Rugby/ Ulster 16 Leinster 16:For the second season in succession Ulster and Leinster fought out a draw.
Occasionally ill-tempered but never less than entertaining, it was the proverbial game of two halves, the visitors dominating prior to the interval but unable to resist a wonderful second-half cameo from Ulster's replacement outhalf, David Humphreys.
His precision with the placed ball and general marshalling of the game breathed life into what had appeared until then an Ulster in terminal decline. Leinster will rue not harvesting more points when dominating play but will take succour from grabbing two points and the heroics of their forwards.
As their outstanding number eight Jamie Heaslip admitted, "We played out of our skins in the first half and the start of the second but then shot ourselves in the foot after that. It's by no means a bad result but we set higher standards for ourselves and it's hard not to feel a little disappointed. Outside of the result we'll take some positives from the night."
There was much to admire in how the Leinster pack varied the point of attack in the opening 40 minutes, working the fringes but also carrying ball in midfield, usually in clusters of two or three players. The former Springbok international Ollie Le Roux personified their work ethic.
The Leinster forwards ran on to the ball at pace and made serious inroads in the first half. The one cavil about them was that having raced through several phases and in the shadow of the Ulster posts, they made poor decisions and got players isolated. A return of six points for a half of rugby dominated in terms of possession and territory would have felt like a poor one.
Ulster deserve credit for how they defended, often scrambling, but denying Leinster a definitive breach. Gordon D'Arcy made one break, Brian O'Driscoll put through a couple of neat grubbers, but Leinster's backs were extras to the main action.
Outhalf Jonathan Sexton, having missed a difficult early penalty opportunity, posted two others. His kicking out of hand was excellent as was his control in the pivot position.
Leinster will feel aggrieved that they weren't awarded a penalty when O'Driscoll was clearly taken out having slid the ball through with his foot close to the Ulster line.
The early exchanges of the second half mirrored the opening 40 minutes, the Leinster pack carrying ball prodigiously, and on 46 minutes came the game's first try.
Sweeping into the Ulster 22, Le Roux took the ball and linked with Rob Kearney, and though the latter was held up short, D'Arcy squeezed over on the narrow side.
Sexton's touchline conversion made it 13-0 and things looked ominous for Ulster. That was until Humphreys was introduced from the bench and transformed the game. He made a sweet break, offloading to Bryn Cunningham, who sent Andrew Trimble racing over for a try. Humphreys converted, before added a sumptuous drop-goal to tie proceedings at 13-13.
As the Ravenhill roar grew in volume, Ulster needed to maintain cool heads. Instead they conceded a silly penalty and Sexton nudged Leinster back in front.
Appropriately, Humphreys was afforded the final opportunity, a penalty of dubious merit - the extra 10 yards, that is - but eloquently dispatched. The match finished with punches being exchanged, an unfortunate climax to a decent night's entertainment.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 17 mins: Sexton pen, 0-3; 35: Sexton pen, 0-6 (half-time 0-6); 46: D'Arcy try, Sexton con, 0-13; 54: Trimble try, Humphreys con, 7-13; 65: Humphreys pen, 10-13; 67: Humphreys drop-goal, 13-13; 73: Sexton pen, 13-16; 82: Humphreys pen, 16-16.
ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Bowe, A Trimble, R Dewey, M McCrea; P Wallace, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick, R Best (capt), B Young; C del Fava, R Caldwell; N Best, K Dawson, S Ferris. Replacements: D Humphreys for Wallace (47 mins); J Harrison for del Fava (48 mins); R Wilson for Dawson (55 mins); D Fitzpatrick for Young (69 mins); M Bartholomeusz for Cunningham (80 mins).
LEINSTER: G Dempsey; S Horgan, B O'Driscoll (capt), G D'Arcy, R Kearney; J Sexton, C Whitaker; O Le Roux, B Jackman, S Knoop; L Cullen, M O'Kelly; S Keogh, S Jennings, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Wright for Knoop (15 mins); B Blaney for Jackman (63 mins); K Gleeson for Le Roux (73 mins); D Toner for Keogh (78 mins).
Referee: G Clancy(IRFU).
