Ulster clinch vital win

Ulster 16-9 Llanelli

Ulster trundled to the knock-out stages of the Celtic League with a hard-fought victory over Llanelli in atrocious conditions at Ravenhill on Friday evening.

Driving rain made for little enterprising rugby and it was the kicking of both fly-halves that dominated the proceedings.

In the end it was Ulster's David Humphreys who came out on top with two penalties, a conversion and a second-half dropped goal.

Ulster could not have had a better start against a strong wind and rain when they charged ahead after only 43 seconds on the clock.

Match details:

Ulster 16 (7)

Tries: Doak

Pens: Humphreys (2)

Cons: Humphreys

Dg: Humphreys

Llanelli 9 (6)

Pens: Jones (3)

Stephen Jones attempted a long flat pass to his threequarters only for Neil Doak to nip in and sprint 70 metres to the try line with Humphreys adding the simple conversion.

Jones quickly atoned for his indiscretion when he rifled over a penalty in the eighth minute and a real blockbuster from the half-way line seven minutes later.

Both Jones and Humphreys missed chances with the boot as the game became very scrappy in the conditions, although the Llanelli pack were just edging the battle up front.

With conditions under foot treacherous, the scrums were a bit of a lottery with both front-rows in trouble with the Scottish referee John Hogg.

Humphreys began the second half by missing two more penalties while the fly-half watched a fairly easy dropped goal attempt fly across the posts.

After Llanelli had soaked up the pressure it was left to Jones to ease the Welshmen ahead for the first time in the 52nd minute with his third penalty from in front of the posts.

Wyatt and Longsell battle in the line-out

But Ulster were back in front six minutes later when Llanelli prop Iestyn Thomas was yellow-carded for illegal use of the boot and Humphreys tapped over a simple penalty.

The same player was beginning to find his range and after good work by his pack he popped over a dropped goal in the 62nd minute.

It was Humjphreys again in the 66th minute when Llanelli were again penalised and he rifled over a penalty from wide out on the left.

That opened the necessary daylight between the sides with Humphreys playing the percentages and keeping Llanelli pegged deep in their own half.

The Welsh visitors could do little to venture up field and it was Ulster who hung on to gain revenge over Llanelli who were the only team to defeat them at Ravenhill last season.