Connacht stun Ulster in Belfast to reach URC semis

ON THE BURST: Finlay Bealham of Connacht is tackled by Rory Sutherland of Ulster during the United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Kingspan Stadium. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

URC quarter-final

ULSTER 10 CONNACHT 15 

Connacht turned the tables on second seeds Ulster at Kingspan Stadium to edge a tense BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final and extend Andy Friend’s tenure as director of rugby for at least another week.

Friend will leave Connacht at the end of the season and there cannot have been a sweeter victory than this, sealed with the boot of captain Jack Carty whose perfect return of five penalties was enough to defeat an Ulster side which had finished 18 points ahead of the seventh-placed westerners over the 18-game regular season.

Ulster had trailed 12-3 until the 65th minute when a try from skipper Alan O’Connor, converted by John Cooney set up a grandstand finish that had seemed unlikely given the poor quality of the previous 64 minutes but it was Carty’s unerring boot and some breathless last-ditch defending that won the day, the fly-half adding a decisive three points five minutes from time.

Connacht had just about shaded a poor opening half littered with mistakes, not least knock-ons on an evening of favourable conditions in Belfast. It was a first half of 15 penalties, nine conceded by Ulster, from the whistle of Andrew Brace. With play condensed between the 22s for long periods it took 21 minutes for John Cooney to open the scoring with a penalty for Ulster, only for the home side to immediately cough up a similar opportunity for the westerners, their captain Jack Carty promptly levelling the scores.

The Kingspan Stadium had been muted save for the arrival of a scuffle on the Ulster goalline on a rare Connacht incursion into their backfield. The visitors had knocked on a five-metre tap penalty prompting what appeared to be a shove on flanker Shamus Hurley-Langton by home tighthead Jeff Toomaga-Allen that incensed the New Zealander’s back-row comrade Cian Prendergast and finally sparked the Ravenhill faithful to life, yet the excitement was short-lived.

Carty added another penalty on 33 minutes to push Connacht in front and the skipper added another three points on the stroke of half-time to hand Andy Friend’s side a 9-3 half-time lead.

Connacht extended their lead further just five minutes after the resumption when Carty added another penalty with his fourth kick at goal, and Ulster found themselves more than a converted score behind.

Yet there was little evidence they were capable of finding some much-needed rhythm although a break from wing Robert Baloucoune to the 22 promised much only for Connacht to snaffle turnover ball on their five-metre line.

Ulster did eventually get their reward, a concerted spell of pressure close to the Connacht line bringing a couple of penalties kicked to the corner by Billy Burns. From the second lineout maul, replacement hooker and URC top try scorer Tom Stewart, who had replaced Ulster’s joint-record appearance maker Rob Herring after his 229th cap, sniped down the side, the ball was recycled and captain O’Connor powered over from short-range. Cooney’s conversion made it a two-point deficit for the home side at 12-10 with 15 minutes remaining.

The home crowd were now fully engaged and scenting Connacht blood, and Ulster applied more pressure inside the visitors’ 22 as the game went into its final 10 minutes. A ruck penalty bought Friend’s team some valuable breathing space to the delight of a small but vocal band of travelling supporters. From that turnover the men in green seemed to sense a chance to escape and replacement scrum-half Kieran Marmion duly obliged, not wanting this to be his final moment with the province before leaving for Bristol Bears. The former Ireland number nine’s break upfield from halfway and into the Ulster 22 got Connacht back on the front foot and when referee Brace raised his arm a couple of phases later, Carty delivered a desperately needed three points, pushing his side into a 15-10 lead with five minutes left.

Back came Ulster, forcing their way into the opposition 22 with the clock over 79 minutes, Connacht clinging on for their lives and with their medics performing on-field running repairs as the decibels rose once more. Yet it was those travelling supporters who had the last laugh and the loudest roar, another blast of the whistle from Brace and an arm raised in Connacht’s direction signalling the end of the siege in front of their own posts. Connacht were through, Ulster’s season coming up short at precisely the wrong moment.

ULSTER: M Lowry (S Moore, 17 - HIA); R Baloucoune, J Hume (C Gilroy, 65), S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney (N Doak, 73); R Sutherland (E O’Sullivan, 78), R Herring (T Stewart, 59), J Toomaga-Allen (G Milasinovich, h-t); A O’Connor - captain, K Treadwell (S Carter, 59); D McCann (J Murphy, 59), N Timoney, D Vermeulen.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; J Porch, T Farrell (T Daly, 78), B Aki, M Hansen (B Ralston, 26-36 - HIA); J Carty - captain, C Blade (K Marmion, 65); D Buckley (J Duggan, 65), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin, 57), F Bealham (J Aungier, 57); J Murphy, N Murray (O Dowling, 57); S Hurley-Langton, C Oliver, C Prendergast (J Butler, 62).

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU).