Heineken Cup / Saracens 18 Ulster 10: Ulster, brave as ever but mostly below par, came close to snatching a last-gasp victory at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
With his side trailing 15-10, Tommy Bowe, who had scored a first-half breakaway try, again displayed his pace with a surging run down the left followed by an inside pass to Kevin Maggs, who dived over.
To the naked eye Dan Scarbrough's desperate tackle seemed to have knocked Bowe into touch but the French touch judge saw nothing wrong. Only when Joel Jutge referred the matter upstairs - mistakenly, because television match officials are supposed to adjudicate only on the act of scoring rather than the build-up - was the try disallowed.
With one team wearing black and the other white, the post-match verdicts duly revolved around one of rugby's grey areas.
"I think they got it wrong," said Ulster's coach Mark McCall, whose side have lost their last eight European Cup away games.
"It wasn't a try but, having said that, the touch judge didn't flag. We could have sneaked a victory we wouldn't have deserved."
Ulster went on to concede a late penalty, which Glen Jackson scored to deny them a bonus point and effectively end their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Saracens' home victory was solid enough but, after four European Cup pool games without a bonus point, they need to spice up their act in the new year if they wish to conquer Europe. Unless they can win away in Biarritz next month the English Premiership will be their focus all too swiftly.
Their forwards are as solid as any pack in Britain and their defence is frequently watertight. If the BBC wants to start auditioning for "Strictly Come Mauling" it need look no further.
Steve Diamond's team also possess a couple of wild cards for whom the early weeks of 2006 promise much.
Everyone knows about Andy Farrell, whose strength and presence will override his lack of union experience, but it was the 22-year-old number eight Ben Skirving who caught the eye. The 6ft 4in forward with the Mr Incredible lantern jaw is developing into a genuine Six Nations option for England.
There are opportunities in the English backrow for candidates with pace, power and persistence - and Skirving demonstrated all three in scoring his side's opening try of a game which Ulster began to sense they might win only when he had departed with a shoulder injury.
The young backrow still becomes embarrassed at having his face flashed up on the big screen as man of the match but his confidence is growing.
All Saracens need now is to speed up the delivery of ball won by their giant forwards. Despite Kevin Yates's rolling-maul try which gave Saracens a 12-7 half-time lead, outhalf Jackson was again guilty of wasteful goalkicking, and Tevita Vaikona blew a possible seven-point score when he slipped with the line at his mercy after Thomas Castaignede's mazy dribble.
Saracens cannot now complain if a dodgy line call costs them dear in Biarritz. Before then they must attempt to put at least four tries past Treviso and keep the domestic pot bubbling.
Castaignede tweaked a hamstring but should be fit for the London Irish game on December 27th; Farrell's strained back, however, may yet prevent him featuring on the bench against the Exiles. "He's massively depressed and feels as though he's letting everyone down," said Diamond.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 3 mins: Skirving try, Jackson con 7-0; 6: Bowe try, Humphreys con 7-7; 39: Yates try 12-7; 63: Jackson pen 15-7; 73 Humphreys pen 15-10; 79: Jackson pen 18-10.
SARACENS: Scarbrough; Bailey, Castaignede, Johnston, Vaikona; Jackson, Bracken; Yates, Byrne, Visagie; Raiwalui, Chesney; Vyvyan (capt), B T Russell, Skirving. Replacements: Broster for Visagie (56 mins); Dickens for Bracken (61 mins); Randell for Skirving (63 mins); Bartholomeusz for Castaignede (70 mins); Russell for Scarbrough, Seymour for Raiwalui (both 80 mins).
ULSTER: B Cunningham; Bowe, Maggs, Trimble, Steinmetz; Humphreys, Campbell; Young, R Best, S Best (capt); Harrison, McCullough; N Best, McMillan, Wilson. Replacements: Ferris for Best (35 mins); Fitzpatrick for Young, Boss for Campbell (both 57 mins); Caldwell for Ferris (67 mins); Topping for Cunningham (71 mins).
Referee: J Jutge (France).
Guardian Service
