| Stormers (0) 13 |
| Tries: Roos Cons: Libbok Pens: Libbok 2 |
| Ulster (7) 7 |
| Tries: Timoney Cons: Cooney |
A late Evan Roos try helped Stormers to a 13-7 win over Ulster in a hard-fought URC game in South Africa on Saturday.
Nick Timoney’s converted score gave Ulster a 7-0 half-time lead but the hosts fought back with a Manie Libbok penalty and Roos’ touchdown.
Libbok added the extras and a late penalty as Stormers kept their unbeaten home record this season intact.
Ulster left with a losing bonus point despite suffering a third loss from their three visits to Cape Town.
For the Irish province, it was a second defeat on their two-game tour, having lost to the Sharks in interim coach Richie Murphy’s first game in charge seven days previous, but an improved performance.
Ulster occupy the final play-off position in eighth following 13 rounds of fixtures in the competition.
In the absence of injured Munster-bound number 10 Billy Burns, Murphy opted to give Nathan Doak only his second start at fly-half, preferring him to Jake Flannery, despite the latter having five starts already under his belt this season.
South Africa World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff faced his former side, with whom he won the URC title in 2022.
Ulster got off to the best possible start in the eighth minute when Timoney found a gap in the Stormers’ defence and raced clear from 25 metres to dot down under the posts, with John Cooney adding the extras.
Libbok was uncharacteristically off target with two very kickable penalty attempts for the home side while Cooney was similarly profligate with a close-range effort which cannoned off the post and another kick from 45 metres.
Given their territorial superiority, Murphy’s charges will perhaps have been disappointed to have gone in only seven points to the good at the break.
The Stormers threatened early in the second half from a line-out five metres out, ending with Roos being turned over almost on the try-line.
Roos was then adjudged by the TMO to have knocked on just short of the whitewash as the hosts began to take control, their dominance being rewarded with Libbok’s first successful kick at the posts on 54 minutes.
Ulster had Dave McCann yellow carded for an offside infringement on the hour mark but their opponents were unable to take advantage of their numerical advantage during the back row’s 10-minute absence.
Finally, with seven minutes remaining, Stormers succeeded in breaching the Irish province’s defences, Libbok kicking for touch and the maul from the line-out driving over with Roos getting the touchdown.
Libbok’s conversion and penalty extended the final margin of victory to six points.
Next week the Stormers host La Rochelle in the last 16 of the Champions Cup while Ulster travel to Montpellier to compete in the same stage of the Challenge Cup.
Ulster: Lowry; Baloucoune, Hume, McCloskey McIlroy; Doak, Cooney; Kitshoff, Herring (capt), O’Toole, Sheridan, Treadwell, Matty Rea, McCann, Timoney.
Replacements: Stewart, Warwick, Wilson, Izuchukwu, Marcus Rea, Shanahan, Flannery, Moore.
Stormers: Gelant; Hartzenberg, Du Plessis, Willemse Zas; Libbok, De Wet; Harris, Dweba, Fouche, Moerat (capt), Van Heerden, Engelbrecht, Dayimani, Roos.
