Ulster agony as ‘sinner’ D’Arcy lets Saints off

ULSTER have grown used to the pain of defeat in the Heineken Cup over the last 12 years, but this quarter-final loss will be excruciating.

At half time, Brian McLaughlin’s game plan was working to perfection in Milton Keynes as Northampton Saints’ much-vaunted attack was blunted, with Ruan Pienaar and Ian Humphreys pulling the strings.

Yet then the hosts awoke from their slumber as Ulster lost the physical battle, failing to score after the restart.