Ulster ease past Edinburgh to nail Heineken Cup place

ULSTER got their first Magners League win of the season over a Scottish side and in the process took five points to make sure that they will stay ahead of Connacht and earn a Heineken Cup place next season.

For Edinburgh it was a sad day. A poor performance means their hopes of qualifying for the Magners League play-off are hanging by a thread.

Tries by Jamie Smith for Ulster and Tim Visser for Edinburgh with Niall O’Connor and Phil Godman each kicking the conversion and a penalty meant the sides started the second half tied at 10-10.

However, a much more slick Ulster secured a good win with second-half tries from Simon Danielli, Ian Whitten, Ian Humphreys and Stephen Ferris while Humphreys added two conversions and a penalty.

Edinburgh’s tries by Visser and Andy Turnbull were no consolation as Godman converted one and kicked a conversion.

Ulster showed their early nervousness when an unnecessary tug on Edinburgh full-back Ben Cairns after he had lofted a hopeful kick brought a penalty in the sixth minute that Phil Godman eased home.

The Ulster try arrived after 12 minutes. Orthodox handling to the right saw centre Daren Cave slip the ball inside to full back Jamie Smith who accelerated out of home wing Tim Visser’s attempted tackle and through a better one on the line from Mark Robertson to touch down under the bar for Niall O’Connor to convert. Ulster soon extended their lead to 10-3 when O’Connor goaled a long penalty.

Visser dived over in the 30th minute for his ninth try of the season after a move that started with a thrust down the right wing by Cairns with scrum half Greig Godman adding important penetration as the ball was switched left. Godman converted off the post.

Mike Blair, Edinburgh’s Lions scrum-half who had been left on the bench, came on for Laidlaw after 50 minutes but it was Ulster’s first-half sub Ian Humphreys who conjured up the first try of the second half with a little dart before sending Scotland cap Danielli over the line for the unconverted try.

Edinburgh passed up a try-scoring chance when Nick De Luca made a long run only to pass forward to supporting Roddy Grant.

However, Ulster showed them how to do it in the 64th minute. Pressure on the left was moved right for centre Ian Whitten to step round replacement wing Andy Turnbull to score in the right corner from where Humphreys’ conversion hit a post.

If a long penalty by Gossman in the 71st minute brought some hope that was extinguished when first Ian Humphreys charged down Cairns’ clearing kick behind his line to touch-down and then Stephen Ferris broke clear to dash 30 metres to score. Humphreys converted both.

Two late home tries, by Visser and Turnbull, were too little as Godman unconverted only one and Humphrey’s penalty to close the game rubbed salt in the home wound.

Edinburgh scorers: Tries: Visser 2, A Turnbull Cons: Godman 2 Pens: Godman 2. Ulster scorers: Tries: Smith, Danielli, I Whitten, Humphreys, Ferris Cons: O’Connor, Humphreys 2 Pens: O’Connor, Humphreys.

EDINBURGH: Cairns; Visser, De Luca, Houston, Robertson; Godman, Laidlaw; Jacobsen, Ford, G Cross; MacLeod, J Hamilton; MacDonald, R Grant, Callam

Replacements: A Turnbull for Robertson (58), M Blair for Laidlaw (51), Traynor for G Cross (58), Newlands for Callam (67)

ULSTER: Smith; Trimble, Cave, I Whitten, Danielli; O’Connor, P Marshall; Court, Best, Botha; O’Donoghue, Tuohy; Ferris, Faloon, Diack. Replacements: Boss for Smith (60), Spence for Trimble (73), Humphreys for O’Connor (36), Young for Court (60), Kyriacou for Best (75), Caldwell for Tuohy (62), Anderson for Faloon (75).

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRFU).