RABODIRECT PRO12: ULSTER 12 V 13 GLASGOW WARRIORS

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe will be disappointed after his team lost 12-13 at home to Glasgow

Ulster coach Mark Anscombe will be disappointed after his team lost 12-13 at home to Glasgow

IT was a night of missed chances for Ulster.

But when the opponents take their chances you have only yourself to blame for not taking yours.

It was disappointing for Ulster on a night when they had a minute’s silence for fellow player Nevin Spence, his father and brother who all died a year ago on the Hillsborough farm during a tragic slurry fume accident.

There will be a lot to review by head coach Mark Anscombe and his back room staff over the coming days after Friday evening’s clash at the revamped Ravenhill ground in east Belfast.

But in the end, there was a dramatic finish to the game when James Eddie’s dying seconds try gave the Glasgow Warriors a victory.

For Ulster it was another disappointment. They lost their opening game to the Scarlets. Now the Warriors have taken their scalp on home ground.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom under the floodlight.

Ulster should have, and could have, won the game. They led at half-time by 12-6 through the trusted boot of Paddy Jackson who scored kicked four penalties.

The Warriors had responded to Jackson’s points with two penalties from Stuart Hogg.

After half time, Ulster continued to show their domination but when they needed the killer instincts to see off the Warrior, Ulster missed crucial chances.

And in the final minute, James Eddie Eddie over at the line, breaking Ulster’s hearts and Hogg converted.

 

 

It was an error-strewn opening 40 minutes in the first competitive game at the redeveloped Ravenhill, which boasts two new stands with the capacity set to rise to 18,000 when work is completed next year.

Glasgow made a bright start and a Hogg penalty put the Scots ahead after six minutes, but Jackson quickly levelled for the hosts.

Two more Jackson penalties, the second a fine kick from long range, opened up a six-point gap.

Ian Porter’s last-ditch tackle denied DTH van der Merwe a try as the Glasgow wing sprinted clear, although Hogg made it 9-6 with a 28th minute penalty.

Jackson fired over his four penalty as he bounced back in style from a disappointing kicking display in last Friday’s defeat by the Dragons.

Hogg pulled an injury-time penalty just wide to leave Glasgow trailing by six at the break.

Ulster pressed in the early stages of the second half but were frustrated in their search for an opening try.

Michael Allen had a clear path to the line but dropped the ball from Rob Herring’s pass before Luke Marshall missed out on a try by failing to hold on to Jackson’s lay-off.

David McIlwaine surged over but determined Glasgow defending prevented the wing touching down.

Jackson sent a penalty wide before Glasgow replacement Murray Low was sin-binned on 68 minutes after deliberately slowing play.

Ulster’s wastefulness was punished when Glasgow scored the game’s only try with just seconds remaining.

Replacement Eddie surged over from Ruaridh Jackson’s clever off-load and Hogg slotted over a simple conversion to win it with the last kick of the game.

Ulster : J Payne, D McIlwaine, D Cave, L Marshall, M Allen, P Jackson, I Porter, C Black, R Herring, D Fitzpatrick, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, R Wilson, S Doyle, N Williams. Replacements : N Annett, T Court, R Lutton, I Henderson, C Henry, P Marshall, J McKinney, R Andrew.

Glasgow Warriors : Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Sean Lamont, Mark Bennett, DTH van der Merwe, Ruaridh Jackson, Henry Pyrgos (capt.), Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Ed Kalman, Tim Swinson, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Tyrone Holmes, Josh Strauss. Replacements : Dougie Hall, Gordon Reid, Moray Low, James Eddie, Chris Fusaro, Richie Vernon, Chris Cusiter, Gabriel Ascarate.

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