RUGBY FRIENDLY - Ulster 19 Leeds 16:ULSTER ENDED their three-game pre-season friendly programme by just about holding on for a valuable first win which came as welcome relief for coach Brian McLaughlin ahead of next week's Magners League opener against current league champions the Ospreys.
A further boost for McLaughlin, and for watching Ireland coach Declan Kidney, was the reappearance of Rory Best and Stephen Ferris who played the opening half and came through unscathed for their first games back with Ulster after injuries sustained at the back end of last season.
After visiting outhalf Ceiron Thomas badly miscued an early penalty, Ulster responded with a well-worked score from Darren Cave which followed some useful driving from Best and Pedrie Wannenburg, resulting in Cave plunging over at the posts to make the conversion a formality for Niall O’Connor.
Ulster probably should have had another score after a quarter of an hour when Tommy Seymour was bundled into touch, but hit back with greater accuracy on 22 minutes when a break out by fullback Adam D’Arcy – on trial with Ulster from Manley in Australia – saw Fitzpatrick pick out Seymour again and this time the winger made the line for an unconverted score to put the home side 12-0 in front.
Nevertheless, Leeds chipped away at Ulster’s lead and two penalties from Thomas cut the home side’s margin to 12-6 at the break.
Ulster had to wait until over the hour mark before they next scored when Johann Muller burrowed over after some sustained pressure and an initial drive to the line by Tim Barker.
O’Connor landed a great conversion to make it 19-6 to Ulster but four minutes later a mix-up at the back of their scrum allowed Leeds’ replacement to dive in for an unconverted try. Sub James Tincknell then made the left corner but Christian Lewis-Pratt missed the difficult conversion.
ULSTER:A DArcy; C Gilroy, D Cave, I Whitten, T Seymour; N OConnor, I Porter; B Young, R Best (capt), D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, T Barker, S Ferris, W Faloon, P Wannenburg. Replacements: N Brady for Best; R Diack for Ferris; C J Shiels for Gilroy (all h-t); R Caldwell for Muller, I Humphreys for O'Connor (62mins); TJ Anderson for Wannenburg (67mins); A Macklin for Fitzpatrick (69mins); D McIlwaine for Cave (72mins); I Porter for Heaney (78mins).
LEEDS CARNEGIE:M Stephenson; H Fa'afili, L Burrell, L Blackett, S Tadulala; C Thomas, S Mathie; M MacDonald, S Thompson, P Swainston, S Hohneck, M Wentzel (capt), A To'oala, J Rowan, D Browne.
Referee:P Fitzgibbon.
