Ulster v Cardiff: Five takeaways as hosts go ‘into the big time’ despite ‘leaving points out’ on the pitch in ‘frustrating’ affair
Ulster climbed up to fourth in the URC table after their win over Cardiff
Following Ulster’s 21-14 win over Cardiff in round 11 of the United Rugby Championship (URC), here are our five key takeaways.
The top line
Ulster held out a resurgent Cardiff to climb into the top four of the URC table.
Things got off to a flying start for Richie Murphy’s side, with front-row duo Scott Wilson and Angus Bell grabbing tries inside the first 20 minutes.
Cardiff, however, grew into the game well after that, and added their first score of the night early in the second-half as Johan Mulder darted over from short range.
That try seemed to relight the fire in Ulster’s belly, though, with Charlie Irvine getting his side’s third of the night on minute 65.
But, the visitors hit back just two minutes later as Steffan Emanuel waltzed home after a powerful break from back-rower Taine Basham. They so nearly got another to make it all square heading into the final exchanges, but a pivotal turnover close to the line gave Ulster a reprieve.
The hosts themselves also thought they had secured a crucial bonus point late in the day, with Rob Herring and Dave Shanahan going close, but the scrum-half was adjudged to have played the ball on the floor and the try was chalked off. Content with a losing bonus point, Cardiff booted the ball out of play, but it was Ulster who took home the spoils.
Table ramifications
As mentioned above, Ulster’s win now sees them climb into the top four ahead of the Six Nations break, closing in on those above them too.
Murphy’s side now find themselves level on points with the Stormers in third, and just four points behind second-placed Leinster as well.
Around that, though, they also crucially climb above the likes of Munster and Cardiff, who are both on 35 points, while also moving 11 points clear of the Bulls and Ospreys as well.
For Cardiff, however, this could have been a chance for them to put some proper daylight between themselves and the rest of the chasing pack, but instead, they have been pulled right into the mixer.
The play-off race in the URC is certainly getting tight now, and it will be a really interesting watch across the rest of the season.
Frustration
Both teams can certainly feel like they left points out on the pitch tonight, with errors strewn across both of their performances.
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The sheer number of them will alarm both coaching staffs in next week’s review session, but it was also where they came on the field. Right across the match, both teams saw the ball go loose just as they started getting into scoring positions. Ulster’s Shanahan arguably had the worst of the lot, losing the ball with the try line at his mercy, but that was by no means an isolated incident. Forward or misplaced passes were dotted across Cardiff’s attack, while Ulster also saw a number of their chances scuppered by knock-ons.
When they managed to execute these pieces of skill, they both looked deadly. Ulster’s desire to play wide saw them motor through Cardiff’s defence, while the Welsh side’s clever running lines in midfield caused all sorts of bother as well.
But still, points were left out on the pristine artificial turf, and that will frustrate no end.
In the big time
Ulster’s victory was by no means pretty, but it was enough to get the job done, and as a result, they are now in the big time.
It again just reflects how much has changed between last season and this campaign, which is really pleasing to see. Ulster would probably have lost this game if it happened last year, but they just showed their ability to close things out and hold onto a victory.
While the conditions didn’t help their usual free-flowing attacking style, something that has certainly come on leaps and bounds this season compared to last, it was just built on sheer grit.
Even with those aforementioned errors, Ulster were patient and methodical. They simply bided their time, but then, when the chance presented itself, they sprang into action. Unlike last year, they knew when to pull the trigger.
Zac Ward’s game-high tally of 129 metres was a reflection of that, while centre Ben Carson also contributed a healthy carry count of 11. Around that, the pack played their part in the tight. Herring – who lasted the full 80 – notched eight carries, Bell made nine and Dave McCann tallied 10.
That was also backed up on the other side of the ball. They were super aggressive coming off the line, often shooting in twos or threes to then hit the breakdown, stifling Cardiff’s ability to play with clean, quick ball in the process.
This was yet another marker for their rapid improvement this year compared to last, and while the points left out on the pitch will frustrate them, they should also look back fondly at it. After all, they would likely have lost it this time last year.
Dropping away?
Cardiff have themselves enjoyed a rapid turnaround this year, and looked to be emerging as genuine title contenders not too long ago. But, are they starting to lose their way?
This defeat is now their third in five URC fixtures, following earlier losses against the Ospreys and Scarlets over the festive period. To put that even more into context, they have only lost four times in total this season.
Consistency is such a key thing in this league, especially now, given how close the top six are to one another, so Cardiff cannot afford to have little blips like this if they want to carry on pushing for a top-four, maybe even higher, finish.
It is by no means action stations for Corniel van Zyl’s side, but it could be something to get ahead of during this upcoming break. A chance to reset, perhaps.