Peter Burke
Well what a game that was, a try fest and sure you couldn’t get up to make a mug a tea for fear you might miss something so that idea was relegated to the half time whistle.
Both teams needed points from this and they both got it, Ulster with the full 5 and Benetton bagged 2 bonus points, Ulster securing themselves a place in the URC playoffs.
Just five minutes after the ref blew for the game to start Benetton opened their account with Menoncello scoring in the corner, Benetton looked like they were here to challenge, and with the conversion missed it stayed five nil to the visitors.
Ulster hadn’t settled until they attacked on 15 minutes, moving the ball to midfield off a lineout, Cooney breaks offloads to the Tom Stewart who crosses the whitewash easy, conversion secured the lead was back with Ulster at 7-5.
Umaga converted a penalty to put the visitors back in front but Ulster struck with Cooney darting but was stopped short, the ball recycled and Crothers goes over, the lead was now 14-8.
John Cooney was superb, all in all he had a 13 point tally, two try assists and a couple of important tackles.
The Stockdale magic that was missing for so long shone tonight, Big Stu found space on the outside, kicked through for Stockdale to gather and score a well worked move, Ulster hit the sheds 21-8.
The second started much like the first with Benetton hitting first on the 46 min with Halafihi benefitting from an Addison mix up, too easy for the visitors but it wasn’t the first time as mistake by teams must have reached double figures.
Benetton scored twice to bring the score to within a point and I’d say there was a lot of ‘Ah here if they lose this…’ being said.
Cormac Izuchukwu wasn’t having it and he barrelled over and of course Cooney converted and then a penalty was scored.
A moment of confusion in the dying minutes as most people thought the clock was off but it wasn’t and Alberonoz took a quick tap penalty after Marshall was yellow carded to score, but it was all too little too late for the Italians but they did get 2 bonus points out of it with Ulster gaining the full 5.