Storming Stockdale takes the sting out of Wasps
FORMER Wasp Charlies Piutau provided the x-factor and Jacob Stockdale the cutting edge as Ulster got their European campaign off to an encouraging start with both a win and late penalty that denied Wasps even the consolation of a bonus point.
Wasps can point to a ridiculous five day turn around after their Premiership game last Sunday but the bottom line is that they didn’t really play well enough to deserve anything from this game.
Although the rain eased as the game started the ball remained greasy and difficult and, in an energetic but error strewn first half, neither team’s execution matched their ambition. Come the break and it was 63 to Wasps with Eliott Daly – from long range – and Jimmy Gopperth nudging over penalties for the visitors and John Cooney replying for Ulster.
Wasps probably enjoyed the best of it with Willie Le Roux and Josh Bassett always posing a threat down the left flank but Dai Young won’t have been thrilled at how Wasps managed to squander priceless field position just when they were looking dangerous.
Twice the Wasps scrum coughed up soft penalties at scrum fives on their put in while Wasps repeated that profligacy at a promising lineout 5 metres out. When you are on the road in Europe you need to cash in on such opportunities.
Jimmy Gopperth did pop over another penalty early in the second half to stretch their lead further but then, with the Belfast crowd finally cranking up the volume, Ulster went to work with a vengeance
First Christian Leali’ifano went an inch short ruled by the TMO – and then Piutau unveiled his full genius. From setpiece lineout possession some 40 yards out he appeared at centre and spread panic among the Wasps defence with a classic inside-outside swerve that set Christian Wade on the back foot and had Le Roux hesitating a fraction thinking he needed to step in.
At that precise time Piutau released a perfectly weighted pass to the inform Stockdale and the recent Ireland U20 cap steamed in for a high quality try. That’s five in five senior games this season.
Leali’ifano could not convert from wide out but Ulster attacked again from the restart as Piutau seized on a knockback from Le Roux. The former All Black made ground before instinctively looking for Stockdale who again went hard for the corner although this time there was more cover defence.
Sensing that, he lobbed the ball inside and although on another night it might have been called forward it was tight enough for there to be no real controversy as McCloskey collected and dived over.
The brace of tries was a hammer blow but Wasps still had a losing bonus point with five minutes remaining when Josh Bassett got yellow carded for a high tackle and Leali’ifano stepped up to deny them even that with his second penalty.
It was a marginal call but Wasps had been conceding too many penalties and were on a team warning. They can have few complaints.