Ulster in last eight — now for a home tie
Tries by Nick Williams, the excellent Jared Payne and Darren Cave did the damage.
No matter what happens in next week’s final pool games, Ulster will be in the quarter-finals for the third time in succession. Importantly, Northampton also defeated Castres last night which means Ulster travel to France next week to face a team whose interest in Europe appears to be over. A win or a bonus point success will guarantee Ulster a home draw.
Conditions were certainly not in Ulster’s favour, with a downpour just before kick-off which fizzled out into the type of drizzle that felt as if you were running through a spray.
It was time to get down and dirty and Ulster proved they could do that as well as score tries which has been prevalent this season. It was their pack which led the way, with man of the match Tom Court giving the attending Ireland coach Declan Kidney something to think about ahead of the Six Nations.
Ulster who squeezed ahead in the sixth minute. Following a neat grubber kick by Payne, Glasgow were penalised when Moray Low went over the top and Pienaar did the needful from midway out.
Glasgow were not for lying down and began to dominate possession, although without causing too much consternation in the Glasgow defence.
It was a mostly night for the big boot and Pienaar was proving a master with a real tester that saw Peter Murchie take expertly. Unfortunately for the full-back, he had his teeth rattled at the same time by Williams and, after Ulster gobbled up the ball and drove forward, the big Kiwi powerhouse rumbled over. Pienaar converted and Ulster were on their way with a 10-0 lead after 21 minutes.
Glasgow, more noted for close combat work, were the authors of their own destruction, with handling errors denying any worthwhile flow to their game.
A break by Payne down the left developed into some great interchange play by Ulster but they were unable to finish off the move, with Glasgow twice stopping the energetic Williams on a charge to the line.
Glasgow did have one chance in the first half, with a long-range penalty by Duncan Weir dropping under the crossbar in the 35th minute. Three minutes later he got another chance, and again missed the target after Andrew Trimble was penalised for a late tackle as he slid into Henry Prygos.
Ulster were quick on the offensive on the restart but sloppy work at a line-out in the red zone spoiled a chance a kill the game.
However, it was Glasgow that scored first in the second half when Weir finally found his range to knock over a straight-forward penalty in the 48th minute.
A little bit of nervousness edged into the home support and that was exacerbated when lock Iain Henderson was yellow-carded for pulling down a ruck in the 55th minute.
Glasgow soon capitalised when Weir banged over his second penalty after Ulster’s stretched defence was adjudged to be offside in front of their own posts.
It was a case of Ulster getting down and dirty again and when their pack decided to play keep-ball after an excellent take from a garryowen by Trimble, who was making his 150th appearance for his club. The driving play was too much for Glasgow who were penalised for handling on the ground and Pienaar slotted over his second penalty, with Henderson returning to the fray soon afterwards.
A rare Pienaar miss in the 68th minute, when he skewed a penalty wide from a favourable angle, didn’t help the nerves of a drowned home support. However, those nerves were allayed by Payne three minutes later after Henderson made a big charge and the Kiwi stormed into the corner. That was that as far as the result was concerned.
However, Ulster wanted more and after a turnover on the halfway line, quick hands and slick passing saw Cave put in possession and a dash down the left wing, followed by a quick sidestep and the Ireland centre slid in for try number.
Ulster scorers: Tries: Williams, Payne, Cave Cons: Pienaar Pens: Pienaar 2.
ULSTER: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy (Allen, 75); P Jackson (Marshall, 62), R Pienaar; T Court (Black, 76), R Best (Herring, 76), J Afoa Fitzpatrick), L Stevenson, I Henderson; R Diack (Wilson, 62), C Henry, capt, N Williams (McComb, 65).
Glasgow scorers: Pens: Weir 2
GLASGOW WARRIORS: P Murchie (Hogg, 73); S Maitland, A Dunbar, P Horne, DTH van der Merwe; D Weir, H Pyrgos (Matawalu, 74); R Grant (Reid, 72), D Hall (MacArthur, 52), M Low; T Ryder (Swinson, 72), A Kellock, J Eddie, R Harley (Simpson, 48), J Strauss.
Referee: P Gauzere (FFR).
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