Gilroy’s double helps Ulster to Champions Cup for next season
A BRACE of tries from winger Craig Gilroy helped Ulster secure European Champions Cup rugby for next season. John Cooney also weighed in with 15 points from three penalties and the same number of conversions while Ulster’s other tries came from Jacob Stockdale and Kieran Treadwell. The Ospreys, who bagged tries from Alun-Wyn Jones, Jeff Hassler and Dan Biggar, will now have to settle for a place in the Challenge Cup. The visitors struck first just before the end of the first quarter when Jones burrowed under Kieran Treadwell and Robbie Diack to touch down with Biggar landing a great conversion from the touchline. Cooney narrowed the lead with a 25th-minute penalty but, by this time, Ulster — already without the injured Rory Best and Iain Henderson — had lost full-back Louis Ludik and Worcester-bound prop Callum Black to injury. That left the hosts without four of their starting side, back three danger man Charles Piutau and prop Ross Kane having gone in the warm-up. Six minutes before the break, however, Gilroy got on the end of a Luke Marshall chip and Ulster had the lead 8-7, with Cooney missing a difficult conversion. The hosts came roaring out of the blocks a minute after the restart when Cooney intercepted a pass and Johnny McPhillips’ chip down the right wing saw Gilroy beat Biggar for his second try of the game. The conversion put Ulster 15-7 ahead and that became 22-7 in the 52nd minute when they attacked off a five-metre scrum with Treadwell driving over and Cooney slotting the conversion. Winger Hassler then got on the end of a James Hook pass to make the corner and narrow the gap but Biggar was off target with the conversion. Four minutes later, however, Cooney’s second penalty put the home side 25-12 ahead before his third took it to 28-12. Stockdale then intercepted a Hook pass to sprint in under the posts and put the issue beyond doubt.