WE ARE IN GOOD NICK
NICK TIMONEY said there is still plenty of room for improvement as Ulster continued their perfect start to the season.
Timoney crossed twice to take his try haul to five as Ulster secured a fourth bonus point win of the URC at Kingspan Stadium.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance but we can’t complain with 20 points from 20. But we still feel there is plenty of room for improvement,” said Timoney.
However, the win came with a big price as luckless full-back Will Addison, who had been playing well, looks to have suffered another major injury after being stretchered off with a leg injury to add to an already lengthy casualty list.
Content
Ulster enjoyed 64 per cent possession in the opening half but had to be content with a 12-10 interval lead as the South Africans made the most of what they created.
Ulster hit the front with a try straight off the training ground as hooker Rob Herring popped a throw to the front of the lineout to loosehead Andrew Warwick and his quick inside sent the looping Ti m o n e y bursting through to score.
Nathan Doak missed his first kick in nine attempts this season but the teenager continued to impress in only his third start for Ulster.
But while Ulster scored from touch, their lineout defence was underwhelming in the Lions’ first serious attack and missed tackles by Timoney and Billy Burns were exploited as the South Africans went wide and right winger Stean Pienaar got in to score, with EW Viljoen adding a superb conversion from out wide.
Ulster responded well but struggled to break down the Lions defence and when they did create an overlap No.8 David McCann knocked on out wide with a clear run to the line.
Pressure
But the pressure paid off five minutes from the break and with the Lions sucked in to contain the siege, Doak went wide to send James Hume over for his second try of the campaign and then added the extras.
The Lions had the final say of the opening half when Viljoen landed a 42nd-minute penalty to cut the gap to two at the interval.
A tapped penalty eight minutes after the restart led to Ulster’s third try with Matty Rea smashing his way over and Doak pushed the lead out t o 19-10 and the Lions never looked like recovering.
The bonus point eventually arrived 13 minutes from time when Timoney finished off another sustained bout of pressure, with Doak’s convert making it 26-10. Scorers: Ulster: Tries: N Timoney, J Hume, M Rea. Cons: N Doak (3). Lions: Try: S Pienaar. Con: EW Viljoen. Pen: Viljoen.
ULSTER: Addison, Gilroy, Hume, S. Moore, McIlroy, Burns, Doak Warwick, Herring, O’Toole, A. O’Connor, Carter, M. Rea, Timoney McCann. Replacements: Roberts, O’Sullivan, Kane, Treadwell, Reidy Shanahan, Lowry, Moxham.