[tag=image]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... _badge.png[/tag][tag=content]It was a case of the proverbial game of two halves at Welford Road as the Leicester Tigers and Ulster played out a pulsating opening match of the Rugby Champions’ Cup, the match ending in a 25-18 home win.
First half tries from Owen Williams, Graham Kitchener and Freddie Burns sent Leicester on their way to the victory, however they were made to work for it in the second half as Ulster fought back bravely.
Tommy Bowe and Franco van der Merwe responded for the Ulstermen who will take a losing bonus point back to Belfast, but they will be left to rue a costly sin bin period for Craig Gilroy and a failing set piece.
A disappointing crowd of just 19,000 saw Leicester take all four points, but they will be disappointed that after their first half performance, which saw them lead 19-3 at the break, they couldn’t get all five.
Despite missing with his first effort, Paddy Jackson was the first to get on the scoresheet with a penalty from in front of the posts in the seventh minute after some strong Ulster pressing in the Leicester half.
Leicester immediately showed their attacking potential as Blaine Scully took the resulting kick-off and nearly found his way to the try line, only for last man back Craig Gilroy to make the covering tackle.
It was a sign of things to come and whenever the Tigers turned down a shot at goal to kick for the corner, their strong driving maul came to the fore.
Although they didn’t score from the maul itself, it provided the platform for Ben Youngs to feed inside centre Owen Williams who crashed over for the opening try of the evening in the fifteenth minute.
Ulster then found themselves the benefit of two pieces of good fortune – one that ensured they didn’t fall a man down, and one to ensure they didn’t fall seven points down.
After Romain Poite adjudged Tommy Bowe’s late challenge in the air on Miles Benjamin to simply be down to poor timing, the entire Welford Road crowd then watched in astonishment as Freddie Burns somehow hooked a straightforward kick at goal wide.
Then Ulster’s luck failed them. Paul Marshall’s break down the blind side was read by Ben Youngs who intercepted his opposite number’s pass and gave the ball inside to Graham Kitchener who stretched Leicester’s lead to nine.
Straight from the kick-off things went from bad to worse for Ulster as this time their other winger, Craig Gilroy, took out Blaine Scully in the air and Poite had no hesitation in reaching for the pocket.
A man down, and after half an hour they were sixteen points down too as Freddie Burns found the gap in the porous Ulster defensive line to hand the hosts their third try of the night.
Indeed if it wasn’t for the TMO, Ulster would have gone in at the break having conceded a first half bonus point, with the replays showing that Ben Youngs had just put a foot in touch before the English side crossed the line.
Ulster’s error count was shockingly high in the first half and that continued after the break as a knock on from Nick Williams was picked up in front of him and Owen Williams furthered Leicester’s advantage with another penalty.
Jackson responded five minutes later with a penalty of his own, but with a faltering line-out and a less than solid scrum to boot, Ulster looked defeated both physically and mentally.
That showed in their defence, which was poor enough as it was, as Vereniki Goneva slipped two tacklers to burst into the visitors’ 22, the Tigers’ finishing letting them down early in the second period.
Instead it was down to Tommy Bowe, who was on hand to benefit from some good hands from the Ulster backs to cross for an unlikely try for the Irish province, to bring the score back to 22-13 with twenty-five minutes to play.
Rattled by the sudden turnaround from their opponents, Leicester turned to Williams, who attempted a long range drop goal which sailed wide midway through the half, although he would make amends with a successful penalty two minutes later.
But Ulster were intent on lifting the tempo and a superb break by Craig Gilroy into the 22 gave Franco van der Merwe the space to leap over the top of the ruck and get Ulster’s second try of the game, however Jackson’s conversion was charged down, leaving the gap at seven.
Despite only having the seven point lead, Leicester decided to go for the jugular with ten minutes to go and opted to go for the corner, a decision which proved futile as they could not force their way over.
That left Ulster to push and try to snatch an unlikely draw in the final few minutes but the home side stood resolute in their defence to take the spoils in what was on reflection a deserved win.
The scorers
For Leicester
Tries: Williams, Kitchener, Burns
Cons: Burns, Williams
Pens: Williams (2)
For Ulster
Tries: Bowe, van der Merwe
Con: Jackson
Pens: Jackson (2)
LEICESTER TIGERS
(15-9) Mathew Tait, Blaine Scully, Manusamoa Tuilagi (Miles Benjamin 14), Owen Williams, Vereniki Goneva, Freddie Burns (David Mele 74), Ben Youngs; (1-8) Marcos Ayerza, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Fraser Balmain, Brad Thorn (Sebastien de Chaves 43), Graham Kitchener, Jamie Gibson, Julian Salvi, Jordan Crane (Robert Barbieri 63).
Subs not used: Harry Thacker, Michele Rizzo, Tiziano Pasquali, Sam Harrison.
ULSTER RUGBY
(15-9) Louis Ludik (Darren Cave 61), Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne (Darren Cave 9c), Stuart McCloskey (Stuart Olding 55), Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall (Michael Heaney 73); (1-8) Andrew Warwick (Callum Black 61), Rory Best, Wiehahn Herbst (Declan Fitzpatrick 75), Lewis Stevenson (Clive Ross 75), Franco van der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Nick Williams (Roger Wilson 55).
Sub not used: Rob Herring.
Sin binned: Craig Gilroy (30)
Man of the Match: Ben Youngs (Leicester)
Attendance: 19,943
Referee: Romain Poite (France)[/tag]
Match Report: Leicester Tigers 25-18 Ulster Rugby
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