URC

Tries from Michael Lowry, Stuart McCloskey and James Hume, all converted by John Cooney got Ulster over the line against a Sharks side who only came to life in ...

But Ulster did enough to come away with the win. Ten minutes later, Ulster had the first try of the game, the score coming off a penalty which was put to the corner. Robert Baloucoune linked up with Cooney to create a run-in for Hume.

Adam McKendry reports from Kingspan Stadium. IT NEARLY ALL went pear-shaped in the dying few minutes of the game but Ulster did enough and no more to secure ...

Ulster will be back here in two weeks’ time. Even when Marius Louw was sent over the line from a fantastic Williams break off the back of a lineout it seemed like it was nothing more than consolation for the South Africans, and when Burns pinned them back at their five-metre line with just over a minute to play it seemed dead and buried. It looked like that was game over, and even more so when Ulster bravely held out on their own line for a solid seven-minute stretch before Kieran Treadwell forced a knock-on from Hendrikse at the base of a ruck to keep the visitors scoreless as the clock ticked over to the hour mark. But it was McCloskey doing all the damage for Ulster and it was he who won the penalty that put them ahead for the first time, the centre catching Hendrikse being too slow at the base of a ruck and when the ball squirted loose it was a Shark who played it from an offside position and Cooney slotted the penalty. And having threatened a few times with attempted cross-field kicks, it was through the boot that Billy Burns finally set up Lowry for the opening try as the fly-half found Ethan McIlroy with the angled kick and the winger danced inside and off-loaded for the full-back to crash over. It had been the visitors who started the brighter, with returning centre Lukhanyo Am looking threatening early on as he set up a chance for Aphelele Fassi and Werner Kok down the wing that was quelled by a Nick Timoney turnover, one of several in a man of the match performance, while Robert Baloucoune had a nervy moment as he spilled a Jaden Hendrikse box kick but survived as the visitors knocked on, too.

Tries from Michael Lowry, Stuart McCloskey and James Hume enabled Ulster to claim a home URC quarter-final after they defeated the Sharks 24-21 at the ...

However, the Sharks came back with five minutes left through a Marius Louw try and Boeta Chamberlain conversion which closed it to 24-14, and Chamberlain converted again after Grant Williams surged through with two minutes remaining. Ten minutes later and with Ulster beginning to get some momentum in the contest - in tandem with the Sharks beginning to make too many errors - the Irish province began to win a series of penalties and put one into the corner. Ulster led 24-7 with just over 10 minutes to go before two converted tries from the South Africans, who also needed to win the game to guarantee a home quarter-final, brought the Sharks a losing bonus point.

Benetton v Cardiff Rugby. Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 18.00 IRE & UK / 19.00 ITA & SA; Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU, league debut); AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU) ...

- AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU) AR 2: Oisin Quinn (IRFU) - AR 1: Dan Carson (IRFU) AR 2: Keane Davison (IRFU) - AR 1: Peter Martin (IRFU) AR 2: Paul Haycock (IRFU)