URC: Benetton 34 Ulster 19
Ulster sank to new lows on Saturday, losing back-to-back games against Italian opposition after crumbling in the second half when their discipline simply imploded.
Both Nick Timoney and Stewart Moore were yellow carded around the hour mark (adding to David McCann’s yellow from earlier in the half), reducing Richie Murphy’s side to 13 and inviting Benetton to complete their comeback to win with a bonus point.
Who has been added to Ireland’s Six Nations squad and why?
The northern province even had a try chalked off when Tom O’Toole was penalised for a high elbow as Matty Rea made the line, the call completing Ulster’s misery as they failed to register a score in the second half after leading at half-time.
Ulster made the ideal start, Nathan Doak scoring with just three minutes gone after Benetton knocked on at kick-off, allowing the visitors to turn the screw.
Doak converted his own score, but Ulster’s frailty quickly came back to hit hard when a move through the middle ended up with the ball hitting the deck and Matt Gallagher hacked on and chased from his own half to score, Tomas Albornoz converting to tie things up on 12 minutes.
But Ulster then took their own gift-wrapped touchdown when Michael Lowry intercepted Albornoz, Doak converting to nudge them back in front.
Albornoz then kicked a penalty before Ulster ran back a long kick, Timoney finding Jacob Stockdale, who slalomed his way through for a dazzling try. Doak couldn’t add the extras.
The half ended with Benetton scoring again, Ignacio Mendy getting over unopposed on the right with Albornoz superbly converting to make it 19-17 to Ulster.
McCann was yellow carded at the start of the second half for coming in offside at a breakdown, but Ulster managed not to concede during his absence. However, not long after McCann returned Timoney was also shown yellow for a high hit on Toa Halafihi.
The result was the first points of the second half, Albornoz slotting the penalty to put Benetton in front for the first time.
Ulster’s discipline then started to crack and Moore’s hit on Fekitoa was deemed a deliberate knock-on in his own 22 and the fullback was binned, reducing Ulster to 13.
Mirco Spagnolo then barrelled over from the driving maul launched from the penalty being put to the corner, Albornoz converted and now it was 27-19 to the hosts.
Ulster did hit back. With Timoney just returned to the pitch, they mauled to the line from a penalty and though Matty Rea drove over, Tom O’Toole was penalised for a stray and high elbow and the score was chalked off.
There was an inevitability about the ending, Izekor surging over in the last minute for the try bonus with Albornoz converting to end a deeply humiliating evening for Ulster.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 3 mins: Doak try, con 0-7; 11: Gallagher try, Albornoz con 7-7; 16: Lowry try, Doak con 7-14; 25: Albornoz pen 10-14; 29: Stockdale try 10-19; 38: Mendy try, Albornoz con 17-19; Half-time 17-19; 57: Albornoz pen 20-19; 64: Spagnolo try, Albornoz con 27-19; 79: Izekor try, Albornoz con 34-19.
BENETTON: R Smith; I Mendy, M Fekitoa, M Zanon, M Gallagher; T Albornoz, A Uren; T Gallo, S Maile, G Zilocchi; G Marini, E Snyman (capt); A Izekor, M Zuliani, T Halafihi.
Replacements: B Bernasconi for Maile, M Spagnolo for Gallo (both 40 mins), R Favretto for Marini, S Koroiyadi for Zuilani (both 56), J Kingi for Halafihi (57), T Pasquali for Zilocchi (60), Marin for Mendy (72).
ULSTER: S Moore; M Lowry, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; A Morgan, N Doak; J Boyd, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), C Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, N Timoney, D McCann.
Replacements: K Treadwell for Izuchukwu (20), J Postlethwaite for Lowry (43), S Wilson for Boyd (47), J Flannery for Morgan (56), J Andrew for Herring (59 mins), D Shanahan for Flannery (71), R Crothers for McCann (73), B O’Connor for O’Toole (76).
Yellow card: D McCann (43 mins), N Timoney (57), S Moore (63).
Referee: C Evans (WRU).
