Ulster Rugby 31-38 Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds emerged victorious over an experimental Ulster side at Ravenhill tonight 38-31 in a mid-season challenge match.
In a highly entertaining encounter, eleven tries were scored, with the visitors running in six to Ulster’s five.
Jacob Stockdale and James Hume marked their returns to play with a try each while Mike Lowry, Stewart Moore and Academy scrum-half Conor McKee also went over as Ulster pushed their Super Rugby opponents all the way in what turned out to be a very useful workout for Richie Murphy’s men.
Not only did the game mark the return to play for Stockdale, Hume and Stuart McCloskey, Murphy also got to see some of his Academy players like James Humphries, Whilhelm de Klerk and Bryan O’Connor pit themselves against the cream of Australian rugby.
The Reds included eight current Australian internationals including Angus Blyth and Fraser McReight.
Any idea that this was a friendly were quickly put to the wayside as direct from the kick-off Stockdale was double-teamed by Red’s duo Filipo Daugunu and Sef Fa’agase. It was quite a welcome back for the Irish international who has missed the last 10 weeks due to a hamstring injury.
The visitors dominated the opening exchanges and it was no surprise that they opened the scoring after just 8 minutes when Australia hooker Matt Faessler touched down.
Ulster gradually worked their way into the tie and with Stockdale seeing a lot of the action in the opening quarter, it was no surprise that it was the winger who opened Ulster’s account in the 19th minute.
The Reds regained the lead six minutes later through Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, but the lead was short lived when two minutes later young Ulster scrum-half McKee played a neat one-two with Stuart McCloskey.
Aidan Morgan landed his second conversion to hand Ulster a two-point lead after 28 minutes, 14-12.
In a high quality first half there was still time for one more first-half try
Reds out-half Harry McLaughlin-Phillips fed Wilson who made another excellent line break before releasing scrum-half Tate McDermott who touched down under the posts.
McLaughlin-Phillips added the extras and Les Kiss’ side took a 19-14 lead into the changing rooms at half time.
The ding-dong nature of the contest continued into the second half when James Hume manged to ground the ball in the left corner after some big carries from Matthew Dalton and Alan O’Connor. Morgan’s conversion shaded the posts and the tie was delicately poised at 19-all.
Ulster then regained the lead in the 51st minute.
Lowry reaped the benefits of Whilhelm de Klerk turnover in midfield to sprint clear down the left as Ulster went 24-19 ahead.
Despite multiple replacements on both sides, the skill and entertainment levels remained high as the clock ticked into the final quarter.
With the Ulster coaches running his eye over close to 30-players, a more settled Reds squad took full advantage to finish the game stronger.
Winger Tim Ryan showed his class to score a quick double in opposite corners in the 58th and 61st minutes before the industrious Heremaia Murray waltzed over for a deserving score in the 68th minute.
The appeared to out of Ulster’s reach with the Reds holding a 38-24 going into the final 10 minutes but a Moore try and a James Humphreys conversion brought Ulster to with a converted score despite a late rally, Ulster failed to breach the Reds line one more time and the visitors held on to finish their European tour with two wins from two.
