Cooney’s last-gasp penalty completes Ulster’s comeback
ULSTER have developed something of a habit lately of rescuing games at the death, and a long-range John Cooney penalty two minutes from time secured this vital comeback win over Harlequins yesterday evening.
Dan McFarland’s men remain unbeaten in Europe and retake top spot in Pool Three of the Heineken Champions Cup.
Ulster trailed 24-22 in the closing stages after two second-half tries from Quins hooker Elia Elia had edged the visitors in front.
But an Adam McBurney try and Cooney’s conversion left Ulster within range and Cooney’s penalty made it three wins from three and left them on top of pool three.
Sean Reidy and Stuart McCloskey claimed Ulster’s other tries, both converted by Cooney, who also landed two penalties.
But McFarland admitted his side would have to play much better in Friday’s return leg against Harlequins. ‘We’ve got Harlequins away and then we have to play Clermont away and if we play like we played here in this game over at the Stoop we haven’t got a chance of winning,’ he said.
‘We’re going to have to be a whole heap better than that to be able to countenance a win (at Harlequins).
‘Perhaps over the last couple of weeks we’ve had a lot of nice things said about us in the press and I look at those and it makes me slightly nervous as I don’t see us as being as good as that.
‘This is a team that can grind out wins but is in the process of becoming a consistently good team and that’s what I want (us) to be.’
Quins, who earned a losing bonus point, had a try from Alex Dombrandt, in addition to Elia’s double. Marcus Smith converted all three tries and added a penalty.
After a bright opening, Ulster opened the scoring with a seventh-minute Cooney penalty, with Smith responding two minutes later after the home side were offside at the restart.
Louis Ludik then intercepted a long cut-out pass from James Lang with Quins on top following a dangerous run from Gabriel Ibitoye.
Cooney then held on to the ball with Ludik free outside him before Chris Robshaw’s jackal on Marty Moore. Quins crossed the line in the 24th minute after Dombrandt had initially won a Cooney kick-chase. The visitors attacked left and after Ross Chisholm made ground down the right, Kyle Sinckler’s short pass put Dombrandt through two tackles to score.
Smith converted and Quins led 10-3.
Ulster hit back just after the half hour via a penalty after Iain Henderson’s rip. Billy Burns’ cross-kick picked out Stuart McCloskey, whose off-load released Reidy to gallop over the line.
Cooney’s conversion tied the scores at 10-10 which is how the half ended.
Clearly intent on making an early statement, McCloskey barrelled over in the left corner three minutes after the restart when crisp passing from Burns and Luke Marshall gave the Ulster centre a chance to smash through Chisholm.
Cooney was well wide with the extras.
Smith hit the upright with a 50th-minute penalty shot after McCloskey was pinged for a high tackle on Francis Saili.
But Quins came back three minutes before the hour. A penalty for early engagement at a maul
was put into the corner and Elia surged over the line through McCloskey’s tackle.
Smith converted to nudge Quins ahead and then the visiting hooker grabbed his second from a length of the field move.
It came when Ludik was pulled down short of the Quins’ line and Dombrandt intercepted Cooney’s pass to Coetzee and charged downfield.
He linked with Chisholm and Ibitoye before, in midfield, Elia dummied Kieran Treadwell and ran in unopposed, making the extra two points a formality for Smith.
Ulster responded with a score off their own from a driving maul. A penalty was put to the corner and, after Henderson won the lineout, the hosts got early momentum and McBurney was driven over the line.
Cooney’s conversion reduced the deficit to 24-22 and it then fell to the scrum-half to nail the match-winning penalty.
Quins coach Paul Gustard said: ‘We gave them the fright of their lives. Unfortunately, we fell short but there are a lot of positives to take towards Friday night.’
Ulster: J Stockdale; L Ludik, L Marshall, S McCloskey, C Gilroy (M Faddes 74); B Burns, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, R Herring (A McBurney 61), M Moore (T O’Toole 74); A O’Connor (K Treadwell 58), I Henderson; S Reidy, J Murphy, M Coetzee (M Rea 61).
Scorers: tries: Reidy, McCloskey, McBurney; cons: Cooney (2); pens: Cooney (2)
Harlequins: R Chisholm; T Ismaiel, M Campagnaro (F Saili 45), J Lang, G Ibitoye (V Goneva 61); M Smith, D Care (M Landajo 68); J Marler, E Elia, K Sinckler (S Kerrod 68); S Lewies, T Cavubati; S Kunatani (T Lawday 58), C Robshaw, A Dombrandt. Scorers: tries: Dombrandt, Elia (2); cons: Smith
(3/3); pen: Smith (1/2)
referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)