URC: Ulster 36 Ospreys 12
Ulster really had to go to town on this heavily diluted Ospreys side – missing 18 players – and did so scoring six tries with the in-form Jacob Stockdale running in for an excellent brace.
Ten points from their last two home games is a more than decent return for Richie Murphy and on a night when James McCormick also claimed two tries, the remainder coming from a penalty try and an effort from Marcus Rea.
Four minutes in, and it was Ulster who scored first, and it came from a driving maul, James McCormick on the end of it with John Cooney missing the extra two points.
It came as no great surprise that the hosts scored again on nine minutes, this time a strong carry from the recently returned Emerging Ireland player Cormac Izuchukwu allowing Jacob Stockdale get away down the left though again Cooney was wide in the wind.
Aidan Morgan’s excellent kick to the corner ensured Ulster kept the pressure up and from the lineout take by McCann and maul. It resulted in seven points for Ulster as Andrea Piardi awarded a penalty try and showed a yellow card to Kieran Hardy.
From the restart, great work from Marcus Rea and Michael Lowry saw Stockdale touch down which was converted by Cooney and the Kingspan erupted for the bonus-point try. However, only after the restart the score was ruled due to a forward pass from Eric O’Sullivan being spotted by the TMO.
The bonus point was sure to arrive though, and it didn’t take long in coming as Ulster just kept surging forward into the Ospreys’ red zone.
Two minutes after the half-hour more pressure from Ulster saw yet another penalty put to the corner and the white shirts picked and jammed their way over the industrious Marcus Rea getting over. Cooney converted.
But with the scoreboard reading 24-0, the Ospreys managed to hit back with their first dangerous attack of the night.
From a penalty most of their backs piled into a maul and Sam Parry got the try, Dan Edwards’ conversion ending the half with Ulster leading 24-7.
Ulster were intent on changing the narrative back to the more familiar one and did so nine minutes after the restart.
McCormick tapped yet another penalty near the Ospreys line and though Cooney missed from the tee Ulster had crucially got the first points of the new half.
On 56 minutes, Harry Sheridan was yellow carded for a collision with Owen Williams and the Ospreys made the extra man count when Keelan Giles scored an unconverted try.
Ulster weren’t quite finished, and Stockdale claimed his second after a terrific attack saw the winger just make it to the corner, a score Doak then converted.
Ulster Tries: McCormick 2, Stockdale 2, pen try, Marcus Rea Cons: Cooney 1, Doak 1
Ospreys Tries: Parry, Giles, Cons: Edwards 1
Ulster: M Lowry, W Kok, B Carson, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, A Morgan, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, J McCormick, T O’Toole, A O’Connor (capt), H Sheridan, C Izuchukwu, Marcus Rea, D McCann,
Replacements: T McElroy for McCormick 63mins, C Reid for O’Sullivan 56mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 51mins, K Treadwell for Sheridan 66mins, Matty Rea for McCann 63mins, N Doak for Cooney 56mins, J Humphreys for Morgan 56mins, J Postlethwaite for McCloskey 62mins, Morgan for Lowry 76mins, Sheridan for Izuchukwu 74mins.
Yellow cards: Sheridan 56mins
Ospreys: J Walsh, D Kasende, E Boshoff, O Williams, K Giles, D Edwards, K Hardy; G Thomas, S Parry, B Warren, W Greatbanks, L Jones, L Lloyd, J Tipuric, M Morris (capt).
Replacements: E Lewis for Parry 69mins, G Phillips for Thomas 53mins, M Iowerth-Scott for Warren 53mins, R Thomas for Greatbanks 66mins, D Gemine for Tipuric 74mins, R Morgan-Williams for mins, T Florence for Williams 56-65mins and for Giles 67mins, M Nagy for Edwards 54mins, Edwards for Walsh 74mins.
Yellow cards: Hardy 24mins
Referee: A Piardi (Italy)
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