MAGNERS LEAGUE Ulster 19 Warriors 17:WHEN IT comes to making debuts then Ulster's high-profile signing Ruan Pienaar could hardly have asked for more as the Springbok chalked up all Ulster's points against a spirited Glasgow to keep his team's unbeaten record in the Magners League intact as they now move towards Friday's Heineken Cup opener against Aironi at Ravenhill.
Pienaar scored 19 points and though it was by no means a faultless display – he missed with his first penalty attempt and two in the second half the last one hitting the upright and staying out – he looked comfortable and composed throughout.
Luck was also surely with him as one of his four penalties bounced the right way after hitting an upright while another bounced on the crossbar before falling over.
The Ravenhill faithful loved it, though amidst all the hype, Ulster very nearly lost their way to a pumped-up Glasgow who had Duncan Weir in good kicking form and John Barclay approaching his destructive best.
The home side also worryingly gifted Glasgow their sole try and then went on to lose their way for a while after leading 13-8 following Pienaar’s conversion of his own score. Only when Paddy Wallace slotted in at outhalf after 66 minutes – a move which surely pleased the watching Declan Kidney – did Ulster seem to regain their confidence for a strong finish despite Pienaar’s final penalty miss.
Pienaar may have scored all Ulster’s first half points, though this only proved enough to leave his side trailing by one point at the interval.
Warriors got off to a great start after Pienaar’s first kick at goal went wide. The Warriors’ teenage outhalf Duncan Weir’s opening ninth minute penalty was supplemented immediately from the restart when DTH Van der Mewe raced clear down the left touchline to score after Andrew Trimble spilt a ball which Max Evans shipped out to the right winger.
Weir missed the conversion but then Pienaar began to make his mark. A 14th minute penalty came in off the left upright and then, four minutes later, the new signing slotted his second penalty after Bryan Young was held up just short of the Glasgow line.
Pienaar then went one better and bagged a debut try after a Robbie Diack lineout take was driven on and Rory Best – winning his 100th cap – fed his scrumhalf who dived in at the right corner before managing to convert his own try with a wonderful touchline conversion.
But Ulster’s 13-8 lead was short-lived and two Weir penalties saw the visitors lead 14-13 at the break.
Pienaar got Ulster back in front with an early penalty which this time bounced off the right side of the crossbar but, yet again, Glasgow responded to go 17-16 in front with an enormous Weir penalty from just short of 60 metres after Young was penalised.
Pienaar and Weir both missed penalty chances but then, with Ulster turning the screw, Pienaar finally kicked a fourth successful penalty to edge Ulster home.
ULSTER: Smith, Trimble, Cave, Wallace, Danielli, O'Connor, Pienaar, Young, Best, Court, Muller, Tuohy, Wannenburg, Henry, Diack. Replacements: I Whitten for O'Connor (66), McAllister for Young (74), Barker for Tuohy (49). Not Used: Brady, Faloon, A. Whitten, Marshall.
GLASGOW: Stortoni, van der Merwe, M. Evans, Morrison, Aramburu, Weir, Gregor, Welsh, Thomson, Low, Ryder, Gray, Harley, Barclay, Vernon. Replacements: Jackson for Weir (71), Grant for Welsh (74), MacArthur for Thomson (59), Kalman for Low (71), Muldowney for Ryder (71), Forrester for Vernon (72). Not Used: Pyrgos, Dewey.
Referee: S Penne(FIR)
