Ulster v Scarlets Ulster Rugby Live

It is a landmark day for long serving Ulster player, Roger Wilson,

making his 200 appearance on the team. Paddy Jackson is named captain

for the day as Ulster try to put themselves back on top of the Pro12

table. They welcomed the Scarlets to Belfast this afternoon. They have

the rice set on a place in the play-offs and they have already

beaten Ulster in the corresponding fixture this season. It is Ulster

Rugby live from the Kingspan Stadium. The rain has subsided for

now, thankfully, but there have been some heavy downpours over the past

few days. It'll be interesting to see how the pitch holds up this

afternoon. You are very well come to around 15 of the Guinness Pro12.

Joining us this Sunday afternoon, Stephen Ferris. First, we can bring

up-to-date with all the rest of the resources we can. There were wins

for Treviso against Dragons and Ospreys over Edinburgh. Munster lost

to Glasgow. Leinster won narrowly away to Cardiff and Cardiff --

Connacht secured a bonus point victory against Zebre. Connacht are

top, Leinster second, which means it is third against fourth today.

Munster has slipped out of the top six. Stephen, do you expect also to

get the bonus point today to go back to the top of the table? It is going

to be hard. They have been playing some good stuff, but I expect Ulster

to win. You look at the team sheets, lots of quality spread throughout

this Ulster team. I can just see a win for them. Thankfully the rain

has stopped and we should get a little bit more running rugby.

Ulster have been winning, they have not been shining recently. Can they

afford to play so badly today against a talented Scarlets team? It

is a good talent town, to play badly and to win. They have taken points

from the last six games. The Scarlets are not won away from home

since December. It is therefore Ulster to win. Having been speaking

to Stevie Jones and Darren Heyworth, Scarlets are quite confident that

they can come here and can Ulster over. Roger Wilson, big day for him,

his 200th appearance. You played alongside him many times. A special

landmark. What a great player. It will sorry for him because he did

not fulfil his international career like he would have but to have 200

caps for your province is unbelievable. He is an absolute

veteran. He is still trucking on for Ulster, rolling with the punches,

and I expect a mass of performance and for the crowd to get behind him.

Paddy Jackson, skipper for the afternoon? He has all the potential

to be a future skipper. It puts a lot of pressure on Paddy Jackson.

Given the media hype about his inclusion within the Irish squad

this week, he has had a bit more pressure put on him. I hope it does

not affect his game too much. The win today, it starts to put Ulster

in a comparable position. It really does. They just need to keep the

momentum going. Happy days, that is what I will be wanting. They will be

looking for a better performance today. Hopefully it will be another

four, five pointer. We will be hearing from Roger Wilson at

half-time, the doubles and during. First, sit back and enjoy the

first-half in their company of Eddie O'Sullivan and Jim Nealon.

No changes upfront from a week ago for the Scarlets. Experienced men in

the front row, Phil John and Peter Edwards. And Alan Schindler in the

second row forward. The only changes are the half-backs, Alan Davies and

Alan Thomas, N. Plenty of pace out on the wings with van der Merwe and

Owen. And the vastly experienced Regan King in the middle alongside

the skipper, Hadley Park. In the 2008-9 season, the Scarlets did the

double on this Ulster side. But all eyes on Roger Wilson, looking

slightly embarrassed. A tough man on the field, a modest man orbit. 117

appearances for Northampton Saints, but this is appearance number 200

for his following in the four steps of his grandfather, his great uncle

's in playing for Ireland. One single Irish appearance back in

2005. Skiers reward for what has been a remarkable career. -- scarce

reward. Paddy Jackson has not captained the side since his last

year at Methodist College. A number of changes. Four changes upfront,

Andrew Warwick and John Andrew, in. Two changes in the back row with

Roger Wilson returning and Chris Henry starting. It is an all

international back row with Wilson, Henry and Diack. That is a pretty

decent looking three quarters line with Marshall coming in to replace

Stuart McCloskey. And the fast improving Jacob Stockdale on the

left wing. The referee is the man who did the Ulster against Treviso

game three weeks ago. He is from Wales, and he is Ian Davies. Ulster,

attacking the war memorial end at this ground. Some hesitation whilst

the officials get their communications right. The Ulster

captain Paddy Jackson gets us underway on this Sunday afternoon.

That was taken by big Morgan Allen who scored a corker of a try last

weekend. Davies, the scrum-half released by the Welsh management

from the Six Nations squad. Wilson getting away from van der Merwe.

Andrew Warwick, back in the starting line-up. Not a lot of room.

Marshall, showing that footwork of his. Taken on by Robbie Diack. Nice,

flat pass. Good, hard drive forward by Ulster ringside that. Luke

Marshall has not played for couple of weeks. Chris Henry, hoping to

stake a claim for a place in the Six Nations squad before the end of this

season. Good tackle by the Scarlets. That was good defence from the men

from West Wales. And a warm bulk to the Kingspan Stadium to Eddie

O'Sullivan. Just watching the flow of the game. The Welsh boys looked

very solid in defence, very balanced. Also pressing, Abbot of

shadow boxing, as there always is at the start of the game. Certainly,

Scarlets look comfortable. Hopefully they are keen and they can make a

game of this. The Scarlets' first two front row forwards all the way

from Wales, but 1lb Power man is the weight advantage being enjoyed by

this Scarlets forward pack. -- pair man.

Two seriously big, beefy prop forwards that for the Scarlets, Phil

John fast approaching 300 appearances for Scarlets and Peter

Edwards, who is older, on the loosehead site. -- side.

Scarlets have brought four all their backs out of this. That is not a bad

Ulster squeeze. Robbie Diack there to help Paul Marshall. Alan has done

well. Taken on by Schindler. -- Shingler. Will Boyd, new to this

Scarlets side this year. That is going to hang in the breeze. That

will favour Ulster. Terrific work by the Ulster left-wing. Marshall,

Andrew Warwick. Checking to take the pass. Jackson. That was the Scarlets

skipper, Hadley parks. In field now to Alan Thomas. The referee having a

good look, but it is back cleanly on this Scarlets site. Boyd gets it

away nicely. This is Gareth Owen, the Welsh sevens player. Serious

amount of pace, as well. Peter red was taken down inside the Ulster

half. -- Peter Edwards. That was a bad miss, and it is going to be a

try for Michael Collins. What they start by the Scarlets. One missed

tackle in the middle of the field and the Scarlets have punished

Ulster. Scarlets showed a bit of patience. There was not much on, it

came back to the left-hand side and Ulster were a little bit short on

numbers. And the missed tackle on the inside. That was by Darren Cave.

And there it was, the line break. The problem for Darren was that he

was trying to push out, as he knew that numbers were short. And they

are not going to miss chances like this, to run one. The Scarlets coach

will be pleased with that. It was very well engineered. All of a

sudden, there was a four, five man overlap. Once they are short like

that, they are going to have to turn and push, and they turned and pushed

too hard. And that caused the line break. Aled Thomas with the crucial

kick to give Scarlets the win last week overhead bra. -- over

Edinburgh. Precise as are, but he has just hooked on that one. It

could have been worse, but Ulster find themselves five points adrift

to a very well taken try. It was a numbers thing that led to the missed

tackle. It is early in the game. If you want to make a mistake, this is

the time to make it. Also have an advantage in terms of having the

wind behind them. -- Ulster have. Marshall, making the tackle. And

Shingler very quick to help his scrum-half. Here, Scarlets again,

showing great adventure. Regan King plays the dummy. It seemed to have

gone forward. The referee waiting for Advani, and Ulster will get the

scrummage. -- for advantage. Those two long passes get onside of the

defence. And luckily for Ulster they get the ball. In my school rugby

playing days, we had a coach called W L Taylor who said, stick together,

make the ball the work. Ulster need to be more aware of their space.

They have spotted that space wide, and they are going to go after it.

Once again, another strong looking Ulster scrummage. Marshall, to

Gilroy. He has another go, himself. Well tackle by Thomas.

This is better staff. Wilson, nicely done, inside. Marshall again.

Jackson for a bit of territory. That is a good kick. Van der Merwe has to

go all the way back. Pinned back in 22 now, also have got the wind

advantage and they need to use it. The Scarlets Defence comfortable.

Looking at the shape of the defence, Llanelli are the team that is most

comfortable in this game. That was back quickly from Shingler. Morgan

Allen runs into Franco van der Merwe. Impressive stuff at the

breakdown by the Scarlets. That was well kept in by Gilroy.

Not forward. Was that deliberate on the part of van der Merwe? The

referee did not see it. REFEREE: Advantage, white. It was

his touch judge on the near side who indicated that Davies missed it.

This was a moment when you could have called for a knock-on or a

penalty. Van der Merwe had his hand up, but the ball was going on. Get

the intercept, and that gives also great deep position. Again, Llanelli

can break from the defence. Averaging 15,000 per game, the crowd

here this season. Which is quite fantastic. And the singing breaks

out. Good throw and good take by Franco van der Merwe. It is tucked

in. Marshall was unfortunate. It was good defence to get that second jump

straight in under. Marshall spotted it, but unfortunately not the ball

on. It was a crucial moment. That is probably a cheap one from Ulster's

point of view. Just snatch by the Ulster scrum-half. That gives the

Scarlets the scrummage. There is going to be a bit of a stoppage.

Edwards is going to get himself a new pair of shorts.

They have asked for a new pair of shorts. They will just have to get

on with it until they are brought on. Maybe they don't have the

prerequisite size. I don't know the last time I saw somebody having to

have their shorts changed. The problem is that they don't want to

scrummage with the shorts hanging off him. That is why it is, that is

why he is so anxious to get on and changes shorts. I don't think that

he has a serious career going on on the catwalk! I don't think he will

be giving up the day job, but he enjoyed that. The crowd enjoyed it

and his Scarlets team-mates on the bench are enjoying that as well.

Back to the serious business, back to the scrummage. Ten and a half

minutes gone. Ulster behind to that well taken Scarlets try. Also

getting a bit of a squeeze on. -- Ulster. Regan King puts it wide.

Look at the width that Scarlets output into that in the space of two

passes. That could be interesting. And into touch it goes for a

Scarlets line-up. Scarlets played well when they started this season.

They played an exuberant game of rugby. The conditions are windy, but

it is Ashley quite dry considering all the rain. They seem to be

willing to put some air under the ball and get into the Ulster

channels. That was taken by Shingler.

It was so obvious, that was light years of site. I'm not sure what was

going through his mind. -- offside. And a bit of pressure. That pressure

that also had, it has almost vanished into thin air. There was a

knock-on by Paul Marshall, and Ulster, having been good position,

are almost back to halfway. Here comes Regan King. Lovely pass. Here

they come again. This is van der Merwe, the flyer, gets past two men.

Ulster working well at the breakdown but they have a hand on the floor,

and they have given away another penalty. It was Chris Henry game

that away. I thought he was right to have a go at the ball. The ball was

sitting there, and van der Merwe released it am but the referee felt

he had not released it. It is still quite a grey area for everybody. It

is hard to referee. This is the repeat of the incident. Is there an

Ulster hand in the? Referee probably thought that he had not released. In

those contact areas, it is hard to tell. They have done the first bit

right, they have taken it well. This is his second game since he joined

the starlets. Scarlets, still in possession. 50 metres to go, and

they are getting closer all the time. Good tackle by Robbie Diack.

He has been quite an asset. Now Davies again. The try here would

cause Ulster all sorts of problems. Nothing less than a bonus point at

this game will get them back to the top of the table. A little dummy by

the outside-half, Alan Thomas. And the Scarlets are playing a patient

game. Keeping possession. The Ulster defence will have to be solid.

Shingler just overrunning it a little bit. Shingler again. Hassey

popped it back for his scrum-half? He has. And Ulster have given away

another penalty. And Ian Davies is having a word with Paddy Jackson.

REFEREE: Too many offence is happening in the breakdown. Any

more, you will have to move. They will not be very happy at the

moment. Fortunately, again, that was a soft penalty. They could give away

a soft three points here. Scarlets will take another scorer on the

board, they will try to keep the scoreboard ticking over if they can.

And it is for Ulster now to come back and try and establish some sort

of pressure. Thomas missed the earlier conversion, does not miss

from that range. And it is not looking wonderful for Ulster. We

have played almost 15 minutes. Ulster have to take stock. If it

means putting the ball in behind Llanelli, so be it. If they get

position, they have to hold onto it. Taken in by van der Merwe. The

tackle by Alan O'Connor from Ulster. They cannot kick directly into

touch, but that is not a bad strike by Davies. Well gathered. Where is

he going? He has a go. Marshall. Jackson. Robbie Diack. He gets it

wide to Luke Marshall. Tried another chip and chase, but straight into

the arms... Also got some good with and put it through the hands, well.

But Llanelli were not short on numbers. That is what patient

springs, patience give you opportunities. -- patience brings.

It is going to be another Ulster line-out. Well taken at the back by

van der Merwe. Here comes Marshall. Jackson back inside and stop well

looking for his first also try. Cash Mac Stockwell. Back to Paddy

Jackson, and he has added the drop goal, so the Ulster skipper has

hauled back three very important points for also. A little bit of

pressure, how little bit of patience, and you get good things.

Maybe a kick to the corner, see what happens. At this point, you take the

three points and come back for more. That is exactly what also needed. It

gets them back into the game again. One or two nicely worked passages of

play before that sweetly struck drop goal by Paddy Jackson.

Jackson. Taken back inside the 22. That is well covered by Michael

Collins. Gives it to his outside-half, Aled Thomas. Well

done. Back inside to Wilson. Andrew Warwick, good little sidestep Alsop

Franco van der Merwe. Good interplay by the Ulster Fowlers. Marshall, to

Jackson. He has been very lively, and that this taken on again by

Warwick. Jackson. John Andrew, who is not slow. There was a cry for Ray

high tackle from Aled Davies, but it was fine, peer. Knocked forward, and

the referee has said there was an advantage to yellow, as he calls

them, the Scarlets playing more in yellow than in red. Also have to

look at those phases when they are not making those inroads, they have

to look to the corners. If Llanelly did then, they are not covering the

corners. They have to try and get behind them but if they cannot, they

need to put the ball in the corner, because you see here, one to

another, and Llanelli have that bit of pace and they are ready to go.

Ulster have been putting with a bit of pressure on the Llanelli scrum,

and they need to keep that on them at the moment. Getting attention is

Phil John, who has been at Scarlets since 1999. He has made more Pro12

appearances than anybody, 188 league appearances. Two more league

appearances and he will reach the 300 milestone for Scarlets. Roger

Wilson has 200 for the Saints, but Phil John is still in the lead. I

hope that you were not giving that little girl is it of your beer! -- a

sip of. The skipper, Paddy Jackson, having a word with the team in

general. After a miserable night with constant grain, it is not a bad

afternoon year. -- constant rain, it is not a bad afternoon here. So the

playing surface is fine. The Scarlets scrummaged controlled at

the back by Alan Davies. And away goes Regan King. Paul Marshall

making the tackle. Scarlets punishing Ulster with their slick

handling. Plenty of men out wide. Here is the flanker, Will Boyd. The

captain, Hadley Parkes. Phil John seems to have recovered

miraculously. Davies again, back inside to van der Merwe. Cannot

afford to give him any room. Chris Henry, all over the place there.

Morgan Allen makes up a decent bit of ground for his side. Shingler.

Penalty against Scarlets. Ulster will be pretty grateful for that.

They kept their shape. They worked very hard. And they did not give

away a penalty like they did the last time. And they deservedly won

the tone of. But that line break coming again to a dangerous

situation. -- they won the turnover. There was a lovely underarm pass

from Hadley Parkes that bamboozled the Ulster defence. Paddy Jackson

has cleared the danger, and it is going to be an Ulster throw. Just 11

Ulster appearances, all of them are off the bench and all of them in the

league, so it is a big day for him. Andrew Warwick, making his sixth

start of the season. Nothing much wrong with that. Away to Gilroy with

a little bit of room. He is up against Collins. Chip and chase, and

this could work out nicely. It will bounce, and that is another splendid

try by Craig Gilroy out of virtually nothing. A couple of quick passes,

and Gilroy did the rest. Fantastic finishing. It was a lovely pass to

get around the defence. Once he got the ball, he just likes the place

up. Fantastic. The outside, he timed his kick to perfection. World-class

finish. The sleep. Gareth came across but he

did not have a gas. He timed the kick to perfection. Yes, you need a

bit of luck, but Gilroy had it. You make your own like if you practice

enough. Once Gilroy got the ball, he is that type of player he can make

it happen. He is third in the Ulster scoring list, behind Tommy Bowe and

Andrew Trimble. Into the second quarter of this

game, having been 8-0 down at one stage, Ulster leads 10-3. Game on

again. Just 20 minutes in, and entertaining 20 minutes, albeit

frustrating at times. Ulster have found the way back in and now the

momentum is with them. A drop goal and a conversion. Aled

Thomas, with the restart. The referee waiting for advantage.

Not forward. Andrew Warwick driving into Kirby Myhill. A clever kick by

Marshall. Well covered by Morgan Allan, who is a handful. Gilroy came

in from the wrong side. Taking it forward into the Ulster half. Cave,

missing tackles. That he normally would not. Thomas, back inside.

Parks, the skipper. George Earle, a good tackle by Chris Henry. The

referee says the advantages over. Good footwork once again. Back,

Scarlets. Sidestepped by the loose-head prop. Men to spare if

they can shift this. What a great dry by the Scarlets. Once again,

Ulster are the architects of their own downfall. One simple missed pass

and the Scarlets score. Again, it came from the advantage. They kept

it going. Once they got to the post, they had number is wide and it would

be hard to recover from that. If you give them opportunities, they are

great finishers. The opportunities so far have been created by Ulster,

which is frustrating. The passing has been fantastic but Ulster's

defending has been hopeless. Darren Cave that seems to be struggling. He

missed a big tackle on the halfway line, which gave them the momentum.

If he had made it, that would have stopped the whole thing. These are

small mistakes but they hurt. The handling has been excellent. They

have taken full advantage. Peter Thomas, that looks as though he is

going to come on for Alan O'Connor, who seems to be in trouble. Aled

Thomas with the conversion, and that is not a bad strike. That is a very

good strike, right between the Ulster post. It was a little wobbly.

All of a sudden, the Scarlets bounce back and their leading 15-10.

O'Connor has gone off, and one hopes it is not too bad. It may be just a

head injury. Peter Browne is on. Once again, Paddy Jackson restarts.

Van der Merwe gives room. A good tackle by Kirby Myhill. Ricky

Lutton makes a bit of ground. Good work at the breakdown by John

Andrew. Well presented. Jackson has given that a thump. And there is

Thomas, the outside-half. Davis, running wide. A good tackle by

Andrew Warwick. Scarlets, back to their ten metre line. Chris Henry

with the tackle. Peter Browne in there as well. Well released by the

Scarlets. Davis looking for a runner. -- Davies. They are still in

possession. The kick by Davies. Gilroy, moving to the left wing.

Jackson for the corner. Taken in by Collins. A nice strike. Marshall did

not put enough on that and he was so lucky to get away with it. That

could have been catastrophic for Ulster. Totally unnecessary.

Probably the highest risk option you could take and he took it. I know he

is only a little fellow, but he needed to put more on that. 20 of,

straight down the tramliners would have been perfect. That was a high

risk strategy and it nearly backfired. With the wind at his

back, he should have prompted down there. If you take those risks, they

have to be a certainty. Catastrophic when they do not come off.

A bit of a stoppage there. A pause for an injury to the Scarlets tight

end prop. It looks like his left knee is giving him trouble.

28 minutes almost played and the lead has changed hands a few times.

Ulster look to be in a decent position, and then they give away

another try. Ulster, not only have to win this game but they have to

get the bonus points to get back into the top of the league. ,

locked, yesterday, they scored their highest ever points total away from

home. -- Connacht. Connacht have won ten games so far, the most they have

ever won in the lead. They need to do a little bit to make up for some

poor tackles. Under pressure. Van der Merwe, a veteran of three World

Cups and a top try scorer in the league at Glasgow. With 35. Regan

King, get it away. Nice handling from the Scarlets. Shingler has

taken of the headband that he started the game with. A bit of a

risk there. A good tackle by Robbie Diack. The crowd says it has been

held up. Coming back on the Ulster side. Better stop buying Ulster. As

Marshall puts too much into this? He took the rest this time. A nice

kick. Good defence by Ulster. They won a good turnover. You would like

to think that Ulster would keep the pressure on. We don't want a soft

penalty. Time was you would've said it was

lovely weather for ducks but it's not really. Kirby Myhill, with

pressure from Ulster. Stolen from Peter Browne. I great chance for the

men in white. Joe Wilson manages to get away from Hadleigh Parks. Picked

up by Craig Gilroy, the try scorer. Taken on by John Andrew. Great

support play by Ulster's cougar. Van der Merwe, looking for his third

league try. Jackson, into Cave. No way through that Scarlets defence.

What a great tackle that was. They need to get more men back, quickly.

Ulster, to the left of the post. Wilson dips the shoulder in

characteristic fashion. Marshall again. And again, Wilson on

bludgeoning forwards. Marshall with a quicker ball, well taken. Jackson,

inside the Gilroy. A quicker ball. Jackson has a goal. Peter Browne. A

huge amount of pressure coming from Ulster but the Scarlets defence is

pretty good. A lot of pace. And again from Ulster. Just a metre

away. Peter Browne, looking for his second try. What a roar from the

crowd. Marshall, Robbie Diack could not quite stretch. Chris Henry is

white. Theory goes. The post is within touching distance. Marshall

takes it backwards. And Ulster still pressure. What a great passage of

play. You go Ulster again. And again it is big Peter Browne. Van der

Merwe, and in those Andrew. The referee says the Scarlets man is

trapped so he is not illegal. There is the line. Scarlets needs to be

behind a line and they are not as it turns out. The referee telling

Scarlets to get their paws out of it. Gilroy has another go. Wonderful

lats to ditch defence by the men in red and yellow. Robbie Diack goes to

the ground. Sidestepped by Roger Wilson. And now it is Marshall.

Still there, scrabbling forward. And it has been stolen by Hadleigh

Parkes. All that Ulster pressure comes to nothing. The Scarlets will

wallop that, but knowing them, they're going to run it. Regan King,

there is an overlap year. Cave makes the tackle. Back inside the Thomas.

Regan King, the veteran. Lovely passing. Manda reserve, well taken.

-- van der Merwe, well taken. What a game this is. Scarlets, penalised

for coming in from the inside. Great rugby. Ulster kept the pressure on.

But eventually you have to give credit, they fought hard and kept

the line held. Most teams would have been happy to take a breather.

Almost sneaking away. A great tackle. Gilroy saved the day.

Another great tackle. Ready to launch a counterattack but I think

everybody was too tired by that stage. Exciting stuff, exciting

stuff. Really, you have to give credit to both sides. Ulster showed

a lot of patience but unfortunately they lost the ball. They have to

keep the pressure on. And the wind has picked up. Hadleigh Parkes, the

skipper is unhappy with his players. Hadleigh Parkes is a huge lump of a

fellow. What a great strip tackle he made. And from then, the Scarlets

managed to get it away. Anyone else would have kicked it, but not the

Scarlets. They very nearly engineered a third try. John Andrew

will not want to leave the field, having started a senior game for the

very first time. Hadleigh Parkes played for the Bulls and the Harry

Kane this. Jackson finds a decent touch.

-- the Hurricanes. We are being informed that Peter Browne coming in

was a tactical change. We expect them to keep the big boys out in the

game for impact. John Andrews, his ankle seems to be

fine but let's see what his throwing arm is like. It is not going well

for Ulster in the middle of the park. Another good opportunity

wasted. Once again, they are trying to run. A beautiful inside pass. A

good tackle by Peter Browne. Davies gets it away. Morgan Allan, taken by

Roger Wilson. Davies, shaping up to kick down the line and he does. Well

taken by Stuart Olding. He set that up nicely. Jackson.

Ricky Lutton, Paddy Jackson, Gilroy. The referee agrees the tackle was

high. Ulster might have been better occupied taking the penalty and

going down the line. No advantage so far from that penalty. Marshall has

a goal and he has got away. He gets it to Luke Marshall. This could be a

chance. Can he get any? I think he has got in. The referee will have a

look. The corner flag no longer means that you are in touch, so it

is a question of him getting the ball down. What a great flourish. A

fabulous break. Luke Marshall, as he got Ulster's second? I think it is

going to be tight because he may have tried to get too far in. He got

turned as he went to ground. It is going to be tight. That was the

pass, and he did really well. Now what is wrong with that. You would

have to see the touchline. Did the ball get down. If his elbow down

before the ball is down... I think the assistant on the side, he is

undecided. He was closer than anybody. They are going to go

upstairs. The TMO is Alex Rogan. I think this might be the one. Was he

grounded. Yes, I think it is down. I am pretty sure. It is not up to me,

it is up to Alan Rogan and Liam Davies. People with pink shirts and

whistles. No doubt about the reaction from the crowd. You know

what they think. And it is a try. It was very close on the end, but they

are right back in the game. It was a great finish. Marshall probably went

too far. If they had gone for the goal-line, he would have been fine.

He certainly got it down. You would be disappointed if he had not got

that right. A ninth leader tried for Luke Marshall, the 24th man for the

last couple of weekends. -- league try. Another good kick by Paddy

Jackson under difficult conditions. And what an extraordinary game we're

having here. Judging hands yet again, having been 15-10 behind,

Ulster are now 17-15 I hadn't. -- 17-15 ahead. A good game of rugby.

The conditions are not perfect but both sides are having a go. Top

quality finish by Luke Marshall. To be fair, it is all on. Scarlets have

made a replacement. More about that in a moment. Kirby Myhill was the

tackler there. Collins gets away from the first

tackle and he is still going. Ulster missing a lot of first tackles.

Shingler. No change out of Roger Wilson. The ball coming back slowly.

Two minutes remaining. Wonderful handling by the visitors. Thomas,

Davies. Look at this, they have engineered another overlap. That has

gone out wide to Stephan Evans. Ulster driving through. Good play by

Chris Henry. That might not be a bad kick. He is going to have to chase

it himself, but Gareth Owen goes all the way back. A slight miscue. Well

taken by Gilroy. Well well -- where will he go? Good tackle by the

Scarlets. Wilson has been prominent on such an auspicious occasion for

the great Ulster Rugby servant. Holding, clattered in the middle of

the park. -- Olding. Marshall gets himself into trouble. He has two

release it. Turnover, a clever kick into space. Taken by Olding. He has

not found touch. This game is just about everything. Somebody down

injured at the moment, a Scarlets player. The last movement of this

pulsating first half. Shingle gets it away. -- Shingler. The first

tackle was not made and the Scarlets get the penalty. This could give

them the lead at half-time. Ulster, once again, just not on the money.

They defended well again. The got the ball back. Frustrating, just a

soft penalty. That gives them the edge going back and have time. Still

a tough penalty to make. The ship in the defence was pretty good. Gareth

Owen, incidentally, is down, injured inside the Scarlets half, getting

some treatment. We hope he is OK. Thomas has been an pretty good form

with goal-kicking. This to give Scarlets the lead.

It is certainly well within his range. A stabbing kick. Of the post

and Stuart Olding exiting. And Ulster, do they deserve to be aired?

On balance, yes. They have not made it easy. -- do they deserve to be

ahead. The game is not over by a long shot, as we. Plenty of breeze

behind them in the second half and as the rain comes in... The Ulster

defence coach will not be a happy bunny. Some poor tackling. Yes, and

also bad balance. When they go wide, they seem to be very close to the

ropes and turning in early. They have given it a lot of space. People

will take advantage of that. They have to readjust their spacing. It

is a pretty happy Sunday afternoon for a lot of the Ulster supporters,

young and old. Two tries apiece in the first half. Paddy Jackson's

goal-kicking is the difference between the sides.

STUDIO: More than 15,000 people have been enjoying the game and we hope

you are at home as well. The lead has gone back and forward and it has

certainly been a pulsating first half. Did Ulster deserve this, going

in front? I am not too sure. A great match, very entertaining, end to end

stuff with plenty of turnovers. I just think Ulster are their own

worst enemy at the moment. Turning the ball over, missing tackles,

losing off-loads. A couple of easy scores once Scarlets broke the line

but in saying that, we are still not playing brilliantly but we are in

the lead. Toing and froing, it has been a great match. It is fair to

say that Ulster have been looking impressive at times offensively but

defensively they have been a disappointment. Defensively, they

have been all over the place. It is great Sunday afternoon

entertainment. The only thing missing at half-time... But Steve

Jones in the dressing room there, working with the Scarlets team, they

are trying to keep a fast tempo. Ulster let them do that because they

are off the money defensively. They are all over the show. What they are

good at, to give them credit, is the overlaps. And it was poor defence

that led to the opening try. Roger Wilson, he sat back. Because the

Scarlets were are numbered. It was a simple tackle. They were worried

about the outside. It was an easy score. A silly individual error that

cost them. You mention the breakdown, that was a simple

manoeuvre. The guys were pushing forward, not pushing away. They will

be disappointed that they messed that first tackle. A simple tackle.

And there has been lots of line breaks from the Scarlets. Caroline

has looked really shaky and they have numbers on us all the time. Why

is that? Because the outside guys are heading in the tackle. Another

flowed away, and then they have a quick ball and they are reloaded and

we have to or three guys sitting there. It is about the tackle,

getting on the ball, making sure that Henry gets a fantastic turnover

on the line. That is what we need from everybody. It is more of a team

effort. But it is just not good enough. And that excellent Chris

Henry turnover here gave Ulster the opportunity to lead to the Gilroy

try. Craig Gilroy, good skill, being able to chip, getting the bound to

go for you, he just has that skill. He is a confident player am a huge

amount of confidence. He is following his footballing skills

here. The more you practice that, the better you do it. Let me ask you

this, what all Ulster fans are asking, when he is lighting up the

stadium the way he is today, why is he not getting more of an

opportunity with Ireland? That is a good question.

King the team better? Probably not. For me, great Gilroy definitely is.

He has been in centre leading form. I think he does deserve a call up.

-- scintillating form. He has trained with the Leinster boys. But

Craig can do is go in week in, week out, put performances and score

tries. And the Scarlets' second try, very well taken but Ulster Rugby

disappointed with their defence. Continuing shortening of the line is

what they are doing. Looking at the breakdown, this is a snapshot we

talked about, Darren Cave is two three meters in front of the guys

inside. Those guys, they need to be pushing up. The defence has not

pushed up and out, which allows Scarlets to get on the front foot,

going forward. Ulster again very passive in defence. Very passive. We

are taking the tackle on the Scarlets' terms. They are

off-loading, coming forward. The boys getting sucked in towards the

breakdown, and it is a simple numbers game. Just, you have got

guys stepping in, stepping in again, three men on the defensive line

straightaway, quick ball, and they are a number corner. They play some

lovely rugby with the ball in hand. Their skills have been lovely. But

the Ulster defence has been poorer. And the Scarlets have taken

advantage. And Ulster have hit back with another score before half-time.

An excellent finish. It was individual brilliance. They had been

predictable. Brilliant break and a fantastic finish by Luke Marshall in

the corner. When we were battering their lying constantly over and over

again. The guys on the park were standing with their hands on their

hips, bending over, sucking for air, and that is not good enough or stop

you have got to have the drive to get into a wide position. They are

covering half the pitch, most of the time. You have to work as hard in

defence as you do in attack. And in the first half, they all working

hard. It is a special evening for Roger Wilson. He is making his 200th

appearance for Ulster. The 33-year-old has admitted he is

starting to slow down a little after so many years as a professional

sportsman. His new wife, from Brazil, who is an athlete in her own

right, is certainly keeping him on his toes. Gavin Andrews went to meet

her. Roger Wilson has always pushed himself on the pitch. Now, he is

having to raise his game off it. The new misses Wilson is a model and

former world champion body-builder. The big man in the back row has met

his match. We are both very competitive, very competitive. Oh,

come on, is that all you got? All right, come on. Moved back to

Belfast, and then she made a ridiculous decision of moving from

Florida to East Belfast. People are more genuine, I suppose, more or

less, and I love that. And everybody knows him. He is kind of a big deal,

I think. Well, not quite. You can see some ball looking at him, kind

of curious. And people say, you are Roger's wife, aren't you? And I say,

yes. Most of the time she is flat out training for two and three hours

at a time and I just sit and talk to the men about the game at the

weekend and relax. When you retire, you will not be able to get fat. I

can, but whether it is going to happen or not... Keep your back

straight. It has been great. I am lucky to have lasted this long. I

did not get as far as I would have liked to internationally, but I have

played for two of the top times in Europe -- teams in Europe for 12, 13

years, so far. So I am in a fairly lucky position. I have got it. I am

struggling. How many have I done? Four proper ones. You're going to

let the pregnant lady beat you? I will be taking on my full complement

of paternal leave. I have been reading up on that. That is

something to look forward to, anyway.

It must be particularly annoying when your wife can lift heavier

weights than you. She is a great girl. He has got his work cat out,

because she put him through his paces. A reminder about our online

rugby show, Ulster Rugby Extra, which you can still catch on the BBC

Northern Ireland website. An exciting first half. How do you see

the second half shaping up? Will it keep the same intensity or old

things start to tighten up a little? I think it will start to tighten up

towards the end. I would like to see Ruan Pienaar coming on, and getting

the ball away quicker into the hands Paddy Jackson. I can see the bench

being emptied on, soon enough. Let's get some pitch side reaction from

Gavin Andrews. What was the message in the dressing room? Thankful to be

ahead at half-time but is appointed with some aspects of our game in the

first half, sleeping rough tackles, and precision around the breakdown.

Building on the positives, we have been in and out of the game, and it

has not been good enough for us. Like the last couple of weeks. We

have found a way, but we will have to do better in the second half.

Scarlets are dangerous and we are letting them get the edge at the

moment. We have to make sure that we come away with the points. If Ulster

can tighten up the defence in the second half, can you see them

closing out the game? They have to sort out the defensive shape and a

line speed and if they do, they have enough to get another couple of

scores. I think so. They just need to work more as a unit. They need to

work on the defensive line. A little bit more kicking into the corners

from Paddy Jackson, playing into the breeze, throwing a couple of high

balls up there, hopefully they can get a couple of scores themselves.

Paddy Jackson has played well. I would agree, he has had a nice game

so far, a nice little drop goal. He is controlling things reasonably

well. I think with Ruan Pienaar inside him, it will give him a

little bit more confidence. It was certainly an excellent first half,

let's hope for more of the same in the second. We will have to wait for

a bit longer to see if Ruan Pienaar makes his appearance because Paul

Marshall has come back on the field. Ian Davies, the referee, the man in

charge of the Ulster game in Treviso a few weeks ago. Also had a poor

first half and then run away with the game in the second half, and we

would settle for something similar here. And his opposite number, Alan

Thomas, stars as a full stop -- starts at.

That was a clever little kick by Stuart Olding. He has done well

enough to meeting possession. The referee is happy to play on.

Jackson, trying to keep the lid on, he saw a bit of a gap, and what a

clever kick that is by the Ulster captain. He was tempted by the pass,

but I think you did the right thing because he had two Scarlets players

running into the channel. Good kick straight into the corner. It is

going to be a Llanelli Road. -- throw. They have just done that,

they need to tidy up black and they have done, it is Ricky Lutton, the

tight head rock. Ulster in the driving seat. Franco van der Merwe

making his 17th start of the season. Andy Wilson, still defying the

years. That has gone backwards. The referee happy enough, and also

spilled it forward. That is careless yet again by Ulster. Just when we

thought they were in a decent enough position to achieve something. Paul

Marshall. Straight to Hadleigh Parkes. Aled Davies, to his

namesake, Aled Thomas. That is going to be a Scarlets line-out. One hates

to be too critical, but from up here, another unnecessary mistake

from Ulster. We have got to build something. They stole the line-out

really well. But it was a sloppy breakdown. They have got to seize

these moments in a tight game. The full seven mile and out. Away by

Davies. Regan King, still one of the best passers in the business. Had a

little spell with Clermont. Scarlets moving forward. This is looking

ominous. They will be looking for a quick strike at the start of this

second half. Kirby Myhill. BCH van der Merwe was in. Away by Phil John,

Regan King slips it away. Hadleigh Parkes is so difficult to stop. Phil

John, once again. The veteran has set it up nicely. Look at the

numbers they have out wide. Beautiful pass by Regan King. Colin

sells the dummy, van der Merwe is very close. And also guilty of

missing the odd pass. Here comes George Earle. The Scarlets looking

for try number three at the start of the second half. Regan King deserves

it more than anyone, I suspect. Aled Thomas. Also, wrong-footed. Davies

gets it away. Morgan Allen, he is so close, but he got the crucial try

against Edinburgh last week. Ulster, right back on the run goal line.

Thomas, again, look at the numbers. He is having a go himself, and he

spills it forward. It seemed easier to score than not to. Jackson has

got himself in the eye and Marshall, who has a go, himself. -- got

himself in behind. Marshall, back in position. He has

to do what he is told. And he does kick. Has he found touch? No, he

hasn't. Another fundamental error. Taken on by Llanelli. Alan Thomas.

Shingler gets it away wide. Good tackle by Luke Marshall on Hadleigh

Parkes. Myhill comes round the near side. Davies. Wonderful pass. And

not for the first time this afternoon, by Regan King. Shingler

sidesteps Peter Browne. Scarlets are giving also a masterclass in

distribution, in continuity. -- giving Ulster. A big thumb on

Hadleigh Parkes. Myhill, tackle by Paddy Jackson. Still advantage that

the Scarlets. The referee has not yet blown for the full penalty.

Still advantage. Shingler. Davies, again, they are looking for the try.

Wonderful pass. He deserved that. The Ulster defence in the initial

stages caught very narrow and the line break comes out wide. After

that, Ulster scrap very hard, then missed touch. Llanelli come back

again and you'll got to admire their continuity. And their contact work

is fantastic. They are holding onto the ball really well. The oldest man

on the park, Regan King, is still probably the best footballer on the

part. He has been causing all the problems for Ulster, messing up men,

and passing with just the right amount of weight. He is collapsing

the defence then letting the ball go at the crucial moment. They have

such patience with the ball. Ulster, if they get the chance to get out of

jail, they have got to take it. And that missed touch brought pressure

back on to them again. Just looking across the pitch. Looks like Auster

are placing the entire front row, which I don't think they have ever

done, unless it is in the last stages of the game. The scrum has

been pretty decent. I am not sure that they are going to get a huge

advantage from changing the entire front row. In the meantime, Aled

Thomas has popped it between the Ulster posts, and a polite round of

applause signifying that Scarlets are back in the lead. Still no sign

of Ruan Pienaar coming on. At this stage, also could be doing with Ruan

Pienaar. -- Ulster could be. He may not make the breaks that Paul

Marshall make, but they need someone who can hold onto the ball. Bronson

Ross and Kyle McCall, the replacement tops. -- props. Here is

Robbie Diack, who has played 167 times for Ulster. Straight up in the

air. Gathered by Stockdale. Knocked forward by Ulster. The crowd not

impressed by that decision. Not a particularly good kick from Paddy

Jackson. It was straight up in the air. It is harder to kick long, with

that wind, now. The referee is ensuring that the new front row

players do not take any liberties. Did you as coach ever replace an

entire front row with seven minutes of the second half gone? It is an

interesting change. They must feel that they can bring something. It is

a big change to make. Scarlets themselves have made a change with

Phil John being replaced by Steffan Evans. -- Dylan Evans. That was

magnificent, absolutely bamboozled Auster, here goes Hadleigh Parkes.

This could be try number three. It is very close. Has it gone into

touch? I don't think it has. Scarlets trying to keep it alive.

Wonderful passage of play and wonderful bit of handling,

completely overwhelming The Ulstermen field. There is going to

be a yellow card against Chris Henley at the breakdown. He has been

told, and now he's gone, and it is not looking good for Ulster. Again,

Auster caught badly in defence and again, Regan King, magic hands, gets

it into the corner. Again, Ulster give up the penalty and now the

yellow card. He has taken three points, and they will back

themselves to tag all and more in the next ten minutes. It was only

the fourth yellow card of the season for Ulster. You would have seen that

sublime pass that put him away. Aled Thomas. Trying to take Scarlets

past the 20 mark and give them a 4-point cushion. A little chip, yet

again, not a problem to the outside-half for Scarlets. It is

looking like we're going to get some rain coming in. That could change

the game as well, completely. They are playing into the wind and it is

going to be a hard slog from here. It is only the second half, but they

got a lot of work to do, Ulster, they have got to batten down the

hatches. They will be concerned about how they are defending.

Scarlets have exposed them badly out wide. Ulster will get the scrum. Ten

minutes in the second half. Ruan Pienaar is going to come on the

field, it would seem. Not just yet. No McWilliams on the bench. There is

no Nick Williams to come on. And Jackson has started this one. The

Scarlets are tougher proposition than the French side, were lax. --

Oyonnax. Marshall again. He has another little jink, you get it away

to Gilroy, looking for a second. Good sidestep, good Scarlets the

fence. Good action taken by Kyle McCall, Rhoda tackle well. Good

presentation by the replacement prop. Robbie Diack was a bit upright

and he got clattered for his pains. Also have got the penalty. Marshall,

Jackson, looking for Stockdale. Is he tall enough? Not quite. They will

come back to the penalty. That was the right tactic by Paddy Jackson.

Absolutely, they had nothing to lose. Nice break again by Paul

Marshall. Floats to Gilroy and in behind Llanelli. Good tackle by

Michael Collins, the Scarlets full-back. He just could not quite

latch onto that one. Ulster have decided to go for the corner,

because they need a try here. It is an interesting decision. They must

feel that they can turn the screw. They have only got 14 men to do it.

Chris Henley is in the sin-bin for another eight minutes or so. Quite a

more -- four points between them and also neither try. This is the first

throw at this level for John Murphy, you will remember this for a while.

How will he do? Pretty good. Also, driving forward. Edwards has surely

collapsed that one. Also, moving forward -- Ulster. Marshall again, a

bit loopy. Luke Marshall at a stretch. Still therefore Ulster.

John Murphy. The new cap. Onto Kyle McCall. Good drive by the youngster.

Stockdale. Into touch. Good defending on the near side by

Steffan Evans and by Michael Collins. Stockdale is a big man but

three defenders on the short side. It would take a huge effort for

Stockdale to get in and Llanelli just push him into touch.

Unfortunate, because it gives Llanelli a chance to bring -- clear

their lines. Scarlets will be bringing on replacement, Maselino

Paulino, the Samoan international. He looks as if he is enjoying

himself, and he has not even come onto the pitch yet. I think that

Scarlets are trying to slow the game down here. At the line-out, they

will want to steady the ship and get it away from the own goal line.

Maybe he has taken a knock. The clock has stopped. We have played 13

and a half minutes in this second half. And it looks as if David

Bulbring, the South African under 20 international, seems to be fine. No

sign of this Scarlets replacement coming on. They have managed to get

it away. The tackling has to be good. Scarlets have done well. They

have come in field to make it easier to clear. Stockdale. Well taken.

Stewart holding on halfway. -- Stuart Olding. Tackle by Boyle.

Marshall. The crowd, not happy about something. Marshall again, to

Gilroy. Great stuff by Luke Marshall, with

no angle in which to move. It is going to be a Scarlets line-out and

still no sign of Ruan Pienaar coming on. Another Scarlets player down

injured. Back to 14 a side for a while there. The Llanelli defence

has been solid throughout. The game is in the balance. I think that if

Ulster score next they can go on and win. The next score, really, for

both sides, is absolutely crucial. I have been hugely impressed by the

work in the middle of the park by Hadleigh Parkes and particularly

Regan King at 35, pushing 36. He has been superb. He has always been a

great footballer. He causes all sorts of problems for the Ulster

midfield. Simple stuff, schoolboy stuff, timing and releasing the pass

perfectly. He has caused problems for Ulster. He knows exactly what he

is about. Again, Llanelli looking for another substitution. I think

there's a man down injured and they are going to have to bring somebody

on. The medical people are saying that there is a problem. Looks like

Aaron Shingler, the blindside flanker, who has played for Wales

three times, will be going off. The last of those caps in 2014. Which

probably means that Rory Pitman will come on to play in the back row. Off

goes Shingler. Maselino Paulino has come on in the

second row for George rural, and Rory Peck and has come on in the

back row for the unfortunate Aaron Shingler. -- Rory Pitman. Two big

men, replacements, so they have not weakened the line-out.

Stuart Aldington. -- Stuart Olding. The soon to be an obstruction. Play

on, says the referee. Paulino gallops away. Remember there are

leading Ulster by four points. That is the replacement scrum-half,

incidentally, Rhodri Williams. This is Paulino, who is enormous. The

Samoan international. That was well scooped up by Aled Thomas. Rhodri

Williams, looking for a runner. Taken on by Bulbring. Good pressure

now coming from the Scarlets. Almost 60 minutes played, Scarlets leading.

In. Darren Cave get it away to Marshall. What a wall and he has

given that. -- what a wallop. Well covered by Marshall. This time, it

is Olding chasing. Morgan Allan, the Scarlets number eight. Well read by

Jackson. He needed to keep that closer to the touchline, perhaps.

You can see the crowd rising because they know Ulster have a shot here.

Giving directly into touch. As I said before the injuries, the next

score is crucial here. They need to do maybe turn the screw a bit here.

The fifth Ulster player this season to have been yellow carded. Not a

single red carpet card -- red card this season. He runs into Kirby

Myhill. Nicely done by Murphy. The replacement tight head, a good

thundering drive. Marshall, looking for a runner. He gets it in the

shape of Kyle McCall. Better staffed by the men in white. Luke Marshall

has been busy. Robbie Diack supported by Wilson and Browne. A

nice dummy from Jackson. The referee says the pass was forward and he has

played advantage. The advantage is now over. Where does Olding go? He

gets it away. Ulster, back inside the Scarlets' half. Roger Wilson...

Taken by van der Merwe, who runs into Robbie Diack. 21 minutes

remaining. There is that pass. He gets it away nicely. Stephan Evans,

well tackled. He has two release. Ulster will give him the turnover.

Chris Henry about to come back on. A chance for Paddy Jackson deep inside

Scarlets technique territory -- territory. Great offence by Ulster.

A lot of players off their feet there. Just a moment, you wondered

which way it was going to go. Beautiful kick by Paddy Jackson. A

superb kick. No angle whatsoever. And Ulster are bringing on the

cabaret. Chris Henry, back on the field. Samar Island is on for Darren

Cave. And Pienaar is on for Marshall. Good substitutions. The

subs have been making an impact. But with the experience on the field,

Pienaar... Ulster have made the catch and now they are trying to

execute the driver. Just ten metres to go and Pienaar are looking for

the ball in his hands. Looking for a penalty against the Scarlets, who

are starting to flag. I'm not sure who that is for, but they are going

to come back for the penalty. A big moment in the game. Pienaar,

bursting at the scenes to get into this. The decision to be made by

Paddy Jackson and I think the decision is that they will go again.

Jackson does his job. Ulster, another five metre line-out.

Remember there is only a try between them. The wind is still very much in

the favour of Scarlets. A good take by van der Merwe. That is going to

stop the Ulster driver. Scarlets have managed that very cleverly. And

not only that but they have turned it over. How did they do that?

Slightly line-out by Ulster. They got stripped of the ball, I think.

More to do with Ulster's sloppiness than anything else. Once they got

the half chance, they took the ball. Sloppy lifting. In the balls on the

side. -- and the ball was on the wrong side. Unfortunate for Ulster

but they have got the possession although they are 15 metres further

away from the line. Good tackling by Scarlets. Ulster have released the

balls and go forward. Kyle McCall, crossing the opposition 22.

The Scarlets defence, as resilient as ever. Kyle McCall needs a bit of

help. Scarlets have turned it around the wrong way. Pienaar has to go in

and act as a flanker which he does not like doing. Plenty of time, 17

minutes remaining. Should they go for three? I think so. They have had

some business already that they have not turned into anything. What they

don't want to do is to get into the endgame and to have to score a try.

That makes it much more difficult, because the defence can be very

aggressive. If they can get one more penalty here, and they need to be a

lot more careful. The smart thing to do is take the points. Ian Davies

has had a word with Hadleigh Parkes about his men committing penalties.

Paddy Jackson to close the gap to a single point. And he does just that.

So we have about 16 and a half minutes remaining. Most importantly

now, the momentum is with Ulster. A good restart, good clearance.

Scarlets have made another replacement, and they have brought

on Rhodri Jones. International tight head prop. Gilroy to Wilson. Making

a bit of ground. Pienaar, Jackson, Olding. Stephan Evans and Dan Jones.

Rory Pitman gets up to the halfway line. Williams again. Hadleigh

Parkes, the Scarlets skipper, he has had a big game this afternoon. Ryan

are liars, the hooker, has come on. In the meantime, Cave gets it away.

Stockdale has not made the tackle count. Olding gives away the

penalty. A great turnover. At a key moment. Pienaar gets on it

straightaway. What a kick. Sparky, trying to lift the crowd a little

bit. Again, a great tackle. Again, and Vantage Ulster here. I think

they are beginning to creak a little bit here, Scarlets. Victory without

the bonus point, remember, would not take them back to the top of the

table. Peter Browne get it away. What a pass from Pienaar. Arnold,

off to Munster next season. Luke Marshall, the pressure coming from

the men in white. Pienaar, flats to Peter Browne. He is still making the

tackles but on the back foot. John Murphy, replacement hooker.

Pienaar, Jackson. Well marshalled by the Scarlets the birds -- Scarlets

defence. Stockdale, out there on his own.

Marshall has a goal himself. Very close. Pienaar, bundled into touch.

Great offence from the men in red and yellow. You have to give credit

to them for digging in. They were very patient. They will not get too

far out year, Scarlets. Hopefully he will be able to continue. I think he

was rolled over. Set up with a good clearance by Luke Marshall. Pienaar,

got in there quickly. He had a real go and he was bundled into touch,

but he was fine. The Scarlets line-out, well taken at the front.

Ulster have to make the tackle. Well done by Murphy. Scarlets have

executed that exit strategy producer. -- pretty well. The

momentum at the moment, it is about being patient. If they have good

continuity, they will get a chance year. Instruction from Kyle McCall

to his hooker. Pienaar, nicely taken. Arnold, well set up by the

young replacement. Stockdale now. Another teenager. Play on, says the

referee. Chris Henry, back from ten minutes in the bin. Peter Browne,

almost through the gap. Van der Merwe takes it on. Pienaar again. To

nobody in particular. And back goes Gilroy. Collins goes right over.

They will come back, for a little infringement, maybe. All the

pressure coming from Ulster. A knock-on by the Scarlets there. An

advantage Ulster. That was good pressure. Keep the composure, keep

working and the dam will burst. They have to keep backing themselves.

These silly mistakes, they are psychologically huge at this point

in the game. Just about 11 minutes remaining. Les Kiss and Neil Doak

will be getting anxious. Not ANSI but certainly anxious. But it is an

Ulster scrummage. -- antsy. Luke Marshall has moved to the outside

centre position. Did it go backwards? It did. Ulster, tackling

has not been good this afternoon. A great chance from Rhodri Williams.

Scarlets have the advantage even though they kicked it away. That was

a huge Scarlets scrum, Eddie. The rather inexperienced front row

crumbled. Maybe Ulster were thinking of the attack. It can happen at

times. Certainly, they have Ulster on the back foot. But now, if

Scarlets do not lock it down, they will try to build a penalty. It will

be interesting to see if they run from here because they have been

prepared to run before. Coming into the last ten minutes, you need to

play back into the defence. Rhodri Williams will feed the scrum. Good

control at the back. Collins kicks well. That is a good touch and

Ulster have to do it all again in the final ten minutes. One point

between them. Once you get into the final ten minutes, it starts getting

tight. But I think you're right about Ulster taking that penalty.

They did not score a try in the last ten minutes when they were here

previously. Clive Ross has come on for Ulster and van der Merwe is

leaving. You would've thought with a crucial line-out that you would want

to keep best line-out forward on the park but it means that Robbie Diack

will have to go up into the second row. The line-up perhaps a little

reduced. A good take in the back. A penalty would do for Ulster. Try to

squeeze forward. Good play by Ulster. Morgan Allan moving forward.

Pienaar with ball in hand. Gilroy Jackson. -- Gilroy, Jackson. Ulster

have conceded a few metres. Here goes Murphy, who has had an

impressive debut. Peter Browne walloped. Ulster conceding distance.

That is a nasty kick. Good defence by Ulster. And they have got

themselves a line-out just outside of the 22. The pressure is building.

Again, I am not sure about that kick. It was speculative. That kick

could have gone back to 16 metres with the wind. Psychologically, if

Scarlets feel that they can hang on, they can stick this game. Ulster, in

good field position. I don't know if the referee made them play away.

When we went wide, there were real dividends. I'm sure that Ulster will

be looking more at this again. We have seen then use power play

miniver is earlier in the year. Scarlets are under the pump but you

have to give them credit, they are not giving up. -- power play

manoeuvres. Seven and a half minutes remaining. Stolen by the Scarlets.

Hadleigh Parkes does exactly the right thing and gives it the most

almighty walloped. He has hurt himself doing that. Sometimes the

options they give you our difficult. He had something in the middle. An

ambitious turnover. Massive pressure. Scarlets with a try now.

Ian Davies is telling them to hurry up. Having taken a man out of the

line-out? I don't think they have. The replacement hooker throws. Then

comes Clive Ross. The referee happy with that. Ulster, scrabbling at the

breakdown. They have made about ten metres but the Scarlets are not in

possession. Williams gets it away. Knox forward, there is a chance if

they can shift this. Good work by Gilroy. Pienaar, Jackson. Bronson,

Ross. Well released. Jackson again. Sam Arnold does well. Scarlets were

up very quickly. Well taken by Clive Ross from a poor pass. That is

forward. Well, you wonder, is it worth the risk. It was almost picked

after four -- off for intercepting. But it was a forward pass, you

called it from the moment and let his hand. They need to get guys like

Gilroy into the game. He is making some good inroads but again, just a

lack of patience. You just need one good field position and you could

win the game. Into the final five minutes and it is looking pretty

good for the Scarlets. They would climb up the table ahead

of Ulster. Scarlets not in any great rush. They have split their forces

in the scrummage. Two on the inside and two on the far side. It is a

good scrum, controlled by Morgan Allan. Rhodri Williams, a little

chip in behind Ulster. They are not certain what is going

on. It has hit the corner flag. That should be a 22 drop out. Does he not

know the laws? He must do. He has given the line-out to Ulster. That

hit the flag. It is a 22 drop out. Unless they have changed a lot. --

changed the law. Not the best position for Ulster to be in, that

is to the goal-line. -- that's near to. Roger Wilson, battling away on

this, the occasion of his 200th cap. Ulster still too close for comfort.

And the kick goes as far as van der Merwe. Here comes the Scarlets

again. All they have to do is keep the ball for another three minutes.

Rhodri Williams pops up yet again. Hadleigh Parkes, the Scarlets

skipper watching his troops spread thin this afternoon. Taken on again

by Rory Pitman, the replacement back row forward. Well, Scarlets playing

a sensible game. Eli us taking it to the Ulster 22. Rory Pitman making

ground again. Ulster certainly cannot get their hands on the ball.

They have made too many errors in this game and it has cost them. How

costly it would be in the final analysis, once the regular league

season is over, we will have to wait and see. Here, the Scarlets.

Williams has a little girl. The interception. That is harsh. Well,

he has judged Stockdale to have deliberately knocked the ball

forward. Perhaps it was offside. Let's have another look. He was not

offside but it is a harsh call. As we said earlier on, referees tends

towards penalties now. We're not looking at the intent. I don't think

it even hit Jason Stockdale's hands. Well, this is another look at it in

very slow time. There is the pass. It hit his hand. And it went up in

the air. How can you judge that as deliberate? I have an awful feeling

it is going to be a home defeat for Ulster. They very nearly stole it.

He is not playing any advantage for Ulster. There has to be a second

knock-on there. There was definitely a knock-on. Ulster in possession.

That was a knock-back and there was a knock forward. He said the first

knock-on was by yellow and the second by white. This is the last

set piece of this game. Ulster will have to go the length of the field

and score to win this game and if they cannot do that, it is going to

be a very disappointing afternoon here with a very decent crowd, some

of whom have drifted away, realising that this might be a home defeat. If

you have title aspirations, you should not be losing games at home.

That is a big squeeze from the makeshift Scarlets scrum. What can

Ulster do from here? They are going to have to run this. Pienaar gets it

away. 100 metres to go. Luke Marshall has certainly done his best

this afternoon. Back from international duty. Pienaar, way to

Wilson. He has certainly not spared that attacking body of his. Ulster

must keep possession. Stuart Olding spells backwards. Lyon, says the

referee. All the Scarlets have to do is get it into touch and they have

won this game. And Ulster's title hopes will receive a huge dent.

Gilroy tries to keep it in but he has not made it. Craig Gilroy lands

in the mud. Perhaps somewhat symbolic of the way this game has

gone for Ulster. Hugely disappointing. You felt in the

second half that the defence was better for the most part, and they

did have those chances. They were in the Scarlets 22. But it conspired to

turn the ball over. You have to give them credit, Scarlets, they played

real rugby throughout the game. April release second half. Four

tries, and it was all down to kicks, two by Alan Thomas. On balance, I

have to admit that I think the Scarlets deserved to win. On

balance. The frustrating thing for Ulster, they bounced back in the

first half when they made those mistakes and every time they scored,

Ulster bounced back. In the second half, they were set up to win the

game but they could not close it. You have to give Llanelli credit for

their defence. It is a disappointing result for Ulster when you consider

the condition they were supposed to be in. Ulster have an away trip to

Cardiff but they will reflect an opportunity is missed, particularly

tackles missed in the first half. They have lost this game, the final

score 20-21. Studio macro -- STUDIO: We have been watching what turns out

to have been a disappointing afternoon for Ulster. Disappointing.

With the position we had in the second-half, I thought we were going

to close that game out. We spoke about the game tightening up and it

really did tighten there. But you expect the lads to take a couple of

attempt at goal and keep the scoreboard ticking. They went to the

corner with 14 men, no joy whatsoever. They backed themselves

into a corner the hallway. They have done that the last few weeks and got

away with it. But they did not get away with this week. Is it a case

that you can get away with playing a lot more disappointingly than you

want to, that you can only do that for so long before it catches up

with you? I think so. They have been getting away with disappointing

performances since Christmas. They have been knackered in defence and

attack. Les Kiss has said that they need to be more clinical and I think

that Ulster has shown a certain lack of composure every time they got

within five or ten metres of the Scarlets line. They failed to come

away with the correct points. Ulster, two kickable penalties, but

when you are down to 14 men, you build pressure. They had 23-point

opportunities. You do not see the All Blacks doing that.

Man of the match was Regan King. Years with Gavin Andrews. What was

key to that win today? We were wary of the Ulster threat. They play an

expansive game. It is not an easy place to come. You have been coming

here for years. How tough is it to get a win here? With the new stadium

and stuff, it is a brilliant place to come. You just enjoy the

challenge. You be as aggressive as possible and anything can happen.

What about the play-off ambitions? We can see ourselves up in a good

spot. It is tight at the top of the table. It is an old cliche, but we

are taking one game at a time. How costly will this defeat be for

Ulster in the overall scheme of the Pro12? We are still in the top four.

Fourth position now. When it comes to the end of the season it is about

where we end up. What about that defeat to Scarlets at home, that

could have got us up into second. Will we rule the opportunity of

getting another home semifinal? Hopefully it will not come back to

bite us, but if the performance is disappointing, and it has been over

the past three, four weeks, we have not seen the best of Ulster. There

is a much more to come from this team. The lads will be bitterly

disappointed with that today. It can only get better. We lost by one

point. Hopefully we can to get up. It is these small margins that make

the difference. It is about the accuracy. Regan King said he loves

to come to the Kingspan Stadium. We have made this place too nice for

people to come to. We want it to be really hard thing, and organised

team that people are scared to come here. We are too nice on the pitch.

There was opportunities for boys to make their mark legally, and we just

dipped out of it. How do you go about changing that? It is a

mindset. You need to guys in there who will ruffle a few feathers. It

was about the missed tackles. If some of the misses a tackle and the

next man comes in, you absolutely destroy them. There was no tone set

out their, whatsoever. The second half was much better. The first

half, those missed tackles, those were easy scores for Scarlets. There

were some positives. It was certainly worth the price of

admission or your licence fee. The try from Craig Gilroy. It was a

piece of individual brilliance. A good wraparound pass. And

identifying the running space outside. 60 metres to go, running at

full tilt, that is very difficult. And the more you practice that, the

more it bounces into your hands. And he had the gas to finish in the

corner. They had been predictable, and they can up with a move like

that, totally unpredictable, and you get a one-on-one, a chip over the

top, a fantastic score. Is he somebody that Ireland will look to

in the coming weeks? I think they should have a look at him. You

mentioned the Six Nations championship. This is a rest we can.

Next weekend it is the big one. Ireland are on the road to

Twickenham for that big game against England. Live commentary for that on

BBC Radio Ulster. The table does not look great, Ireland and fourth

place, with France unbidden, along with England. How do you see that

next weekend? I think is the one after next we're looking at. It

could be a watershed moment for Irish rugby. If they get defeated at

Twickenham then Joe Smits isn't out a look at bringing in some of these

good youngsters. Then you will have to look at blooding these guys in.

He's going to have to use the Italy game and the Scottish game for

potential. Joe Smits said that he would pick players on form, but he

has not done that in this Six Nations. He has bided his time, he

said that we can do is out and play well for Ulster. Probably the inform

centre in European rugby. He has got a bit of pace, as well, some silky

skills, and fingers crossed, he will get a start for Ireland. Joe Smit

has not wanted to experiment yet. You think that this is the time to

experiment with an Ireland team that has been ravaged by injuries? 100

set. It is not the case of Will we throw-in Stuart McCloskey, it is

more a case of get him in there. He is so hard to tackle. The full-back,

Rob Carney, has not been playing as well as we know he can. Some doubt

over his fitness, as well. Get the big man into the centre. He has to

build a team towards the next World Cup. The Ireland squad has an

average age, touching 30. That is a very old squad. He has to build a

new core and take it forward. Rory Best was visiting us in the studio

before the game. Was he confident about next week's he did not give

too much away, he never does. He is enjoying his rugby. He is playing

very well and has done over the past couple of years. There is much more

pressure on his shoulders, but hopefully he can get another win, he

has won at Twickenham before, hopefully can get another win. Next

up, more Welsh opposition for Ulster. They are on the road to the

Cardiff Blues. You can see that live on this channel at 2:25pm next week.

But today was a disappointing afternoon. From the team here,

bye-bye. I'm raising my game

and I WILL come out on top. Bring it on. Bring it on.

Bring it on. This time, we're aiming higher

than ever before. The Sport Relief season

continues with