Ulster extend unbeaten run as focus turns to Leinster

ACADEMY winger Ethan McIlroy knows what’s at stake when Ulster travel to face champions Leinster next week with only the winner of their conference going through to the PRO14 final in March.

Unbeaten Ulster hold an edge over Leinster, albeit having played two games more, in a two-horse race in Conference A.

Dan McFarland’s men did just about enough to extend their winning start in the league to ten games but McIlroy, who crowned a man-of-the-match display with his second try for the province in his seventh appearance, said they must now turn their attentions to Leinster.

“It really doesn’t get much bigger, especially at the RDS, and there will be a lot on the line in that game with the way the season is working out, so we are looking forward to it,” said the 20-year old.

Ulster, having recalled a string of internationals, were expected to canter home against a Munster side who left most of their Irish stars at home, having made 14 changes to the side which won away to Clermont Auvergne.

But while Ulster laid out their ambition by kicking penalties to the corner, they failed to build on a bright opening.

They hit the front after seven minutes with a good lineout move from the left outside the 22 which was finished on the opposite side by Matt Faddes, with the key moment coming in midfield with a superb pass from James Hume creating the opening.

Out-half Billy Burns created the second try after 17 minutes with a perfectly weighted chip for McIlroy to collect and score.

Ulster managed only one more score after that, a penalty in front of the posts from John Cooney after 29 minutes and not even the introduction of Springbok Marcell Coetzee for his first action since announcing his premature move at the end of the season back to South Africa could inspire them.

Instead, a youthful Munster side managed to stay in the game. Ben Healy pulled back a penalty while lock Billy Holland led a great defensive display despite spending ten minutes in the bin for collapsing a maul.

And in typical Munster fashion they salvaged an unlikely bonus point on a night when they relinquished their seven-match winning start to the campaign.

Ulster, having lost fullback Jacob Stockdale to a leg injury, had debutant prop Callum Reid binned for a scrum infringment and Nick McCarthy sent Darren Sweetnam over for a try in the final play.