Ulster seal impressive away day victory over Sharks in Durban

AWAY-DAY VICTORY: Aaron Sexton of Ulster tackled by Werner Kok and Thaakir Abrahams of the Cell C Sharks. Pic: Darren Stewart/Sportsfile

Sharks 24 Ulster 31

Ulster returned to winning ways with an away day bonus-point win over the Sharks at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon. 

The 31-24 victory sees Dan McFarland's outfit tighten their grasp on third-place in the United Rugby Championship (URC) table, having suffered defeat to Glasgow last time out. 

Two rolling maul tries from the impressive Tom Stewart got the Ulstermen underway in the first half having originally gone behind just after the opening-minute mark. Sharks scrum half Grant Williams was the man to cross for the home side. 

Both sides swapped scores in the first half but it was a fast start to the second 40 that got Ulster the scoreboard parity they were searching for. 

Centre Stewart Moore was the man to deliver that parity inside four minutes of the second-half. 

When the Sharks were ready to clear from their own goal-line, the midfield man took advantage of the situation to score, coming around the side of the ruck to dot down.

With the score at 12-24, the Sharks went about finding their way back into the contest, and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu crossed the whitewash on 51 minutes. 

That joy was short-lived, however, as Ulster academy second-row Harry Sheridan bulldozed his way past a number of Sharks players to get over for his side's bonus-point securing try. 

A Boeta Chamberlain try for the hosts proved to be a consolation as, after several minutes of late Sharks pressure, Ulster held out for victory in Durban.

SHARKS: B Chamberlain; W Kok, F Venter, R Janse van Rensburg, T Abrahams; C Bosch, G Williams; N Mchunu, D Jooste, H Jacobs; R Hugo, G Grobler; D Richardson, V Tshituka, P Buthelezi - captain.

Replacements: S Notshe for Buthelezi (55 mins); F Mbatha for Jooste, D Bleuler for Mchunu, E van Heerden for Jooste (all 58); Y Penxe for Venter (63); C Wright for Williams (65); L Cronje for Penxe (70); K Mona for H Jacobs (72).

ULSTER: M Lowry; C Gilroy, L Marshall, S Moore, A Sexton; J Flannery, J Cooney; R Sutherland, J Andrew, J Toomaga-Allen; A O’Connor, H Sheridan; J Murphy, N Timoney, D Vermeulen - captain.

Replacements: T Stewart for Andrew (4 mins); E McIlroy for Gilroy (37); D McCann for Murphy (55); I Madigan for Flannery (56); A Warwick for Sutherland, G Milasinovich for Toomaga-Allen (both 65); C Izuchukwu for Vermeulen (69).

Referee: S Grove-White (SRU).