Leinster vs Ulster

COUNTRY
IRELAND
HOME GROUND
KINGSPAN STADIUM
FOUNDED
1879
CHAMPIONS
1 | 2005-2006
The visitors enjoyed a spell of
territory inside Connacht’s half
as they looked to make an early
impression. They earned an early
penalty when Connacht failed
to roll away in the tackle. Ulster
opted for the line-out, but good
defence from the men in green got
them the turnover. The decision
was reversed in Ulster’s favour
following an altercation. This
time, Nathan Doak stepped up for
a pop at the posts and made no
mistake for the first points on the
board for Ulster.
Connacht struck on eleven minutes
through second row, Niall Murray who
went on the charge to burst over the line.
Jack Carty landed the conversion to take
the lead.
Ulster got purchase again inside
Connacht’s 22 when the hosts were
penalised for going off-side, and Nathan
Doak nudged over the three points to
bring the gap to one point.
ulster
last time out
CONNACHT 36
ULSTER 11
23 October 2021 | United Rugby Championship | Aviva Stadium
Ulster fell to their first defeat of the season in the
United Rugby Championship as Connacht took the spoils
at Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.
The men in white found themselves under
pressure when winger Mack Hansen
sniffed out an intercept opportunity to
run in for Connacht’s second try. Jack
Carty converted. With the wind in their
sails, Connacht pressed further and got a
penalty just two minutes later when Ulster
crept off-side and Carty landed the three
to stretch the lead.
A penalty opportunity came for Ulster on
the half-hour mark, but Doak’s kick drifted
just left of the posts.
Ulster found themselves down to fourteen
when Alan O’Connor was sent to the
bin, and just a few minutes later, so did
Connacht with Ultan Dillane the yellow
card recipient for repeated infringements.
After the break, Connacht came charging
out of the blocks, and Paul Boyle looked
like he might get over for a try, but Matty
Rea and Stuart McCloskey did really well
to hold him up over the line, allowing Billy
Burns to make the goal-line drop-out.
Ulster struggled to get out of their half
in the third quarter of the game. They
were quick to rip the ball through Iain
Henderson, and pounced on loose ball
opportunities, but couldn’t retain the ball
to build the territory needed.
The hosts struck twice in quick succession,
with John Porch bamboozling Ulster’s
defence for their third, and Diarmuid
76 | www.leinsterrugby.ie