European Rugby Champions Cup: Ulster back in the mix after win against Scarlets
Monday 8 December 2014 07:59, UK
Ulster got their European campaign back on track with a 24-9 win over the Scarlets at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
It was the first win of their campaign after suffering defeats to Leicester and Toulon and their bonus-point success moves them off the bottom of Pool 3 and sets them up for the return fixture at the Scarlets next weekend.
Darren Cave and Ruan Pienaar – who was making his first appearance of the season in an Ulster shirt – crossed over for tries in the first half, while Tommy Bowe and skipper Rory Best scored the third and fourth in the second half.
The loss leaves the Scarlets, who had two players sin-binned, bottom of the group after going into the game in second place.
It was the Scarlets who got off to a better start as Rhys Priestland nailed a penalty after just three minutes.
And with Ulster's No 10 Ian Humphreys missing with his first two attempts, it looked like it would be a nervous night for Ulster.
But a late hit on Humphreys by Scarlets flanker James Davies saw him sin-binned in the 11th minute and the home side then got things going with 14 unanswered points.
Priestland narrowed their lead with a 29th-minute penalty when Davies returned, but the Scarlets then finished the half with 14 again after Liam Williams was yellow carded for tipping Louis Ludik up in the tackle.
A great maul over the Scarlets' line brought the bonus try which came on 68 minutes, with Best getting the touchdown under a pile of bodies – although Humphreys was again unable to convert.
However, Ulster looked secure and, even with Pienaar yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, they held their line in the face of several waves of Scarlets attacking.
