Rugby

Ulster back on track with bonus-point win over Edinburgh

Marcell Coetzee impresses on debut as Les Kiss’s side end losing streak

Ulster’s Darren Cave scores a try in the Guinness Pro 12 win over Edinburgh at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Photograph: Matt Mackey/Inpho/Presseye

Fri Feb 10 2017 - 21:57

Ulster 24 Edinburgh 18

Ulster ended their miserable run of four straight defeats with a vital bonus-point victory on their return to PRO12 action after the three-week break.

And it turned out to be a memorable and much-anticipated debut for Marcell Coetzee who assisted in propelling Ulster forward in a blistering first half which saw them wrap up their try bonus – only the third of their league campaign.

Ulster led 24-10 at the break thanks to tries from Paul Marshall, Darren Cave, Louis Ludik and Jacob Stockdale and though they failed to score in the second half the result will considerably relieve the pressure on Les Kiss.

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It started badly for the hosts with Magnus Bradbury smashing over just short of two minutes – Jason Tovey was wide with the difficult conversion – but they quickly struck back when Paul Marshall scuttled over near the sticks to allow Peter Nelson convert.

That lead was bolstered just after the first quarter when another slick Ulster attack saw Cave dive over in the corner with Nelson missing the conversion.

Edinburgh then blew a scoring chance in a mix-up between Tovey and Damien Hoyland and shortly afterwards some magic from Charles Piutau put Ludik over for another unconverted effort.

The bonus point came Ulster's way through Stockdale off a marvellous Robbie Diack pass inside and, this time, Nelson converted to make it 24-5.

Yet again, though, the home side coughed up points to the Scots when Stuart McInally barged over for an unconverted effort which left it 24-10 at the break.

The Scots also scored next with Hoyland touching down on 57 minutes for another unconverted effort and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne then kicked a 63rd minute penalty to bring the Scots within losing bonus point range which is how things ended despite Edinburgh finishing the stronger.

ULSTER: L Ludik; J Stockdale, D Cave, S Olding, C Piutau; P Nelson, P Marshall; A Warwick, J Andrew, R Lutton; K Treadwell, A O'Connor; R Diack, C Henry (capt), M Coetzee.

Replacements: W Herbst for Lutton and S McCloskey for Cave (both half-time), T Bowe for Piutau (49 mins), C Black for Warwick (54 mins), S Reidy for Coetzee (59 mins), , P Browne for Treadwell (62 mins), D Shanahan for Marshall (66 mins), J Murphy for O'Connor (73 mins).

EDINBURGH: B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, C Dean, P Burleigh, T Brown; J Tovey, S Kennedy; J Cosgrove, S McInally (capt), M McCallum; F McKenzie, B Toolis; V Mata, J Rithie, M Bradbury.

Replacements: R Scholes for Kinghord (43 mins), S Hidalgo-Clyne for Kennedy (49 mins), G Turner for McInally (54 mins), N Beavon for McCallum (62 mins), L Carmichael for F McKenzie (63 mins), M Allen for Burleigh (65 mins), D Appiah for Richie (66 mins), Burleigh for Allen (70 mins).

Referee: N Owens (Wales)

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