:00:35. > :00:40.round 21 of 22 in PRO12 and with a spicy derby to enjoy tonight, Ulster
:00:40. > :00:46.travelled to Connaught. All-star have already earned a top four macro
:00:46. > :00:53.slot but a semi-final place is not quite guaranteed. Connaught are in
:00:53. > :01:02.fine home form and they have not lost a home game since the start of
:01:02. > :01:06.the year. Joining me in the studio tonight, Brendan Cunningham. Against
:01:06. > :01:13.Connaught in the past a win was pretty much a formality but times
:01:13. > :01:22.have changed. No, Connaught now can pretty much get the highest they
:01:22. > :01:29.have ever had in the league. They have a lot to play for. A lot of
:01:29. > :01:34.them will be very interested in putting in a big four months.
:01:34. > :01:40.kind of game are you expecting tonight? Rumack I think conditions
:01:40. > :01:50.are perfect in Galway this evening. Allston will have to meet them on
:01:50. > :01:53.
:01:53. > :01:58.the front foot and respond to it. Allston in pole position at the
:01:58. > :02:07.moment. That win last week took them back to the top. Another game we
:02:07. > :02:13.will be keeping an eye on tonight is Oscar against Osprey. Osprey cannot
:02:13. > :02:17.slip up. Pre-Christmas things were looking pretty rosy and then they
:02:18. > :02:21.went through a long. They have got their momentum back. They want to
:02:21. > :02:28.continue that with the Connaught name and also with the Cardiff Blues
:02:28. > :02:31.as well. They should finish top of the league. The importance of the
:02:31. > :02:40.game, the coach has laid down a marker when you look at the strength
:02:40. > :02:46.of this Ulster line-up this evening. Yes, Johann Muller is back slightly
:02:46. > :02:50.ahead of schedule. Look at the backline. Pienaar and Jackson, a
:02:50. > :02:57.strong back free. Then the foreman of the team who was the man of the
:02:57. > :03:01.match last time and has used performance. Yes, I think the
:03:01. > :03:09.line-up shows how well some of the guys have done over the last few
:03:09. > :03:16.weeks. Stevenson, Lutton, who has been excellent as well. In previous
:03:16. > :03:21.years, the likes of Henderson would have just gone straight in, and they
:03:21. > :03:26.have that depth now and the players are playing well. It is exciting and
:03:26. > :03:31.as Tony mentioned, it is a strong backline. The Connaught team, plenty
:03:31. > :03:39.of experience upfront and talented backline as well. Yes, they are very
:03:39. > :03:49.strong. You know what you were going to get with Dan Parks at ten and
:03:49. > :03:53.that is where the Ulster backs rave. A lot to play for. This team of
:03:53. > :03:57.every proud of their home record. Unbeaten since the turn of the
:03:57. > :04:04.year. They want to continue that. They have a lot to play for with the
:04:04. > :04:13.outgoing coach and the incoming coach. Connaught will be going out
:04:13. > :04:19.all guns blazing. Let's hear from the coaches. We expect Ulster to
:04:19. > :04:23.come out. We are very comfortable at home. We
:04:23. > :04:27.do not fear anybody at home. We have proven that in the last couple of
:04:27. > :04:37.years. We have got better and better. We are looking forward to
:04:37. > :04:37.
:04:37. > :04:47.this match. The last in the PRO12 for you. How special is that?
:04:47. > :04:51.it is just another game. It is not about my last PRO12. All that
:04:51. > :05:01.remains is fine but I am not thinking like that. What was your
:05:01. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:10.message to the boys this week? looked improving. Analogous to build
:05:10. > :05:17.pressure by keeping people in hand. -- allowing us to build pressure. By
:05:17. > :05:20.keeping the ball in hand. The track is good. It is beautiful now.
:05:20. > :05:24.the Ulster coach will be looking to that last performance against
:05:24. > :05:34.Connaught at Ravenhill when they kept their school and ran away with
:05:34. > :05:57.
:05:57. > :06:07.a win. A couple Invariably he brings a bit
:06:07. > :06:14.of magic. It took Ulster ten or 15 minutes to get ball in hand last
:06:14. > :06:20.week. The pace of the game increased dramatically then. You think back to
:06:20. > :06:24.last season and Connaught had that victory. They did and they are a
:06:24. > :06:32.very proud side at home. Everyone knows the Sportsground is a very
:06:32. > :06:35.difficult place to win. They are seen as just a argued defensive
:06:35. > :06:42.orientated team but they have a bit of skin there as well. -- a bit of
:06:42. > :06:48.skill. There are some young guys. They do have talent and they have a
:06:48. > :06:52.nice mix of experience and youth coming through. Back on the wing for
:06:52. > :06:56.Ulster tonight is Andrew Trimble, Island's forgotten man for much of
:06:56. > :07:03.the season but determined to end his Ulster season with some silverware.
:07:03. > :07:09.COMMENTATOR: Pienaar. What a score for Trimble!
:07:09. > :07:15.Magnificent from Ulster! I have been really pleased with the
:07:15. > :07:20.way things are going. I feel like I performed very well. I am not
:07:20. > :07:24.getting picked for Ireland but that is just one of those things.
:07:24. > :07:32.Sometimes you get picked and sometimes you do not. I have only
:07:32. > :07:35.put on a green shirt once this year and it has been disappointing. It is
:07:35. > :07:40.very straightforward what I'm doing and I can be very confident with
:07:40. > :07:44.Sean and no that I am rated higher here than I am with Ireland and that
:07:44. > :07:53.is something that is very good for my confidence. I have really enjoyed
:07:53. > :08:03.that. I have bought into it quite a bit and made it simple. COMMENTATOR:
:08:03. > :08:06.
:08:06. > :08:11.set piece move our excellence. are in a good position now. But if
:08:11. > :08:15.we do not push on now and win the league it will not be for anything.
:08:15. > :08:23.So be putting ourselves under a lot of pressure. Is there a little bit
:08:23. > :08:30.of you that hopes that there will be a nudge from Warren Gatland? You do
:08:30. > :08:33.let herself daydream. It is not good for your head. -- you do let
:08:33. > :08:38.yourself daydream. It is a lot simpler thinking about Connaught
:08:38. > :08:43.this weekend. It seems mad. People think, that guy does not have a
:08:43. > :08:48.chance. But you think, who knows what might happen? But I'm trying to
:08:48. > :08:55.concentrate on Connaught. I'm just performing well and they chance to
:08:55. > :08:58.get out on the pit. It does seem like a long shot but who knows?
:08:58. > :09:04.very honest interview from Andrew Trimble but what we do know is he's
:09:04. > :09:09.very highly rated by the Ulster coach.
:09:09. > :09:16.Yes, you can see the way Mark Anscombe picks his boys. He does not
:09:16. > :09:21.like to take a backward step. Andrew is one of the best wingers. For me,
:09:21. > :09:31.he's probably in pole position for a of the season for all stuff.
:09:31. > :09:31.
:09:31. > :09:35.deadly finisher. Yes. Very clever. He is calling for the kick in the
:09:35. > :09:41.corner now. A magnificent piece of execution. Andrew has seen the
:09:41. > :09:47.space. Able to read the situation. He puts himself in the right
:09:47. > :09:52.position to take it. It is the physicality he brings but also every
:09:52. > :10:00.week he is consistently performing at a massively high level. Andrew is
:10:00. > :10:05.there every week performing nine out of ten. We have heard the Connaught
:10:05. > :10:09.coach, Eric Elwood, here he is prepared to go toe to toe with
:10:09. > :10:19.Ulster this evening, but I imagine Connaught will want to avoid that
:10:19. > :10:25.
:10:25. > :10:28.physical battle. Be injured player is back early and has hit the ground
:10:28. > :10:33.running. Although it was a disappointing game against Saracens
:10:33. > :10:38.I thought he did well. He's getting up to nearly full place now. -- full
:10:38. > :10:42.pace. Then you have Jared Payne and probably the only thing for him is
:10:42. > :10:48.that he has had a future is hampering him a little bit. So he
:10:48. > :10:56.has struggled to get the same form he had earlier in the season.
:10:56. > :11:00.you have to learn to go by it and Ulster are probably not going to do
:11:00. > :11:10.it correctly to begin with. Two white too fast, I think you will
:11:10. > :11:11.
:11:11. > :11:15.see. -- too wide. We want to see the likes of Trimble, Payne get the ball
:11:15. > :11:20.with one hand because if we can get them quick early released we will
:11:20. > :11:27.see damage. You have Tommy Bowe and Andrew Trimble, two big strong boys
:11:27. > :11:31.but Connaught have a couple. They are big strong boys too. The game
:11:31. > :11:36.has changed slightly. What is the key for an Ulster success tonight?
:11:36. > :11:42.What have they got to get absolutely right? Kickoffs have been an issue.
:11:42. > :11:52.In Saracens, in the quarter-final of the Heineken cup, they kicked
:11:52. > :12:01.badly. Set pieces will have to go well. Again, a big bonus on putting
:12:01. > :12:04.a marker down this evening. Set pieces in term of lineout. Intensity
:12:04. > :12:10.is one of the main things. We want people to play with a massive
:12:10. > :12:16.intensity. The bench is outstanding that can come on. If you look at the
:12:16. > :12:21.guys like Henderson, Marshall, Michael Allen. All of these guys can
:12:21. > :12:27.make an impact. So they should not be waiting for 64 things to happen.
:12:27. > :12:30.You have to go out early and make it happen. Eric Elwood is the driving
:12:30. > :12:36.force behind Connaught. Will it be a strange situation for him that the
:12:36. > :12:43.incoming coach, Pat Lam, is there already and monitoring things? There
:12:43. > :12:46.are not many coaches who would accept that? You can rest assured
:12:46. > :12:51.that the players will be playing very much for him this evening. He
:12:51. > :12:55.is a man who is green through and through. He has never played any
:12:55. > :13:03.rugby anywhere else. He commands a massive amount of respect. Rest
:13:03. > :13:07.assured, it will play hard for him this evening. Ulster, obviously,
:13:07. > :13:11.after having had such a good season and being runaway leaders in the
:13:11. > :13:18.PRO12, they do not want to slip away with this. They want a guaranteed
:13:18. > :13:21.home semi-final. It is crucial for them. They did slip a bit and they
:13:21. > :13:28.have got back again, so hopefully a big four months tonight and that
:13:28. > :13:36.will assure them of possibly top edition in the league. Thank you
:13:36. > :13:38.both very much. Connaught have only beaten Ulster once in their last
:13:38. > :13:44.three team meetings but that was at the Sportsground last year. Time to
:13:44. > :13:54.see how this Irish Derby unfold this evening in the company of Ryan
:13:54. > :14:13.
:14:13. > :14:20.Constable and you merely. Good good evening. Jackson and Pienaar
:14:20. > :14:30.combined together once again. Jared Payne returns to the full-back
:14:30. > :14:38.position. It is a game that Ulster will be expected to bring but they
:14:38. > :14:44.simply cannot afford to lose. Last weeks when turning over the Glasgow
:14:44. > :14:54.Warriors bring Ulster to the top of the league once again. There is
:14:54. > :14:58.
:14:58. > :15:08.Gavin Duffy with what I assume is a little baby Duffy. Mike McCarthy is
:15:08. > :15:08.
:15:08. > :15:13.off to Leinster. Muldoon is open side flanker. Full-back Robbie
:15:13. > :15:21.Henshaw has damaged his forum so Duffy is in the last line of
:15:21. > :15:29.defence. Marmion starts his 20th consecutive league game. The referee
:15:29. > :15:35.is from Munster am an Irish international referee making his
:15:35. > :15:40.47th league appearance this evening. Jackson, who played in the centre in
:15:40. > :15:50.the corresponding fixture a year ago, when Ulster went down by 26-21,
:15:50. > :15:52.
:15:52. > :16:02.starts here at the Sportsground in goal way. -- in Galloway. -- in
:16:02. > :16:33.
:16:34. > :16:43.in Ulster's favour. -- other wind. The vastly experienced Connacht
:16:44. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :17:00.front row. A penalty straight away against Ulster. That does not bode
:17:00. > :17:05.well for the rest of this game. Given the experienced in the Ulster
:17:06. > :17:15.front row, Rory Best will be able to lead that scrum. It will be an
:17:16. > :17:33.
:17:33. > :17:41.intriguing contest. First set piece Connacht line-up. Taken by Mike
:17:41. > :17:51.McCarthy, who has had a very successful season. This is Adrian
:17:51. > :17:51.
:17:51. > :18:01.Flavin taking them forward. Good work by Dan Touhy. Did he take that
:18:01. > :18:19.
:18:19. > :18:26.Kieran Marmion has given that a fair bit of height. Jared Payne was
:18:26. > :18:36.with him. Ruan Pienaar I is seeing if there is anything in the way of
:18:36. > :18:41.
:18:41. > :18:45.options, and there wasn't. It is going to be a try for Connacht. And
:18:45. > :18:55.George Naoupu dead sin for the first try and Ulster are in all
:18:55. > :18:56.
:18:56. > :19:03.kinds of trouble. -- gets in. committed performance. The kick was
:19:03. > :19:09.inch-perfect. Well-played by trembled. Commitment to the ball at
:19:09. > :19:19.the break down, very difficult to defend. Bolster very short of
:19:19. > :19:26.numbers and an easy run in at the end. -- Ulster. Big George just had
:19:26. > :19:36.to saunter over the line. A great start for Connacht. It came from
:19:36. > :19:57.
:19:58. > :20:06.themselves. Dan Parks is the lead's top scorer by some distance. --
:20:06. > :20:14.league. He does not normally miss them from this range but it goes
:20:14. > :20:21.wide, so a let-off for Ulster. They gave away the penalty and they gave
:20:21. > :20:26.away the try. Ulster don't want to allow Connacht to get off to a good
:20:26. > :20:35.start at home. When you are playing with the wind at your backs you
:20:36. > :20:44.have to maximise the points you get from that. Kieran Marmion waits and
:20:44. > :20:50.takes his time. That was a penalty, Jared Payne went in for the ball
:20:50. > :21:00.and was taken in the air. Got a bit of a bump, I don't think it was
:21:00. > :21:01.
:21:01. > :21:06.militias but it was certainly a careless tackle by Danie Poolman.
:21:06. > :21:13.It was a fair challenge but the man was tackled in the air and, rightly
:21:13. > :21:17.or wrongly, it was always going to be a penalty. His eyes were
:21:17. > :21:22.certainly on the ball as he looked to contest that but contact was
:21:22. > :21:32.made and a penalty duly awarded. A chance for Ulster to get some of
:21:32. > :21:37.
:21:38. > :21:42.those points back. The wind is very definitely behind Ruan Pienaar. It
:21:42. > :21:52.seems to be drifting down towards Galway Bay, so a bit of a swirl on
:21:52. > :22:14.
:22:14. > :22:18.he has not made it. 5-0 in Connacht's favour. Dan Parks has
:22:18. > :22:26.spent more than a decade with Glasgow and then a couple of
:22:26. > :22:33.seasons with the Cardiff Blues. Making sure everybody is behind him.
:22:33. > :22:37.Taken by Ruan Pienaar. He looks to put the pressure on Connacht and
:22:37. > :22:46.that is a very good kick. Ulster have the home side where they want
:22:46. > :22:51.them. He saw the space in behind, very cleverly executed kick. When
:22:51. > :23:01.you have the wind at your back, there is no point playing rugby in
:23:01. > :23:01.
:23:01. > :24:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:24:01. > :24:11.can shift this. They kept can't stop scoring tries, and that
:24:11. > :24:13.
:24:13. > :24:22.was a belter. The identification of where the space was to support the
:24:22. > :24:25.player holding his line. That is very clever communication and
:24:26. > :24:35.understanding from the players' of where they are supporting players
:24:36. > :24:42.
:24:42. > :24:52.were coming from. Stuart Olding's finish was perfect. Ruan Pienaar
:24:52. > :25:02.
:25:02. > :25:12.adds the extras and Ulster find themselves in the League. -- the
:25:12. > :25:26.
:25:26. > :25:36.the Ulster number rate. That is quite a clever kick. -- Ulster
:25:36. > :25:36.
:25:36. > :26:47.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:26:47. > :26:56.has used the wind well. Great Ulster try, referee had a little
:26:56. > :26:59.look and said it was no problem. That was out of the top draw. The
:26:59. > :27:09.build-up, once again, identification, and then look at
:27:09. > :27:11.
:27:11. > :27:15.this piece of magic. Ruan Pienaar has the skills to release the ball.
:27:15. > :27:25.He left his defender who was tracking him backwards by that
:27:25. > :27:25.
:27:25. > :27:31.change of angle, an outstanding team tried by Ulster. Two out of
:27:31. > :27:41.the top draw by Ulster. They will still be smarting a bit, having
:27:41. > :28:04.
:28:04. > :28:10.Pienaar couldn't quite bring it in. What a turn around, though. Ulster
:28:10. > :28:17.have capitalised on the slightest of chances. The fire power they
:28:17. > :28:27.possess out wide has really been brought to bear on this game.
:28:27. > :28:55.
:28:55. > :28:59.legally. -- by Tommy blow perfectly. They go through multiple phases to
:28:59. > :29:09.get small amounts of ground. Their tactics will switch at half-time
:29:09. > :29:09.
:29:09. > :29:19.and they know what they will have to do with wind at their back.
:29:19. > :29:33.
:29:33. > :29:43.the second scrum and we have played tackle by Stuart Olding on his
:29:43. > :29:43.
:29:43. > :30:24.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:30:24. > :30:33.started very well, physicality and passion, but undone by a couple of
:30:33. > :30:43.turnovers and Ulster are capitalising now. It is Ricky
:30:43. > :30:58.
:30:58. > :31:08.Lutton's third start for Ulster. Good work by Robbie Diack swallowing
:31:08. > :31:22.
:31:22. > :31:32.up. Wilkinson made a decent hit of ground. Connaught looking pretty
:31:32. > :31:52.
:31:52. > :32:02.good here. There is going to be a picked up the ball then and took the
:32:02. > :32:02.
:32:02. > :32:12.vacant position. Not an intentional knocked down so only the knock on.
:32:12. > :32:13.
:32:13. > :32:23.Wilkinson, another man born in South Africa who is now Irish qualified.
:32:23. > :32:43.
:32:43. > :32:53.Tonight is his 121st league game for Ulster 's defence was really wanting
:32:53. > :33:04.
:33:04. > :33:14.there. Yes, system error in defence it looks like from all stuff. Cave
:33:14. > :33:14.
:33:14. > :34:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:34:00. > :34:10.experience having lost here a year in for the near post. That is a
:34:10. > :34:10.
:34:10. > :34:14.cracking kick from Dan Parks. Still inside the first quarter and it is
:34:14. > :34:19.12-12. An excellent throw always pass that got the attacking player
:34:19. > :34:29.on the outside and a clinical finish. Look at this for a kick,
:34:29. > :34:54.
:34:54. > :34:59.and understanding of the conditions. held the ball off the ground to
:34:59. > :35:09.hand if the referee blows his whistle Connacht will get the tail-
:35:09. > :35:27.
:35:27. > :35:31.end of this scrum. Bolster get the put-in to the scrummage. -- Ulster.
:35:31. > :35:35.You are looking at technicalities there and old stubble certainly
:35:35. > :35:45.welcome an opportunity to have some set-piece possession and stamp
:35:45. > :35:59.
:35:59. > :36:09.their authority on proceedings. Jackson, we haven't seen much of
:36:09. > :36:15.
:36:15. > :36:25.him. Clever stuff from holding. -- from Olding. I thought a player was
:36:25. > :36:28.
:36:28. > :36:37.tackled before the ball had passed to him. He certainly directs the
:36:37. > :36:42.team around the park very well. Off the left, of the right, back on his
:36:42. > :36:52.feet. All action stuff. Forced the pass a little bit in terms of the
:36:52. > :36:52.
:36:52. > :37:00.defending player was already on top of the receiver. This might well be
:37:00. > :37:10.all-star's first lineout of the game. It has gone more or less
:37:10. > :37:10.
:37:10. > :38:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:38:03. > :38:08.vertical from PNR. - from Ruan surprised defeat last week are
:38:08. > :38:11.bouncing back again. Ulster and Leominster are at the top of the
:38:11. > :38:17.table and Glasgow are keeping the pressure on them. There is an
:38:17. > :38:25.injury. Gavin Duffy went up for the ball and his head clashed with
:38:25. > :38:35.another Connacht player. Duffy seems to be fine. It is George Naoupu who
:38:35. > :38:40.
:38:40. > :38:44.got the bank on the head. Clumsy stuff but no malicious intent.
:38:44. > :38:54.looks a little wobbly but he is running and seems to be happy enough
:38:54. > :38:54.
:38:54. > :40:02.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:40:02. > :40:05.will come back for the penalty. And Connacht are giving Ulster rob a
:40:06. > :40:11.bleak more problems than Ulster would like. Excellent structure in
:40:11. > :40:21.the rolling ball. Continuing to move, Ulster players working their
:40:21. > :40:26.
:40:26. > :40:33.way forward. The Ulster manager will be concerned. This juncture in the
:40:33. > :40:43.game with 15 minutes left and a 12-12 scoreline. They will be
:40:43. > :41:11.
:41:11. > :41:16.acutely aware they need to get full treacherous when by Dan Parks. He
:41:16. > :41:21.hit it very hard so there was no chance of it deviating. For all
:41:21. > :41:31.stuff it is just about possession. They have shown what they can do
:41:31. > :41:32.
:41:32. > :41:42.with ball in hand. They just need to get their hands on the ball. Well
:41:42. > :41:43.
:41:43. > :42:40.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:42:40. > :42:47.Identifying the ball carrier and heating with numbers. Look at that
:42:47. > :42:54.appetite for work. Getting bumped off initially and then double man
:42:54. > :43:04.tackle forcing Ulster backwards. Very committed stuff. It just
:43:04. > :43:13.
:43:13. > :43:23.epitomises, but's -- Connacht's possession. The best way for
:43:23. > :43:23.
:43:23. > :43:33.Connacht to approach this is to wind the clock down by doing what they
:43:33. > :43:48.
:43:48. > :43:55.do. They take the sting out of handling errors. About half a dozen,
:43:55. > :44:05.I reckon. Although the scrum has never been really under serious
:44:05. > :44:05.
:44:05. > :44:10.pressure. That was a slip. There is a further on the bench, and
:44:10. > :44:20.Henderson and Marshall, who, when he comes on, will win his 100th Ulster
:44:20. > :44:20.
:44:20. > :44:30.this evening. Ulster have the quality to unleash off the bench to
:44:30. > :44:59.
:44:59. > :45:04.give that final momentum for added all-star get the penalty. Eight
:45:04. > :45:11.Connacht player knocked the ball forward and another touched it. It
:45:11. > :45:20.might have been Michael Swift. good clear out from Stevenson. But
:45:20. > :45:27.gave the momentum to all stuff, just piling in, and temptation too much.
:45:27. > :45:37.It is a tough call sometimes. You see the ball even though it has come
:45:37. > :46:06.
:46:06. > :46:12.off one of your own players, and the 15-15. A very entertaining game.
:46:12. > :46:16.Plenty of width to it and plenty of missed tackles. That is what has led
:46:16. > :46:26.to this entertaining game. Some excellent angles have been taken.
:46:26. > :46:36.Clever passing. The Connacht forwards have been split evenly on
:46:36. > :46:39.
:46:39. > :46:48.either side. He has put up straight into touch. That scrum or lineout.
:46:48. > :46:55.They have the option to take the lineout if they wish. Nick
:46:55. > :47:02.Williams, who we have seen off the back of that scrum. You can see the
:47:02. > :47:10.two wings salivating at the prospect of more ball in hand. Plenty of
:47:10. > :47:20.options. On the Ulster left, Stuart Olding, bow-mac... But it is all
:47:20. > :47:20.
:47:20. > :48:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:48:13. > :48:23.about these fellows. You have to Good to see Tommy Bowe getting
:48:23. > :48:26.
:48:26. > :48:29.involved. Went again, excellent work. -- once again. Ulster have now
:48:29. > :48:35.established field position. Let's see what they can do from that
:48:35. > :48:45.platform. Good work initially by Connacht. That is when the ball went
:48:45. > :49:25.
:49:25. > :49:30.wide, and McCartney -- McCarthy was Best. The lineout was affected. Very
:49:30. > :49:32.patient in the way they said that up. Once that protection was in
:49:33. > :49:37.place, they were steady on their feet and they started inching their
:49:37. > :49:44.way forward. Connacht not sacking the player initially and then not
:49:44. > :49:54.committing enough layers to stop that. Rory Best saw the opportunity,
:49:54. > :49:57.
:49:57. > :50:04.straight from the back and over. That just gives Ulster some
:50:05. > :50:14.separation. A much healthier scoreline for them. They don't want
:50:15. > :50:39.
:50:39. > :50:49.Pienaar. He really caught that one. It looks like being a high-scoring
:50:49. > :51:25.
:51:25. > :51:35.encounter, both teams with plenty foot and they will have to do the
:51:35. > :52:06.
:52:06. > :52:16.whole thing again. Good break by excellent break, as we see him
:52:16. > :52:16.
:52:16. > :52:24.shrugging one-off and trying to get into a position for support.
:52:24. > :52:27.Excellent work by Dan Touhy. think it might have been the
:52:27. > :52:37.presence of Nick Williams who knocked a couple of Ulster players
:52:37. > :53:08.
:53:08. > :53:17.Leinster next year. -- Mike McCarthy. Ulster may well feel that
:53:17. > :53:27.the kick for goal will be the best option. Peter fits Gibbons sane but
:53:27. > :53:37.Ulster have decided to have a shot. They head physio is on having a
:53:37. > :53:40.
:53:40. > :53:45.look at Nick Williams. -- their head. Still a bit of concern about
:53:45. > :53:53.Williams. He was getting back to full fitness but he had a couple of
:53:53. > :53:58.minor setbacks. He is always keeping the ball in play. Or start
:53:58. > :54:08.on making very good decisions as to when to commit numbers. --. Are
:54:08. > :54:12.
:54:12. > :54:21.making. -- Ulster are making. might be where Nick Williams got
:54:21. > :54:29.himself twisted. He is up on his feet again, they might want to
:54:29. > :54:39.bring somebody on but there is not that much time to walk -- to the
:54:39. > :55:03.
:55:03. > :55:11.and no more. Just dropped a little bit on the short side so it stays
:55:11. > :55:18.15-22. He shakes his head. That was very close. A decent handful of
:55:18. > :55:28.Ulster supporters have made this trip to the west of Ireland. It
:55:28. > :55:29.
:55:29. > :55:39.used to be about three days' camel ride. Now you can do it in a matter
:55:39. > :55:47.
:55:48. > :55:52.of hours. Well taken by Jared Payne, and he has done well to get away.
:55:52. > :56:02.The referee said it was knocked forward. Well tackled by Eoin
:56:02. > :56:40.
:56:40. > :56:48.Griffin on a Dan Touhy. Ulster's penalty right in front of the posts.
:56:48. > :56:56.Errors, errors, errors. Going long body and offering some extra
:56:56. > :57:04.protection to the ball. Darren Cave looking very hungry to get ball in
:57:04. > :57:14.hand and he made a number of telling contributions there. Parks
:57:14. > :57:23.has not made a lot of ground but if the wind is in Ulster's favour I'm
:57:23. > :57:27.not sure that seven points is the kind of lead they will relish.
:57:27. > :57:37.Connacht are showing signs of dying down and Ulster will certainly
:57:37. > :57:38.
:57:38. > :57:48.relish for that. -- welcome that. McCarthy just weights and then goes
:57:48. > :57:48.
:57:48. > :57:58.in to protect Kieran Marmion. Just about a minute remaining so there
:57:58. > :57:58.
:57:58. > :58:05.may be time. Paddy Jackson communicating what he wants offer
:58:05. > :58:12.this, you imagine he will try to get into the wider channels. He
:58:12. > :58:22.might get on the boat out wide and see what they can achieve -- Tommy
:58:22. > :58:23.
:58:23. > :58:33.Bowe. Longwell spoiled by Connacht. That was a line-out that Ulster
:58:33. > :58:46.
:58:46. > :58:49.simply had to win. -- well as boiled. -- spoiled. I'm sure if
:58:50. > :58:59.Connacht when this scrummage there were just put it straight into
:58:59. > :59:02.touch. -- when the scrummage. they will be reasonably
:59:02. > :59:09.disappointed with some of those missed tackles that led to some of
:59:09. > :59:19.those Ulster tries but overall they are in a reasonably good position.
:59:19. > :59:24.
:59:24. > :59:34.Down goes the scrum. A pat on the head there from Mick Kearney, who
:59:34. > :59:41.
:59:41. > :59:49.is 6 ft 5. I am sure that Kieran Marmion will know exactly what to
:59:49. > :59:56.do with this, should Connacht win it. And he did exactly what his
:59:56. > :00:04.team would expect of him and he has put it into touch. The underlying
:00:04. > :00:14.current seems to be too many errors from Ulster. They have shown they
:00:14. > :00:45.
:00:46. > :00:55.are up for the defensive aspect of All-star outscoring Connacht by
:00:56. > :01:17.
:01:17. > :01:24.three tries to two. And the visitors been involved sums it up. Cracking
:01:24. > :01:29.rugby. Both sides playing with a lot of pace. The viewers are probably
:01:29. > :01:37.happier than the Ulster back room team, though, because there has been
:01:37. > :01:44.a high error count. Yes. In some ways they have been the authors of
:01:44. > :01:52.their own downfall. Whenever they lose concentration they get sloppy
:01:52. > :01:58.and make individual errors. A rare error by Ruan Pienaar at the start
:01:59. > :02:04.of the game got Connacht off to the best possible start. Yes, you do not
:02:04. > :02:07.expect it from him. He makes very few mistakes. Normally he takes the
:02:07. > :02:17.right options in the right positions. Connacht started the game
:02:17. > :02:19.
:02:19. > :02:26.pretty well. They got their forwards and that is very good because the
:02:26. > :02:32.ball is going to hold up to the challenge. It looks like there are a
:02:32. > :02:40.few forwards they're not expecting it. After an initial great take by
:02:40. > :02:49.Andrew... Well taken by Mike McCarthy. It is a simple counter
:02:49. > :02:52.across. Simple Connacht play. They have worked hard. Dan Parks has hit
:02:52. > :03:00.the ball. They have seen a lot of airtime. A rare moment of
:03:00. > :03:10.indecision. It is a bit like with Saracens as well, they play to your
:03:10. > :03:15.mistakes. There was a very good pass as well. He just held it a little
:03:15. > :03:24.bit and fielded it over the head. Fair to Ulster. They responded in
:03:24. > :03:31.emphatic style. Some nice, intricate build-up play as well. It was really
:03:31. > :03:41.Darren Cave that makes that score. He puts pace on the ball first of
:03:41. > :03:45.
:03:45. > :03:52.all. The left-hand pass to Andrew. Great support life. A simple try.
:03:52. > :04:00.That is perfect rugby, that? Yes, it is support play. Darren Cave
:04:00. > :04:09.provided a lovely skip past and he's back in the action again. He ran the
:04:09. > :04:12.inside line and then held -- Olding there again. PML, we talked about
:04:12. > :04:22.the mistake he made at the start of the game but since then he has
:04:22. > :04:25.
:04:25. > :04:31.bounced back. -- Ruan Pienaar. fantastic bit of play here . From
:04:31. > :04:40.this, again, Tommy Bowe picks up the loose bits and pieces, drives in,
:04:40. > :04:50.and again we just assess the options. Ball on, transfer wide.
:04:50. > :04:51.
:04:51. > :05:00.Yellow word -- that is world-class. And it is good. Players understand
:05:00. > :05:07.each other. Trimble knew that Ruan Pienaar had the ability to do that.
:05:07. > :05:11.Pure class from Ruan Pienaar and following it up as well. We talked a
:05:11. > :05:16.lot before the game that Ulster were going to have to try to get their
:05:16. > :05:24.fingers into the game tonight. And they have done that successfully.
:05:24. > :05:31.They have gone looking for it. That is in TUC from Andrew Trimble. --
:05:31. > :05:39.that is something you see from Andrew Trimble. He will be the first
:05:39. > :05:44.to put his hands up. He has gone looking for the ball. He has been
:05:44. > :05:51.very impressive with the ball in hand. He's so strong as well.
:05:51. > :05:56.in this try the problems start from the inside. You can see that there,
:05:56. > :06:00.far too tight. That in turn puts pressure on Darren Cave. Trimble
:06:00. > :06:09.just makes one of those decisions, which he does a lot, and quite often
:06:09. > :06:19.they come off. On that instance it didn't. It was a great finish and
:06:19. > :06:20.
:06:20. > :06:25.certainly Connacht getting back into the game very quickly. All four
:06:25. > :06:33.wingers were very impressive. mentioned earlier about wingers
:06:33. > :06:38.going looking for the ball. You do not normally expect that of wingers
:06:38. > :06:42.but they are big, strong boys and they see the opportunity. We have
:06:42. > :06:48.already seen the importance of when there is a turnover. The speed of
:06:48. > :06:58.your response. And that is the key to Ulster's third school.
:06:58. > :06:58.
:06:58. > :07:03.Absolutely. We contested well at the breakdown. Tommy Bowe's real first
:07:03. > :07:07.groups of open space this afternoon. Click into touch which is shepherded
:07:07. > :07:11.away but then from the lineout. Our set pieces have struggled the last
:07:11. > :07:21.couple of weeks. This is classic. Comfortable throw, beautifully set
:07:21. > :07:22.
:07:22. > :07:26.up. Ruan Pienaar joins the back of the ruck. But it all came from that
:07:26. > :07:33.initial turnover, and the speed of thought there to try to get Tommy
:07:33. > :07:37.down into the action quickly. Exactly right. If it wasn't for that
:07:37. > :07:47.breakdown, if that had not happened, there would never have been a try.
:07:47. > :07:50.
:07:50. > :07:59., would have had easy possession. So it is down to read's try. -- it is
:07:59. > :08:03.down Tuohy's try. Let's hear a bit more from Stuart Olding on the
:08:03. > :08:06.scoresheet tonight. At the start of the season his name would not have
:08:06. > :08:11.been one many would have put on the Ulster team sheet but the
:08:11. > :08:21.20-year-old has made quite an impact and he has now scored four tries in
:08:21. > :08:30.
:08:30. > :08:40.the last six games including a man COMMENTATOR: Ryan Golding does
:08:40. > :08:40.
:08:40. > :08:46.brilliantly. We said we would get five point against the Dragons and
:08:46. > :08:53.everyone is very happy with that. It is always nice to get a man of the
:08:53. > :09:03.match. Have you found blending in with some of the guys you watched
:09:03. > :09:09.
:09:09. > :09:18.growing up? It was quite strange at first. But it is pretty special.
:09:18. > :09:25.Tommy Tait Mack Stuart Olding. Hopefully they are getting more
:09:25. > :09:29.comfortable lead playing with them. He has grasped the nettle and stood
:09:29. > :09:33.up and been outstanding. The energy that he brings and the excitement.
:09:33. > :09:43.It really gives us all a real boost to see a young player taking his
:09:43. > :09:44.
:09:44. > :09:53.chances. The first try for all stuck -- my first right for all-star was a
:09:53. > :10:03.way to Glasgow and that was very special. -- my first try wrote for
:10:03. > :10:14.
:10:14. > :10:24.Ulster was against Vasco and it was clean break. He's going all the
:10:24. > :10:37.
:10:37. > :10:43.way! Is there no end to these first half? Fairly nerve wracking
:10:43. > :10:50.for myself sitting there with the rest of the Ulster support.
:10:50. > :10:58.played here for two years. What is going to be said in the dressing
:10:58. > :11:04.room for Eric Elwood's last match? Play the corners, keep the pressure
:11:04. > :11:14.on and pick up your points. What is the approach from the all stuck in
:11:14. > :11:15.
:11:15. > :11:21.the second half? -- from Ulster. Hopefully we can score a future eyes
:11:21. > :11:26.as wide and get the win. probably can't hear me. There is a
:11:26. > :11:32.massive noise here, a massive atmosphere. You think it is a case
:11:32. > :11:42.of Ulster having to use the bench? Yes. They will be on at some stage.
:11:42. > :11:46.
:11:46. > :11:54.there who has had another game that was good this evening. He is just
:11:54. > :11:57.two years out of school and has ten Ulster caps under his belt. He's
:11:57. > :12:04.very assured, has lovely balance, which is always good to see in a
:12:04. > :12:07.player. What is nice about his left foot step is he does not lose pace
:12:07. > :12:14.with it. He continues with it and that takes him through the defensive
:12:14. > :12:24.line. Ulster have some serious talent at inside centre now. Do you
:12:24. > :12:27.
:12:27. > :12:32.expect Ulster macro to claim this game quickly? Certainly I would say
:12:32. > :12:35.it is theirs to lose. Thank you very much in deed and let's hope for
:12:35. > :12:45.another thrilling 40 minutes in this second half. Back to our commentary
:12:45. > :12:49.
:12:50. > :12:59.get into the scoreboard this week. The wind is still blowing very much
:12:59. > :13:09.doubt the pitch towards Galway Bay. All stuck again take the option of
:13:09. > :13:11.
:13:11. > :13:15.the scrummage. -- Ulster. Ulster fought on the far side about taking
:13:15. > :13:20.the quick lineout. Jarrow Hain decided to drive the quick lineout
:13:20. > :13:23.option that Rory Best, the skipper, had already told the referee that
:13:24. > :13:32.the scrum option was his preferred option. No sign of any change,
:13:32. > :13:38.especially on the Ulster side, and no changes on the Connacht side.
:13:38. > :13:48.There have been two tries wrote for the home side and three for the
:13:48. > :13:54.
:13:54. > :14:04.visitors. Interesting to see if they play the double bluff on this one.
:14:04. > :14:07.
:14:07. > :14:17.The referee has penalised them. Good refereeing. I am pretty sure that
:14:17. > :14:24.
:14:24. > :14:28.Ulster will still go for the their armoury, they have shown. A
:14:28. > :14:31.number of clean breaks. They have converted them as well. It becomes
:14:31. > :14:41.about possession and they should have plenty of that in the second
:14:41. > :15:13.
:15:13. > :15:23.play and Connacht squeeze them into touch. Frustrating for coaches when
:15:23. > :15:48.
:15:48. > :15:58.the ball goes into the touch-line Williams. Smith -- good work by the
:15:58. > :16:04.
:16:04. > :16:14.Finance BI Team on the charge. -- by Ulster on the charge. They need
:16:14. > :16:24.
:16:24. > :16:34.points, given that Connacht have the wind. I think Lewis Stevenson
:16:34. > :16:35.
:16:35. > :16:39.took a bash to the head. He was pushed back and his neck was a
:16:39. > :16:46.jarred a bit. I don't think he knows what day it is. I think they
:16:46. > :16:51.might have to take him off. Yes, the doctor is saying, we need to
:16:51. > :16:57.make a change. He is like a boxer who has taken a heavy thump and he
:16:57. > :17:04.is disorientated so, I'm pretty sure that Johann Muller will be
:17:04. > :17:12.coming on. He has probably featuring a bit earlier than
:17:12. > :17:22.anticipated but he will certainly add something. Off goes the
:17:22. > :17:25.
:17:25. > :17:35.unfortunate Lewis Stevenson and on comes Johann Muller. He has
:17:35. > :17:37.
:17:37. > :17:42.captained the side on 47 occasions to date. Lewis Stevenson does not
:17:42. > :17:52.look too bad but every safety precaution has been taken. A rueful
:17:52. > :17:55.
:17:55. > :18:01.smile from the big fellow. Robbie Diack has played 13 of the last 14
:18:01. > :18:08.games, he has started 13. That was a shambles by Ulster, really not
:18:08. > :18:13.satisfactory at all. They will be disappointed to have surrendered
:18:13. > :18:20.that position. That is the luxury of having the wind at your back, if
:18:20. > :18:24.Connacht can get their foot to the ball it will go a long way. They
:18:24. > :18:34.will be looking for Dan Parks to kick deep into the corners and
:18:34. > :19:07.
:19:07. > :19:12.has gone very high and he has been Connacht get the put-in to the
:19:12. > :19:16.scrum. McCarthy sensing the opportunity, holding the ball up
:19:16. > :19:26.and Andrew Trimble's frustration, trying to use his feet to clear
:19:26. > :19:30.
:19:30. > :19:39.that possession false do. -- for Ulster. Ricky Lutton is going off
:19:39. > :19:46.and comes on John Afoa. That is where Ulster lost position. John a
:19:46. > :19:56.floor has a very fine new haircut. He is looking very streamline. --
:19:56. > :20:05.
:20:05. > :20:13.and John Afoa. Free kick against Ulster Furley engagement, very
:20:13. > :20:23.silly. -- for early engagement. Ulster had a great position, they
:20:23. > :20:39.
:20:39. > :20:49.have conceded position and so little. Connacht have an aunt --
:20:49. > :20:50.
:20:50. > :21:00.a replacement on, number 22, Miah Nikora. At Kieran Marmion has a
:21:00. > :21:14.
:21:14. > :21:24.break. Connacht have an extra man Connacht staff, down the hill, the
:21:24. > :21:24.
:21:24. > :21:34.wind behind them. Penalty against Ulster. Referee still playing
:21:34. > :21:44.advantage. Miah Nikora for the drop at goal and he has misted but the
:21:44. > :21:45.
:21:45. > :21:55.penalty will stand. -- he has missed it. If body-language changes,
:21:55. > :21:57.
:21:57. > :22:05.the other side will get a whiff of it. We said just before the
:22:05. > :22:09.interval that seven points might not be enough. The wind is not
:22:09. > :22:15.blowing a gale it normally is but it is distinctly in Connacht's
:22:15. > :22:24.favour and they will look to capitalise early. They are well
:22:24. > :22:28.used to turning it around, coming with the breeze at their backs.
:22:28. > :22:37.There will be an increase in physicality. The breakdown is the
:22:37. > :22:41.area they have profited from in terms of turnover. His left foot
:22:41. > :22:50.puts it right between the posts and it is looking rather ominous for
:22:50. > :23:00.Ulster, not for the first time. We have played 8 minutes in the second
:23:00. > :23:00.
:23:00. > :23:53.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:23:53. > :24:01.half. Connacht will be looking for is hurt. Taking a heavy tackle as
:24:01. > :24:08.he tried to slip that ball on to the inside. Excellent work by
:24:08. > :24:18.Fetu'u Vainikolo, spotting that opportunity. Adjudicated forward by
:24:18. > :24:29.
:24:29. > :24:39.the referee. Dan Parks has been replaced by near -- by Miah Nikora.
:24:39. > :24:40.
:24:40. > :24:49.He was got in the ribs, I think. He took a fair rolled thump from fair
:24:49. > :24:57.to Vainikolo, but I think he is fine. -- old thump. Only four
:24:57. > :25:05.points between them. A lot of rugby left to be played in this game and
:25:05. > :25:14.we hope it is as entertaining as the first half. You think that the
:25:14. > :25:24.team that can assert themselves at breakdowns... The referee will want
:25:24. > :25:54.
:25:54. > :26:04.things in terms of the top two finish. Connacht take it on the
:26:04. > :26:10.
:26:10. > :26:20.initially conceding territory in a dodgy scrum. And they get the
:26:20. > :26:36.
:26:36. > :26:41.offences since he came on and next time I think it will be a yellow
:26:41. > :26:51.card, so the haircut is not doing him too much good! A great kick by
:26:51. > :26:59.Miah Nikora and Ah You in a very good position. -- Connacht in a
:26:59. > :27:02.very good position. The crowd starts to surge behind you, the
:27:02. > :27:09.players get that belief and they get into a fever where they are
:27:09. > :27:19.difficult to stop. The break down, you sense, will be key in
:27:19. > :27:24.
:27:24. > :27:32.determining the outcome. Connacht's line-out a bit untidy and stolen by
:27:32. > :27:41.Ulster. A good clearance by Pienaar. Ulster are still inside their first
:27:41. > :27:51.-- their own half. First-half tries by Rory Best, Andrew Trimble and
:27:51. > :27:51.
:27:51. > :29:18.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:29:18. > :29:28.then at the end it's just not there. Was that an early tackle again do
:29:28. > :29:28.
:29:28. > :29:35.you think? It is the run by Payne that set up the break and Ulster
:29:35. > :29:41.can play with that. It is difficult to see off camera whether that was
:29:41. > :29:48.a grab before he received the ball. I thought that Pienaar was slightly
:29:48. > :29:58.impeded there were and he took that pass. Payne missed five games in a
:29:58. > :30:00.
:30:00. > :30:10.row. Peter Fitzgibbon seems to be enjoying himself. Etienne Reynecke,
:30:10. > :30:11.
:30:11. > :30:21.the 31 South African, is set to come on. That is a penalty. The
:30:21. > :30:24.
:30:25. > :30:34.referee must have seen that. That has probably saved Dee a try. --
:30:35. > :30:37.
:30:37. > :30:47.Connacht a try. Adrian Flavin, who has played his last game as a
:30:47. > :30:50.
:30:50. > :30:58.professional in this Jersey, is replaced by Reynecke. 15 minutes
:30:58. > :31:07.played in the second half. The only score was a penalty for Connacht by
:31:07. > :31:16.Miah Nikora. Good squeeze by Ulster. Tom Court penalised for coming in
:31:16. > :31:22.at an angle. That happened in the first scrum of the game and he has
:31:22. > :31:27.done it again. Very unusual for a team in command of the scrums to
:31:27. > :31:37.give away a penalty. They are in a defensive position and a penalty
:31:37. > :31:43.
:31:43. > :31:52.goes against them. -- defensive position. -- offensive. Another
:31:52. > :32:02.replacement for Connacht. Ben Wilkinson is going off. -- Brett
:32:02. > :32:42.
:32:42. > :32:51.Wilkinson. I think it might be trying to bring the player to the
:32:51. > :32:58.ground. When two men get in there and create a good body position they
:32:58. > :33:07.create that sandwich. You cannot help but admire Connacht's
:33:07. > :33:13.application when coming up against teams stacked with inspiration.
:33:13. > :33:19.There is the old finger test to see if there is anything wrong, and Rory
:33:19. > :33:27.Best seems to have passed that finger test. There is Pat Lam, the
:33:27. > :33:37.new coach. There is less case, the man who is going to lead Ireland to
:33:37. > :33:54.
:33:54. > :34:04.north America in a couple of -- Racine. -- wrote Ulster seem in
:34:04. > :34:26.
:34:26. > :34:33.Ah You. I think the referee possession map -- I think the
:34:33. > :34:42.referee's attention was called to that. The strength of the wind there
:34:42. > :34:48.is fairly clear because Pienaar has not made a good deal of ground. We
:34:48. > :34:53.come to the third quarter of the game and Ulster lead by only four
:34:53. > :35:00.points. They need a fume or insurance points. That was pretty
:35:00. > :35:10.awful. Pienaar managed to get it away, only as far as Trimble, way
:35:10. > :35:46.
:35:46. > :35:56.this game turning in Connacht's momentum, Brian? The more this
:35:56. > :36:06.happens, the more confidence they start to play with. Establishing
:36:06. > :36:07.
:36:08. > :36:13.some field is issued for Connacht. Ulster are going to make a change.
:36:13. > :36:23.Henderson has gone off, Nick Williams has gone on. Diack will go
:36:23. > :36:59.
:36:59. > :37:04.winning the collisions, much better at the breakdown. We have seen that
:37:04. > :37:10.choke tackle used by both teams now to bury good effect. It is a very
:37:10. > :37:17.potent weapon. Ireland have used it and that is starting to filter down
:37:17. > :37:27.to these provinces. A sizeable and always bossy for as Ulster
:37:27. > :37:27.
:37:27. > :37:37.contingent trying to get it high into. -- sizeable and always bossy
:37:37. > :37:43.
:37:43. > :37:53.McCarney has gone off the field. And Andrew Browne, number 19, has gone
:37:53. > :38:20.
:38:20. > :38:27.They gain, Miah Nikora suffering. No, he was not given much
:38:27. > :38:32.protection. He was forced into a brush kit. They, not afford to give
:38:32. > :38:37.cheap session back to Ulster, and Ulster have shown over the course of
:38:37. > :38:47.his game that with enough quality possession they will make clean line
:38:47. > :38:47.
:38:47. > :40:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:40:14. > :40:24.It may well be held up. They will have to go upstairs to the Tiempo.
:40:24. > :40:25.
:40:25. > :40:31.-- T M O. It is not any reason why they cannot award the try. It is
:40:32. > :40:37.down to Seamus Flannery. It is all about whether Payne did make contact
:40:37. > :40:42.with the ground or whether it was held up. It certainly looks like
:40:42. > :40:52.Poolman has got between the ball and the ground on the initial contact.
:40:52. > :40:54.
:40:54. > :40:58.Whether he has managed to hold it up after that will be decided. If it is
:40:58. > :41:08.held up it is going to be a five metre scrum and they will not
:41:08. > :41:10.
:41:10. > :41:16.complain against that. No, it will not be the worst result for Ulster.
:41:16. > :41:22.They are still checking. Is this going to be the angle? There is the
:41:22. > :41:29.ball and does that get down? It is held up on a forearm. I do not think
:41:29. > :41:35.that has made contact with the turf. Somebody's forearm is beneath that.
:41:35. > :41:45.I think it is the Connacht player 'ss forearm, Poolman's forearm. So
:41:45. > :42:03.
:42:03. > :42:13.metre scrum. -- holster macro have -- no try, but Ulster have the five
:42:13. > :42:17.
:42:17. > :42:22.metre scrum. Night has fallen in the West of Ireland. Ulster really need
:42:22. > :42:32.to get something from this if the light of silverware is going to keep
:42:32. > :43:02.
:43:02. > :43:09.Arguably the most important scrum of passage of play but even bolster can
:43:09. > :43:19.manage seven points they will feel a lot more comfortable. -- if Ulster
:43:19. > :43:44.
:43:44. > :43:54.Ulster, I am sure, we'll go for the scrum again. Absolutely. Trying to
:43:54. > :43:54.
:43:54. > :44:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:44:36. > :44:42.penalty. And Ulster will take another scrum. No prizes for that
:44:42. > :44:47.one. When you have that much dominant and you have had two
:44:47. > :44:51.penalties preceding this decision, there is absolutely no doubt what
:44:51. > :44:57.Ulster are trying to achieve. they have to do is make sure they do
:44:57. > :45:07.not engage early, and then get the squeeze on, and then the penalty try
:45:07. > :45:10.
:45:10. > :45:20.may just come. But let's not take anything for granted. Rory Best get
:45:20. > :45:41.
:45:41. > :45:50.a grip of his best international said the scrum was up, and Ulster
:45:50. > :45:58.will do it again. The fifth macro time. Ulster it would have been
:45:58. > :46:03.disaster for Ulster if the game had continued and the ball was out.
:46:03. > :46:13.all the time the clock is ticking. 12 minutes remaining. Four points
:46:13. > :46:13.
:46:13. > :47:11.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:47:11. > :47:17.scrum. Have Ulster blown their chance? They are still on the right
:47:17. > :47:26.part of the pitch, four points up going into the last few minutes of
:47:26. > :47:36.this game. Would you rule out a breakaway try? Not the way this
:47:36. > :47:37.
:47:37. > :47:46.game is going. Connacht getting the last push at the end to. Connacht's
:47:46. > :47:56.defence in the second half has been terrific. Making a replacement, the
:47:56. > :47:58.
:47:58. > :48:02.scrum-half has gone off. Paul O'Donohoe is the man who has come
:48:02. > :48:11.on. What a good game Kieran Marmion has played, he has started every
:48:11. > :48:17.single league game this season. If Ulster ever need to put the squeeze
:48:17. > :48:25.on the opposition front row, it is now. Early engagement by a Ulster.
:48:25. > :48:35.That has given the free kick to Connacht. They will probably really
:48:35. > :48:42.
:48:42. > :48:52.Willie it down the middle of the park. That is a good kick. Ulster
:48:52. > :49:12.
:49:12. > :49:19.on the back foot. Good positional Bowe. He may well have won it for
:49:19. > :49:25.Ulster, and with a bonus point. Henderson took off the side line
:49:25. > :49:30.but had the presence there of mind to see that the defence had over
:49:30. > :49:37.committed. He nearly stumbled, managed to stay and then it was a
:49:37. > :49:43.very clever offload out of the back of a hand. A deadly finish and
:49:43. > :49:49.Ulster will be very happy that this game looks beyond doubt. Great
:49:49. > :49:58.things will happen to Henderson, great things have happened to Tommy
:49:58. > :50:08.Bowe. That was a heck of a combination, B pace, the offload
:50:08. > :50:23.
:50:23. > :50:29.and the poacher's finish. -- that Beautiful kick. Is it safe for
:50:29. > :50:39.Ulster? Eight minutes remaining. What a run by Henderson and Tommy
:50:39. > :50:40.
:50:40. > :50:50.Bowe came from nowhere to finish it off. They had too much on the bench,
:50:50. > :51:24.
:51:24. > :51:34.one of those substitutes, in to dead. -- Miah Nikora has left
:51:34. > :51:46.
:51:46. > :51:56.five for Ulster. This is certainly going to win it for the league
:51:56. > :52:02.leaders. Connacht tiring, Ulster's bench as strong. Scrappy kicking in
:52:02. > :52:11.the interchange and the ball bounced fortuitously, Rob Herring
:52:11. > :52:16.doing very well. Too much pace, he goes all the way. Jared Payne was
:52:16. > :52:22.in the perfect position to support and the perfect position to finish.
:52:22. > :52:32.He had to run a lot further than Tommy Bowe but those five points
:52:32. > :52:37.
:52:37. > :52:46.are just as good as Tommy's. Jared Payne's 6th League drive. -- try.
:52:46. > :52:51.Last season he only played less than a handful of games. At 22-18
:52:51. > :53:00.for most of the second half, this game was in the balance but it has
:53:00. > :53:07.very definitely swung in the balance of Ulster. Pienaar has not
:53:07. > :53:12.made good the conversion but in the long run it is not going to matter.
:53:12. > :53:21.The game is really secure now, those late scores have really sewn
:53:21. > :53:25.it up. Not many teams have ever beat Connacht down here but it is
:53:25. > :53:35.the quality you can bring off the bench, and that has been the
:53:35. > :53:35.
:53:35. > :53:40.defining factor here. A bit of Ulster robbery history about to be
:53:40. > :53:50.made. Paul Marshall is going to come on the field and when his
:53:50. > :53:57.
:53:57. > :54:07.100th Ulster cap. -- win. Jared Payne is going off and Peter Nelson
:54:07. > :54:23.
:54:23. > :54:32.is coming on. Congratulations to not too dangerous. The referee is
:54:32. > :54:42.playing the advantage to Connacht. Mata Fifita has come on for
:54:42. > :55:12.
:55:12. > :55:18.Connacht. Good tackle by Ulster's line-out, less than four minutes
:55:18. > :55:28.remaining. They would not have liked to be out of the European
:55:28. > :55:31.
:55:31. > :55:41.competition but it does give them a break, they have Cardiff at home.
:55:41. > :55:41.
:55:41. > :55:50.Mike Allen coming on for Ulster. Tommy Bowe is going off. Not a bad
:55:50. > :55:57.return to Ulster Rob very -- rugby since he came back from injury.
:55:57. > :56:03.will be a nervous 10 days for a lot of players, seeing if they make the
:56:03. > :56:07.plane to Australia. It looks like Tommy Boyle will get three and a
:56:07. > :56:17.bit more minutes to press his claim for that, because it looks like he
:56:17. > :56:20.
:56:20. > :56:30.is not leaving the field. -- Tommy Bowe. The referee is playing the
:56:30. > :56:34.
:56:34. > :56:44.advantage. Advantage is over. Jackson gave that plenty of air.
:56:44. > :57:01.
:57:01. > :57:06.of the park there by Connacht. Reynecke, who likes to run wide.
:57:06. > :57:16.Connacht still driving forward, Ulster have got themselves offside.
:57:16. > :57:26.Three minutes remaining. Connacht trying to give Eric Elwood and
:57:26. > :57:29.
:57:29. > :57:37.evening to remember. -- and evening. They are not a team that give up,
:57:37. > :57:44.they are playing to the final whistle. They are trying to erode
:57:44. > :57:54.the margin to give added respectability to their efforts.
:57:54. > :58:06.
:58:06. > :58:16.Ulster a little warning about stepping across the imaginary line
:58:16. > :58:29.
:58:29. > :58:32.played more games for Connacht than anybody. Ulster are digging in,
:58:32. > :58:42.they don't want their line crossed for a third time. They may not have
:58:42. > :58:51.
:58:51. > :59:01.any choice, the ball has gone loose. has had another impressive, solid
:59:01. > :59:06.
:59:06. > :59:13.game for Ulster. Connacht swarming forward like a pile of angry bees.
:59:13. > :59:18.Ulster hanging on to them, into the last minute of the game. I think
:59:18. > :59:25.even the losing bonus point is beyond them but a try would give
:59:25. > :59:35.them a great sending off. And Paul Marshall on the occasion of his
:59:35. > :59:35.
:59:35. > :00:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds
:00:36. > :00:42.into it with gusto as always. -- Robbie Diack. I think a punch may
:00:43. > :00:52.have been thrown somewhere there. It has all been played in pretty good
:00:53. > :00:54.
:00:54. > :01:02.spirit thus far. The referee has seen it all before. He is not the
:01:02. > :01:12.first to a bit of how is your father. Fifita is going to be
:01:12. > :01:35.
:01:35. > :01:40.penalised. Danger is joining of the to do is make a dead, and he does,
:01:40. > :01:45.and Ulster have survived for 25 minutes of trepidation in the second
:01:45. > :01:51.half, having been 22-18 up and looking a bit iffy, they have come
:01:51. > :02:01.back with style and when this game with a 5-point bonus when, top of
:02:01. > :02:08.
:02:08. > :02:12.was an excellent entertaining Friday night game of rugby. Certainly value
:02:12. > :02:22.for money. Seven tries and an Ulster bonus point win five in the first
:02:22. > :02:26.
:02:26. > :02:30.half, three for Connacht. Ulster huffed and puffed and eventually the
:02:30. > :02:33.Connacht defence creaked and Ulster breathed a sigh of relief, two
:02:33. > :02:41.second-half scores and they are top of the PRO12 and looking very good
:02:41. > :02:48.of the PRO12 and looking very good now for a home semi-final. Not quite
:02:48. > :02:58.guaranteed yet because Glasgow have also won. They still need to win
:02:58. > :03:05.
:03:05. > :03:12.their final home game to make sure precarious. But Ulster close the
:03:12. > :03:22.game very well. You just felt almost the game was slipping away from
:03:22. > :03:22.
:03:22. > :03:29.Ulster. We saw them quite early on introducing Johann Muller, which was
:03:29. > :03:32.to be expected as well. Once he and the other substitute came on, a
:03:32. > :03:39.degree of experience, but they had to absorb and play a lot of, its
:03:39. > :03:43.player early on. One of the players certainly came on and made a real
:03:43. > :03:47.impact and that was Henderson, who set up that great Tommy Bowe try.
:03:47. > :03:57.goes from strength to strength. He has an amazing ability to always
:03:57. > :03:59.
:03:59. > :04:03.beat the first tackler. Henderson looks like he stumbles a little bit
:04:03. > :04:12.but he regained himself and it is a good turn of pace, but it is the
:04:12. > :04:18.offload on Tommy Bowe. Someone of Tommy Bowe's pace and strength.
:04:18. > :04:23.There has obviously been good communication there as well.
:04:23. > :04:27.pass was superb but the one thing that has impressed me the season
:04:27. > :04:32.about Iain Henderson, his ability to go forward. He only knows one way
:04:32. > :04:36.every time he gets the ball. does, and he gets five yards further
:04:37. > :04:42.than he should really have. It is bizarre how he manages to do it but
:04:42. > :04:48.his ability to fly at and not just died with the ball. Quite a lot in
:04:49. > :04:54.the second half, players were dying with the ball or being held up in
:04:54. > :05:01.the choke tackle situation so he showed a lot of lovely strength.
:05:01. > :05:05.Jared Payne scored one, probably should have scored two? The first
:05:05. > :05:15.one was an interesting one. And Ulster tagging from right to left.
:05:15. > :05:16.
:05:16. > :05:22.Henderson again rubbing a tackle. A reasonably quick tackle. Jarod has
:05:22. > :05:28.the option here to give the past. I think you have to credit Poolman in
:05:28. > :05:33.the right wing. He just does enough initially. If they had looked at the
:05:33. > :05:43.footage for a little longer it would have been interesting. They stopped
:05:43. > :05:45.
:05:45. > :05:51.quite early. It is not a wonderful kick there, and herring as well. --
:05:51. > :05:57.Herring does well. We talked about their invention and Payne read that
:05:57. > :06:02.very early. It is just the change in that pace. Herring takes the ball
:06:02. > :06:11.and everyone is able it flat-footed and then just from nowhere he hits
:06:11. > :06:18.it. That is experience. Tommy ran the Trail mine beautifully. -- the
:06:18. > :06:25.line beautifully. Let's oink our reporter and hear from one of the
:06:25. > :06:30.try scorers. You are the first player to score 50
:06:30. > :06:36.tries but I imagined you probably happier with the result tonight?
:06:36. > :06:44.suppose that is nice. But I think more so the great victory down here
:06:44. > :06:53.in Connacht. It is a difficult place to come. I hope we say stop -- stay
:06:53. > :06:59.top of the table. I did not really think I was going to get it. What
:06:59. > :07:05.was your assessment of the game? It was great from the fans' point of
:07:06. > :07:15.view. There were plenty of good tries in it will stop we felt it was
:07:15. > :07:21.a tough match up front. When we held on to the ball and we went through a
:07:21. > :07:28.fee paces, we held it. We can look forward. There were some nervous
:07:28. > :07:32.moments at 18-22. I was hoping to get the ball so unfortunately it did
:07:32. > :07:37.not come, but there were a few moments where it could have gone
:07:37. > :07:44.either way and Connacht had us under pressure. How much of that can you
:07:44. > :07:49.take out to Cardiff? A massive amount. We really upped our
:07:49. > :07:56.performance last week against the Dragons and we did it again today.
:07:56. > :07:58.To stay top of the league, to get a home semi-final, is very important
:07:58. > :08:04.to us. As Tommy Bowe quite rightly said
:08:04. > :08:11.there, a lot of credit to Connacht tonight who really played their part
:08:11. > :08:15.in a gripping performance. And I think the forwards will come of
:08:15. > :08:18.battered and bruised. I think Connacht had the better of them. It
:08:18. > :08:23.was the breakdown area but also been held up in the tackle, the choke
:08:23. > :08:33.tackle that we talked about. The difference between the two was
:08:33. > :08:37.
:08:37. > :08:43.Ulster had indeed -- held up and running into hard. Even defensively,
:08:44. > :08:48.everyone else to people in but whenever, carried the ball they were
:08:48. > :08:58.happy to keep the momentum and able to regenerate the ball. Ulster work
:08:58. > :09:01.
:09:01. > :09:09.carrying the ball too high. What did you make of the cynical took on the
:09:09. > :09:19.shirt of Ruan Pienaar? -- what did you make of the cynical talk on the
:09:19. > :09:19.
:09:19. > :09:28.shirt? There were two angles. Where is the referee? There is a different
:09:28. > :09:35.angle that we see later on. He falls and was completely unblinded.
:09:35. > :09:40.great of Tommy Bowe to get the early momentum. You can see room Pienaar
:09:40. > :09:49.almost looking to extend this. They probably should have had the
:09:49. > :09:58.composure to go on and finish it off. Hard to home him for that.
:09:58. > :10:04.Perhaps if the referee had not seen it. -- hard to blame him for that.
:10:04. > :10:08.There were several bodies in the way. An excellent win for Ulster
:10:08. > :10:12.tonight. They scored some fabulous tries but I suppose the coaching
:10:12. > :10:15.staff are always going to go away and try to pinpoint what did not go
:10:15. > :10:25.right and there were some Ulster Everest is evening which they will
:10:25. > :10:34.
:10:34. > :10:37.not have been happy with. Especially scrum a couple of times. This is
:10:38. > :10:44.again an instance of a contact situation, going in leading with the
:10:44. > :10:49.ball. All stat have not been able to hit it to generate the ball that has
:10:49. > :10:57.been turned over. Exactly what they needed. On occasions, you needed
:10:57. > :11:03.layers to come in and secure that ball and too often, April pass and
:11:03. > :11:13.they get back and regain it but the end losing it again. -- again, April
:11:13. > :11:15.
:11:15. > :11:21.to give Connacht a lot of praise for that. They competed very well in
:11:21. > :11:24.that area. In some of the games Ulster have lost in this season
:11:24. > :11:29.Ulster have got themselves in a similar position and not gone on to
:11:29. > :11:34.win the game, so they will be pleased tonight. Half an hour into
:11:34. > :11:39.the second half, there was not an awful lot of positive to talk about
:11:39. > :11:43.with Ulster but all of sudden, you last ten minutes were sublime, and
:11:43. > :11:51.that is what they are capable of giving. That is why they are top of
:11:51. > :12:01.the season. -- of the table. Let's talk about what Ulster have to do
:12:01. > :12:35.
:12:35. > :12:40.now to secure their semi-final. They What is your take on that? Quite
:12:40. > :12:47.simple, they want to win next week. I think they almost forget about the
:12:47. > :12:52.table, to be honest. Almost forget the permutations. Home advantage,
:12:52. > :12:58.and the Blues, they are a little bit blue. They are not on form. I
:12:58. > :13:02.suspect that may be enough. It is probably highly likely Ulster will
:13:02. > :13:08.get a home semi-final and I imagine at this stage of the season, after
:13:08. > :13:12.they led for so long, they would be massively disappointed if not.
:13:12. > :13:18.think there has been payback on the back of the Saracens performance as
:13:18. > :13:22.well. I think the boys have been feeling down on the performance they
:13:22. > :13:31.gave. And nearly almost giving it away, coming back strongly again.
:13:31. > :13:34.Ulster seem to be heeding a bit of form again. -- heating. They are
:13:34. > :13:38.starting to play some entertaining rugby again. Gavin again, pitch
:13:38. > :13:47.side. These man of the match awards are
:13:47. > :13:57.like buses, two coming along at once. The weather was not too good,
:13:57. > :14:01.very rainy and windy. But it has been sunny today. They gave this a
:14:01. > :14:10.scare within 20 minutes or so, but all credit to our prize as well. We
:14:10. > :14:19.did not let them in in the end. physical as well? Yes, I took a shot
:14:19. > :14:28.in the reads. -- in the ribs. will that do for you but the end of
:14:28. > :14:32.the season? The five points is exactly what we set out to achieve.
:14:32. > :14:42.Climax thank you. If you tuned in late this evening,
:14:42. > :14:52.
:14:52. > :14:59.you missed a cracking match. Four end stuff. It was a question of
:14:59. > :15:05.drawing the men onto the support lines. Very impressive. You think
:15:05. > :15:14.about the galaxy that Ulster have. Paddy Wallace, Marshall, a sublime
:15:14. > :15:20.bit of play here. Two men. They are still about to do their finish and
:15:20. > :15:24.he takes it with aplomb. And this is obviously from good build-up play.
:15:24. > :15:29.Good turnover and kick and chase to get the field position. And this was
:15:29. > :15:39.an area, probably, that Ulster did not excel in as much as they would
:15:39. > :15:57.
:15:57. > :16:05.Again, fitness, everybody is basically there. They are missing
:16:05. > :16:15.him Paddy Wallace but the likes of Stuart Olding and Henderson are
:16:15. > :16:21.
:16:21. > :16:26.putting their name up in Stars. fiercely the supporters will be
:16:26. > :16:36.disappointed because they would have loved to have seen a final
:16:36. > :16:39.
:16:39. > :16:42.there. -- obviously. If they can do it twice in one season it will be
:16:42. > :16:46.impressive. Ulster seemed to be coming good again and playing
:16:47. > :16:53.really nice rugby. Thank you both very much for your company. One