Rugby

URC: Ulster on track for home quarter-final with convincing win over Cardiff

Replacement hooker Tom Stewart leads way in try scoring as Stockdale gets on the scoresheet

Billy Burns of Ulster. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson/Inpho
Billy Burns of Ulster. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson/Inpho
Michael Sadlier
Sat Mar 04 2023 - 21:45

Cardiff 20 Ulster 42

Ulster kept themselves on track to secure a home quarter-final with this well-deserved result in Cardiff which also saw the northern province rack up consecutive bonus point wins.

Replacement hooker Tom Stewart led the way in terms of try scoring, bagging two of Ulster’s impressive six touchdowns with Jacob Stockdale also crossing the line with a trademark chip and chase to collect his first five points for the province for nearly two years.

Stewart Moore, Billy Burns and Nathan Doak also dotted down, Doak capping off a strong performance by kicking all six conversions.

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Moore scored after just over a minute when he sliced through off a James Hume pass to score near the posts allowing Doak to convert.

Five minutes later, Owen Lane then crossed in the corner off Rey Lee-Lo’s excellent offload though Jarrod Evans was unable to add the two points.

Evans put the home side in front with a 16th minute penalty but two minutes later Stockdale made the left corner after collecting his own chip, Doak adding a great conversion from the touchline.

The Ulster scrumhalf then darted over and again converted to put Ulster 21-8 ahead which is how the opening half ended.

Eleven minutes after the restart, Ulster had their bonus point when Burns got over, Doak again converting. From there, the northern province pushed on and mauled over on the hour mark with sub Stewart scoring his 10th try of the season.

Doak again kicked the extras with another touchline conversion.

Shortly afterwards, Cardiff finally revisited the scoreboard with Lane again the beneficiary of a Lee-Lo offload as the winger raced over for his second. Evans, though, was unable to convert.

The home side then struck again, sub Aled Summerhill racing clear with Evans managing to add the two points.

Normal service was then resumed with Stewart’s second, on 72 minutes, Doak once more supplying two more points.

Scoring

Cardiff: Tries Lane 2, Summerhill, Cons Evans 1, Pens Evans 1

Ulster: Tries Moore, Stockdale, Doak, Burns, Stewart 2, Cons Doak 4

Cardiff: B Thomas; O Lane, R Lee-Lo, M Llewellyn, J Harries; J Evans, L Williams; R Carre, K Dacey, D Lewis, L Timani, S Davies, J Turnbull (capt.), E Jenkins, J Ratti

Replacements: L Belcher for Dacey 53mins, C Domachowski for Carre 53mins, K Assiratti for Lewis 53mins, Lewis for Assiratti 56mins, T Williams for Davies 56mins, S Lewis-Hughes for Ratti 57mins, E Bevan for L Williams 25mins, A Summerhill for Lee-Lo 65mins, M Morgan for Thomas 63mins.

Ulster: M Lowry, B Moxham, J Hume, S Moore, J Stockdale, B Burns, N Doak; R Sutherland, R Herring (Capt), J Toomaga-Allen, K Treadwell, S Carter, D McCann, Marcus Rea, N Timoney.

Replacements: T Stewart for Herring59 mins, C Reid for Sutherland 59mins, G Milasinovich for Toomaga-Allen 68mins, A O’Connor for Carter 49mins, H Sheridan for Treadwell 72mins, J Cooney for mins, J Postlethwaite for Hume 59mins, E McIlroy for Stockdale 63mins. Unused: J Cooney

Referee: H Davidson (Scotland)

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