Six-try Ulster fight back for vital victory over Stormers
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale celebrates scoring the try which put his side ahead at the beginning of the second half against the Stormers. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
Ulster fought back from trailing 17-0 to score six tries on their way to what could be a key victory in their bid to reach the play-offs.
Robert Baloucoune, on his first game of the season, Jacob Stockdale and Stewart Moore all got on the scoresheet with great finishes in a game where the Stormers, who had skipper Neethling Fouche sent off still made off with two important points.
Despite the pressure being very much on to carve out a positive outcome, it was always going to be a special night in Belfast.
It was Stuart McCloskey’s 200th game for the province, and that brought some extra edge and fed into the notion that this might inspire Ulster to get this fixture over the line with just four more league matches to go after next up; the forbidding looking Champions Cup last 16 visit to Bordeaux.
This being the penultimate home tie of the regular season it was also about John Cooney’s time at Ulster being nearly up and that he ought to receive a reasonable enough send off from what has been an arduous season for the northern province.
James Hume’s pre-match withdrawal, due to illness, was a blow for the hosts, Ben Carson coming in to play alongside McCloskey in midfield.
They conceded early for the second week running as Evan Roos raced through a huge defensive hole to score with a minute and a half gone. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.
The Stormers out half then dropped a goal, and converted after Ben Loader got a loose ball and ran in from distance.
Seventeen nil down Ulster had to respond and fast. On a rare trip to the Stormers’ 22 the hosts found a way, with penalty advantage, to work Roberte Baloucoune over in the corner on his first game of the season though John Cooney failed to convert.
Cooney made no mistake just before the half hour when Andrew Warwick’s try allowed Ulster to eat further into the Stormers’ lead as the veteran prop’s try was close to the sticks. It meant that Ulster were now 17-12 down on the scoreboard.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu then missed a penalty and with the Stormers pressurising the line, Ben Carson pulled off a big tackle and the Ulster launched Baloucoune into space though he was pushed over by Feinberg-Mngomezulu and was yellow carded.
Ulster put the ball to the corner and Jack Murphy dived through as the ball went loose. Though Cooney missed again the sides trooped off level at 17-17.
Three minutes had elapsed when Ulster snatched the lead. They drove for the line off a tap and go penalty and then spun it left, Carson and Michael Lowry handling the latter, who could have probably scored himself, putting Jacob Stockdale over. This time Cooney converted.
The Stormers were then reduced to 13 on 45 minutes when skipper Neethling Fouche was red carded for a head on head smash with Carson.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s return from his yellow card saw him strike another sweet drop goal to bring 14-man Stormers back into proceedings.
But then Ulster pulled off a great strike move, Stockdale hitting the line at an angle and feeding Zac Ward, on for Baloucoune, who showed great pace to get there. This time Murphy converted as Cooney was leaving the field.
The Stormers once more breached Ulster’s defensive line, replacement Willie Engelbrecht crossing the line on 62 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting.
Lowry broke out from deep and link play between Nick Timoney and Nathan Doak, with Stewart Moore’s romping home. Doak converted the sixth try.
Once more, the Stormers came to Ulster’s 22, resulting in Harry Sheridan’s yellow card on 72 minutes and Roos scored his second to cut Ulster’s lead to 38-34 and their bonus point try.
M Lowry; R Baloucoune, B Carson, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (captain), K Treadwell; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann.
T Stewart for Herring 67mins, C Reid for Warwick 49mins, S Wilson for O’Toole 49mins, H Sheridan for O’Connor 67mins, J McNabney for Rea 51mins, N Doak for Cooney 55mins, S Moore for Carson 45mins, Z Ward for Baloucoune 47mins.
H Sheridan 72mins
D Willemse; B Loader, S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, D Duvenage; A Vermaak, J Dweba, N Fouche (captain); C Evans, R van Heerden; D Ewers, M Theunissen, E Roos.
A-H Venter for Dweba 46mins, B Harris for Vermaak 53mins, S Sandi for Ewers 47mins, G Porter for Vermaak 57mins, W Engelbrecht for Theunissen 57mins, P de Wet for Duvenage 35mins, J Matthee for Willemse 68mins, W Simelane for Hartzenberg 57mins.
N Fouche 45mins Yellow card: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 38mins Referee: A Piardi (Italy)
