Scarlets 16 Ulster 18:GOOD THINGS, they say, come to those who wait and Ulster were forced to wait until injury time to claim an unlikely victory at Parc y Scarlets last night.
Ruan Pienaar guided home a dramatic injury-time winner to claim a potentially crucial victory in their bid to reach the Magners League play-offs.
It completed a virtuoso display from the South African half-back who scored all his team’s points, all from the boot, and had been instrumental in Ulster’s few flashes of inspiration.
Neither side managed to cross the opposition’s line, though a 20th-minute penalty try looked to have given the Welsh region enough of an advantage to claim victory.
And they appeared to have snuffed out the danger when Tavis Knoyle hounded down Pienaar as he shaped for a last-minute drop goal, with the scored 16-15.
Yet from a mundane scrum on the half-way line, the Scarlets conceded a needless penalty and Pienaar kept his composure to claim victory.
It could prove a telling result for Ulster, who had already included one 19-year-old among their ranks in fullback Adam D’Arcy, before being forced to throw another into the fray, Paddy Jackson, when Ian Humphreys suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury.
Jackson got off to a competent start, shipping on possession to keep Ulster on the front foot as they took an early 6-0 lead inside eight minutes through Pienaar’s penalties.
Jackson’s start was in stark contrast to the fortunes of fellow teenager D’Arcy, who conceded the first of two penalties for not rolling away from a tackle quickly enough as Scarlets drew level.
The fullback was then thumped into the sodden turf behind his own try line and the Ulster scrum suffered the same fate moments later as referee Andy Macpherson was obliged to award a penalty try to the home side.
Rhys Priestland, fresh from his Test debut at Murrayfield last week, converted with ease though opposite number Jackson darted between two defenders to earn a penalty.
Pienaar cut the lead to four points but again, another of his breaks went unfinished and Priestland’s drop goal saw Ulster trail 16-9 at half-time.
Jackson continued to show a lively pair of heels before making way on 50 minutes, along with D’Arcy, as Ulster rang the changes.
Pienaar made it a one-point game on the hour after Llanelli were pinged in the scrum and Priestland then missed his first effort seven minutes from time and Ulster were galvanised for one last roll of the dice.
Trimble attacked the left-hand side as Ulster pushed to get Pienaar within range for a drop goal, only for Marshall’s poor pass to wipe out the chance. However it was not to prove the final chance.
SCARLETS: D Evans; G Maule, R King, S Williams, S Lamont; R Priestland, M Roberts; I Thomas (capt), E Phillips, R Thomas, V Cooper, L Reed, R McCusker, B Morgan, J Turnbull. Replacements: T Knoyle for Roberts, R Lawrence for Phillips 46, J Fa’amatuainu for Cooper (all 46 mins), J Edwards for Fa’amatuainu (62 mins), S Gardner for R Thomas (65 mins).
ULSTER: A D’Arcy; A Trimble, N Spence, P Wallace, C Gilroy; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), T Barker, TJ Anderson, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: A D’Arcy for Danielli, P Marshall for Jackson, R Diack for Anderson (all 50 mins), N Brady for Kyriacou (55 mins), J Cronin for Fitzpatrick, R Caldwell for barker (both 65 mins).
Referee: Andy Macpherson (Scotland).
