Ulster end losing run with battling Connacht win

United Rugby Championship

Connacht (7) 7

Tries: Hansen Cons: Carty

Ulster (10) 17

Tries: O'Sullivan, Timoney Cons: Doak 2 Pens: Doak

Ulster ended a run of five straight defeats as their youngsters played a huge role in a battling 17-7 United Rugby Championship win over a misfiring Connacht in Galway.

A series of carries by impressive young number eight James McNabney helped yield Eric O'Sullivan's 11th-minute try as Ulster moved into a 7-0 lead.

Another McNabney burst soon earned Nathan Doak a second successful kick between the Connacht posts to extend Ulster's lead as the home side continued to struggle amid woeful inaccuracy.

Connacht responded with huff and puff and it took an Ulster mistake for the home side to notch their only score in the 34th minute as hesitation between Michael Lowry and debutant Rory Telfer allowed Mack Hansen to nip in to grab a chip over the top from Jack Carty and score under the posts.

With Connacht never able to find any fluency, man-of-the-match Nick Timoney's line-out maul try was the only score of the second half as Ulster's win moved them up three places to eighth in the table, while Connacht dropped to 13th.

After the late withdrawals of Alan O'Connor and Rob Herring, Ulster started with only five of the side that took to the field against Munster on 20 December, which included coach Richie Murphy handing first starts to his son Jack and wing Rory Telfer.

Fly-half Murphy's inclusion meant he was in opposition to his brother Ben, who was introduced by the home side in the second half.

Connacht coach Pete Wilkins was also forced to make late alterations as Dylan Tierney-Martin and Niall Murray replaced Dave Heffernan and Darragh Murray in the home pack.

McNabney's enterprise helped set up O'Sullivan's 11th-minute try as Ulster made pressure count, with scrum-half Doak soon slotting his second successful kick to extend the visitors' lead to 10-0.

Debutant Murphy also produced an impressive opening which included a superb 50:22 that gained his side early momentum, although the action was stop-start amid messy scrum exchanges.

After their sluggish opening quarter, Connacht finally began to make inroads into Ulster territory only for their efforts to flounder because of a combination of their lateral approach and solid opposition defence.

However out of nothing, Connacht were gifted Hansen's 34th-minute try as hesitation between Lowry and Telfer after Carty's chip allowed the Ireland wing to grab possession and run in under the posts unopposed, with the Connacht fly-half adding the extras.

Connacht butcher late chances

Ulster went into the game depleted in the backs with Stuart McCloskey ruled out for a number of weeks by a hamstring injury and Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune, Zac Ward, James Hume and Stewart Moore also missing.

It got worse for Murphy's side as wing Werner Kok was forced off early in the second half by an apparent wrist injury which led to a debut for Ulster Academy back Wilhelm de Klerk.

Try-scorer O'Sullivan also had to be replaced by Andy Warwick shortly after the break to further stretch the visitors' resources.

However, Ulster didn't panic and were back in control by the 54th minute as the decision not to kick a routine three points was vindicated by man-of-the-match Timoney's line-out maul finish following pressure created by carries from McNabney, Scott Wilson and Treadwell.

Connacht butchered opportunities to get back into the contest as their inaccuracy continued with Cathal Forde kicking the ball dead as he went for the corner from a penalty, and Hansen then dropping the ball as he seemed set to score a second try.

Two further relieving turnovers - including a huge one by Timoney near his own line - kept the visitors in control in the closing stages amid their impressive work-rate.

Connacht: O'Conor; Hansen, Forde, Aki, Cordero; Carty, Blade; Buckley, Tierney-Martin, Bealham; Murphy, N Murray; Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Boyle.

Replacements: De Buitlear, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Jansen, Murphy, Jennings, Oliver.

Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Carson, Postlethwaite, Telfer; Murphy, Doak; O'Sullivan, Andrew, Wilson; Treadwell, Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Timoney (capt), McNabney.

Replacements: McCormick, Warwick, Barrett, Sheridan, McCann, Cooney, Morgan, De Klerk.