Ulster 21-22 Exeter Chiefs
– 23 Aug 2014
Les Kiss’s initial diversion in assign as Ulster manager finished in a one-point defeat. Despite that, however, he will have taken most support after examination his fresh side offer adult a good opening initial time out.
Pre-season friendlies exist in sequence to give players game-time brazen of a start of a rival campaign.
That being a box it would be stupid to review too most into a outcome of any such fixtures; opening and a event to try new plays and combinations are a priorities. In such circumstances, winning is deliberate to be a reward and losing no disaster.
Exeter manager Rob Baxter’s starting XV featured dual former Ulster players in outside-centre Ian Whitten and close brazen Ryan Caldwell.
A third – fly-half Gareth Steenson, who kicked 9 of his side’s points in a 24-17 away-day feat over Cardiff Blues final weekend – was enclosed on a dais on this arise and he duly entered a ravel during half-time.
Two of a Chiefs’ 3 try-scorers in that Arms Park delight – wing Jack Arnott and flanker Sam Simmonds – were wanting from final night’s 31-strong match-squad, while a third – scrum-half Will Chudley – was one of a visitors’ engorgement of substitutes.
Ulster had 33 men, requiring them to use both a home and divided sauce rooms, as did their guest who were accommodated in comforts underneath a Family Stand during a Aquinas End.
Earlier in a week Ulster newcomer, South African close Franco outpost der Merwe, had oral of his need to get to grips with a barbarous vagaries of a continue in this partial of a world.
Last night’s compare got underneath approach in splendid sunshine.
Hopefully that climatic monument will not have misled him.
Ulster debutant, New Zealander Sean Reidy’s initial tour valid to be a short-Lived one; he exited in a eighth notation cautiously holding his right arm, with Lansdowne’s Clive Ross – another first-timer – deputising on a open-side flank.
Moments after a third home-team debutant – South African Louis Ludik – suffered a complicated blow in rebellious Whitten. Ludik compulsory on-field diagnosis and no earlier had he done his approach behind into a defensive line than Exeter left wing Matt Jess scored in a right corner.
Henry Slade missed a conversion, following that his side’s full-back Phil Dollman also bent out injured, with Chrysander Botha holding over. Perhaps we were going to need all those substitutes after all?
Ulster leveled on 25 mins from a issuing pierce that began with them putting a chastisement into hold and winning purify possession off a tip of a following line-out on a right, outward a Exeter 22.
They changed a turn left, with captain Roger Wilson twice concerned in a thoroughfare that saw afterwards them go right where they had engineered an overlap. Rory Scholes overwhelmed down and Ian Humphreys resumed his Ulster career with a good acclimatisation that gave his side a 7-5 lead.
Ulster had grown into a match, with their augmenting certainty mirrored in Exeter’s benefaction of a tide of penalties. Their indiscipline valid costly, with Ulster bagging their second try after 34 mins when Ludik forced his approach over underneath a posts withdrawal Humphreys with a easy charge of adding a extras.
Trailing 14-5 a Chiefs soon suffered another blow when their captain and harlot Jack Yeandle was yellow-carded by arbitrate Gary Conway.
With a 14-5 lead going into a second-half, Ulster were in control of a situation, with their set-pieces going well, their counterclaim good organized and their doing good given that this was their initial compare after a summer lay-off.
Exeter rang a changes – 3 during half-time and another contingent early in a second duration – though continued to concur penalties.
However a opening points of a half came when were guilty of a same thing, with Steenson on aim with a easy penalty.
Ulster’s response was present and brilliant, with Scholes boiling by a chasm and powering home from 40 metres. Again Humphreys combined a conversion, creation it 21-8.
‘Stand adult for a Ulster men’ echoed turn a Kingspan Stadium – conspicuous for a accessible match, as was a 13,000 assemblage that enclosed a tiny though engagingly assertive series of Chiefs fans.
Humphreys and Ricky Andrew vacated their berths during 10 and 15, with Sean O’Hagan and Jack Owens holding over during a start of a final quarter. The front soon followed en masse, enabling Jonny Murphy, Ruaidhri Murphy and Wiehahn Herbst holding over.
Two-try favourite Scholes was withdrawn, too, with Ross Adair entering for a final 15 minutes.
The initial scrum after those changes saw a new group acquire themselves a penalty. Impressive.
However it was Ceri Sweeney who practical a finish to a good spell by Exeter who finally pennyless by after primarily being detered by some vigourous home defence.
That was converted, as was a second Jess try a notation later, thereby giving a Chiefs a 22-21 lead with underneath 5 mins remaining. In a 79th notation O’Hagan was incompetent to land a long-range penalty. No matter – copiousness to build on.
Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24676354
New Ulster Rugby coach Les Kiss has reasons to be cheerful
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