Patrick Jackson gets Ulster off to a fine start but it all goes downhill from there!
Piss poor preparation leads to poor performance just about says it all for this one. I don’t know, in the grand scheme of things, how many of these Saturday and Sunday afternoon matches that Ulster have lost in the league away from home but I would guess it’s a fairly high percentage. Outside of Heineken Cup matches Ulster seldom seem to be able to find their game when playing outside of their Friday night comfort zone.
I may be looking back with selective memory but this was as uninspiring a performance from the men in white that I can recall for many a year.
It all started so well, in fact it’s one of the few times I’ve jumped of the settee for quite a while, as I celebrated young Patrick Jackson’s vision and composure as he wrong footed the defence and strolled under the posts to give Ulster a 7 – 0 lead. Indeed for the opening twenty minutes it was Ulster that looked “the team most likely” as the young out half distributed the ball well and the back line looked sharp, though there were a few fumbles and bumbles.
Unfortunately a series of scrums, where Ulster were handed their asses and then some, seemed to drain the whole team of confidence and what had looked bright and industrious became clumsy and predictable. The Ospreys saw their opening and went for it and even with the excitable Hibbard off for ten minutes they continued to work Ulster over at scrum time and kicked their penalties, slotting over enough to take a 12 – 7 lead at the break.
Any thoughts of an Ulster come back where quickly dispelled with Diack binned for lying all over the ball and shortly after a somewhat confused Jared Payne was pulled for D’Arcy with the Kiwi looking completely at odds throughout the game. Kyriacou went off after taking a knock and the Ospreys set up a series of scrums on the Ulster line. Cronin and Fitzpatrick were again thoroughly worked over but appeared to have got away with it as Faloon came on for Diack to bring Ulster back to their full contingent. The Ospreys continued to pile on the pressure up front and got their due reward with a penalty try two minutes later.
Ulster continued to hand out penalties with some lazy defence at the breakdown and a complete bollocks handed Fussell a try under the posts, putting the game beyond doubt.
Ulster rallied for a penalty try of their own after a good driving maul but it was too little far too late.
One to get over and forget. However Ulster will need to show substantial improvement on this outing if they are to get back on track next Friday night in Newport!
Ulster (15-9): Jared Payne; Craig Gilroy, Nevin Spence, Luke Marshall, Ian Whitten; Patrick Jackson, Paul Marshall; (1-8): Declan Fitzpatrick, Andi Kyriacou, Jerry Cronin, Lewis Stevenson, Dan Tuohy, Pedrie Wannenburg, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack; (16-23): Nigel Brady, Paddy McAllister, Adam Macklin, Tim Barker, Willie Faloon, Blane McIlroy, James McKinney, Adam D’Arcy
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