Leo Cullen rues ‘harsh’ calls as Ulster get cup spot
Referee George Clancy awarded a penalty try in the 19th minute and yellow-carded Rob Kearney after he blocked Ruan Pienaar’s chased after his own kick.
Cullen felt the decision was a harsh one. “I thought Dave Kearney was coming across as cover, so I thought a penalty try was tough. I thought Rob was running his line and I thought it looked fairly dramatic from Ruan Pienaar. He seemed to be OK for the remainder of the game. It was a tough call,” he said.
Luke Fitzgerald also spent time in the bin in the 53rd minute, during which Ulster capitalised to the tune of 13 points.
“Both the yellow cards were very costly,” Cullen said. “It was a frustrating game. I thought we had built a lot of pressure in towards the end of the first half and we looked strong. But we failed to nail home that advantage.”
Ulster restricted Leinster to a couple of Johnny Sexton first-half penalties, with Paddy Jackson, Sexton’s erstwhile challenger for the Ireland number 10 jersey, collecting 18 points through a try, three penalties, and two conversions. Jared Payne also contributed an exquisite try.
Ulster are now nestled fourth behind leaders Glasgow, who play second-placed Connacht in Galway next week, with Leinster third. But Ulster have Scarlets breathing down their necks with the Welshmen travelling to Munster on the final week.
Ulster can finish no higher than third, and an away trip in the play-offs. That’s providing they can beat the Ospreys, who themselves are still chasing a place among the European elite
“Hopefully our friends down south can give us a hand,” smiled satisfied Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss, who was still able to pick some holes in his side’s performance.
“There were some really good things, but in all honestly when we were reflecting on the game, sometimes I thought our defence was a little passive. I thought we could’ve stepped it up a few times. Our scrum struggled a bit.
Kiss was adamant the penalty try decision was the correct call.
“It was definitely a penalty try. If you actually went to the point where the ball finally went dead — sure, OK.
“But you know Ruan is quick, we had identified the space and if he’s not impeded you got to go to a point where you make a decision, that’s a definite try.
“Everyone has a sob story here and there, but the bottom line is it gave us a penalty try. I don’t think it was the defining part of the game, I think that happened in other areas of the match.”
Having led 10-6 at half-time, Ulster gained control of the game in the 54th minute and by the 58th minute had it wrapped up.
Jackson knocked over a penalty and converted a superbly executed training ground backs move to allow Payne to go over.
He followed that up with another penalty, and then the fly-half showed a brisk set of heels to outstrip the Leinster defence following an interception 60m out in the dying embers of the game.
“When we scored that try, which was a plan we had in place when Jared went over, it really gave the team the confidence to stay on top of the game and put the foot on the throat,” said Kiss.
“From there on in it was probably just one-way traffic.
“We are trying to challenge ourselves in our tactical game and knowing that pressure will come, but it’s all about getting back on the front foot. So we did learn some good lessons today, and need that to be a good team.”
Ulster’s hunger for success was epitomised in the opening few minutes of the game when Andrew Trimble buried Luke McGrath with a tumultuous tackle, which he later repeated in welcoming Garry Ringrose to Ravenhill.
That set the tone and ensured the backing of a full house amidst glorious sunshine.
“That was a good tackle,” said Kiss. “I think that was one on our minds as we knew it was going to be a dogfight.
“It doesn’t guarantee us anything next week which is going to be massive for us. We haven’t really achieved anything yet. There is still a lot of work to do to reach the play-offs.
“It must have been one of the best performances of the season for us,” said Pienaar, who ran the show in harness with Jackson.
“We have been a bit inconsistent this season and to put on a performance like this at the end of the season is great.”
Both Leinster and Ulster do not appear to have any serious after-effects from the game. Both Peter Browne of Ulster and Leinster’s Josh van der Flier picked up ankle injuries but they appear not to be too serious. Ulster’s Craig Gilroy was a late cry-off with a viral infection, but should be available for next week’s trip to Wales.
Tries: Pen try, Payne, Jackson; Pens: Jackson 3; Cons: Jackson 2, Marshall
Pens: Sexton 2
J Payne; A Trimble, L Marshall (Cave, 73) , S McCloskey (Olding, 54), R Scholes; P Jackson, R Pienaar (Marshall, 73; C Black (McCall, 50), R Best (Herring, 68) (c), R Lutton (Warwick, 68), P Browne (Diack, 64), F van der Merwe, I Henderson, C Henry (Wilson, 54), S Reidy.
R Kearney; I Nacewa (c), G Ringrose (Fitzgerald, 50), B Te’o, D Kearney; J Sexton, L McGrath (Reddan, 50); J McGrath (Dooley, 70), R Strauss (Cronin, 14, 50), T Furlong (Ross, 50, D Toner, H Triggs (Kearney, 52), R Ruddock, J van der Flier (Murphy, 40), J Heaslip.
George Clancy (IRFU)
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