Ulster 13 Leinster 21: IF MICHAEL Cheika's body language during his post-match press conference at Ravenhill late on Saturday night was defensive, it mattered little; his team had done all the talking required on the pitch.
After all the stick that has come Leinster's way since that European Heineken Cup defeat at Castres, Cheika admitted he was waiting for more knives to come out should his side have gone down to a resurgent Ulster team.
As it was, Leinster showed all the grit and robustness that has been missing from recent performances to grind out a victory which should not only keep the critics at bay but also keep the reigning Magners League champions right in the hunt as they attempt to become the first side to defend the title in the competition's history.
The visitors had to battle back from a 7-3 half-time deficit with tries from man-of-the-match Rocky Elsom and Simon Keogh. Felipe Contepomi slotted two more penalties to go with his first-half effort to clinch a humdinger of a inter-provincial clash.
The contest was only decided in the final nine minutes, when first Keogh touched down before Contepomi denied Ulster even a bonus point for their battling performance with his third penalty.
"It was always going to be a tough match for us because we had that little bit of extra pressure. Everyone was just waiting to stick the knife in that little bit more," sais Cheika. "But we kept our composure okay. We could have done a few things better but I am very happy to win up here."
If he would have preferred his side to have created more chances with all their territorial advantage and possession in the face of Ulster's superb defensive effort, there were also encouraging signs for Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who was in the VIP box at Ravenhill, with Gordon D'Arcy's return to action.
D'Arcy's dancing feet help set up Keogh's try in the 71st minute after Paddy Wallaces chip out of his own 22 coughed up soft possession. "After being out for one year, the challenge is always the speed of the game and having to defend or come back and counter-attack and I think he got a good look at it from the wing and it is only going to help him now as he takes more steps forward," said Cheika.
"He is a class player and if nothing else he will be fresh; he has had a long enough time out. He has definitely added a lot of zip to us in training and he brings a different dimension for us."
For Ulster coach Matt Williams, the defeat - his side's first since October in all competitions - illustrated the areas where he feels his players still have to improve - most pertinently their decision-making with ball in hand.
Aside from Darren Cave's superb first-half try from a set piece, Ulster were again guilty of playing too much rugby in their own half and failed to make their handful of other chances count, with Ian Humphreys only able to add two second-half penalties to his conversion of Cave's touchdown. "Our defensive effort was extraordinary, but we just gave them so much possession," said Williams.
"We said at half-time that we had them, but that we had to play the game down in their half. We told them not to do short kicks in own half, just play long and take the few chances that come their way.
"Instead from the kick off at half-time we run the ball straight in front of our own sticks, turn it over and they get a scrum and score a try. And then we chip out of our own 22.
"We have five words that we work on and one of them is discipline. And we lost our discipline and lost our game plan and you have to give Leinster credit. They did not budge off their plan and showed great patience," he said.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 8 mins: F Contepomi pen, 0-3; 25 mins: D Cave try, I Humphreys con, 7-3; 43 mins: R Elsom try, Contepomi con, 7-10; 53 mins: Humphreys pen, 10-10; 61 mins: Contepomi pen, 10-13; 66 mins: Humphreys pen, 13-13; 71 mins: S Keogh try, 13-18; 75 mins: Contepomi pen, 13-21.
ULSTER: B Cunningham (C Schifcofske 40); T Nagusa, D Cave, P Wallace, A Trimble; I Humphreys, I Boss; J Fitzpatrick (T Court 48), R Best, B Botha, E O'Donoghue, M McCullough, S Ferris (T Anderson 69), D Pollock (K Dawson 61), R Diack.
LEINSTER: G Dempsey (S Keogh 46); G D'Arcy, L Fitzgerald, F Contepomi, R Kearney; I Nacewa, C Whitaker (C Keane 79); C Healy, J Fogarty, S Wright (R McCormack 40), T Hogan (M O'Kelly 53), D Toner, R Elsom, S O'Brien, J Heaslip.
Referee: G Clancy (IRFU).
