Humphreys kicks Ulster to striking win

A lively, entertaining game in front of an estimated 10,000 crowd, most of whom went home happy after Ulster recorded their most notable victory in over a year.

Playing it strong into the breeze to lead 17-3 against an injury-disrupted and dishevelled Leinster, and playing it cute with the wind in stemming a credible fightback, the White Knights are back.

This was a must-win game to arrest a worrisome decline and, ultimately, it was a job well done. Though Leinster gamely put a horrid first half behind them, tactically Ulster were far more streetwise with David Humphreys giving them inestimably more control and know-how.

Their need being the greater, it was clear that, predictably, Ulster wanted it more at the start. Not only did they compete with great effect on Shane Byrne's throw, but Ulster forever showed a willingness to offload before or in the tackle with support runners frequently offering a change of angle - Russell Nelson and Andy Ward making hay at times.

A surfeit of late failed fitness-tests saw Mark Blair replace the injured Paddy Johns in Ulster's first change of the season, while Leinster recalled Trevor Brennan in a reshuffled back-row, featuring Eric Miller at number eight, due to the absence of Victor Costello.

Matt Williams sprung something of a surprise in picking Nathan Turner at inside centre alongside Mark McHugh at outhalf.

The change had little effect on Ulster, as they nicked Leinster's first three throws and were rewarded with Humphreys' fourth-minute penalty.

Even so, it was no surprise when Nelson stormed through a featherweight defence and spun out a huge pass (fractionally forward it looked), for Howe.

He was caught from behind, but Topping picked up the recycle, dummied to pass out and then sidestepped Leo Cullen to score with a cheeky one-handed carry round the posts.

Brian O'Driscoll tried to steady his team with a snap drop-goal, but Leinster coughed up their fifth lineout out of six when Ward pounced on a deflection off Byrne's slight overthrow to set Ulster up in Leinster territory once more.

Nelson took classy Ryan Constable's reverse-pass to cut through once more and offload to Ward, who ploughed through Gordon D'Arcy, Cullen and Dempsey to score wide out. Ward being the cult hero hereabouts, the Ravenhill faithful loved that, and Humphreys again converted.

Despite having played with the breeze, Leinster had played a non-territorial game. Running into the wind, they had better joy. Within four minutes of the turnaround, Turner's half-break released O'Driscoll who in turn sent Hickie scampering up the touchline.

Though hauled down by Henderson, the forwards' pummelling eventually allowed McHugh to gather O'Meara's pass at full stretch and score under the posts, his conversion making it 17-10.

Suddenly, the Leinster forwards went into overdrive, monopolising possession, but McHugh missed another 25-metre penalty whereas Humphreys didn't after Brad Free had stolen loose-ruck ball.

McHugh did land a close-range penalty, but, for all Leinster's good work and ball retention, this was sandwiched by Humphreys using the wind to find field-goal range and knock over a couple of penalties.

Crucially, Ulster then denied Leinster even a bonus point to usurp them in second place.

Scoring Sequence: 4 mins: Humphreys pen 3-0; 15: Topping try, Humphreys con 10-0; 16: O'Driscoll drop-goal 10-3; 30: Ward try, Humphreys con 17-3; Half-time: 17-3; 44: McHugh try and con 17-10; 60: Humphreys pen 20-10; 65: Humphreys pen 23-10; 68: McHugh pen 23-13; 73: Humphreys pen 26-13.

Ulster: G Henderson; J Topping, R Constable, J Bell, T Howe; D Humphreys, B Free; J Fitzpatrick, R Weir, S Best, M Blair, G Longwell, R Nelson, T McWhirter, A Ward. Replacements: D Topping for Nelson (59 mins), S Bell for Free (63), S Stewart for J Topping (76).

Leinster: G Dempsey; D Hickie, B O'Driscoll, N Turner, G D'Arcy; M McHugh B O'Meara; R Corrigan, S Byrne, G Halpin, L Cullen, M O'Kelly, T Brennan, E Miller, L Toland (capt). Replacements: D O'Brien for Miller (17 mins), P Coyle for Halpin (52), B Casey for Cullen, P Smyth for Byrne (both 59), P McKenna for O'Driscoll (74), S Keogh for O'Meara (76), A Dunne for Turner (81).

Referee: Bertie Smith (IRFU).