European Cup Pool Six: Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will be sweating on news of David Humphreys today amid fears that Ulster's playmaker has fractured his cheekbone.
"We will take David for an X-ray when we return to Belfast to find out the damage but we are hopeful that it is nothing too serious," said Ulster coach Mark McCall. "He took quite a bump but hopefully he will be fine to join up with the Ireland squad as usual."
Humphreys collided with Kevin Maggs in the build-up to Cardiff's opening try in the 49th minute through Jonny Vaughton having just levelled the scores at 6-6 just minutes earlier.
His replacement, Adam Larkin, landed two penalties to set up a nail-biting climax. But Ulster, as has so often happened on the road, fell short in search of the winning try. Again, their results away from home have undermined their brave resilience at Ravenhill.
Thus even the fine victory over Gloucester last week was not enough to salvage Ulster's hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Hence McCall had little problem with making six changes, one positional, to the side that dented Gloucester's chances of making the last eight.
Captain Andy Ward, wing Andy Maxwell and lock Ronan McCormack were all included. Paddy Wallace was given a rare start at full back while Paul Shields replaced Rory Best at hooker with Simon Best moving to tighthead for Rod Moore.
It was not long before Best had made his mark on the game, but unfortunately it was with a dubious yellow card branded by French official Christophe Berdos for what was nothing more than a difference of opinion with his opposite number, Cardiff's John Yapp, who was equally baffled by his warning.
The game itself was scrappier than the brief encounter between the rival props as both outhalves traded penalties in the opening exchanges, Humphreys levelling the scores, off the post, after Ward and Matt McCullough had driven close from a lineout.
A stiff breeze helped Nick MacLeod float over a second penalty from the half-way line and Ulster were fortunate not to find themselves further behind before the break when Tom Shanklin put a boot to Wallace's missed pass to Maxwell and later Robert Sidoli fell as he gathered what looked a scoring pass.
Nevertheless Humphreys levelled the scores within two minutes of the start of the second half when Cardiff were penalised at a scrum in midfield. It was to prove his final contribution to the contest.
Moments later Yapp led a Cardiff charge from a lineout stolen from Ulster on the half-way line. Play was moved across field where Shanklin's burst was just about halted by Humphreys, but Vaughton was on hand to score in the corner. MacLeod missed the conversion as a distinctly dazed looking Humphreys staggered off the field.
Tommy Bowe should have inflicted an immediate response had he had the courage of Paul Steinmetz's convictions. Steinmetz jinked inside Tristan Davies to open the Cardiff defence but Bowe was hesitant and was chased down by full back Craig Morgan.
Larkin at least narrowed the gap to 11-9 with a penalty on 57 minutes only for Rowan Frost to become the second name in Monsieur Berdos' book for deliberately killing the ball as Cardiff pressed.
A man down and Ulster were struggling to contain an increasingly buoyant Cardiff as replacement hooker Rhys Thomas squeezed over in the corner.
Ulster did come close to a try when Reece Spee, a 77th minute replacement for scrumhalf Kieran Campbell, came within inches of scoring, and Cardiff conceded the penalty.
Campbell Feather, on for captain Andy Ward, opted to take a kick at goal rather than go for broke and duly ran out of time for the winner.
CARDIFF BLUES: C Morgan; J Vaughton, T Shanklin (capt), T Davies, F Tuilagi; N MacLeod, R Smith; J Yapp, G Williams, G Jenkins, D Jones, R Sidoli, N Thomas, K Schubert, R Sowden-Taylor. Replacements: M Jones for N Thomas (15-24 mins); R Thomas for Williams (66 mins); D Dewdney for Smith (68 mins); N Budgett for D Jones (77 mins)
ULSTER: P Wallace; T Bowe, P Steinmetz, K Maggs, A Maxwell; D Humphreys, K Campbell; R McCormack, P Shields, S Best, R Frost, M McCullough, A Ward (capt), R Wilson, N Best. Replacements: R Moore for N Best (15-24 mins); A Larkin for Humphreys (49 mins); C Feather for Ward (55 mins); R Best for Shields (57 mins); B Cunningham for Wallace (64 mins); M Mustchin for Frost (73 mins); R Spee for Campbell (77 mins)
Referee: C Berdos (France)
