Ulster earn boost ahead of European task while Connacht ponder problems

ULSTER 22 CONNACHT 2:IT WASN'T long afterwards before both coaches began to talk of matters European; understandable considering this game will hardly be classified in the most memorable category of interprovincial clashes.

Ulster set out to end their four-game losing run in the league and they achieved that along with the boost of taking their first win since mid-September into preparations for Saturday’s visit of Clermont Auvergne. Connacht failed to prevent their fourth straight league defeat and have a huge task to regroup for an ominous first Heineken Cup outing at Harlequins.

Ulster may not have escaped unscathed as there are concerns over the fitness of Stephen Ferris (ankle) – and this after his first game in an Ulster shirt since last January – Tom Court (knee) and Johann Muller (arm) to add to the already missing Ruan Pienaar who is expected to be out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Still, coach Brian McLaughlin preferred to reflect on the positives from Saturday night’s clash which included an impressive hour from newly-arrived All Black World Cup winner John Afoa, 80 minutes from Rory Best on his return and eye-catching performances from Ian Humphreys and Paddy Wallace. “I’m pleased as punch to get the win and I thought we played exceptionally well,” McLaughlin said. “The key thing is we’re very pleased with the score but we know on Saturday (against Clermont) when we get those opportunities there maybe won’t be as many of them and we must make sure we put them away.”

Connacht coach Eric Elwood has worries over the fitness of secondrow Michael Swift and prop Rodney Ah You and was left frustrated at how his side had failed to control key periods. “There are crucial times; just before half-time, 10 minutes after half-time and the last 10 minutes and we got punished in those sections . . . but they can be fixed.”

Connacht, with former Ulster players TJ Anderson starting and Niall O’Connor coming on in the second half, had competed well with Ulster until the end of the first half with the scores tied at 3-3 following early penalties from Ian Humphreys and Miah Nikora.

True, Ulster had butchered two try-scoring chances, with spills from Pedrie Wannenburg and Darren Cave as well as Humphreys missing a penalty, before Andrew Trimble’s decoy run allowed Humphreys throw a neat inside pass to Craig Gilroy who scored an unconverted try.

You sensed Ulster’s 8-3 lead might be a turning point and that seemed even more pointed when they pinned Connacht to their try line, just after the game restarted, before Court crossed the line. At 15-3, thanks to Humphreys’ conversion, the game looked beyond Connacht and the raft of substitutions from both sides effectively ensured the game lurched on in a shapeless manner. With Ferris taken off, and then Court, Ulster still showed attacking intent which was rewarded when Humphreys broke clear, right at the death, to score and add the two points with a drop-kick conversion.

ULSTER: S Danielli, A Trimble, D Cave, P Wallace, C Gilroy, I Humphreys, P Marshall; T Court, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: I Porter for P Marshall and R Diack for S Ferris (both 59 mins), P McCallister for Afoa (62 mins), A Macklin for T Court (68 mins), L Stevenson for D Tuohy (69 mins).

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran, F Vainikolo, G Duffy (capt), D McSharry, B Tuohy, M Nikora, P O’Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, M Swift, M McCarthy, TJ Anderson, E Grace, G Naoupu. Replacements: D Gannon for Swift (21 mins), D Rogers for R Ah You (50 mins), E Reynecke for A Flavin, R Loughney for B Wilkinson (54 mins), J Muldoon for E Grace (57 mins), N O’Connor for M Nikora (66 mins), F Murphy for P O’Donohoe (68 mins).

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU).