No separating Ulster and Stormers in thrilling draw
Ulster's Werner Kok celebrates with Zac Ward after scoring his side's fifth try. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
Ulster and the Stormers produced a thrilling draw at Ravenhill.
It took the home side just three minutes to break the deadlock, from a lineout in the Stormers 22 Ulster moved the ball across the pitch with the forwards probing at the line before Jack Murphy three a long looping pass for winger Werner Kok to go over in the corner with Nathan Doak converting.
The Ulster lead was short-lived as the Stormers replied immediately, Ulster failed to deal with the kick off, loose head prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, went on a rampaging run carrying close to the Ulster line before being hauled down, the ball was quickly recycled and No8 Evan Roos finished from close range, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.
Ulster captain Iain Henderson received a 20 minute red card for a croc roll on Deon Fourie and the Stormers profited with their second try four minutes later.
From a scrum just outside the Ulster 22 the Stormers exploited some weak tackling in the home defence and Feinberg-Mngomezulu cruised over unopposed, the out half converted his own try.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu increased the visitors lead with a 20th minute penalty from long range.
Ulster got back in the game on 28 minutes and it was a carbon copy of their first try.
The forwards battered at the Stormers line patiently before Doak fired the ball wide for Kok to go over in the corner for his second try of the game, the Ulster scrum half converted from a wide angle.
Ulster took the lead on 35 minutes with a try from winger Zac Ward.
The home side kicked a penalty to the corner, from the lineout the forwards set up a driving maul, Doak broke from the back and found Ward on a loop to go over from close range.
Doak added the conversion to give Ulster a 21-17 lead at the break.
The Stormers had a try ruled out two minutes after the restart, they turned the ball over just outside the Ulster 22 and created an overlap for winger Leolin Zas to dot down in the corner but it was adjudged that Ulster full back Michael Lowry was tackled in the air and the score was disallowed.
Ulster punished the visitors immediately, they kicked the penalty into the Stormers half from the line out they moved the ball quickly across the pitch and Lowry squeezed over in the corner to seal a try bonus point but Doak ran out of time on the shot clock with the conversion.
The visitors responded on 48 minutes when following a sustained period of pressure on the Ulster line scrum half Imad Khan stretched to ground the ball with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting.
The lead changed hands again on 62, the Stormers hammered at the Ulster line before Feinberg-Mngomezulu skipped over for his second try of the contest, and the out half converted his own score.
Kok completed his hat-trick on 69 minutes with a penalty advantage coming replacement prop Tom McAllister carried deep into the 22 the ball was moved quickly to the wing for the South African to go over for an unconverted try to tie the scores.
Ulster were not to be denied, Ward made a break down the left wing he was stopped short the ball was quickly moved in field and replacement prop Eric O’Sullivan powered over for a couple of metres with Doak converting, Stormers replacement Jurie Matthee was yellow carded for an infringement in the build up.
The Stormers were awarded a penalty try with 10 seconds remaining, they worked an overlap for Zas he went over in the corner but Doak prevented him from grounding it however on a TMO review the referee adjudged Doak hit the winger in the head with his shoulder and awarded the visitors a seven pointer to tie the scores and the Ulster scrum half was yellow carded.
M Lowry; W Kok, E McIlroy, J Postlethwaite, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak;
A Bell, J McCormick, S Wilson, I Henderson (captain), C Irvine; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, J Augustus.
Replacements :T Stewart for McCormick 41 mins, E O’Sullivan for Bell 53 mins, T McAllister for Wilson 56 mins, H Sheridan for Henderson 29 mins, B Ward for Augustus 60 mins, C McKee, J Flannery for Murphy 63 mins, W de Klerk.
:W Gelant; W Simelane, D du Plessis, D Willemse, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, I Khan;
N Mchunu, A-H Venter, S Sandi; A Smith, R van Heerden; D Fourie (captain), B-J Dixon, E Roos.
Replacements:
P de Villiers for Fourie 11 mins, O Kebble for Mchunu 61 mins, Z Porthen for Sandi 53 mins, C Evans for Dixon 65 mins, H Dayimani for Smith 63 mins, K Morabe for Roos 61 mins, S Ungerer for Khan 56 mins, J Matthee for Willemse 2 mins
A Piardi (Italy)
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