David Young was sin-binned for seemingly pulling down a maul. In fact, it was Edinburgh who took the lead soon after Young returned when Paterson nailed a penalty after Ulster strayed offside.

Ulster responded, sparked by a Boss break. The Ireland scrum half took a tap and run penalty to himself in Ulster's territory and burst upfield.

Stephen Ferris cleaned out the ruck just as Boss was beginning to look isolated and Tuohy charged upfield releasing Cave who fixed the Edinburgh defence, straightened and got over the line. Humphreys, into the teeth of the gale, failed to add the conversion and Ulster surrendered the advantage immediately when Tuohy dropped the restart.

Paterson's second penalty seemed scant reward for having the conditions at their backs as the sides trooped off at the break with the visitors holding a one point lead after ending the half camped on Ulster's line.

Ulster's cause seemed further boosted when, with the conditions now at his back, Humphreys slotted an early penalty to give his side a two point lead at 8-6. Ulster's second try came when Andrew Trimble's tackle on Nick De Luca led to a series of scrums the last of which saw Trimble take the ball on for Boss to collect, dummy the Edinburgh cover and dash in under the posts. Humphreys converted.

Five minutes after Boss's score, Ferris found himself in the bin for persistent infringing. Unlike Ulster in the first half, the visitors took immediate advantage of the situation and moved the ball at pace for Thompson to step inside for a score. Paterson converted to bring Rob Moffat's side within two points.

The next score was critical and it came courtesy of Trimble whose carry into contact saw Scott Newlands penalised. Humphreys did the honours with the three pointer just as Ferris rejoined the action. All that remained was O'Connor's last minute penalty as Ulster's European hopes remained alive.

[moondance]

The Irish Times report is exactly the same = word for word.

[againstthehead]

from sky:
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin said his side produced a "no frills" performance in beating Edinburgh 21-13 in their Heineken Cup match at Ravenhill on Friday.

Isaac Boss and Darren Cave scored tries and Ian Humphreys kicked eight points, with Niall O'Connor adding a penalty as Ulster won the Pool Four encounter to keep their slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.

Although Stade Francais are favourites to top the group with two matches remaining, Ulster now appear poised to gain at least a place in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

McLaughlin now wants an away win at Bath in the final round of pool matches as his side look to seize on any Stade slip-ups.

"We closed the game out, we were very dogged with no frills to our performance and we just got stuck in," said McLaughlin.

"At the end we got in their half and stayed there.

"We wanted to be in a position to be going to Bath with something major at stake.

"We must front up there and get a result, we can go across and get that elusive win."

McLaughlin also praised Boss, who was winning his 100th Ulster cap and helped create Cave's first half try before scoring one himself.

"He's (Boss) always in there at the coalface," the Ulster coach said.

"He was outstanding with the ball and without it but this was a great team effort."

Effort
Edinburgh replied with a Jim Thompson try in the second half and eight points from the boot of Chris Paterson.

Coach Rob Moffat said he was disappointed at not even managing a losing bonus point, but praised Ulster's display.

"Ulster controlled the game really well in the first 15-20 minutes and I thought that was crucial to winning the game," said Moffat.

"I couldn't fault the side for effort and it was a shame really to play in conditions like that, though that's not an excuse and fair play to Ulster.

"I think Ulster played the conditions really well in the first half and I thought that we could win the second half if we got decent go forward momentum."

Although Edinburgh now have little to play for, Moffat dismissed any notion they would not be focused for next weekend's final match against Stade at Murrayfield.

"Sorry, that's not the case for us we have plenty to play for," he added.

"We want to finish Europe on a high not a low."

[brianc]

Player scoring in tele was quite interesting, Ferris got 6, worst on our team

[Ithryn]

I'd take a wild guess who wrote them ratings.

[moondance]

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/RUGBY ... 5986639.jp

Ulster remain on Euro course

Ulster's hopes of reaching the Heineken Cup latter stages remain on course after defeating Edinburgh


ULSTER kept their European hopes alive with a vital victory over Edinburgh at Ravenhill.
The Province move level on points with Heineken Cup pool leaders, Stade Francais, after a gutsy performance against the Scottish side.

Chris Patterson kicked two first half penalties in a half dominated by the Ulster pack and a Darren Cave try left a point between the sides at the break.

Isaac Boss, making his 100th appearance for the side, scampered over for a try early in the second half to put Ulster 15-6 ahead, and although there was a shaky period when the hosts conceded a try, they composed themselves and closed the game out with replacement, Niall O'Connor, kicking a penalty on the final whistle to complete the scoring.

Delighted coach, Brian Mclaughlin, hailed the entire squad's effort in getting through objective one in the final two rounds of the Heineken Cup.

"It was a game where needs must in the first half, we kept the ball really well playing into those conditions," he said.

"To be fair I felt we were unfortunate to go in 6-5 down at the break. But when you have a player like Chris Paterson in the team against you, and you give away penalties, that is what can happen.

"I think from our point of view, in the second half we started well with a smashing try from Boss.

"when we lost Stephen Ferris to the sin-bin it left us a little shaky and I was getting a little bit nervous when they got to 15-13 bearing in mind what had happened before.

"But this time we closed the game out, played the smart rugby and kicked it down their end."

Ulster now must wait and see what happen in Paris on Saturday when Stade meet Bath, but McLaughlin said the important thing on Friday night was to get the win.

"Our aim was always to go into our final pool game with something still to play for. That is the case next week.

"It is another huge game for us and one in which we want to get that elusive away win in Europe."

[moondance]

Player scoring in tele was quite interesting, Ferris got 6, worst on our team

Stupid Tele journo, he thought the question was "What number does Stephen Ferris wear?"

[Freddie Benson]

don't know how Court was given a 6 either - ridiculous

also apparently Ulster's last euro away win was in 2001 v Treviso - well, at least they got part of it right

[Rooster]

don't know how Court was given a 6 either - ridiculous

also apparently Ulster's last euro away win was in 2001 v Treviso - well, at least they got part of it right

Eh that 9 years ago since we all got in Treviso

[Tevez]

Don't think so...we 've beaten Treviso (again) and Cardiff, i think, since 2001.... - Tevez (writing from Stellanbosch) where I watched the Edinburgh live on SA supersport TV....also saw a certain Mr Burger in Cape Town for the 2nd test match. He refrained from poking me in the eye even when I said we didn't need him at Ravers as we had the best 6 in the world already.....

[Freddie Benson]

good work Tevez
prefer Franshoek to Stellenbosch myself, much nicer

yep, that was my point - Treviso 2006 was our last away win; last away non loss was last year at Scarlets
but sure nothing gets in the way of the Tele getting their facts wrong (bit like a certain fat Spanish waiter about to lose his job in Liverpool)

[Tevez]

Freddie With cocktails at 2 quid....Stellanbosch does me.....by the way Castle at 1 quid in Newlands....bit cheaper than Ravers!!!

[Rooster]

Any web link to these Tele ratings or just in paper version ?

[Cap'n Grumpy]

....also saw a certain Mr Burger in Cape Town for the 2nd test match. He refrained from poking me in the eye even when I said we didn't need him at Ravers as we had the best 6 in the world already.....

I thought Mister B was a 7 (not my fault they do it the other way round down there)

Maybe you should have said we had the best BLIND-side flanker in the world! (but that's maybe to close to the mark for Messrs Burger, Dupuy & Attoub)

[Freddie Benson]

can't find it online chickenlegs, just found ratings below the match report whilst waiting for my Chinese last night.
Mostly 8s and 9s, few 7s but couldn't quite work out how Court and Ferris were given 6s.