Henderson the hero as Ulster target last eight
ULSTER boosted their hopes of European Champions Cup qualification with a bonus-point win over the Scarlets to bring them a maximum 10 points from their back-toback clashes with the Welsh region.
John Cooney scored 15 points of Ulster’s total with the bonuspoint try, two conversions and a brace of penalties, while second row Iain Henderson bagged two tries with Jacob Stockdale also crossing.
The five points Ulster claimed the same from last week’s meeting at Parc y Scarlets, brought them level on points with Pool Four leaders Racing 92 ahead of their game with Leicester Tigers and ended bottom side Scarlets’ already slim chances of making the last eight.
‘It was a really tough game,’ said skipper Rory Best.
‘These back-to-back games in December are always tough
‘Sometimes it’s about rolling up your sleeves and toughing it out. We can be exceptionally proud of what we did today.’
The hosts led 10-3 at half-time and though the Scarlets, through a Jonathan Davies try, levelled things up, Dan McFarland’s side pushed on with Stockdale, Henderson — bagging his second — and Cooney crossing.
On a miserable evening of swirling wind and rain at the Kingspan, Ulster got the scoreboard moving early when Scarlets skipper Ken Owens was penalised for not rolling away and Cooney landed his first penalty after eight minutes.
Will Addison then crossed after 13 minutes following a cross-kick from Billy Burns and assist from Henry Speight only for the score to be ruled out for a forward pass.
Speight then went close to scoring himself on 24 minutes but he failed to gather the ball from Addison’s kick through. Ulster had a penalty, though, and put huge pressure on the Scarlets which resulted in prop Wyn Jones being yellow-carded for illegally playing the ball.
Ulster increased the pressure, going for scrums off a series of penalties before Henderson was driven over at the posts. Cooney converted to put the home side 10-0 up.
Rhys Patchell’s 38th-minute penalty gave the visitors their first points just before Jones’ return from the bin and the half ended with Ulster leading 10-3.
Eight minutes after the restart, the game exploded into life when Gareth Davies intercepted a pass on his own line and after running into Ulster’s half his cross-kick was pounced on by Jonathan Davies after Speight and Steff Evans had overrun the ball.
Patchell converted to tie the scores and the visitors were right back in the game.
But Ulster responded when Burns’ chip over the top was latched onto by Stockdale who beat two defenders to score.
Cooney missed the difficult conversion and Ulster now led 15-10 which became 18-10 when he kicked a 57th-minute penalty.
Five minutes later and Henderson had his second when he powered over from close range after good work by Stuart McCloskey. Cooney’s conversion took Ulster’s lead to 25-10.
The bonus-point score came in the 67th minute when Best, who became Ulster’s most capped player in Europe by making his 72nd appearance, drove off a maul to the line before Cooney followed up to score though he failed with the difficult conversion.
Scarlets managed a consolation score from Tom Pyride.
ULSTER: L Ludik; H Speight, W Addison, S McCloskey, J Stockdale (D Cave 58); B Burns (J McPhillips 68), J Cooney; E O’Sullivan (K McCall 65), R Best (R Herring 68), M Moore (T O’Toole 68); I Henderson, K Treadwell (M Rea 77); S Reidy, J Murphy, M Coetzee (N Timoney 68).
Scorers – Tries: Henderson (2), Stockdale, Cooney. Cons: Cooney (2). Pens: Cooney (2)
SCARLETS: J McNicholl (D Jones 53), T Prydie, J Davies (P Asquith 60), H Parkes, S Evans; R Patchell, G Davies (S Hidalgo-Clyne 64); W Jones (P Price 68), K Owens (R Elias 53), S Lee (W Kruger 60); J Ball (T Price 77), D Bulbring; L Rawlins (J Helps 77), W Boyde, U Cassiem.
Scorers – Tries: J Davies. Cons: Patchell pens Patchell. Yellow card: W Jones. Referee: Luke Pearce (England).