TOOTHLESS GUNNERS DOWNED AGAIN
Ulster: 13 Edinburgh: 9
Things are starting to get a bit worrying.
Last night, Edinburgh rounded off their preparations for their Heineken opener against Leinster next weeked with this disappointing defeat to previously winless Ulster. On this form, a repeat of the recent hammering in Dublin is on the cards. And if you lose a home game in Europe, you're effectively out.
A record of one win from five outings so far in the Magners is not exactly championship winning form either.
But things started well enough last night, with the Gunners in control for the opening quarter. Yet through the platform and chances were there, they just could not take advantage.
And it was Ulster who took the lead with almost half an hour on the clock. Trimble's break set up Cunningham to feed Pollock for the game's only try. The spectacularly named Australian Clinton Schifcofske nailed the extras on a mercurial night with the boot for the centre.
Coach Robinson made wholesale changes at the half. They almost paid off immediately, with Hugo stopped just short two minutes into the second period. Blair (Minor), starting at 10, knocked over two penalties in short order to narrow the Ulster lead to one.
Schifcofske replied with two three pointers of his own. Phil Godman rounded off the scoring for the night with another penalty. But for all their huffing and puffing, the visitors could not break down the resolute home defence. Again, a bonus point was secured for the narrow loss, but that should be little consolation for the underperforming capital side.
Despite the firepower in the back division, the final passes just refuse to stick at the moment. That has got to change next Saturday.
Scorers: Ulster: Tries: D Pollock Cons: C Schifcofske Pens: C Schifcofske 2. Edinburgh: Pens: D Blair 2, P Godman.
Ulster: B Cunningham; C Schifcofske, D Cave, P Steinmetz, A Trimble; N O'Connor, C Willis; T Court, R Best, (capt), BJ Botha, E O'Donoghue, R Caldwell, S Ferris, D Pollock, R Diack. Replacements: N Brady, J Fitzpatrick, C Del Fava, K Dawson/M McCullough, I Boss, I Humphreys, T Nagusa
Edinburgh: J Thompson, J Houston, Hugo, N De Luca, M Robertson, D Blair, M Blair (capt), A Jacobsen, A Kelly, G Kerr, J Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A Hogg, S Newlands. Replacements: R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, C Fusaro, G Laidlaw, P Godman, C MacRae.
Ref: C Demasco
Attendance: 8418