Ulster sweating on URC progress after Glasgow defeat

Ulster will be made to wait to see if they will make the United Rugby Championship playoffs [Getty Images]

Ulster (12) 22

Tries: Z Ward 2, McIlroy, B Ward Cons: Flannery

Glasgow Warriors (21) 26

Tries: McDowall, McBeth, Horne, Rowe Con: Horne 3

Ulster‘s progress in the United Rugby Championship this season now depends on Saturday’s game between Munster and the Bulls after a dramatic 26-22 defeat by Glasgow Warriors in their final regular season game at the Affidea Stadium.

In a match that ebbed and flowed, Ulster looked to have clinched a top-eight place after they had come from behind in the second half to lead by a point with 12 minutes remaining.

Ulster needed a victory to secure a top-eight finish and a place in the quarter-finals.

The Warriors, however, were not to be denied a win that earned them top spot in the standings, as they won the game with a late try from Kyle Rowe.

However the two bonus points for scoring four tries and losing by less than seven points mean Ulster will watch the game at Thomond Park knowing Munster need a point to end their URC season.

Richie Murphy's side can still qualify for the Champions Cup by beating Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final in Bilbao on 22 May.

Glasgow make strong start

Glasgow started the game with attacking intent but Ulster‘s tenacity in defence initially held them at bay.

However with British and Irish Lions centre Sione Tuipulotu pulling the strings, Ulster’s resistance was broken in the eighth minute when his pass found Stafford McDowall cutting the perfect line to score.

George Horne slotted the easy conversion.

Despite being on the back foot as the opening quarter came to an end, Ulster scored a stunning try to climb back into the game.

Zac Ward picked a pass from Michael Lowry off his toes 40 metres from the Glasgow line but skipped inside one tackler and then showed all the power and aggression that is the hallmark of his game to gallop in for the score.

While Jake Flannery missed the conversion the momentum had shifted In the home side’s favour.

Two minutes after the try, Nathan McBeth was yellow carded for head contact with Bryn Ward.

Ulster failed to capitalise with the man advantage, in fact only some last-ditch defending stopped Glasgow adding to their lead.

But then with Glasgow up stepped that man Zac Ward.

This time he had twice as far to run as his first try, intercepting a pass inside his own twenty-two, but he left the Glasgow covering defence grasping nothing but air.

Flannery kicked the conversion and Ulster led for the first time.

It was a short-lived lead.

Back came Glasgow with menace and McBeth dived over from close range for their second try that Horne converted.

With the clock in the red, Glasgow struck again for a third try. This time scrum-half Horne spotted a gap in Ulster’s edge defence and darted in under the posts.

He converted and Glasgow led 21-12 at the interval.

Ulster fight back but fall short

Ulster brought on reinforcements at half-time knowing that both Cardiff and Connacht were winning.

Nathan Doak and Angus Bell were among those summoned from the bench and once again Ulster found themselves with a man advantage when Josh McKay saw yellow for high contact on Tom Stewart.

Once again Ulster found themselves more on the back foot as the 10 minutes came and went without them troubling the scorers.

As the game became more scrappy, Ulster were looking for a bit of inspiration and Jack Murphy’s pass and Michael Lowry’s kick ahead was gathered by Ethan McIlroy for the score. Doak‘s conversion hit the post but the final 20 minutes were set up perfectly.

It would be Ulster who would strike with 11 minutes to go.

Doak’s kick was spectacularly kept in play by McIlroy, picked up by Bryn Ward who managed the off-load to Murphy for the try. Doak missed the extras but Ulster led by a point.

The drama was not over. Back came the Warriors as they split the Ulster midfield defence apart, putting the ball into the hands of winger Kyle Rowe who touched down for the bonus point try.

This time Horne would see his kick come back up the upright.

Ulster threw the kitchen sink in the last few minutes but a final pass eluded Bryn Ward and time ran out.

Ulster: Lowry, Kok, Hume, De Klerk, Ward, Flannery, McKee; Crean, Herring, O'Toole, Sheridan, Irvine, Hopes, Timoney (C), Ward

Replacements: Stewart, Bell, Wilson, Izuchukwu, McLoughlin, Doak, Murphy, McIlroy

Glasgow Warriors: McKay, Steyn (C), McDowall, Tuipulotu, Rowe, Lancaster, Horne; McBeth, Matthews, Fagerson, Brown, Samuel, Miller, Fagerson, Duncan.

Replacements: Hiddleston, Sutherland, Oguntibeju, Talakai, Ferrie, Vailanu, Afshar, Smith.

Match officials:

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

AR1: Max Weston (IRFU)

AR2: Sam Holt (IRFU)

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)