O'Driscoll and Leinster get vital win at Ulster

Ulster 19 Leinster 24

Leinster kept the pressure up on Edinburgh and Munster with what could prove a crucial away win at Ravenhill.

Michael Cheika’s squad chalked up a double over Ulster having beaten them in the corresponding Celtic League fixture at Donnybrook in October.

Ulster, who suffered their second successive Celtic League home defeat, at least came away with a bonus point.

Leinster won the match with an impressive second-half display and Brian O’Driscoll appeared as a second-half substitute to make his first appearance since the infamous spear tackle which dislocated his shoulder in the first Lions Test last June.

Leinster’s dominance up front was such that they even managed to hold on after being reduced to 14 men after 64 minutes when Guy Easterby was sinbinned.

Felipe Contepomi led the way for Leinster with four penalties and a conversion while Gordon D’Arcy and Girvan Dempsey crossed for tries.

Ulster, with David Humphreys scoring 11 points with the boot, did well to lead 13-9 at half-time, but never recovered from Leinster’s dynamic start to the second half.

Leinster began well and led 6-0 after 16 minutes thanks to two Contepomi penalties, the first of which was a monster effort from 53 metres which bounced off the crossbar.

With the visitors looking composed, Ulster’s response was less than assured with Kevin Maggs knocking on after Humphreys had opted for the corner instead of the posts.

Then, on 22 minutes, Malcolm O’Kelly was penalised for killing the ball and Humphreys was wide from 40 metres.

Something needed to happen for the home side and five minutes before the half hour the spark was lit from a stunning attack launched down the left wing channel.

David Trimble lost his marker and broke free and Ulster recycled quickly and moved the ball quickly through hands across the field. Tommy Bowe held the final pass from skipper Simon Best and streaked over. Humphreys added the superb touchline conversion and Ulster led 7-6.

Their lead was increased almost immediately with Humphreys’ first penalty.

Contepomi narrowed Ulster’s lead to a point on the half hour before seven minutes from the end of normal time Humphreys made it 13-9 at the break to the home side with his second penalty.

Leinster immediately hit back on the resumption with a superb try from D’Arcy. This was added to by Dempsey, after 53 minutes, and his score was converted by Contepomi to give Leinster a 21-13 advantage.

This was cut on the hour by a Humphreys penalty after Bowe had dropped a cross kick when over the Leinster line.

Bowe spilled a difficult scoring pass two minutes after Easterby’s sinbinning for tripping Issac Boss but another Humphreys penalty brought Ulster to within two points.

But Contepomi had the final say with a 76th minute penalty.