Ulster's gamble pays off

Celtic League/Connacht - 13 Ulster - 19: Although unreflected on the scoreboard, Ulster's superiority stung a lacklustre Connacht in a Celtic League clash which the home side could well have anticipated winning. Hot on the heels of their 27-27 draw with Munster, Connacht, with home advantage and last year's victory at the Sportsground as a form guide, could have expected to continue their unbeaten sequence.

Yet it was Ulster, smarting from their defeat to Leinster the previous week, who won the psychological battle of the first half, and consigned Connacht to their first loss this season.

Strangely, however, neither side had great cause for celebration. Ulster departed more relieved than jubilant having failed to turn a dominant performance into points. Connacht could draw some comfort from having salvaged a bonus point from a poor performance.

Ulster's decision to play into the gale-force wind proved decisive; they turned around at the break 8-6 ahead. It should have been more, but their failure to fully exploit possession provided the home side with a glimmer of hope as they scrambled a late try to earn a bonus point.

"The weather had a big, big bearing on the game and when we won the toss and opted to play against the wind, we realised that if we were there or thereabouts at half-time, then the game was there for the taking," said Ulster's head coach, Mark McCall.

"We played better against the wind and we should have been 20 points ahead. It was a case of white-line fever having been over the line a couple of times and having created chances, but we lost our composure.

"Galway is a tough place to get a result, especially over the last couple of seasons. Although we are disappointed to have let them in for a bonus point which they didn't deserve, it's a long season. On another day we will convert those chances."

More worrying for Connacht's Michael Bradley is that his side played with little of the intensity or continuity that had closed down Munster. Aside from a dominant opening 10 minutes in which outhalf Paul Warwick kicked two penalties, Ulster should have been out of sight at half-time.

Admittedly a subdued Connacht pack lost hooker Bernard Jackman through injury and John Muldoon to the sin-bin, but they gave Ulster too much possession and space which their back row trio of Roger Wilson, Andy Ward and Neil Best exploited. As a result Ulster's backs, in which Kevin Maggs made a useful competitive debut, could have no complaint about the amount of ball they had to play with.

Understandably, outhalf David Humphreys, playing his 100th game for the province, spurned opportunities to kick for goal in the hope of penetrating the Connacht defence. But although stretched on several occasions, the home side did not waver with scrumhalf Tom Tierney managing a couple of try-saving tackles - the first when halting Maggs's dive for the line.

Humphreys, too, was wide with a drop-goal effort after 22 minutes, before finally opening Ulster's tally with a 27th-minute penalty.

Having created chance after chance, Ulster eventually made the breakthrough in the 37th minute when Tommy Bowe scampered in at the right corner from a close-in scrum, and when Jonny Bell crossed for a second within minutes of the restart, it seemed the floodgates would open.

Yet Ulster did just enough, with Humphreys content to stretch the lead with two more penalties. It was enough to deny Connacht victory, but not a bonus point as substitute scrumhalf Conor O'Loughlin scampered in for a late opportunist try.

Scoring sequence: 3 minutes: Warwick pen 3-0; 6: Warwick pen 6-0; 27: Humphreys pen 6-3; 37: Bowe try 6-8 (half time 6-8); 42: Bell try 6-13; 58: Humphreys pen 6-16; 72: Humphreys pen 6-19; 76: O'Loughlin try, Warwick con 13-19.

CONNACHT: D Slemen; T Robinson, M Mostyn, N O'Brien, C McPhillips; P Warwick, T Tierney; A Clarke, B Jackman, P Bracken, C Short, A Farley (capt), J Muldoon, M Lacey, M Carroll. Replacements: J Fogarty for Jackman (40m), S Knoop for Bracken, D McFarland for Clarke, P Myburgh for Short, P Neville for Muldoon (all 58m), C O'Loughlin for Tierney (60m).

ULSTER: B Cunningham; T Bowe, J Bell, K Maggs, A Maxwell; D Humphreys, N Doak; S Best, P Shields, R Moore, M Mustchin, M McCullough, A Ward (capt), N Best, R Wilson. Replacements: R Frost for M Mustchin (68m), R McCormack for Moore (69m), C Feather for Best (72m). Sin-binned: M Mostyn (27m); J Muldoon (34m).

Referee: N Pollard (Wales).