Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ULSTER’S BEST IS NOT ENOUGH
TWO Rory Best tries were not enough for Ulster to reach the Pro14 knock-out stages as their scoreless second-half let Munster snatch a draw at Thomond Park.
Best crossed twice just before half-time to give Jono Gibbes’s side a ten point advantage with their third try, but they were unable to claim the key fourth as Robin Copeland’s try and JJ Hanrahan’s boot rescued the Reds.
The loss of Iain Henderson to a knee injury and Stuart McCloskey for a head injury assessment was a blow to Ulster before the interval. The result means they will take on Ospreys in the Champions Cup play-off, while Munster face Edinburgh in next Saturday’s Pro14 quarterfinal.
Munster’s James Cronin was man of the match and he praised his side’s recovery from last week’s Champions Cup defeat.
He said: “It’s never easy the week after a semi-final loss. We did a lot of soul searching at the start of the week.
“We knew that we had a job to come here and do. We showed great guts and effort near the end to keep out a dogged Ulster side.”
Munster got off to a bright start with a try in the second minute.
Copeland did well to pressurise Ulster scrumhalf David Shananan, and when the ball spilled Duncan Williams pounced for a try in his first appearance for two months following injury.
Ulster needed a bonus point win to have any hope of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition and they hit back within three minutes. A hit on Hanrahan by Sean Reidy gave Ulster possession, and Jacob Stockdale’s smart pick-up played a big role in Stuart McCloskey’s try.
Johnny McPhillips slotted the conversion and his 16th minute penalty then made it 10-7 for Ulster.
Before the half-hour mark Darren Sweetnam returned a loose Stockdale kick into Ulster territory, and after Cronin came close to scoring, Brian Scott bagged his second Munster try and the conversion made it 14-10.
In the seven minutes before the interval Ulster struck twice. Copeland was in the sin bin at the time for collapsing a maul, and Best made hay off identical rolling mauls. McPhillips converted both tries for a 24-14 interval lead.
Munster shored up their scrum with the introduction of Stephen Archer at half-time, and they looked an improved side. Luke Marshall was sin-binned after 48 minutes when he failed to roll away near his try line, and a minute later Munster closed the deficit when Copeland crashed over and Hanrahan converted.
With 14 minutes to go, Munster earned a penalty at the breakdown and Hanrahan levelled matters from the tee.
The Munster No10 was then off target with a long range drop goal five minutes from time, while a fifth Gerbrant Grobler lineout steal at the death denied Ulster their final shot. ARSENAL are tracking promising Swiss playmaker Djibril Sow.
The Gunners have sent one of their top spies to run the rule over the 21-year-old midfielder (left), who plays for Young Boys in Switzerland.
He scored a superb volley against Grasshoppers last month and that has prompted interest.
New Emirates chief scout Sven Mislintat has connections in Germany – where Sow learned his trade with Moenchengladbach before a £1.4million transfer to Young Boys last summer.