Ulster have plenty to work on after defeat

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin conceded his side have plenty to work on following their 24-17 loss to Scarlets on Saturday.

“We started well and scored a penalty and maybe could have scored a try in the early periods, but the Scarlets put us under a bit of pressure before half-time,” he said.

“We thought we defended exceptionally well, we counter-ruckedbrilliantly twice during that period but unfortunately the ball spilled out and they scored under the posts.”

Despite coming back from being 13-3 down at the break, Ulster grabbed a try to a stunned silence in Parc Y Scarlets. A clever kick-on by Ruan Pienaar was treated much too casually by the Scarlets behind their own try-line, allowing Andrew Trimble to ghost into the right-hand corner and touch down. The Humphreys conversion struck the upright, but Ulster were right back in it at 16-14.

But an Adam Warren try against the run of play knocked Ulster out of it.

SCARLETS: D Evans, L Williams, S Lamont, A Warren, A Fenby, A Thomas, R Williams; R Jones, K Owens, R Thomas, D Day, D Welch, R McCusker (c), J Edwards, B Morgan.

Replacements: M Rees, P John, S Gardiner, A Shingler, R Pugh, T Knoyle, D Newton, S Williams

ULSTER: S Danielli, A Trimble, N Spence, P Wallace, C Gilroy, I Humphreys, R Pienaar; T Court, A Kyriacou, P McAllister; J Muller (capt), D Tuohy; P Wannenburg, M McComish, C Henry.

Replacements: N Brady, A Macklin, L Stevenson, R Diack, P Marshall, D Cave, A D’Arcy