Ulster Rugby

In another free-scoring, back-and-forth game between Irish and South African sides in the URC, Ulster edged past the Lions in Johannesburg for their first ...

Again, while it wasn't pretty, Ulster showed resilience to weather the storm. This time there was no mistake with Emmanuel Tshituka carrying hard across the line once the maul eventually ran out of steam. After Henco van Wyk was sent to the bin in a penalty-ridden passage of defence, Ulster almost looked to have wasted the opportunity but, after Rob Lyttle kept his head, Burns snuck over in the corner. On their own put-in, Eric O'Sullivan was pinged and the Lions knocked it to the corner to give the line-out another go. It wasn't until the 26th minute that the Lions took their first lead of the game thanks to another Lombard penalty, but by that stage the hosts had long felt in the ascendancy. Ulster did most of their damage either side of half time off a Lions' yellow card, in a game where the home side launched two comebacks that had made a fourth win on the spin feel likely.

Ulster's Rob Lyttle scores a try. Lions 37. Ulster 39. Morgan Piek reports from Emirates Airline Park. ULSTER SURVIVED A late onslaught at Ellis Park in ...

The winger Quan Horn struck again for the Lions and this time the replacement flyhalf, Jordan Hendrikse, managed to convert to make it a six-point game. Minutes later the centre, Stuart McCloskey, scored Ulster’s fourth try when he pounced on a ball which the Lions stole from a lineout on their own 5m line, but weren’t able to control the ball, which allowed McCloskey swoop for the opportunist try. The South African-born Irish international hooker, Rob Herring, added to the misery of the home side when he scored off a lineout maul which resulted from a penalty. The DRC-born Tshituka scored the Lions second try with a powerful carry by the back-rower that came off of a lineout drive. Just a few minutes later, Gianni Lombard got the Lions on the board with a penalty. ULSTER SURVIVED A late onslaught at Ellis Park in Johannesburg to beat a determined Lions team 39-37 in a thrilling United Rugby Championship fixture that could have gone either way.

Ulster piled on the points during a Lions sin-binning before holding off a home fightback to win 39-37 in Johannesburg.

Doak split the posts with a penalty before Francke Horn's second and another Hendrikse conversion made it a two-point game with two minutes to play but Ulster held on for their fourth win of the season. Cooney's missed conversion meant Ulster trailed 18-15 at the break. Lombard gave the Lions the lead for the first time from the tee after 26 minutes and the home side looked to turn the screw as they repeatedly kicked penalties to the corner.

In another free-scoring, back-and-forth game between Irish and South African sides in the URC, Ulster edged past the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg for ...

This time there was no mistake, with Tshituka carrying hard across the line once the maul eventually ran out of steam. Again, while it wasn't pretty, Ulster showed resilience to weather the storm. As Van Wyk returned, with 19 points scored in his absence, the cost of his sin-binning was clear and by the time Rob Herring was mauled over the line with a little under half an hour to go, Ulster's first-half struggles felt long left behind. With Vermeulen spoiling a Lions' line-out on the edge of the 22, the Springbok was leading what at times felt like a one-man resistance. One of two in the visitors' starting side to have also been on the Emerging Ireland tour, the restored wing cantered between two props to set up a finish with no Lion in his general vicinity. In the thin air of Johannesburg, it was the visitors who made the quicker start.

The Reds welcome the Bulls to Thomond Park for a 7.35pm kick-off with the hosts seeking their second victory of the campaign.

For the second year running, they face Naomh Conaill in the final. Peamount start the evening in third, and make the trip to Cork City. While Commonwealth champion Michaela Walsh goes up against Amina Zidani of France for a place in the featherweight quarter-finals. Their chances of progression in the competition are over after losing 2-0 to RB Leipzig on Tuesday. Ulster are taking on the Lions in the United Rugby Championship this afternoon as they look to maintain their impressive start to the new season. The Reds welcome the Bulls to Thomond Park for a 7.35pm kick-off with the hosts seeking their second victory of the campaign.

Ulster secure a first win on South African soil as they withstand a Lions comeback to edge the URC game 39-37.

Doak eased Ulster nerves with a penalty to make it 39-37 but the Lions were not finished yet and Francke Horn scored his second try, which was converted by Hendrikse, to leave the gap at just two points with three minutes left. Cooney's conversion made it 22-18 and it was followed by another try five minutes later when the Lions knocked the ball back from an Ulster lineout but only to an alert McCloskey, who stole in and sauntered over the line to seal the bonus point. The Irish side cashed in on the extra man, first with Burns going over from Michael Lowry's pass and then a minute after the restart as Lyttle sprinted down the line to put Ulster in front.