Ulster fall short against Edinburgh despite late surge

Edinburgh’s Jerry Blyth-Lafferty celebrates the final whistle with team mates. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

URC: Ulster 29 Edinburgh 34

Ulster suffered an opening night URC defeat at home to Edinburgh but nearly pulled off a stunning comeback.

Richie Murphy’s side trailed 34-5 after 57 minutes before scoring 24 unanswered points but couldn’t find a winning score in the frantic final minutes and had to settle for two match points.

Edinburgh wasted an opportunity to take the lead on four minutes as out half Jamie Grayson’s penalty canned off the up right.

Edinburgh finally made their possession and territory dominance count with the game’s opening try on 20 minutes.

Ulster has a 5m defensive lineout hooker James McCormick went for an ambitious overthrow to the back, but his opposite number Harri Morris picked it off, the visiting forwards had a few pick and goes before openside flanker Freddie Douglas crashed over from close range and Grayson added the conversion.

Grayson extended Edinburgh’s lead two minutes later with a long-range penalty after James McNabney was punished for not rolling away at the ruck.

Ulster final sprang into life on 25 minutes slick handling created a overlap on the right wing with ne signing Jamie Benson releasing captain Michael Lowry to dart over from the 22 but out half Jack Murphy failed with the conversion.

Ulster conceded a penalty at the from the restart as they went off their feet at the breakdown a Grayson slotted over the resulting kick.

Edinburgh went into the interval with a 20-5 lead after scoring their second try in the final minute of the first half.

Grayson tried to put a kick in behind the defence McNabney tried to block it but the ball ricocheted in flanker Liam McConnell’s pass, and he popped the ball inside to winger Malelili Satala for an easy run in, Grayson added the converted.

Edinburgh took only two minutes after the restart to breach the Ulster defence again.

The visitors ran the ball from deep fast hands put Satala clear he steeped in of his wing before delivering a perfectly weight pass which sent scrum half Hector Patterson clear to run under the posts with Grayson converting.

Edinburgh silenced Ravenhill with their bonus point try four minutes later.

Patterson profited from some weak tackling in the home defence to soar through a gap and surge into the 22, he pivoted out of a tackle to provide the scoring pass for full back Piers O’Conor to dash under the sticks, Grayson tapped over the simple conversion.

Ulster got their second try on 56 minutes, with a penalty advantage coming Benson threw a long pass to replacement hooker Henry Walker, he was stooped short of the line, but Zac Ward picked up and dived over, Murphy added the touch line conversion.

Ulster continued to claw but the Edinburgh lead with flanker David McCann finished off a fast paced move in the corner, Murphy converted from a tight angle.

The home side score a third try in eight minutes as replacement prop Keynan Knox rumbled over on his debut for Ulster’s bonus point try.

Murphy reduced the Edinburgh lead to five points with seven minutes remaining with a penalty after a high tackle on Ward in midfield.

ULSTER: M Lowry, R Baloucoune, B Carson, J Benson, A Arenzana-King, J Murphy, C McKee; E O’Sullivan, J McCormack, E Bello, E Snyman, B Donnell, D McCann, M Moloney, J McNabney.

Replacements: T McAllister for O’Sullivan (61), K Knox for Bello (49), H Sheridan for Doneell (73), J McKillop for McNabney (61), M Devine for McKee (43), J Flannery for Lowry (39), Z Ward for Baloucoune (43). 

EDINBURGH: P O’Conor, M Satala, M Currie (c capt), K Higgins, G Gwynn, J Grayson, H Patterson; A Hepburn, H Morris, P Hill, C Hunter-Hill, G Young, L McConnell, F Douglas, M Bradbury (c capt). 

Replacements: J Blyth-Lafferty for Morris (60), J Whitcombe for Hepburn (79), D’ Rae Hill (50), E McVie for Hunter-Hill (69), T Currie for Bradbury (55), C McApline for Patterson (73), C Scott, R McHaffie for Gwynn (60).

Ref: F Vedovelli (FIR).