Late tries earn Ulster bonus point win over Scarlets

Having lost three of their last four league games to Connacht, Ospreys and Munster, Ulster badly needed a home win over the Scarlets.

Ulster’s Craig Gilroy dives over to score his side’s fourth try during the URC match against Scarlets at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

ULSTER 27 SCARLETS 15

Ulster scored two late tries to get back to winning ways in the United Rugby Championship.

Having lost three of their last four league games to Connacht, Ospreys and Munster – with a rare away win over Leinster sandwiched in between – Ulster badly needed a home win over the Scarlets.

And they got it with final-quarter scores from Gareth Milasinovich and Craig Gilroy, whose 68th minute try wrapped up a bonus point for Ulster in Belfast.

Gilroy was sin-binned in the first half after his shoulder made contact with the head of Tom Rogers. He escaped a heavier sanction as the Scarlets’ player was dropping in height, but after leaving the field for a HIA Rogers was deemed unable to continue.

After Nathan Doak and Dan Jones traded early penalties, the Scarlets led 10-3 after half an hour thanks to Samson Lee’s try, the prop burrowing over from close range.

However Ulster, buoyed by a raucous home support, hit back before the break when young centre Angus Curtis picked a good line off a ruck and crossed. Doak converted to leave it 10-10 at the interval.

Sam Carter scored Ulster’s second try after 53 minutes before Scarlets had a try disallowed when flanker Sione Kalamafoni was just short going for the line.

Despite the setback, the Welsh kept fighting and replacement prop Kemsley Mathias stretched out to score after period of sustained pressure.

The visitors were aggrieved when Ulster replacement Gareth Milasinovich was awarded a try after charging for the line with South African referee Jaco Peyper deciding there was no double movement after checking the replay.

Gilroy wrapped up the bonus point for Ulster after an off-load from Billy Burns to move Ulster into second place in the table, two points behind Edinburgh, but with so many fixture postponements during the season, Leinster, Glasgow and Munster are ganging up behind them.

Scorers for Ulster: Tries – Curtis, Carter, Milasinovich, Gilroy; Pens: Doak; Cons: Doak 2.

Scorers for Scarlets: Tries – Lee, Mathias; Pen: Jones; Con: Jones.

ULSTER: E McIlroy; C Gilroy, B Moxham, A Curtis, R Lyttle; B Burns. N Doak; E O’Sullivan, J Andrew, M Moore; A O’Connor, S Carter; G Jones, M Rea, D Vermeulen.

Replacements: B Roberts, J McGrath, G Milasinovich, M Kearney, D McCann, D Shanahan, I Madigan, A Sexton.

SCARLETS: I Nicholas; T Rogers, T Morgan, S Hughes, R Conbeer; D Jones, D Blacker; S Thomas, D Hughes, S Lee; S Lousi, M Jones; S Kalamafoni, S Evans, C Tuipulotu.

Replacements: M Jones, K Mathias, J Sebastian, J Helps, A Shingler, K Hardy, S Costelow, S Evans.

Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)