Ulster suffer fourth straight defeat

Scarlets 24 Ulster 17:The Scarlets condemned Ulster to their fourth straight RaboDirect Pro 12 defeat at Parc y Scarlets today.

The Welsh region were indebted to tries from wing Liam Williams and centre Adam Warren, while wing Andrew Trimble scored for Ulster, who secured a losing bonus point with Ian Humphreys’s fourth penalty.

Ulster were forced into a late change with tighthead prop Declan Fitzpatrick pulling out just before kick-off through injury.

It meant Tom Court switched to tighthead and Paddy McAllister came off the bench to fill in at loosehead, but the visitors were boosted by the return of six of their World Cup players — Johann Muller, Ruan Pienaar, Trimble, Court, Paddy Wallace and Simon Danielli.

The Scarlets included three of their World Cup stars — Ken Owens, Tavis Knoyle and Scott Williams — though only Owens started with Matthew Rees, who missed the World Cup with a neck injury, named on the bench.

Ulster grabbed the lead on nine minutes after a scrappy start on a showery afternoon, Humphreys slotting a penalty from the 22.

Aled Thomas missed a 17th-minute penalty from close to halfway but made amends 11 minutes later with a penalty from in front of the posts.

The Scarlets gradually got the upper hand with a second penalty for Thomas followed with an opportunist try for Williams, who ran in unopposed from the 22 on the stroke of half-time. Thomas’s conversion gave the Scarlets a 10-3 lead.

Just six minutes into the second half the Scarlets brought on Rees for his first appearance of the season along with Knoyle. But it was Ulster who got the first score of the half on 50 minutes. Humphreys had missed a long-range effort before putting over his second penalty from inside the 22.

The Scarlets, who were more creative in attack, got a penalty back through Thomas, but that was soon cancelled out by Humphreys’s third from in front of the posts.

Ulster gradually came more into the game and scored a try in the right corner when Trimble dabbed down after Johnathan Edwards had been caught waiting for Pienaar’s kick to the corner to go dead. But in a match of fluctuating fortunes, Warren weaved his way over for his side’s second try, followed up by a penalty for Dan Newton.

Two minutes later Humphreys ensured Ulster claimed a losing bonus point with his fourth penalty.