Ulster face anxious play-offs wait after defeat to Glasgow
Ulster's Tom Stewart dejected after his side's defeat to Glasgow. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Ulster face an anxious wait to see if they will qualify for the United Rugby Championship play-offs after a home defeat by Glasgow who top the league after a 26-22 win at Ravenhill.
Ulster started the night in eighth and picked up two match points but stayed in the same position, with Cardiff and Connacht winning.
Those results relegated Munster to ninth place but they just need a point at home against the Lions tomorrow to eliminate Ulster.
It took the league leaders just seven minutes to unlock the Ulster defence.
The visitors worked the ball through a number of phases advancing up the pitch before Sione Tuipulotu ran a hard line before offloading to his midfield partner Stafford McDowall to accelerate through a gap created by a Bryn Ward missed tackle and go under the posts unopposed, with scrum half George Horne adding the conversion.
Ulster got back in the game on 19 minutes with a superb solo try from winger Zac Ward. The Ireland 7s Olympian received the ball just inside the Glasgow half, he turned on the afterburners side stepped two defenders and sprinted all the way to touch down but Jake Flannery couldn’t convert.
Glasgow were reduced to 14 men when prop Nathan McBeth was yellow carded for a shoulder on head contact on Bryn Ward.
Zac Ward got his second try on 32 minutes, Glasgow were camped in the Ulster 22, McDowall threw a long pass to the wing but Ward picked it on and showed his speed to go the length of the pitch to score with Flannery adding the conversion.
Glasgow regained the lead on 37 minutes. Following a sweeping move Kyle Rowe dashed for the line but was stopped short, the ball was quickly recycled and McBeth powered over from close range, Horne converted.
Horne added a third try for the visitors in first half injury time. Glasgow were probing at the line Ulster neglected to defend the blindside and the scrum half darted over from close range.
Horne converted his own try to give the Warriors a 21-12 half time lead.
Glasgow full back Josh McKay was yellow carded on 44 minutes for a high tackle on Ulster’s replacement hooker Tom Stewart.
Ulster gave themselves a life lineout on 59 minutes, Nathan Doak pounced on a poor Glasgow lineout and spun the ball wide, Jack Murphy's offload to James Hume hit Mike Lowry on the crash ball, the full back carried before putting in a perfectly weighted grubber kick for Ethan McIlroy to race onto and touchdown, Doak’s conversion struck the upright.
Ulster got their bonus point try on 68 minutes, Glasgow were on the attack but Stewart ripped the ball and set off on a run, Doak kicked in behind the defence, McIlroy flicked the ball inside to Bryn Ward who barged into the last defender before getting his pass away to Jack Murphy to score. Doak missed the conversion.
Glasgow sealed their bonus point and top seeds in the play-offs four minutes from the end, McDowall charged through the home defence, Euan Ferrie carried before slipping the ball to Rowe to touchdown in the corner Horne missed the conversion.
M Lowry, W Kok, J Hume, W de Klerk, Z Ward, J Flannery, C McKee, S Crean, R Herring, T O’Toole, H Sheridan, C Irvine; J Hopes, N Timoney (capt), B Ward.
T Stewart for Herring 13 mins, A Bell for Crean 41 mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 54 mins, C Izuchukwu for Sheridan 41 mins, L McLoughlin for Irvine 55 mins, N Doak for McKee 41 mins, J Murphy for De Klerk 51 mins, E McIlroy for Kok 41 mins
J McKay K Steyn (capt), S McDowall, S Tuipolotu, K Rowe, D Lancaster, G Horne; N McBeth, J Matthews, Z Fagerson; G Brown, A Samuel; A Miller, M Duncan. J Dempsey
G Hiddleston for Matthews 48 mins, R Sutherland for McBeth 48 mins, S Talakai for Fagerson 48 mins, J Oguntibeju for Duncan 71 mins, E Ferrie for Brown 13 mins, S Vailanu for Dempsey 54 mins, B Afshar for Tuipolotu 71 mins, O Smith for Steyn 60 mins
G Gnecchi (Italy).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
