Ulster feel the pain against Saracens

Ulster 15 Saracens 17

On a night where nothing went right for Ulster, who lost four key players - Jared Payne to a red car and Rory Best, Ruan Pienaar and Andrew Trimble to injury - it was Saracens who narrowly progressed to the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

Saracens three tries to Ulster’s kicked points were enough for the English Premiership side to advance to meet Clermont in Twickenham.

But Ulster were forced to play all but five minutes of the quarter-final with 14 men after the visitors fullback Alex Goode and Payne collided after five minutes.

With both players watching a high ball punted by Paddy Jackson, it was Goode in the air that landed awkwardly on his neck. After lengthy consideration by Referee Jerome Garces as Goode was being stretchered from the pitch, it was decided that Payne had tackled dangerously and he was shown the red card.

It was a devastating blow and Payne could scarcely believe what was happening as he walked from the pitch shaking his head. Goode was certainly caught in the air and there was no doubt Payne was at best careless. Although Ulster protested that it was an accidental collision and that Payne was obviously looking in the air at the ball flight, the home team lost their fullback.

Just minutes later Ulster then lost their Ireland and Lions hooker Rory Best, who was replaced by Rob Herring on 12 minutes for an ankle injury, while pivotal scrumhalf and place kicker Ruan Pienaar re-injured the shoulder that had been troubling him and struggled to half time.

It was Pienaar who opened the scoring with his first penalty after Owen Farrell had missed earlier for Saracens and despite being a man shy Ulster were the more threatening side in the first half, Nick Williams bursting into the Saracens 22 on 19 minutes only for Pienaar to knock on.

Chris Ashton finally drew first real blood as he shot from the back of a scrum and across the bow of inside centre Luke Marshall on 25 minutes. After his burst of pace took him clear there was no-one to cover, the Saracens winger’s swallow dive wholly unappreciated by the Ulster crowd.

Pienaar, though, gathered two more penalties before half time as Saracens failed to use their numerical advantage to any great effect, the 9-5 lead keeping Ulster hopes alive of a semi-final place.

It was shortly into the second half when Pienaar’s shoulder finally gave and Saracens earned their second try, a multi-phased attack, where the massive flanker Billy Vunipola sucked in three Ulster players just short of the line. Ulster were stretched badly with a quick ball wide to lock Mouritz Botha unlocking their defence for 9-10.

It was gutsy stuff from Ulster with Darren Cave holding up Ashton on 68 minutes but it was the winger who went over four minutes later for Saracens third try. A cross field kick from Farrell found Ashton wide and all the winger had to do was gather and fall for 9-17, the outhalf converting for an eight point lead.

Paddy Jackson kicked two long Ulster penalties for 15-17 with just minutes left on the clock for a fraught finish. Ulster pushed in the hope that Saracens would cough up another penalty. But it was not to be, Saracens turning over the ball and Ulster missing yet another chance to advance past the quarterfinal stage.

Scoring sequence: 15 mins R Pienaar pen 3-0; 25 mins C Ashton try 3-5; 31 mins Pienaar pen 6-5; 40 mins Pienaar pen 9-5; 50 mins M Botha try 9-10; 72 mins Ashton try, Farrell con 9-17; 70 mins Jackson pen 12-17; 73 mins Jackson pen 15-17.

Ulster: J Payne; A Trimble, D Cave, L Marshall, T Bowe; P Jackson, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller ©, D Tuohy, R Wilson, C Henry, N Williams. Replacements: R Herring for Best 12 mins; P Marshall for Pienaar 50 mins; S Ferris for Williams 56 mins; I Henderson for Tuohy 62 mins; Gilroy for Trimble 60 mins; R Diack for Muller 76 mins.

Saracens: A Goode; C Ashton, D Taylor, B Barritt, D Strettle; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; M Vunipola, S Brits, J Johnston, S Borthwick ©, M Botha, B Vunipola, J Burger, E Joubert. Replacements: K Brown for Joubert 69 mins; C Wyles for Goode 5 mins; C Hodgson for Taylor 10 mins; M Stevens for Johnston 48 mins; K Brown for Joubert 69 mins.

Referee: J Garces (France)