Harlequins 10-34 Ulster: Irish province post bonus-point away Champions Cup success
Ulster move to the top of European Champions Cup Pool 3
By Michael Cantillon at The Stoop
Last Updated: 13/12/19 10:22pm
A brace of tries from the in-form John Cooney, plus further Luke Marshall, Matt Faddes and Tom O'Toole efforts, saw Ulster comfortably see off Harlequins 34-10 in Champions Cup Pool 3 on Friday at a rain-drenched Stoop.
The result ends Quins' hopes of progressing any further in this year's tournament, while Ulster - who are four wins from four - and picked up a bonus-point victory, now have one foot into the quarter-finals.
A bitty game saw plenty of mistakes by both sides on the night, but Ulster proved the more clinical, as their firepower in attack, particularly among the backs, impressed again.
The Irish province are in a wonderful position ahead of their toughest game of the pool - away to Clermont in Round 5 on January 10 - before they finish their schedule at home to Bath - also already out of the running - a week later.
In a drab first half, Ulster made a poor start as the early concession of a penalty, a serious-looking shoulder/pectoral injury to out-half Billy Burns (from which he recovered to play on), Cooney failing to find the mark with a penalty touch-finder and a Burns knock on within his 22 all combined to put them on the back foot inside the first five minutes.
As it was, Ulster would take the lead though when Cooney dispatched a penalty off the tee from a fairly central area in-between the Quins 10-metre line and 22 after on-the-night Quins skipper Kyle Sinckler had failed to roll away.
Ulster had the chance to double their lead on 12 minutes, having won a scrum penalty in an eminently kickable position, but having kicked to the corner instead, a Kieran Treadwell knock on in the Quins 22 ended the move.
Soon, it was Harlequins' turn to spurn a chance as a scrum penalty won against the head in midfield came to nothing when Brett Herron missed touch - errors on the night seeming to prove infectious.
Ulster again turned down the chance to kick for points on 22 minutes, as Burns went to the corner, but once more it proved the wrong decision as the ball was lost forward within an attacking five-metre rolling maul.
Still, the visitors continued to probe and constructed their first lasting sequence of attack just shy of the half-hour mark when 18 phases of possession brought them well inside the Quins 22, only for back-row James Chisholm to come up with a monumental breakdown turnover for the home side to avert the danger.
Harlequins seemed invigorated by such a moment of defence, and responded by carving out two line-breaks into the Ulster 22 almost immediately - both via lock forward Stephan Lewies. The second of those forays forced a penalty against Ulster for holding on, which centre James Lang then dispatched for 3-3.
A minute from the half, Ulster put together a scintillating move for the opening try to regain the lead and again it was that man Cooney - his third Champions Cup try in four games.
Upon receiving a Stuart McCloskey pass within the 22 off a defensive scrum, Cooney's half-back partner Burns scythed through the Quins line for the initial break before offloading to Jacob Stockdale. The full-back sprinted forward and found wing Faddes, before the Kiwi stepped in off the wing to feed Cooney, who sprinted clear to just reach the line.
The second half brought driving rain, but Quins should have had their opening try within minutes. A brilliantly vicious hand-off by flanker Semi Kunatani on Ulster skipper Iain Henderson saw the Fijian stride into the Ulster half before passing on to full-back Ross Chisholm, who looked to have enough pace but for Cooney to make a last-ditch, try-saving tackle.
Ulster would make Quins pay dearly, when at the other end a superb McCloskey grubber kick was latched upon by centre partner Marshall, as he proceeded to power over for the Irish province's second try on 47 minutes.
On the hour mark, Ulster had a third try on the night, and again it was Cooney - this time all of his own making. With the visitors attacking in the 22, the scrum-half kicked in behind the defence, before kicking forward for a second time, regathering and scoring in a wonderful piece of skill.
Two minutes later, Harlequins finally did have their first try of the evening as second row Lewies stretched out to score after a maul had previously gone to deck.
Ulster were undeterred, however, and would not be denied a bonus-point win on the night as Faddes finished off another ruthless attack at pace, with four minutes left on the clock.
Into the final minute of the contest, Ulster added further gloss to the scoreline when replacement O'Toole powered over for a fifth try, to round off a memorable European away day.
