ULSTER 19-9 WASPS
And suddenly, a game broke out.
Ulster and Wasps were the curtain-raisers for this season's Champions Cup competition and they barely raised it an inch in the first half. 10 minutes into the second half, though, and Ulster ripped it off the hooks.
Charles Piutau and Jacob Stockdale combined last week to tear Connacht to shreds in one of the scores of the Guinness PRO14 season so far. Tonight at Kingspan Stadium, they were at it again.
Between Ulster fullback and winger, they combined for 235 metres gained off 28 carries, with three line breaks and six defenders beaten. Piutau and an assist while his younger teammate had a try and an assist.
https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/918939913499836416
In 29 professional games, Stockdale now has 14 tries [five in five this season].
Trailing 6-3 at half-time, Ulster were unfortunate to concede another penalty before the fightback began.
Christian Lealiifano was denied by the TMO and the width of a blade of grass before Stockdale, Piutau and some shoddy Willie Le Roux defending combined for a memorable score.
https://twitter.com/btsportrugby/status/918932786056134658
Stockdale was not finished there. When Piutau made another break, across to the left flank, the winger bust a gut to get there in support.
Piutau found him - of course he did - and Stockdale had the awareness to get a pass away, in the tackle, to Stuart McCloskey. The big centre had come to life in the second half and he was never going to be denied from two metres out.
The only worry, amid the tryscoring euphoria, was Wasps remaining in touch due to a couple of missed conversions. With 12 minutes left on the clock, Lealiifano eased the home crowd somewhat by ramming over a penalty from 36 metres out.
The Aussie made it 19-9, after 75 minutes, when Josh Bassett was penalised, and sin-binned, for a high tackle on Louis Ludik. With the clock winding down and Ulster a man up, it was all about denying the Premiership side a losing bonus point.
The game duly finished with parries, carries and a lot of going nowhere. Ulster won this match with 70 minutes of endeavour, heart and 10 minutes of pure genius from a backline that will worry most defences in Europe this season.
