Ulster Rugby vs Zebra

LASTTIMEOUT BATH16 – 17ULSTER

In a match billed as the Battle of the Burns Brothers – Ulster out-half Billy pitted against his older sibling Freddie at full- back for the hosts – scoring opportunities were in scant supply thanks to solid defence and some poor handling from both sides, but Ulster critically took the chances that came their way, and return to Belfast with a priceless away win. As play got underway at The Rec, Bath out-half Rhys Priestland had the first chance to open the scoring after three frantic minutes, but his penalty from 40 metres veered wide after Carter had been pulled up for not rolling away. Bath continued to enjoy the better of the possession as the first quarter wore on, with a Will Chudley charge-down of Cooney’s clearance on 11 minutes raising the alarm until the covering Addison hacked into touch.

A John Cooney masterclass – and a match-saving interception from Jacob Stockdale right at the death – saw Ulster make a sensational start to their 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup campaign, edging out Bath in a veritable tug-of-war at the Recreation Ground. An opportunistic first-half try and seven points from the boot by Cooney, coupled with a Rob Lyttle score in the second period, saw Dan McFarland’s men over the line, but with a single point separating the sides in overtime, Stockdale’s superb tracking steal from Semesa Rokoduguni metres from home proved just as crucial.

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